Thursday 13 February 2014

Italy Feb 13


We made it to Italy with our usual luck with trains holding steady. The train from Nice to Sanremo was uneventful except that we had to purchase tickets to Sanremo in Italian. The next train was a bit trickier because the route was blocked. The line is washed out between Diano Marina and San Bartolemo, exactly where we want to go. Lucky for us there was a bus leaving from Diano Marina when we got there, luckily the bus was going to San Bartolomo where we got back on a train that was going to Albenga. We transferred as planed in Albenga to a train bound for Genova. So we transferred to a bus for part of the trip. We found out later that the usual train for the route had been pushed into the sea when a large house slide down the hill because it rained. It actually rained quite a lot and the roads were washed out in spots too. So we got the scenic tour of some villages when we went for the bus ride.

Sanremo is an awesome town right on the Mediterranean sea in Italy. It has some old parts that wind up the side of a mountain that is almost cliff steep. That part of town is all three to four stories tall and the buildings all connect to each other with arches for mutual stability. The arches become terraces, then covered terraces, then spare rooms. Finally the route up the side of the mountain is completely covered over in sections making it a strange place to walk. Down by the sea there are plazas and shopping all in very cool Italian style. On the sea itself there are beaches and marinas and board walks. We loved Sanremo.

Genova, the birthplace of Christopher Columbus was supposed to be a dump. We loved it. It was bombed heavily during the second world war and during some fight with the french in 1674. But there were lots of old churches and magnificent homes left over. The university occupies some prime real estate in old school mansions. It is amazing. 



This long tunel runs straight inside the mountain about .5 km to the Sanremo train station. 



I paid 3 Euros extra for the sea view room, for a total of 33 Euros with a great breakfast included. Liberty Hotel Sanremo, it was on sale and the people there were very nice, the sent us to a very nice and inexpensive restaurant nearby.



With my mouth full Yoly can't understand my translation of her favorite show, but she laughed anyway.



Cookies, they were delicious.



Yet to be discovered but I bet they are good.



This time we got to go inside the Russian church, it looked cooler than it looks.



Detail of roof.



Roof.



Seaside Sanremo.





Us seaside Sanremo.



My future is so bright I need sun glasses.



Birds



Boats and birds.



Big boats



Little boats.




Church on hill.



New champion of silly shoe competition.



Houses on mountain near church.



Tunel under mountain.



Pingna. Houses holding each other up with arches.



Road between houses.



Yoly exploring Pigna.








More Pigna


Art on the window






Brave cyclist.


Sweet bread Italian style, almost as good as Yoly's.


This was a nice house in Genova, now it is part of he University.


Nice house for the museum.


Now it's a bank.


This was still someones house.


The gates from the old city wall.


Famous painter painted inside the church, Rubens and others.


More paintings and gold leafing.


A garbage eating dragon made out of garbage.


Gandi and me at the old harbour.




A fake wooden boat.


Another church.


Mary looks distinctly Italian to me.

1 comment:

  1. Happy Valentines Day! Enjoy your day with some exotic place to dine. So happy you are having such a "Great Time", meeting lots of new friends and learning so much what a Fantastic Holiday! We are O.K. here dealing with winter, but spring is just around the corner. Have Fun & Take Care.

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