This morning I woke up early and my brother Claudio and his wife Elena accompanied me to the Centrale Railway Station in Milan to take the train to Ventimiglia, Liguria. They kindly helped me load the bicycle and my equipment, after a few photo shots they gave me a big hug wishing me a good trip, even if they didn't really know my destination (I simply knew that I would follow the road towards the south). I hadn't told my real goal even to my mother or relatives because I didn't want them to worry; in fact only my friend Roberta really knew that I would travel the Italian peninsula. The direct train from Milan Central Station to Ventimiglia takes around 3 hours and 44 minutes, covering a distance of approximately 225 kilometres.

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The region of Liguria

Liguria, often referred to as the Italian Riviera, is a crescent-shaped province in northwestern part of the country. Its coast is bathed by the Ligurian Sea. It includes the provinces of Genoa, Imperia, La Spezia, Savona and the capital Genoa. In the region there are two coastal stretches, the Riviere or Sestri Riviera Ponente that extends west of Genoa, up to the border with France, near the city of Ventimiglia and the Riviera Levante that extends east of Genoa up to the border of Tuscany.

Ventimiglia, Riviera di Ponente

The first stage - Arrived at the Ventimiglia station, which is a tourist resort in the province of Imperia, in Liguria. The train journey went quickly, very comfortable, clean and there were not many passengers. I get off the train, load the four side bags (two in front and two in the back) and the handlebar bag onto the bicycle racks.

Before leaving I had already distributed the bags evenly which is very important for a more stable ride that doesn't wobble and plus it is easier to find the things you need every day.

Well, let's go and discover beautiful Italy!

The second stage - I leave the Ventimiglia station and cycle towards the Ligurian coast, past the Tommaso Reggio public gardens then on the street along the Passeggiata Guglielmo Oberda and I follow the seafront on my right and on the left are views of the mountains through the coast towns of Bordighiera, Sanremo (Sanremo is famous for the production of flowers but also in other areas, the Italian song festival and the casino). A few kilometers further the municipality of Ospedaletti welcomed me on the cycle/pedestrian path of the Riviera dei Fiori, a 28 kilometer route (in the future it will be a longer stretch) up to the municipality of San Lorenzo del Mare in the province of Imperia.

Riviera dei Fiori Coastal Park Cycle Path is located in the province of Imperia and was built along the old disused railway network (it was a section of the railway line from Genoa to Ventimiglia), passing through illuminated internal tunnels and outside one encounters places of historical interest and vast landscapes, lush green valleys surrounded by low mountains, small villages, houses with different colors, small fishing ports, views of the seafront and you pass refreshment points, bicycle rental points and there is no shortage of public toilets. It is truly a beautiful double-lane cycle path with plenty of space and many places to stop and admire the surrounding beauty.

The third stage - After passing the town of San Lorenzo del Mare I continue among the beauties of the coastal road, without traffic, I meet three very nice local cyclists and after a chat they wanted to know the direction of my journey, replying I'm going towards Calabria, they were surprised because I was traveling alone. Greetings and I continued passing the seaside beaches set up with deckchairs and umbrellas and with a few people and then I reached the municipality of Alassio and its beautiful beaches until the last stop of the day Albenga, a historic town with beautiful seaside beaches.

The last leg - In Albenga I had found the RIVIERA camping & Residence with direct beach access, I immediately pitched the tent in the place they had assigned me. After a shower, dinner (I had bought something to eat at the market), a dinner outside sitting near the tent and then goodnight with the great desire for the next day and new discoveries!

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