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 ☺

Welcome to Savona and the Italian Riviera

Mare Amare

The season is open, the sun is shining and the sea is inviting. So take on your hat and let's have a bath on the beach!

Last days there was a red flag on the beach but the weather becomes better and better every single day.

The western beach of Savona is narrower than that beside the sea garden but is much much longer. So you can go for a long walk along the sea and pass by beautiful buildings in Art Nouveau style like Villa Zanelli.

You can see rows of long palms behind the beaches which is the reason why Savona is also called Riviera delle Palme. You can sit under their shadow in the sea garden and listen to the waves breaking against the shore.

If you choose the beach by the sea garden you will be very close to the Priamar Fortress and Piazza Garibaldi.

There are lot of bagni along the beach that administrate it and you can rent a place which basically includes a sundeck and umbrella and a wardrobe. You can rent it for a day, a week or the whole season and each bagno (a bath) has a price list with additional extras.

Each bagni has its distinctive color like red, blue or yellow so you can choose.

Bagni Savona

You can sit on the balcony in one of the bars along the beach and take a cup of real Italian espresso or a cocktail and enjoy the view.

Next to the bagni there are public areas and you can have a sunbath, a picnic or whatever and wherever you'd like. Piazza Garibaldi is right above one of the public beaches and will lead you straight to the city center.

So what more to say about this place where the sea is azzurro and full of joy.


You might also want to know:

• How to reach the city of Savona;
• Where to stay in Savona;
• And where to spend some money ☻

A walk through Riserva Naturale Regionale Adelasia

Exercise yourself

It's getting warmer and warmer with the spring. And if you enjoy hiking and walking in the woods, then Riserva Naturale Regionale Adelasia is a nice choice to spend a day or two.

It is about 25 km from Savona to there and you can choose either the highway or the country roads. Anyhow, if you are fond of winding narrow mountain roads, you'll find them on your way to Reserve Adelasia.

There are various hiking routes there: longer or shorter. We took 2 hour round trip among the woods.

We still could sense the remains of the last winter: the trees haven't been bloomed yet and there wasn't so much vegetation as expected in April. We even saw few piles of snow in the distance.

There were many streams that crossed the walking paths so it is a good idea to be well prepared with hiking shoes or with a spare pair of stockings at least ☺

And since "Adelasia" is a natural reserve, all of the species there - its flora and fauna - are protected by law. So don't tease the little creatures that you encounter...

But surely, you can admire them.

Alright, we started from the main entrance of Adelasia and followed trail No 1. We very quickly reached a refuge and a laboratory for environmental education (Cascina Miera) which was 767 meters above the sea level.

Cascina Miera

If you want to make a reservation for an environmental workshop, get a hold of the hut at:

CEA Province of Savona Via Amendola, 10 - 17100 Savona Tel 019/8313547 
E-mail: @ f.mordeglia provincia.savona.it

Website: www.provincia.savona.it


At the hut we had a quick snack and moved on. We passed through tall trees and lianas, a soft blanket of dry yellow leaves and moss, accompanied by the whistle of birds. We even saw a wildlife laboratory, probably used by the students from Cascina Miera. Next we reached a beautiful panoramic rock from which you could see the snowy peaks of the Alps.

I think I saw a hook in the rock and we assumed that probably some people had used it for climbing.

I must say the place is not crowded with tourists. You can enjoy the nature and your trip distracted only by the wild inhabitants of the forest...

After the rock we waded through shallow streams and at that point I regretted I hadn't taken a second pair of stockings with me. Anyway, dipping into cold spring water can be refreshing indeed ☺

Soon after that our trip finished. Route No 1 offers you quite easy excursion through the forest and you can take it for approximately 2 hours and a half. On your way you might find mineral stones and interesting plants and perhaps, you will rarely encounter animals since most of them avoid human contacts.

There are 4 major walking routes in Reserve Adelasia that last from 2 to 6 hours and vary in difficulty level. You can check them out here.

Buon viaggio!

