I know (From the brief time i was on the coast of Italy during that biking trip i made this past summer) that the coast is very undesirable in many parts. For instance, where i was (Levanto) other then where the small beach was, there was no flat ground. The ground rose steeply (numerous swithcbacks everywhere) up a thousand feet straight from the waters edge. It would be impossible attempting to land a force of any side there, and this sort of terrain went on for miles and miles - and even at oppurtunic spots, you'd still have to deal with these steep rocky mountains that would be a defenders best friend.

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