The Ligurian Sea

Mare

The spring has officially come this year and the mare is more magical and wavier than ever.

One morning I went on my regular jogging on the beach (we must keep ourselves in a good shape, mustn't we?) only to see that the waves were reaching the sand levees one after another, so I chose a different route for my running time. Besides, I took some time and did several shots of this amazing Ligurian Sea.

As usual, retirees were sitting on the benches at the beach talking about politics or whatever. Workers were preparing bagni di mare (sea baths) which you can see along the beach coupled with nice seaside restaurants.

People are working for the upcoming season and you can really sense Savona's metamorphosis.


Then I went to the breakwater to catch some nice waves crashing against it but I didn't see such amazing November waves as those I admired at Celle Ligure last year. Anyhow, the breakwater seemed to be a favorite place for dog owners to take their pets out on a walk as well as the beach is a popular choice for them, I must add.

The next day I saw a man sitting on a chair on the rocks musing by the sea. Nice.

On my way back I saw two surfers. The shore here is such that waves turn and crash very close to the beach. These are deep waters here and if you can't swim (as myself), you must be cautious.

After this chap got over the wave I walked past and got back home to do some other useful things...


Now when I have to travel for a while, I feel as I am going to miss the sea - a strange feeling that can be explained only by someone who lives by the sea, I believe.

Shopping fever in Savona

Piazza

What's behind the Gothic archivolts next to Il Torre Del Brandale?

There is the entrance to the old city of Savona, a maze of narrow Mediterranean streets, cosy cafés and ... many boutique shops.

The May sun drove me out of home on a walk to the town's old city. This is the place where you can feel the spirit of both the Mediterranean and the Italian culture as they are shown on the movies. And even more: you can sense the smell of bread and flowers, the colorful shop windows and the nice breeze coming from the docks.


Each street leads to smaller or bigger piazza and I, in my search for a hunting club (bird feathers in particular), chose a way that led me to Piazza della Rovere. (Perhaps you remember my short review of the history of Savona's major families. Well, one of them was Rovere.)

Just round the corner you will walk into the Rovere square.

The light building with the two columns is called Palazzo della Rovere. Alright, it was built by Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere himself (later Pope Julius II) in 1495. This is the largest building in the historical center of Savona and was designed by a Florentine architect, Giuliano da Sangallo. Noteworthy, the queen of Spain, Germana di Foix (wife of Ferdinand V) stayed in the palace during 1507. In fact, the building has a long and intriguing story which I will try to tell some other time.

The palace is located at Via Pia - a beautiful Renaissance street and the main alley of the old city.

Not to mention how many little shops are located on Via Pia - so many fashion shops besides souvenirs, fishing tackles, book stores and others. Well, I found some of them really expensive. Anyhow, this is the place where you can spend a bunch of money for really unique goods.

I carried on and via Pia led me to my most favorite cafe in Savona located at another square - Piazza della Maddalena. I'll tell you that Piazza della Maddalena is the heart of Savona's historical center and holds this name, obviously because of a shrine on the corner of a building. It is an eighteen century shrine and is dedicated to the "Lady of Mercy" which became the symbol of the old city.

Oh, I can just sit in this cafe and contemplate... You can have a cup of cappuccino and a croissant only for € 2.10. An old man was reading his newspaper there, a lady passed by for a quick coffee. By the way, Italians tend to drink a cup of coffee with one big swallow e fine.

After the pause, I continued my walk on Via Pia and thus I reached Via Paleocapa or the main shopping street in Savona. Here we are ☻

However, this story is about Via Pia and the little boutique shops on it. There you can also buy gifts to take back home. You can literally lose yourself along this street and its many branches where besides your shopping fever, you can see amazing architecture, portals, churches, taverns...

With respect to me, I didn't find feathers. Maybe I should look more thoroughly. Anyway, I had a great time. And talking about shopping, there is a detail to mention about. Most of the shops in Savona have a quite long lunch break - from 12.30 until 15.30 ☺ Italian way...

The Rock of Madonnetta

Mare

In a rainy day like today's I want to write about something bright and shine. So, here is a story about a rock in the sea.

