“Nel blu dipinto di blu
Felice di stare lassù
E volavo, volavo felice più in alto del sole
Ed ancora più su
Mentre il mondo pian piano spariva lontano laggiù”
Domenico Modugno
Listen to the song here
Of all the expressions associated with this holiday, this is definitely my favorite! And to make it the most beautiful of wishes, today I’ll leave you with a few suggestions for treating yourself to little moments of happiness if you’re heading to the sea in Alassio for your first spring vacation. These are simple experiences that are accessible to everyone and will make your heart smile for a long time to come.
The Vayadù space on the western coast that offers the greatest thrills this season is Casa Arabesque, a large apartment facing the sea with 8 beds, which you can enjoy with all the people you consider family…. Because Easter is always with whoever you want.
The wall of Alassio and a breakfast straddling two eras
It is the most emblematic place and it may seem obvious to mention it, but passing by there is always like taking a dip into a legendary past for me, one that has shaped the imagery associated with the Ligurian Riviera.
I can almost see Hemingway’s long strides as he enters the Caffè Roma and orders his favorite whiskey. And I can almost hear him chatting with Mario Berrino, the owner with a dream: to transform his album of celebrity autographs into a colorful open-air work of art.
From the 1950s to the present day, from Jean Cocteau to Valentino Rossi, via Anita Ekberg and Franco Battiato, the terracotta tiles engraved with the signatures of famous names continue to grow in number. And the wall that has become a symbol of Alassio continues to grow.
At the beginning of each season, I sit on the terrace of that café for a leisurely breakfast and admire the latest addition to this spontaneous and never-ending work, which seems to melt time and speak, transforming its colors into voices from past eras.
The blooms of the Villa Pergola Gardens
The history of this enchanting place is closely linked to the English families who came to spend the winter in Alassio at the end of the 19th century, helping to transform a small fishing village into a prestigious tourist destination.
These families chose Villa Pergola as their favorite place to stay, with its unique view of the Baia del Sole and a huge English garden filled with fountains, ponds, and an amazing variety of wisteria, agapanthus, citrus trees, water lilies, and lotuses.
I can still breathe in the scents and colors of the “Wisteria Party,” with which English families celebrated the flowering of wisteria and which brings me here every year to look around in awe. Cascades of wisteria, pink, and white create real scenes to immerse yourself in, returning to the valley feeling rejuvenated and with eyes full of wonder.
Not just Baci di Alassio: Balzola’s miniature pastries
Another joy of my days in Alassio is its Baci chocolates, created from an ancient secret recipe based on cocoa and hazelnuts. Today, they can be found on every corner, but I like to pick them up at the Balzola pastry shop, which first offered them in the early 1900s as a sweet souvenir!
But entering Balzola doesn’t just mean Baci di Alassio. Every time I find myself among its cream and pistachio-colored Art Nouveau wood paneling, I feel like I’m in a wonderland populated by Provençal mignons: chinotti, candied flowers, pralines, macarons, amaretti, marzipan fruit, almond croissants… they parade before my eyes in a thousand colors.
I always leave with lots of Baci for everyone, but I also take with me fantastic images that seem to have come out of a vintage storybook.
At the Cappelletta chapel on the port of Alassio for the most beautiful sunset
Celebrating the sunset is one of my favorite activities in all seasons, but when the days get longer and the sky becomes a spectacle of a thousand colors… how can you not be happy?
When I am here on the Riviera, I like to enjoy it from a privileged position, so I climb up to the Cappelletta chapel above the port of Alassio when the last chimes of the evening ring out. From that position, dusk becomes a magical panorama: on one side, a thousand reflections on the sea; above, the lights of the port of Alassio; and all around, the spectacle of the sun setting.
The starry night from the terrace of the Arabesque house
When night falls and the stars come out, I like to have a glass in my hand and whisper secrets on the terrace facing the sea at the Arabesque house, while the sea continues its dance. Back and forth.
How many times on that little terrace did I think that, deep down, happiness is a simple thing, if only we let ourselves be touched by all the poetry that exists.
