How to reach the city of Savona

Exercise yourself

If you decide to visit Savona some day, you won't go wrong. Here you will find fantastic beaches, medieval architecture, and mild Mediterranean weather. There are lots of cosy cafes and restaurants and allegro mood.

The beautiful Riviera delle Palme is located west by Genoa. Its shores are washed by the Ligurian Sea on the south where you can watch whales and dolphins in the summertime. On the north are the Ligurian and Maritime Alps and Savona lies just between them and the deep blue sea.













Here you will find some useful information on how to reach that God-blessed land.

I. Of course, the fastest way to reach Savona is by plane. There are `four international airports nearby:

The Airport of Genoa-Sestri. This is the closest airport to Savona. The journey from Genoa to Savona by train is about 20 minutes or so. Here are some of the flights to/from this spot /in alphabetical order/:

1. Air France - flights from Paris-Charles De Gaulle.
2. Belle Air - flight from Tirana.
3. British Airways - flight from London-Gatwick.
4. Ryanair - London-Stansted.
5. S7 Airlines - Moscow-Domodedovo.
6. Turkish Airlines - Instanbul.
7. Vueling - Barselona.

Turin-Caselle Airport. Some flights from/to here are /in alphabetical order/:

1. Air France - flights from Paris-Charles De Gaulle.
2. British Airways - London-Gatwick.
3. Brussels Airlines - Brussels-Zaventem.
4. Easy-Jet - London-Gatwick.
5. Iberia - Madrid.
6. Lufthansa - flights from Frankfurt and Düseldorf.
7. Ryanair - flight from Barselona, Brussels-Charleroi, Glasgow-Prestwick, London-Stansted, Malta, Dublin, Ibiza.
8. TAP Portugal - Lisbon.
9. Turkish Airlines - Istanbul-Atatürk.

Airport Cuneo-Levaldigi. Some flights from/to here are /in alphabetical order/:

1. Air Arabia Maroc - flights from Casablanca.
2. Air Memphis - Hurghada.
3. Belle Air - Tirana.
4. Blue Air - Bacau.
5. Wizz Air - Bucharest-Otopeni.

Bergamo Orio al Serio Airport (also known as Milan Bergamo Airport). Some of the flights to/from this spot /in alphabetical order/:

1. Air Dolomiti - Moscow-Domodedovo.
2. AlMasria Universal Airlines - Cairo.
3. Belle Air - Tirana.
4. Blue Air - flights from Bacau, Bucharest-Henri Coanda.
5. Carpatair - Timisoara.
6. Pegasus Airlines - Istanbul-Sabiha Gökcen.
7. Ryanair - flights from Barcelona, Beauvais, Berlin-Schönefeld, Billund, Birmingham, Bratislava, Bremen, Budapest, Brussels-Charleroi, Dublin, East Midlands/Nottingham, Eindhoven, Fes, Groningen, Frankfurt-Hahn, Krakow, Lanzarote, Lappeenranta, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, London-Stansted, Maastricht/Aachen, Madrid, Manchester, Marrakech, Moss, Palermo, Paphos, Porto, Riga, Santander, Seville, Stockholm-Skavsta, Tallinn, Tangier, Tessaloniki, Vilnius, Warsaw-Modlin, Wroclaw, Zaragoza.
8. Volotea - Nantes.
9. Wizz Air - flights from Arad, Bucharest-Henri Coanda, Cluj-Napoca, Gdansk, Katowice, Prague, Skopje, Sofia, Targu Mures, Timisoara, Vilnius, Warsaw-Modlin.
10. Wizz Air Ukraine - Kiev-Zhuliany, Lviv.


II. Arriving with a cruise ship. There are excellent Mediterranean cruises that pass by countries like Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt, Spain, Portugal and France, and land at Savona. If you are fond of pleasure boating, this is just for you.

III. International travel with a train.

Well, after you arrive in Italy, you can catch a train to Savona. If you come from Genoa, the journey won't last more than 20 minutes. If you come from Milan, then it will take you about 2 hours and a half to reach the Riviera delle Palme. And if you choose to go by train, you might need to know:

• The schedule of the trains is listed on the website of Trenitalia. There you can check the schedules of all regular trains /tutti i treni/ or those of arrows /le frecce/.
• The phone number of the information service of the Italian railways is 892021. However, you might need to speak Italian ☺.
• If your train ticket does not include a booked seat, then you must validate your ticket in one of the machines on the platforms before you get on the train! 

Here you will find information on how to use public transport to quickly cross the city of Savona. You might prefer to take a taxi. Then the phone number of Radio Taxi in Savona can be of use to you: 019827951.

And finally, if you want to walk around and see many different places, then you can rent a car.

Whatever you prefer, sea or mountain, you will find it here.

Bon voyage!

Savona Historical Buildings III: Il Brandale

Piazza

One Sunday, when it was a sunny winter day, an old man accosted us in front of Il Brandale and told us a story about popes related somehow to the tower and the city. Then he showed us a coat of arms on the wall of a neighboring building and said it belonged to a powerful familia (which one I don't know).

