After a grueling 7-hour stretch in the van, we find ourselves in handsome Sanremo Italy, our last stop on our 1700-kilometer drive home from Hungary before reaching Capestang France tomorrow afternoon. We went from snow in Hungary, to rain in Slovenia and ended in 15+ in this microclimate piece of heaven.
Located directed on the Italian Riviera, this pleasant city overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and probably would have been a contender as a place for us to live if it wasn’t for the current economy of our neighbouring Italy.
We re-watched ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ when we came home form our Christmas vacation, and dreamed again of what Italian life might be like. But being accepted and are assimilating so well to our French culture, we still have no regrets. I really did base my move to Europe on this movie, except my husband did not leave me for his pregnant girlfriend, and I was not going through any obvious psychosis at the time, I did want a fresh start to heal old wounds, and a way for me to change and grow without everyone who knows me watching me and judging me. I had to move this far to make those definite changes. I am not sure why.
Winter boasts 7-16 degrees in Sanremo, but the summers are milder than the Languedoc with their temperatures ranging between 20-30 degrees, where here we are often between 30-40 and our winters are 1-15. We cope with a wider temperature range and of course we have the wind.
Things to do in Sanremo in the winter are gambling at the casino, walking along the promenade and walking the shopping streets. IThere is a large variety of restaurants, some ranging in price from $$ – $$$. In summer this is a beach resort with an amazing nightlife.
There are open aired markets, much like in France. Street vendors too.
Some advice to tourists is to stay close to the sea to eat, as the strip is really only for tourists and is very expensive and the food is only average. Our hotel was a 4 star, very inexpensive with views of the sea and the food was exceptional. Although we did find a local place for pizza and pasta, our total bill was 60€, which is cheap for this city.
Alfonz found Sanremo by fluke on the internet, but used Bookings.com to find our great deal on the Grand Hotel & Des Anglais. Hotel, dinner and breakfast 100€ for four people. Sanremo is charming, electric, and busy; your typical Italian riviera city.
