It is 12 midnight…. should be going to sleep before we head to France tomorrow, but as we actually have Wi-Fi, which is a rarity,  I will do a post on where we are tonight…… one of our favourite spots from our 3rd trip (last trip) here, Finale Ligure on the Italian Riviera.

It is a small village (although it has grown from our last visit), on  the Italian Riviera west of Genoa and north of Portofino.

Known for its white sand beaches and its views, Finale Ligure is located directly adjacent to the Rock of Caprazoppa, a steep limestone mountain on the southwest, and much of the town extends up hill slopes. The town has a lively commercial district. The boardwalk is lined with palm trees and many restaurants. The town of Finale Ligure is nominally divided into three “boroughs”. Finale Ligure Marina (Finalmarina) is the main seaside part of the town, most frequented by tourists, while Finale Pia (Finalpia) is the traditional centre of the town, where a Benedictine abbey still stands. Finalborgo, the third borough and located further inland, consists of an old walled medieval town.

We stayed at the small 4 storied hotel named Hotel Garbone on our last visit, and we were pleasantly surprised to see it still standing and still run by “Giovanni”………. a boutique hotel opposite the Mediterranean ocean.  A different room this time, but still cute, clean and with a stunning view.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We visited the incredible place of Venice, once again together. We were here about 20 years ago, for our first holiday away together. It was romantic then, and is still as romantic now.

Venice is a city in north-eastern Italy, sited on a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges It is located in the marshy Venetian Lagoon which stretches along the shoreline, between the mouths of the Po and the Piave Rivers. Venice is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. The city, in its entirety, is listed as a World Heritage Site, along with its lagoon. A must see on everyone’s “bucket list”.

It was here in Venice, on our first visit, that Mal met my Mum and Dad for the first time nearly 20 years ago. With its narrow lanes, continual bars, restaurants, no cars, interesting shops (I could fill 10 suitcases….I wish ) it is a place to be seen to be believed !

We rented an apartment for a week around the corner from San Marco Piazza with the intent of cooking a few of our own meals…no such thing, the restaurants were too inviting. We also enjoyed a day out visiting the famous Murano Island and it’s glassblowers. That proved a bit costly !!!! All in all, we have absolutely loved Venice , and fallen in love with its beauty again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We spent a beautiful and relaxing week in Lake Como.

Lake Como , is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of 146 square kilometres , making it the third largest lake in Italy. At over 400 metres (1,300 feet) deep, it is one of the deepest lakes in Europe, and the bottom of the lake is more than 200 metres (660 ft) below sea-level. We could probably be safe in our boat here !

Lake Como has been a popular retreat for aristocrats and wealthy people since Roman times, and a very popular tourist attraction with many artistic and cultural gems. It has many villas and palaces. Many famous people have or have had homes on the shores of Lake Como, such as Madonna, George Clooney (he was out when we visited ), Versace and Sylvester Stallone. Lake Como is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful lakes in Europe, and we can now understand why.!!!

We had a beautiful room, that after walking the 120 stairs to reach it (really hard after doing it a couple of times a day…. after all the other stairs….1000’s), was perfectly place on what seemed like the top of the lake! We could hear the church bells nearby ring on the half hour, day and night, and at siesta time, hear the jolly little Italian man singing happily away while he worked in the bar below us. We were lucky to catch up with one of my sisters Diane, and brother-in-law Dennis, for dinner one night during their trip in Italy.