Since I couldn't understand much, I decided to do my own "research" on the subject☻and I found the following.

Several powerful families had a significant impact on Savona's history in the past. They delivered 3 popes in total to the world and helped the city to flourish. Who were they?

First of all, there is some mystery around Il Brandale: no one knows the actual date of its construction although there is evidence that it was built in the 11th century. What's more it is argued that the name of the tower might belong to a family that owned it during the early medieval ages. What is sure is that Hildebrand's (Italian Ildebrando) originated from this familia and Pope Gregarious VII was a Hildebrand himself. He was known for seeking "to establish the supremacy of the pope within the Church and the authority of the Church over the state" /source/; a probable author of the so called Dictatus Papae (the dictates of the pope).

So it is believed by some that Torre del Brandale belonged to his ancestors. The tower is now called A Campanassa which is the name of the big bell installed in it. An interesting fact is that the docks of the old port (Vecchia Darsena) were located just a few meters from the tower in medieval times. (A highway lies between them now.)

A view to Il Brandale from Vecchia Darsena

Two other names of popes were related to Savona's history too: Sixtus IV (originally Francesco della Rovere) and Julius II (Juliano della Rovere). Both of them were part of Rovere family thanks to which Savona had became a cradle of the culture in Western Liguria during the late fifteenth century before it fell down under Genova's governance.

This is to explain why they call Savona "The City of Popes". However this is not the end of the today's story. Next to Torre del Brandale, you'll also find other two medieval towers: Torre Riario and Torre Corsi:

A view to Torre Riario and Torre Corsi located at Piazza del Brandale

These two towers were, obviously, named after other two powerful families in medieval Savona. For example, Riario was an Italian noble whose mother was one of Rovere's, Bianca della Rovere and thus, he was a nephew of Francesco della Rovere, namely Pope Sixtus IV. What a fortune! After all it is all about power and influence, isn't it? You know, they say that blood relations and la familia as a whole have always been important in Italy when it comes to business.

Well, this is all I found about Brandale's relations to Popes. Perhaps there's even more. Some other time I'll tell you about the old city's gate - entrance to its historical center and many small shops.

How to boil pasta like a real Italian

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How to boil pasta in Italian style for the hungry souls? Here's how:

Perhaps you've heard that pasta is ready if, thrown against the wall, it sticks on it. This is wrong, very wrong - say Italians and shake their heads. If the pasta sticks on the wall, it means that it's overcooked and you can trash it. On the contrary, the pasta must be al dente.

So follow these 2 simple steps:

1. Leave the pasta to boil for 1 minute less than what is indicated on the package.
For the curious:

This is so because the pasta will continue to cook in the pan with the sauce.
2. Transfer the pasta into the pan with the sauce and stir energetically for the last 1 minute.

Enjoy your meal!

Beaches of Liguria

Mare

In a sunny day after the stormy Halloween, we headed toward Spotorno and next to it we found Noli.

So if you dream for long beaches and medieval castles, these small towns in Riviera di Ponente are just for you. Riviera di Ponente or the "Coast of the setting sun" is a Ligurian area between Genoa and the French border.

Besides, the road that crosses it is one of the most beautiful in Europe, I reckon. This is Via Aurelia or SS1 on the road maps. Even just driving on it worth the effort. It goes all the way along the sea and takes you to Sanremo, and is popular for road cycling.

Bike route 542828 - powered by Bikemap 

Check out all bike routes in the region at Bikemap.

There were lots of cars and bicyclers coming and going in both directions. We passed by a bunch of chopper riders on the way surrounded by high vertical cliffs, deep blue sea and medieval towers on the hills - guards of honor. A crooked and winding road - this is Via Aurelia and a dream for every adventurer. I was totally captivated by the roadside views and simply wanted to get off the car and continue by walk but it wasn't possible.

And so we reached Spotorno: a small and poor coastal country in an ancient times, often a subject of bitter disputes between the powerful neighboring municipalities - Savona & Noli, now it is a top tourist destination in the Italian Riviera.

And there is a reason for this: pure water and long beaches, a labyrinth of narrow streets and cozy little shops and cafes. It seemed to me that the whole city life was on the streets - social gatherings, hairdressers, craftsmen. You had the feeling that everyone knows everybody.

Spotorno's life has always been tightly connected to the sea. In the past, boats transported goods like wine, paintings and lemons to Sicily, Sardinia and France. Now a view of fishermen on the beach is a common scene.

This sausage dog, with his back to me, was a little curious creature and I knew the representatives of the breed were brave hunters.

The island on the picture is Bergeggi and on the shore against it you can find one of the purest blue beaches in the region. What's more, you can reach it by walk from Spotorno.

The beach was empty then but I bet it's full with people during the season. However, you must watch out for your dignity: There was a sign on the promenade which informed that walking around the town in a swimsuit is strictly prohibited!

Well...

