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. 

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 ☻

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.

Quick tour of Savona: from the Train Station to the Port

Exercise yourself

If you visit Savona and the Italian Riviera, you might need to know how to quickly reach the Cruise Port from the Railway Station or vice versa. Here we go.

1. By train

If you arrive in Savona by train, the fastest way to go to the Port or the city center is by bus. It is cheap and fast: 1 € for a ticket and 10 minutes for the trip. The bus stop is on the left side of the Railway Station and there is no way to overlook it when you go out from the main entrance of the station.

Here how it looks on the map:

View Railway Station in a larger map

There are three bus lines you can get on: 62, 7 and 5.

Line 62 goes directly to the Port called Palacrociere, while lines 7 and 5 don't but can bring you to the city center. Going to Palacrociere from the center by walk will take you not more than 10 minutes. Although it brings you directly to the port, bus 62 goes through a longer route as to show you the city.

Keep in mind that bus 62 runs only when cruise ships arrive on the port! To check this, visit the webside of Porto di Savona or check timetables here (just for double check).

If you get on line 7 or 5, you will have to cross the old dock, that is Vecchia Darsena.

Vecchia Darsena

There is a bridge you can go through to cut the route. But if you carry luggage with you, it might be a bit of inconvenience. And if the bridge is lifted for a boat to pass beneath, you will have to go round, just along the old dock with the boats or you can wait, of course, for the bridge to get down again.

A new bridge is been built now to replace the current one and hopefully, to make it more comfortable to the passengers.

Part of the construction site of the new bridge

The timetables of all bus lines including 62, 7 and 5 can be found on the webside of TPL which is the local public transport in the Province of Savona.

You can buy a bus ticket at any newsstand or bookstore. There are different colors of tickets, though, and you will need a pink ticket to get on bus 62, 7 or 5!

One more tip: buses don't stop unless you wave them.

2. By cruise ship

Alright, if you arrive in Savona with a cruise ship, you might need to catch a train for another place or walk around the city center. The best way is to get on bus 62 which will take you directly to the Railway Station. The bus stops in front of the Palacrociere, very convenient indeed. It passes through one of the main shopping streets of Savona, namely Via Paleocapa.

By the way, I found three different timetables of line 62 - one in a local newspaper, second in the webside of the local public transport, and third on a bus stop at Via Paleocapa ☻ After all, this is part of the unique Italian charm. And bus 62 runs frequently anyway.

View to a cruise ship from the bus stop at Via Paleocapa

If you'd like to walk and look around, the distance between Palacrociere and Via Paleocapa is very short. Just cross the bridge at the old dock, then a zebra and the shopping street is vertical to the clock tower shown on the picture. This is "Torretta" and is one of the symbols of the city of Savona. You can see the city's flag on it.

At the same time, you might want to go to the opposite direction from the port and then you'll find a medieval fortress, namely La Fortezza del Priamar.

Wherever you go or however you visit the Riviera delle Palme, I promise you, you'll be captivated!

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.

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.