Walking along the deep blue Ligurian sea from Savona to Albissola, you will see it, just a few meters from the shore, the Rock of Madonnetta, that is the rock of Virgin Mary.

On the top of the rock, there is a column with a small statue of Virgin Mary in it. The story tells that is was built in the far 1963 by someone Francesco di Nicola Grossi whose identity wasn't determined yet. The Madonna, also called a Star of the sea, is considered a guard of the entrance to the harbor, and is typically honored with many lights on May 21st. I'll try not to miss the event...

Many young people from Savona and Albissola have been baptized at the Rock of Madonnetta. Lots of people come here in the summer and jump from the top of the rock too. The place is ideal for scuba diving even if you are not very experienced.

We made a commitment, we will come back to this place in the summer and dive in those waters (after I learn to swim, of course!).

And there is a small wild beach close to the Madonnetta, an absolutely tranquil place in an out-of-the-season day.

So how to find it. Just walk on the main sea promenade that ties Savona and Albissola, the neighboring town, and you'll see it after a tunnel.


There is only one disturbing thing I read about: a plan for building a marine port around and next to the Rock of Madonnetta. Many civilians protest against this and I should agree with them. The place is so beautiful and appealing because of its wildness. It must stay as it is now ☺

Who is Giuseppe Garibaldi

Piazza

Chi é Giuseppe Garibaldi?

For Italians, he is a patriot who contributed to the achievement of the Italian unification and liberation from foreign rule.

For Uruguayans, he was a commander in a war of liberation from Argentina.

For Americans, a soldier who volunteered his services to Abraham Lincoln in the Civil War.

For people all over the world, his name is a symbol of a battle for liberty and justice, independence of peoples and women's emancipation.

When he was born there wasn't Italy but small separate states. What he had learnt in South America about warfare techniques, he successfully applied in his homeland against the big neighboring powers. Thus unified Italy came true in the end.

Why am I referring to Garibaldi now? Well, a person needs a figure to inspire them sometimes. And Garibaldi was not only a great master of warfare, but I reckon that his ideas about liberation of people's mind from prejudices (religious, racial and others) was one of the reasons for his charm and power.

Today, you can find so many places around the world dedicated to his name: streets, squares, plaques... In Savona, his monument can be seen in the sea garden, next to Priamar Fortress. The square has a direct connection to a public beach where you can enjoy the beautiful Ligurian Sea.

Some places to stay in Savona

Piazza

Alright, I'm going to tell you about two places where you can stay when you visit Savona and enjoy a typical Italian atmosphere.

The first one is Riviera Suisse Hotel located at the very city center on the shopping street via Paleocapa. You can quickly reach the docks and the historical center from there. There are many restaurants and bars nearby the hotel too, so you won't be getting bored easily.

The hotel is located at the Popolo (people) square (see a map) where you can get on a bus to both the cruise terminal and the train station.

You can also take a taxi from Piazza del Popolo or go by walk if you prefer. So the location is definitely its biggest advantage.

The second place is B&B Alba Mare which looks to the sea promenade and in fact, if you stay there, you will be accommodated next to one of Savona's beaches. The location of the place can be found on the main road Vittorio Veneto (see a map). Close to it you can find a sea garden and next to it the Priamar Fortress. There are also lots of seaside restaurants and cafes as well as an Olympic-sized pool!

There is also a nice playground for children nearby B&B Alba Mare with a fountain and direct view to the sea.

Translated from Italian "alba mare" means "sunrise sea"... Well, what more can I say. The place is just perfect.

Of course, there are many other options to stay at Riviera delle Palme. So hurry up and plan your vacanza!

Winter in Savona

Mare

Who says it is sunny Italy?!

This picture was taken this morning from my balcony. There is charm in a beach covered with snow so white. You can see mist on the horizon and the sea is blending into the sky.

I only cannot understand one thing: How can it snow horizontally?! Well, living next to the sea usually goes with everlasting wind.

I was longing to see snow here for so long and eventually my dream has come true ☺ But it is going to last a single day, if I am to believe the forecast.

For some people, though, the snow and the wind are quite a scary scene... An old man from across the block opens the window on every 10 minutes, with a cap and a coat put on, to check the weather conditions outside.

With respect to myself, well, I enjoy my winter day!

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!