Here's a greeting from Spotorno friend, full of joy as the city itself:

And then comes Noli: steep streets, gloomy castles, lots of olive trees and uncommonly tranquil place to be in November.

We entered a church there. It was empty and silent, preparing for a service that was going to begin in 30 minutes. A nun passed by and greeted us on the main entrance. The whole place had an aura of something magnificent, romantic and melancholic at the same time (unlike the cheerful Spotorno).

You know, although the temple looked at the beach and a sea alley, and there wasn't any kind of sign to indicate that hanging around in a swimwear was restricted, I couldn't quite imagine to show up in a swimming costume around it...

So we crossed the main street, that was Via Aurelia, and there it was - a choppy dark blue-green sea and big foaming waves! It attracted me like a magnet.

Our Spotorno friend told us afterwards that this was the town with the most peaceful and transparent blue waters around the west coast of Liguria. Yet, that day we saw a splendid wavy sea (due to the autumn weather, my best guess).

If you are curious about the town, the name "Noli" has a Greek origin and means "new city". Its story tells us, and this is a less-known fact, that the village (slightly less than 3000 citizens nowadays) was an ancient maritime republic. It is even considered that Christopher Columbus took "lezioni di mare" (lessons of the sea) here in year 1474!

Mare: You should know that you can easily sink into deep water at the Ligurian beaches for reason of the sea slope. So if you prefer shallow water, then you might want to visit the east coast of Italy.

In order to plan your Vacanza at Liguria, just browse a tour guide like TripAdvisor.

☼

Mediterranean Cruise

Mare

It's sunny again after a stormy Sunday. So why not going cruising in the Mediterranean!
One of the biggest attractions of city of Savona is pleasure boating. Here we go.

Would you like to get on a ship like this? You can cruise around the Mediterranean with it.

You can take Grande offerte in the autumn. Check them out with Costa Crociere, a cruise company which manages the passenger terminal in the port of Savona, or with Corsica Ferries.

Place of departure: Savona. A few words about it.

Happily situated between mountains and sea, divided into old and new city, Savona is part of Liguria Region and the inviting Riviera. Its cruise port, Savona Vado, was expanded in 2008 with a new quay.



One of the symbols of the city is a clock tower which stands at the Old Dock. It is called Torre Leon Pancaldo after the ship navigator. However, the locals just call it "Torretta" - little tower in Italian.

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No grief and no moaning over the passing summer. The autumn is also intriguing and the sea appealing.

Peperoncino - The Chili Peper

Exercise Yourself
Called viagra naturale (it undoubtedly owes it to its shape),
His Majesty the Peperoncino is very popular in the country of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Christopher Columbus. The later first brought it here from the New World.

Peperoncino Rosso Piccante: put it in a salad, soup, spaghetti, sauce for pasta and fish. As you wish. In any case you can use it for tomato salad and sauce.

I am astonished by the wide variety of peperoncino they have. And I was truly astounded, stuck and dazed by the unthinkable degree at which one of these was hot and chili. It was my deception to put a generous amount of it in a dish and thus, I sent my boyfriend into genuine amazement.

So beware of the type and the quantity of the spice in a place like

Italia where you can see even chili peppers made of plastic and displayed in bookstores as decoration.

So, as I said before, you can prepare a tomato salad with it (originally from Sicily). Ingredients:

Tomatoes
Peperoncino ,

Aglio e Olio (NOT spaghetti)
Croutons
Salt

Be bold.

The Mare & The Whales

Mare   Amare

Let me tell you about a shore of a sea where whales mate in the summer. The breeding takes place in a region called Pelagos Sanctuary.

The Boats

The Fishermen

They are always there: alone, couples, partying. Fathers and sons.

The Mare & The Wave

                        

They say the sea becomes really stormy in the winter and therefore, raise dikes on the beach in October. I hope levees won't break. ☻

The Play

You can go for a whale watching trip in the summer between July and early September. You can go for a scuba-dive, it's quite deep.

Locals will tell you about an idle beach on the opposite coast against Bergeggi Island where the road leads to San Remo and you can go by bike enjoying the view.

You can fall in love like the bush above. 

Pesto - Original Recipe

Exercise yourself

This is what an Italian chef describes as the only true pesto recipe:

1. Take a bunch of basil, a bushy one.
2. Basil leaves must be dry, not wet, before preparation or they will become dark.

Attenizone: Small leaves means more flavorous leaves. What's more, the best basil grows in the region of Liguria.

Savona, Liguria, Italia

2. You also need: garlic, pine nuts, and extra virgin olive oil.

3. Mix them all in a blender. Run the blender with frequent stops or the basil leaves will darken again.

P.S. Regularly do exercises J

Amo te... oggi e per sempre

Amare

A friend of mine once told me that visiting Italy is the same as to go to a theater. In the beginning, everything is strange, overwhelming, scary, new, exciting. So many emotions!

After you

I came to Italy led by il mio Amore.

Italia... 

Love is everywhere in the air. A Polish guy told us it was easier to make babies there than in other places in the world...

...to which Italians usually exclaim "This is Italia!"