- Ahhh...Italy at last

I am delayed in starting this blog. It's already June 21 and we flew into Torino Italy on June 16. Better late than never.

Torino, our first stop, was fascinating. An industrial city sitting at the base of the Alps in the Piedmont district, with all kinds of history. It's also the kind of city where someone says, "Oh, you're from the USA, but what brought you to Torino?". As though there are so many other better places in Italy not considering Torino to be a destination. But Torino is full of history and interesting

architecture. It really was great. I'll add more about Torino later, after I catch up on this blog.
After spending a night in Torino we drove south to Ligure and finally got our feet into the Ligurian Sea....

In the Ligurian sea at last

The beach along Finale Ligure is popular

we hit Liguria, and what a place. Tropical, warm and plenty going on at night that the girls enjoyed. While we were still adjusting to the time change, we made the most of our stay. The local beaches at Finale Ligure are quite nice. This stop was just what we were looking for to start our trip. Somewhere to lose track of time and relax for a few days while we left the jet lag behind. The girls enjoyed plenty of beach time.

This place is also popular with the climbers and Mt. bikers as a result of the mountains rising from the coast. Very rugged with a lot of exposed rock (not sure what kind..sandstone? chirt? limestone?). Some of the trails leave directly from the town of Finale Borgo, the town we were staying in, so you tend to see a lot of bikers in the town square each day. The beaches here are rocky (think Eel River), but very nice with turquoise water and plenty of sun. The girls enjoyed tanning and swimming every day we were here.

The town of Varigotte, Ligure Italy

We also visited the small fishing town of
Varigotte just East of Finale Ligure. Varigotte was really nice to waste a day away. This was the one place for Shannon and I that stood out the most. The girls liked Final Ligure for the night life and people watching, the things to do, and of course, the beach. We, on the other hand were partial to Varigotte for the relaxed atmosphere and excellent beach.

Homes in Varigotte

Varigotte

Lastly, we enjoyed walking around our "home town" of Finale Borgo, shopping for bread, vegetables and meats at local stores. Each morning Shannon and I headed down to the Piazza for an espresso. It's an interesting mediaval town complete with town wall and restricted areas that cars cannot travel in. Easy to walk and very relaxing.

Finale Borgo

Enjoying a 'coka cola' in Finale Borgo

It was hard to leave this area, especially since we met new friends from Revelstoke Canada. It is rare when you make a connection with a family that both parents and children get along well. but that was the case with us. Our daughters met while swimming in the sea and we all ended up spending a few days together sharing travel stories, books we've read and ideas about connecting with people. It was a great couple of days in an intriguing area with very nice people. We really did not want to leave.

Here are few more photos from our stay in Liguria.... > P