Summertime

Mare

It's been so hot lately that you can't step with a bare foot on the sand. You can fry an egg on it, I bet, especially at noon.

Beaches are usually full of people, however not crowded... not yet. But this morning, the beach I normally go to, has been almost empty. The reason: partly cloudy weather. Nice! I wouldn't burn like a toast, I thought...

In such a day I like watching people. You know, the beach is an ideal place since so many different people gather there.

I think the girl and the boy on the left photo were sister and brother. And it seemed to me they were French.  Later on, a group of teenagers, boys and girls, arrived, went directly into the water and started showing off.

The sea in June is warm and excellent for swimming while in May the water is still cool. Besides, you must be cautious for underwater currents. There aren't lifeguards on the public beaches so your safety is your responsibility.

A boy was learning to surf although waves were not so big there. By the matter of fact, waves turn very close to the beach due to the very steep underwater slope, I suppose. The positive thing is there aren't sharks here ☺ At least I haven't seen any...

However, there are whales. If you love to, you can go on whale watching sail to see how they mate (from July to September). Check out this guide for whale watching for season 2013. I want to try it myself!

A very old lady was led to the water by an attendant and she stayed there for quite a long time. The sea is so calming, so romantic and energizing! It's a great place to be at any age. My dream is to live by the sea when I get old or at least beside a lake... But today we don't know what will be tomorrow.

The city center is only one-park far from this beach and you can go there for a walk or you can have a drink on the beach.

Besides, it's also the season of watermelons, there are plenty of them in June and I adore them, especially in the hot afternoons or evenings. A kilogram of watermelon is about 59 cents! It's cheaper and much healthier than an ice-cream ;-) So go for it!

Climbing Monte Carmo

Exercise yourself

It was a hot day in May. And we joined a group of experienced Italian trekkers, friends of ours, on a hiking walk to Monte Carmo.

Monte Carmo is a fantastic summit of the Ligurian Apennine with altitude of 1642 meters. You can find more info about its hiking treks here. My partner and I, I have to admit, felt so exhausted in the middle of the way up that we decided to make this wonderful shelter our final destination for the day:

There was a barbecue that day and therefore, so many people gathered on the green grass. Sausages and salad, pasta of course, delicious cakes, wine and beer: it was a little piece of paradise indeed! Not to mention two ginger cats resting on the window of the cottage and ready to snuggle...

The view from that place was unspeakable too as your sight can catch both mountain and sea.

Besides, there was a small basin full of tadpoles! It was first time in my life when I saw tadpoles. Obviously, May was a mating season for frogs.

After spending an hour or so in this splendid place, our guides led us through another route on the way back and we found lots of herbs like mint and dill. We passed by climbers so if you are fond of vertical rock climbing, you will definitely find a suitable place on the way to Monte Carmo. We also found lots of mushrooms and even very big ones. However, I am not an expert in this field.

Our journey started and ended at Loano - a nice seaside resort town in the Italian Riviera. Hopefully, next time we will be able to climb the peak and come back with many more and picturesque photos. 

Display of Pastoral Vestments

Piazza

Piazza Duomo in Savona

There is a display of images of pastoral vestments and attributes dated couple of hundreds years ago and it takes place at the courtyard of several impressive buildings in the historical city of Savona. So, if you enjoy sightseeing then this is a must-see place for you. Four historic buildings, Cathedral dell' Assunta, Capella Sistina (Sistine Chapel), Oratorio del Castello (Oratorio of the Castle) and Vescovile Palace (the Palace of the Bishop), comprise a splendid complex which can be find at Piazza Duomo (Cathedral Square), right here.

The facade of the Cathedral has been going through a process of renovation now. You can still get in when its open and I promise you, it is one of the most magnificent buildings in Savona. The entrance to the courtyard is usually open and from there you can enter the Chapel and the Oratorio. It seems to me that the Bishop's Palace can be reached from inside the Oratorio.

You can also use a guide's service to show you around and I think they can provide guidance only in English or German.

The exhibition takes place in this beautiful garden and it was quite an interesting display of different clothing materials because it seems to me that the "pastoral fashion" hasn't changed a lot for several hundred years. Besides vestments, you can also see marvelous candlesticks, crosses and even holy remains.

Items are displayed through photographs with very high resolution not "in real". We left our message in the visitor's book too.

In the end of this corridor there is a direct link to the Cathedral so you can enter it from there too. It is interesting that in some of the churches in Savona you can pick up a candle from a bunch and leave a donation, as much as you decide, instead of paying a price for it. Quite often, you can see people who are resting or praying in the churches here too.

There are two photos on the collage above: the left corridor will lead you directly to the Oratoria while on the right side of the next corridor you'll find the Capella Sistina.

So you can spend some time at this place especially if you are fond of history or you are looking for a tranquil place in the heart of the city to muse for a while. Taking photos is allowed only in the courtyard ☺