Saturday 28th – Ceriana & Arma di Taggia

Looking down to the Italian Riviera

We were disappointed not to get to the meadow above Ceriana two days ago, so we thought we’d give it another try. Off we went up the hill, and found we had only been a few tens of metres wrong in choosing a track, as the correct one was very close to the dead-end of last time. About an hour from the bottom to the meadow surrounding San Giovanni. Again we were delighted with the view from the top, as you can see down to the sea to the south, and to the snow-covered Alps to the north. It really is a magical spot. We could even hear the outboard on a little fizz-boat scooting along the coast way below us. A perfect spot to eat our picnic lunch.

San Giovanni, Italian Alps behind

Back down to Ceriana where we had a rosé in the new bar, accompanied as always here with a little plate of nibbles, this time bread with sausage in a dressing, and prosciutto. We love the lack of haste in bars and cafes (they are in fact one and the same here – they are all bar-cafes. You can sit and nurse a drink for hours, or just simply sit without a drink and there is no feeling that you are taking up valuable space and should be on your way after the last sip.

Another lovely day (it has not rained here for weeks judging by the dryness of the tracks) so we thought we’d spend a bit more time on the beach, which necessitated a couple of hours watching tennis and the Giro d’Italia (cycle race which is in its last stages) on TV at a bar to wait until the sun cooled down a little. A very pleasant time, followed by some more time in the sun people-watching.