To Arenzano

October 24, 2021

Another day to remember. It begins with a special moment that I’m sure we’ll look back on with fondness often. We’re outside the hotel on the plaza, our bikes loaded and about to wheel off when the door opens behind us. It’s Josepha, surprised to see us leaving already. We haven’t seen her since breakfast, but her son Claudio had settled our account with us a few minutes earlier. Josepha was back upstairs in her living quarters and I assumed we wouldn’t see her again; but here she is.

She’s come down because she hoped to take us up to the rooftop to see the view of the city from up there and to admire her garden. We wheel the bikes back inside and follow her to the elevator and the rooftop, and it’s as you’d expect - stunning.

Albegna, from the rooftop of the palace.

She proceeds to give us a tour of the rooftop itself, talking about the garden and plantings she’s clearly proud of. She planted most of them herself from cuttings over the years, but she also points out the fifty year old lime tree her father planted from seed.

She’s in fine form this morning, sharper than when we arrived. She’s 87, and I imagine was tired at the end of the day yesterday. This morning she’s walking nimbly without her cane, garrulous, enthusiastic. She covers a lot of ground, discussing what Christmas was like here last year during Covid lockdown, sounding a bit rueful that she’s done cycling because of knee issues that at her age she doesn’t think are worth operating on but happy that she can still go swimming in the sea when one of her sons accompanies her. She has hopes and plans for making renovations to the palace if funds from the Italian government come through. She wonders if any of the nine grandchildren will move back to Albegna. A shadow crosses her face when Rachael asks if she has other children than Vittorio and Claudio. Yes, a third son - but he died suddenly from a heart attack a few years ago.

Somewhere in here she states how happy she is. I don’t doubt it, living in this special place, surrounded by a lifetime of memories. A very special lady, and a very special memory for us.

Looking down to the garden on the second floor.

We thought it was windy yesterday, and it was. Today though is really windy; and it looks like it will be blowing straight into our faces for most of the 40-plus miles to Arenzano. Rachael is concerned, pointing out that there’s the threat of 40 mph gusts. I reassure her that we can always hop a train if it comes to that, but doubt that it will really be that bad.

I’m wrong. It’s that bad.

It starts well enough though, as we bike the flat stretch northeast of Albegna. It’s slow going, pedaling into a steady 15-20 mph headwind; but it’s really slow going when we come to a fun run in Loano that reduces us to walking along on the sidewalk through a crowd of spectators until we finally pass the far end of the event.

On the way out of town we stop to capture a detail from the facade of the cathedral.

Leaving Albegna, we stop to look again at the bridge across the mouth of the Centa that we crossed yesterday when we arrived. I don’t remember this bridge from three years ago, but you’d think I would. I wonder if it’s new or has been freshly painted?

Along the flat coastline northeast of Albegna.

Fun for them, but not particularly fun for us.

We staged this photo especially for Susan Carpenter’s benefit. Rachael wanted to model the correct behavior when the bar comes down. She could have raced to keep up with me when I made it through in front of her, but this was better. Good thinking, Rocky!

It’s a windy but quiet ride for the first fifteen miles, mostly on side streets and along the waterfront. When we approach Finale Ligure though, everything changes. From here to Savona we’re mostly on SS1 again, sharing the narrow road with the traffic. And it’s not flat and open any more through here. The mountains come right down to the sea, and the scenery is absolutely stunning. in spots it reminds me of cycling down Big Sur.

As spectacular as the setting is though, the most important factor is the wind. We’re partially sheltered from it as we approach each headland, but once you round the bend it hits you in the face like a hammer and stops you in your tracks. It must be at least 30-35 mph in the worst spots.

Rounding Capo Noli is the most dramatically beautiful stretch, but the worst windwise. At one point we bike alongside a bridge railing that moans with the wind, sounding like the wind organ back in Zadar. It’s bad enough that neither of us feel safe cycling for fear that we’ll be blown into the traffic or over the edge; so we walk.

Approaching Finale Ligure, the end of Liguria.

Approaching awe-inspiring Capo Noli, the most dramatic point of the day.

A look back at the sheltered beach west of Capo Noli.

An absolutely stunning spot. Here, looking at the whitecaps on the sea below.

Note that Rachael is walking through this breathtaking spot.

On the windward side. It’s downhill but we’re both walking now and feeling the strain.

At the worst of it as we round Capo Noli it’s feeling decidedly unsafe, and we’re both stressed out and exhausted - and it’s nearly three and we’re still twenty miles from Arenzano. We have a roadside huddle and agree that we’re not biking the whole way; we’ll catch a train in Savona, or maybe stay there instead and try to cancel our Arenzano booking without penalty.

But then, once around the cape conditions suddenly improve. Our direction starts bending more eastward, the winds lessen noticeably, so we just keep going. At some point we decide that there’s no point in stopping now and we’re back on Arenzano as the goal again. Reinforcing this resolve, the wind situation improves dramatically and toward the end we even enjoy a bit of a tailwind as we enter the last, flat stretch between Varazze and Arenzano. Flat because there’s a long tunnel, Galleria Invrea, undercutting the last significant headland ahead.

But not flat for Team Anderson, which somehow misses the turnoff to the tunnel and stays on busy SS1 as it goes over the top of the headland. Not the ideal way to end a long, stressful day - but at least we salvage a nice view from the top.

Looking back at the video now I’m reminded of what a fantastic ride this was, even with the wind.

Approaching Varazze. Note the clouds building above the mountains ahead.

East of Varazze the beach and trailside are lined with people just lying around soaking up the sun.

Looking down on Arenzano. Might as well salvage a view out of this last navigational fiasco.

Video sound track: November Winds, by Friedemann

We arrive at our lodging, the massive Grand Arenzano Hotel, right at five. It’s Grand in scale, but not in quality - the WiFi in the room is almost unusable, and the shower won’t drain so that you can’t stay in it for long without risking a flood. But we’re here, safe, and proud of each other. Over an elegant meal we agree to toss out an idea that I’ve been toying with for the past few days. When we come back to France next spring I’d been contemplating flying in to Genoa and coming through Liguria again, staying in different towns this time. But nope, not doing that. Maybe in another three years or so, when our memories have dimmed; but not next year.

So what is this colorful pile topped with pistachio? Not cheesecake, but we didn’t understand our server when she named it for us. Best dessert of the tour, I say.

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Ride stats today: 44 miles, 1,800’; for the tour: 2,390 miles, 85,100‘

Today's ride: 44 miles (71 km)
Total: 2,390 miles (3,846 km)

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marilyn swettI feel your pain Scott with the wind! We're in our trailer - boondocking in the desert west of Searchlight, NV. Absolutely stunning area with forests of Joshua Trees all around us. But the wind is gusting to over 30 mph buffeting the whistling around the the trailer. And the goathead thorns are so plentiful here that you can't even walk outside without filling up the bottom of your shoes! Oh, and I stepped off our steps wrong last night and sprained my ankle. I was reminded of your fall in AZ. The fun never stops! We're here one more night and then going to Borrego Springs for a week. Hopefully this wind will be gone by then!
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3 years ago

Susan CarpenterSome scary moments! High winds and traffic don’t mix - glad you got through safely.
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3 years ago

Rachael AndersonTo Susan CarpenterThanks! I hope you are enjoying Paris.
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3 years ago