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.

After the footsteps of Thomas Jefferson in Northern Italy

Piazza

In 1787, on 28th of April, Thomas Jefferson passes through Savona on his way back to France. At that time he was a governor of Commonwealth. What the future president of America was doing in Italy and through which places he was passing by is what I am going to show you next.

While Thomas Jefferson was spending some time in France inquiring business opportunities there, he also decided to explore "the rice country of Piedmont" in order to understand why European consumers refuse Carolina's rice... As a result he did quite a big tour of Northern Italy.

What is more, his alpine and seaside journey Thomas Jefferson did on the back of a mule, alone, and anonymously. That's an adventure!

Alright, I did quite a map to show his approximate route from France to and through Italy and the places he visited:


View After the footsteps of Thomas Jefferson in Italy in a larger map

Here what Thomas Jefferson said about Italy in his Autobiography, 1743-1790:

"Here are nightingales, garden warblers, gardeners, pheasants, partridges, quails, a superb climate and the opportunity at any time to change from summer to winter climbing in the mountains. The earth produces wine, olive oil, figs, oranges and all products the garden ..."

I believe everyone will agree with his remark on the climate and the opportunity to switch easily from summer to winter ☻ This is true especially in the region of Liguria.

What followed was adoption of some agricultural crops by American farmers. Among them his favorite was the olive. However, it grew on South Carolina's and Georgia's land with poor success. Anyway, Thomas Jefferson classified three things as top necessities of life: olive oil, wine and books...

Off topic: A noteworthy fact is that the olive marks the extent of the Mediterranean climate.

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.

Italian lesson III: A route to the sea

Mare  Exercise yourself

That's right, this is a wordplay. It is about a street taking you out to the sea.

You know about the beautiful Ligurian sea. Some time ago we went to a neighboring town, Vado Ligure. It lies on the motorway to France in the west and its port is an important logistic terminal which handles more than a million tones of shipments annually.

A view of the port.




















It manages the traffic of a great variety of products: vehicles, wood, soft commodities and metals. Besides, the port is also known for pleasure craft and over half a million passengers pass through it every year. Not to mention that it is a big employer due to the volume of the traffic it manages.


While we were walking near the port, we spotted a sign on a route "Via di fuga a mare". So isn't it a street which can take you out to the sea? Say it Via "Fuga a mare":

It is indeed but not exactly a street. Actually, this is an exit runway to the sea.

If you understood the wordplay, then try to answer this question:

How do we say "street" in Italian?

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.

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