Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Chiavari~Old Stomping Grounds for the Franchini Family

We were so excited to visit Chiavari in northern Italy. Jim's mom's was born there 81 years ago and it is where Grandma Marge grew up. Grandma Marge always spoke of Chiavari and it was so great to finally get to see it. Chiavari is just outside the southern part of Genova. This little town is right on the Mediterranean and enters into the foothills of the Swiss Alps. The area is filled with beautiful tunnels, I think we counted over 60 of them going into this area and they are nicer than any tunnels we had seen in the US. It was a couple hours drive from Camp Darby and well worth the efforts to get there. The countryside we drove through was just beautiful.

Everything is so green!

This is a beautiful little neighborhood in Chiavari. The real estate has a big price tag for many of the places, well over a million euros. This would be a fantastic place for a relaxing , B&B type of resort vacation.

Chiavari is so pristine! I don't remember seeing
any graffiti which is nearly everywhere else.

The train station in Chiavari where I am not sure how
many generations of Ross & Spencie's ancestors have stood.
Six for sure!

~Jim at the harbor~
He felt a strange sense of "home" here.


This beautiful beach area is a favorite for moms and little kids with their bikes scooters, and skates. Also lots of people were out here just enjoying the beach, fresh air and amazing views. The fountain was beautiful~Italy's own dancing waters!

The boardwalk along the beach ~ It was so awesome!

Sunset was gorgeous!

The colors were spectacular at dusk
I love the photos Jim took.


~This was an amazing moment~
Love this picture!

Driving home in the dark with our trusty Tom-Tom
What a lifesaver!

We just did not want to leave so we stayed most of the afternoon, had dinner and then drove back to the base. Isn't it beautiful..one of the best kept secrets in Italy!



0 comments: