When I finally decided to travel back to B and spend my summer vacation in the charming town on the Italian Riviera, I’ve only had one simple plan in my mind: to fully enjoy it. As a subsidiary plan there was the idea which wouldn’t let me off the hook, about the belfry. More precisely the belfry from San Giacomo, “To-die-for”. There was also a … Continue reading The crooked way to San Giacomo, and the belfry “To-die-for”
I am proud to have many of these editions on my book shelf. But nothing compares to my happiness to have them all in my heart. Continue reading The book
The importance of Monet’s Berm will only make sense once one went through the entire story of Elio and Oliver in André Aciman’s novel. I was, initially, just looking for that postcard from the Monet’s Berm, the one thing Oliver has taken with him when he left B for New York at the end of that summer. The postcard that decades later was till hanging … Continue reading Monet’s Berm
Walking from the Piazza De Amicis towards the edge, there’s the Marabutto with the gorgeous view of the Cape Sant’Ampelio – the southernmost point of the Italian Riviera, the one that divides Riviera dei Fiori from the San Remo Bay. We can hear the conversation from three decades ago: “Just take a look at this” he said as we ambled with our bikes in the … Continue reading “Cor cordium”
I arrived to B on a warm late afternoon. After a refreshing stroll around the lower town and then to the hills, I walked up to the piazzetta of confessions – overviewing the sea – where thirty years ago on a sunny morning Elio found the courage to give up his secrets to Oliver, to the palm trees and to the sea-breeze. Next morning – … Continue reading La piazzetta of confessions
When I walked up from the piazzetta to the statue there was an old man sitting on one of the benches around the memorial. I unavoidably thought the same as Elio did three decades ago here, how many of them “still remembered the young men they’d lost on the Piave River.” And then immediately I would add those thirty years to that moment and realize: … Continue reading Piave Memoriale
The current bell tower in the old town, that dominates the view of B is not part of the Chiesa di Maria Maddalena in the central piazza of the old town. The church was consecrated in 1617, the tower was built later as a watchtower used by the town to watch for pirate ships coming from the sea – very common for that period. Later … Continue reading Padre Giacomo and Bordighera’s Bell Tower – is it the belfry “to-die-for” ?
Some people would ask me what does one do around here and I would instantly reply: have long walks uphill or in the valley, maybe down by the seaside, eat sweet apricots and drink ristretto or espresso while watching the belfry from the balcony in the morning sea-breeze. I’d be looking for Elio and Oliver or even Monet, sun-drenched piazzettas, the Città Alta on an … Continue reading “I’ve forgotten how much I loved this place. I’ve been happy in B.”
In December 1883 Claude Monet has joined Renoir traveling to the Italian Riviera. He was enchanted by the lights, the colors and the rich vegetation of Bordighera, the “Queen of Palm Trees”. Because he preferred to explore its possibilities alone, early in January he went back to Liguria to work. The initial plan was to spend three weeks there but his stay in Bordighera was … Continue reading Monet in Bordighera
