A Long Walk along the Anita Garibaldi Passeggiata.......ai Giardini delle Rose

Saturday morning!  Where has the last week gone?  But this is no time to dwell on our fleeting adventure!  It is another wonderful sunny day and we will do our best to take advantage of this great weather.   Breakfast awaits downstairs.  Weekend mornings are a bit more quiet as some of the housekeeping/kitchen staff take the day off, so we will fend for ourselves a bit more.  Haha, we get to use the fancy Italian Illy coffee machine rather than pouring it out of the pot!  It is like having 4 cups of espresso at once!

Another warning here is that we are going to walk over to the Nervi Parks to see the Rose Gardens this morning.........and that should mean lots of pictures of roses.........probably more than anyone will care to study!

We have talked about the Anita Garibaldi Passeggiata on previous trips.  It is a scenic walk by the sea that links Bogliasco to Nervi, the next town to the north.  Arriving from the south, this walk is a bit of a challenge initially as it covers some steep topography.  We planned it out and our route will be about 2.5 miles today........which is a bit of a stretch for us.  We will just try to take it easy.  We are going to walk with Kay Kaufman.  She is about our age and just retired as a Music professor at Harvard.......but is an avid walker!

Nervi sits on a cliff overlooking the sea and, squeezed between the spacious parks and the rocks, winds a charming and romantic promenade, named after Anita Garibaldi: two kilometers of terrace overlooking the sea. At the beginning of the path you can enjoy a suggestive view of the characteristic “Porticciolo” di Nervi and the Promontorio di Portofino and, on a clear day, you can glimpse the outline of Corsica. 

In addition to the characteristic little port and seafront promenade, the area allows you to enjoy Genoa's most elegant green spaces: the splendid Nervi Parks. This large green area, accessible both from the promenade and from the center, covers an area of 92,000 square meters between the Via Aurelia and the sea.  The area is home to more than one hundred varieties of tree, including palms and cedars, and five monumental trees of great interest. Another outstanding feature of the parks is the Rose Garden (designed by  Luigi Viacava). Restored in 2012 and divided into areas grouping antique, modern and competition roses, the garden boasts over 200 varieties of extraordinarily colorful plants. The best period in which to enjoy its beauty to the full is undoubtedly spring.

BABTISM !

Totally Exhausted!

Camogli and San Rocco

 I can imagine that our blogs become a bit of a blur due to the day to day similarity while we are staying here in Bogliasco.  It is impossible to resist gazing off the balconies and looking over the water early in the morning, and the multitude of daily pictures reinforce this!  Mi dispiace! La vista è così bella !

Anyway, more images this morning.  Our fingers are crossed for another clear, early summer day.  Our plan is to venture out down to Camogli after breakfast to meander a bit on the promenade, hang out at a cafe for a while and then drive up to San Rocco for lunch at the Bar Dai Mauguetti, an enchanting stop along the Portofino hiking trail. 

Breakfast on days like this are on the terrace and people drift in and out.  The jasmine is in bloom, which is actually affecting Andrea's allergies so she faces 'away' from the plants!  

TWO BALCONY MORNING VIEWS FROM OUR BEDROOM

SOUTH BALCONY

AND

STUDY ROOM WINDOW

BREAKFAST WITH JEFF AND BLAIR ACROSS THE TABLE

The drive down to Camogli takes about 15-20 minutes along the coastline.....very busy and crazy curvy road.......but somewhat of an adventure!  Lots of motorcycles passing continuously!  We know the back way in to the lower village and access to the promenade........but parking is often impossible.  There are public spaces down near the water, but are are almost always taken.  Today, we lucked out and after surveying the lot and seeing nothing available, a car backed out of their spot right in front of us!  Pure luck!  The entry to the waterfront fondamenta is through a narrow passage between buildings......which then opens to an amazing view.   In general, the waterfront area is a bit touristry, but for good reason.  It is quite a lovely place.  The rocky beach was crowded already.  We walked the full length of the promenade then came back to a cafe overlooking the beach and had a gelato, caffe machiato and water! Great fun watching all the people!

NOON TIME CHURCH BELLS AT THE CAFE

HEADED UP TO SAN ROCCO

Bar Dai Muagetti : Paradise in Liguria

The word Muagetti in the Ligurian dialect means “the small walls”. The Ligurian agriculture in fact spreads over small terraces carved in the steep slopes of low mountains which plunge in the deep blue of the Mediterranean Sea. These terraces provided the horizontality needed to cultivate in a blessed land for its climate but quite complicated from a geological point of view; men over the centuries have built them supporting their edges with small stone walls, to avoid the inevitable slippage of the earth toward the sea. An exhausting work that, along with the sea life, in a sense, has shaped the character of this grumpy people, sworn enemies of any unjustified waste.

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If you have the chance to come to Camogli or Portofino take a little trip to San Rocco, a tiny village on top of the hill between these to places, park your car and take the path toward Punta Chiappa. A few meters down the lane you’ll find a small bar, and when I say small I really mean the word. Carved in the rock by the inhabitants during the World War II to protect themselves against the bombing, after having served as a shelter was turned into a bar in 1967.

Since then I suppose thousands of people enjoyed the breathtaking view at sun set when the rocks in which the seats are built release the warmth absorbed during the day and the church bells announce the evening vespers while far away silents boats draw their wakes in the blue sea.

Simple and tasty food and drinks are the perfect crowning glory of such a unique pleasure a few hundred meters above the sea level, softly caressed by the evening breeze. And you’ll find yourself thinking why on earth humankind can be so mad to picture a war in such a paradise!

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Sorry for the inclusion of the article, but it helps explain the background of this amazing place.  It is really one of our favorite spots anywhere.  We again managed to find a parking space within about a half mile walk on the hiking trail.  We arrived there around 1:00 and there was only one other table occupied.  The waiter explained that had a special of focaccia bread stuffed with cheese and pesto, and another with pomodoro.  With a nice vermentino wine and sparkling water.......you need nothing else. 

ENTRY GATE TO VILLA DEI PINI

NEW THIS YEAR IS A NIGHTLY MENU BOARD!

After dinner Andrea and I took a walk down to 'Gianni's Garden' above the train tracks.  It is a wonderful invention on a narrow, spectacular strip of land high over the water.  The gardeners had just planted some new tomato and eggplant seedlings.......and we found a pot of strawberries with a ripe one just calling our name!  This was really a very special (but tiring) day.  We should sleep tonight!