On the (Italian) Riviera

Cerianna - one of our favourite local villages

We were lucky enough to be able to go back to our farmhouse in the province of Liguria where we first started our HelpXing last June. We had arranged with Sue (our host) for us to work a week with her and then spend the next two weeks house-sitting while Sue and her sister
Judy went on a holiday.  This worked very well for us as we were to have Vicki’s mother Joan and sister Julie with us for a holiday.

Our first week went very quickly with Sue providing her usual interesting gourmet dishes for us to savour as we sat outside by the forno on the warm evenings being attacked by the biting insects and fending off the nine feral cats with a water-pistol. Admittedly four of the cats were new kittens and rather cute. Still haven’t managed to get a pizza base hand formed without a hole in it or remotely circular …

Though the temperatures were still in the mid-20s the water in the pool was cold enough for only a quick dip.  The sea was warmer so we managed a few floats down on the public beaches (most beach areas are private, i.e. you pay for access and a deck chair/lounger, changing facilities, toilet and access to a cafe).

Early one morning we took the train through to Nice to pick up Joan and Julie from the airport after a 36-hour flight from Nelson. Understandably they were looking a little weary so we immediately abandoned them while we found a local bus to take us to the hire-car rental. We had a cheap deal which meant picking it up at a commercial garage in the middle of nowhere. Once we eventually got back to the airport and picked the girls up we headed on a scenic trip back along the French Riviera, starting with the Boulevard Anglais in Nice to admire the beach (and inhabitants), then along the windy and hilly road through the little port towns dotted along the coast, with an appropriate number of Oohs and Ahhs as we saw the grand houses and even grander super-yachts. Though we skirted around Monaco you can still see the super-super-yachts at anchor. We could see they thoroughly enjoyed this introduction but were nodding off by the time we reached the Italian border and the slow trek through the built-up towns. The sleepy bit lasted until we reached the track up to the house which is always a challenge with a very poor surface, big drop-offs, and very narrow and steep. Joan was suffering enough with driving on the “wrong” side of the road and the cars zipping along far too close and scooters everywhere – this track was the last straw, especially as the rubbish Renault car we had couldn’t make it up the last 200m. With wheels spinning and car sliding we abandoned ship in a nearby orchard and walked the last very steep bit with the bags. Thereafter Joan didn’t enjoy travelling up our track nor fond of struggling up the last bit on foot.

Our next two weeks alternated between relaxing at the house, enjoying the pool, watering the fruit trees and feeding/playing with the cats, and exploring the medieval villages in the mountains inland. Plus a compulsory stop for gelato at the Smile Bar in Taggia. Even though most of our trips were to favourite places we had been to last year we still enjoyed them again. The huge advantage in this area is the almost complete lack of tourists. There are plenty of Italians down by the coast enjoying their summer holiday, but few venture inland. Peaceful, incredibly scenic and very Italian. On one big day out the girls took the train to Monaco to engage in some beautiful things and people watching.

While trains are the best way to travel along the coast they can be a hassle changing at Ventimiglia – the Italian border town. When we first arrived from Nice the train line between the two countries was closed and a bus service operated. Sort of. Except Italians don’t know the benefits of queuing so each time a bus arrived a scrum formed. As we had big bags that had to be stowed underneath we had no chance of getting on. And by the time another bus had arrived a further trainload would also have arrived to force themselves on. Eventually Vicki showed that watching all those All Blacks’ games had rubbed off and managed to force her way on, elbows flying, then blocked the entrance until I had arrived after stowing the bags.

Having a car opened up more opportunities and we did venture further up the coast. Past Imperia (the provincial capital) to the walled city of Albenga. From the French border right along this coast it is almost completely built-up with town after town of apartment buildings and public and private beaches. Apparently Italians book up a year ahead to get their choice holiday apartment. Albenga is a typical old town with the outside ring of houses/shops providing the exterior walls. Nowadays the modern town stretches well outside the walls but the historic centre is still picturesque, albeit full of tourists and shops and restaurants catering to them. We did find a local restaurant where we managed a large pizza each plus bottled water for only 20 euros for the three of us – quite a bargain, but then food in Italy is cheap by NZ standards.

The girls in team colours refreshing themselves after a hard morning at the market ..

For some strange reason the girls all loved visiting San Remo, our favourite big town just down the coast. As a town it has a lot going for it: an interesting medieval part winding up the hill at the back, a shopping street with no cars but full of the expensive shops, a casino, beaches, and a harbour filled with expensive yachts. Oh, and a twice-weekly street market that we had to keep going back to. Julie got a leather handbag for 20 euros and Vicki a pair of red leather gloves for 8 euros.

So the time comes to leave. Sue tells us that three of her next HelpXers have had to cancel for various valid reasons and she needs someone to house-sit through the winter months. Much as we’d like to be here, it is hard work without a vehicle and, anyway, we are now booked up for the next year or so.