"No matter how sophisticated you may be, a large granite mountain cannot be denied--it speaks in silence to the very core of your being"-Ansel Adams
Perinaldo sits high on a mountaintop and is surrounded on three sides by even higher mountains. Behind us (north) are the jagged peaks of the Ligurian Alps. To the east are the mountains that divide us from the next river valley, and to the west are the Maritime Alps and French border. These mountains on either side of Perinaldo angle sharply (northward) down the long river valley toward the sea, creating a “V” in which the blue Mediterranean sits. The house we've rented for 10 days, the lovely Castello Berlino, is stacked on 5 levels, with a big comfortable kitchen and a rooftop terrace that is so close to the church bell tower that we could hit it with an olive pit, if we wanted to. The church bells are...loud.
Jeff is in cycling nirvana, coming home sweaty and satisfied after climbing the narrow, ridiculously windy roads: up one mountain and down the next, twisting into idyllic hilltowns, downing an espresso, and then plunging into valleys and back up again. Doing reconnaissance work for his upcoming cycling tour business is hard work, but he’s up for the challenge.
Jenna and I are getting exercise by simply living and walking in a hilltown. It’s an aerobic exercise just to go to the store, walking down ancient stone stairways, down slanted, narrow pedestrian streets (more like alleys) and then back up again, heart pounding, sweating.
We’ve spent the last week exploring our town, visting the lovely Hanbury Gardens, going to the beach in Bordighera, and figuring out how to lease a car (because it turns out we actually CAN'T buy a car unless we're Italian residents). Each time we drive our rental car back up to Perinaldo from the coast, along the winding river valley, we keep an eye out for our favorite sights: two donkeys and one enormous ostrich. Since we’re always driving fast (more on Italian driving at a later date) these sights are easy to miss.
NEXT UP: France for the weekend
Jeff is in cycling nirvana, coming home sweaty and satisfied after climbing the narrow, ridiculously windy roads: up one mountain and down the next, twisting into idyllic hilltowns, downing an espresso, and then plunging into valleys and back up again. Doing reconnaissance work for his upcoming cycling tour business is hard work, but he’s up for the challenge.
Jenna and I are getting exercise by simply living and walking in a hilltown. It’s an aerobic exercise just to go to the store, walking down ancient stone stairways, down slanted, narrow pedestrian streets (more like alleys) and then back up again, heart pounding, sweating.
We’ve spent the last week exploring our town, visting the lovely Hanbury Gardens, going to the beach in Bordighera, and figuring out how to lease a car (because it turns out we actually CAN'T buy a car unless we're Italian residents). Each time we drive our rental car back up to Perinaldo from the coast, along the winding river valley, we keep an eye out for our favorite sights: two donkeys and one enormous ostrich. Since we’re always driving fast (more on Italian driving at a later date) these sights are easy to miss.
NEXT UP: France for the weekend
Hi guys, we're certainly enjoying being able to follow your adventures. Don't know if you've considered it, but if you have the time, we would certainly recommend spending a little time exploring Aosta and the surrounding areas. It's not far north from where you are now. Safe travels, keep posting!
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