A day in the countryside

Exercise yourself

One of the best-loved sides of Savona (for me), besides being a coastal city, is its relatively close position to the mountain. So take out your car or get on a bus number 11 and head for Quiliano village and the mountain.

Quiliano is located northwest from Savona and is a typical mountain village where people are friendly and during the spring, trees are covered with lovely blossoms.

Actually, our prime destination was la Chiesa San Michele Arcangelo which you can reach after travelling on a winding road after you exit Quiliano. It is about 10 km far from Savona and so, if you follow "Montagna" (mountain) signs on the road you won't be mistaken. However, in case you lose your way to the mountain, local people will be very open to help you...

A view to la Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo

We parked the car in an off-road area just below Montagna village (northwest after Quiliano) and reached the church after climbed a steep, but short, path among the woods. The actual date of its construction is unknown. However, the church is mentioned in old books dating from 1141. It is speculated that it was built by Lombards - German people that migrated to and in fact, invaded Italy and ruled a kingdom there.



It was closed on Sunday so we took our time to look around.


Montagna (Quiliano) is an amazingly tranquil place in the Ligurian Alps. Later, I found information on the hiking and bicycle routes in the area so you can check them out here.

The Ligurian Alps have a lot of paths leading to the summits and thus, it is a favored place for hiking treks, and which reminds me about a Chinese proverb saying that you can test whether someone is a real friend of you, if you only take them with you in the mountain... /take a minute to think about it/




With respect to us, visiting Quiliano and Montagna in a sunny day was quite a relaxation and an energizing experience.

First of all, you can get dizzy by the alternating scenes of colorific gardens and steep alleys. I have to admit that our strange presence barked the dogs in the village but people we met there were so friendly and seemed so lighthearted. I bet they have problems of their own as anyone else but do not look overtaken by them.

And we meowed the only cat (in the perimeter). I think it expected us to give it something delicious...










I spotted so many lovely creatures in both Quiliano and Montagna like goats (well, maybe devilish ☻), sheep, hens, I only heard a sound of what I thought might have been geese, and a pony that posed for my camera!

Moreover, I learned a new expression of greeting in Italian: Salve!

I've noticed that people in Italy have a sense for placing a group of junks together in such a way that they look just fantastic. For instance, a cellophane pack cut into pieces and tied to a fence to wave on the wind. Not to mention their genuine fondness of flowers, especially in Liguria where different kinds of flowers grow during the various seasons of the year.

At some point, a light rain began to fall down and took our little excursion to an end. We hurried through the downward path back to the car. And as we left the mountain, any trace of the rain vanished. We left behind the cheerful montagna and made a wish to visit it again.

What do you like to do on Easter?

Piazza

The Easter is preceded with processions on the streets of Savona. Children on age of 10 or so walk on the streets of the city carrying wooden stages of Biblical scenes and led by two priests. They stopped right under my balcony and sang songs to praise Christ.

This happened the day when we returned from our little trip to Bulgaria. And passing through ice and snow in Slovenia, we arrived at sunny Italy ☺

It rained cats and dogs on Saturday, but on Sunday, the Easter day, the spring came back to Liguria and we made our minds quickly - we took out the car and went out for a walk in Spotorno.





Spotorno is a splendid town in the Italian Riviera. That day, on Easter, its streets and piazze were crowded, its cafes and beaches were full with people. There was a musical orchestra marching on the streets and a market for vintage goods. I bought a small porcelain box for my mother.

We had a drink and snacks (a mix of sea food and meat) on the beach. I so much enjoy the excitement of the crowd during holidays. There was a feeling of allegro in the air. You are tempted to look behind the doors of a church or a little shop, to have a real Italian espresso in one of those cosy cafes in a colorful square or a really narrow street decorated with flowers.

When the sun began to go down we got back in Savona to prepare a delicious supper. You see, this is an inevitable ending for a wonderful Easter.

So where do you like to be on Easter: in the mountain, in the city, or on the beach? I think that being with your favorite ones is the best choice of all.