This is another Trip report…

Sestri Levante, Liguria, June 2025 — Anniversary trip

We had reserved a really nice room with balcony at the Vis a Vis for 3 nights. We had stayed there a couple nights just after Covid. The hotel is way up high on a hill with amazing views. It is family owned and they designed it to be like a cruise ship. It is very beautiful. We go to this town to relax and wander. We don’t go to the beach. I know! People say, you go to the beach but don’t do the beach?! I like the beach OK but Luther, being very fair skinned does not, so it’s no problem not to go.

While we were driving there I received a phone call from the hotel saying they had an issue with the air conditioning on that floor and they didn’t have our room for us. They had booked us into a waterfront hotel ocean view suite. We didn’t have a lot of choice so we ended up checking into the Hotel Nettuno. The room is nice I guess. It has a nice view of the beach. The hotel has its own umbrellas. A lunch restaurant and a rooftop bar. The room is two story. This presents issues for me because of my poor knees. The bathroom was downstairs. For the last two nights I slept on the couch downstairs. Not quite the experience I had envisioned. 

Oh well. It is what it is. We walked over to the Vis a Vis to their roof bar which has beautiful views for drinks to welcome ourselves there.

Then we had reservations for dinner at Pesce Balla — the Dancing Fish. It was recommended by my friend Matt. It was about a ten minute walk. You are seated and when ready to order you go to the counter where all the fresh seafood is displayed. They give you a glass of Prosecco which was a nice touch. You decide and order then return to your table. 

We split the Branzino cooked in a salt crust. Luther got marinated tuna and I had the anchovies. It was all good! I enjoyed the dinner a lot.

We enjoyed a leisurely stroll back to our hotel. Nice evening.

Wednesday
I woke early and looked out the window about 5:30am and loved the quiet. I snapped a couple of pictures.

Sestri Levante is not big, at least the old part of town isn’t. There is a newer part which is much larger which is normal for Italian towns. We set off on a walk to just shop and look at stuff. The sun was very hot. We tried to stay in the shade but it was not always possible. I looked for a loose linen dress but didn’t find any. Seemed everyone walking the streets was wearing one but none were for sale.

Finally we stopped for refreshments. It was on a tiny pedestrian street lined with places to eat and shop and great for people watching which we did while having our drinks. The buildings in Sestri Levante are all elaborately painted to “fool the eye” in the Trompe l’oeil method. The buildings are all painted to look like they are built of stone and have elaborate stone embellishments, but it is all fake. Painted by talented artists to look that way. It’s fun to look at.

This fellow was making pesto Genovese the traditional way, with a mortar and pestle. He worked at the restaurant next door. He had on a mic and speaker for his demo. Pesto made this way is a lot different than that made with a processor or blender.

Afterwards we went to a supermarket we found on our walk and bought a nice picnic for the room. 

Later, after showers to wash the sweat off we headed out to our dinner spot we had reserved. La Sciamadda dei Vinaccieri Ballerini. It was right on the same street where we people watched. It was goodish. I had a weird starter which I can’t remember the name of but it was seafood and layered veggies and bread. Tasted good. Then I got fish again. They do fish well.

We walked back and decided to check out the roof bar in our hotel. It was very nice. The sun had set. It was comfortable. They had two singers who sang old standards. It was pleasant.

Thursday
Another slow day as intended. The breakfasts are good here at the hotel. They have a big deck restaurant area under cover but with nice sea views. It has breakfast and lunch. A beachy place. The breakfast is a buffet and I have really been enjoying the fruit. I don’t think I’ve had better. Melons are so sweet now. Lots of sliced things. Melons, kiwi, pineapple, grapefruit, blueberries, and then whole beautiful figs and other things. I also have a taste of focaccia with a little cheese and some scrambled eggs. No sweet pastries. That’s a big breakfast for me. If we eat too late I’m not hungry for lunch. Today we had plans for lunch and picnic dinner in the hotel for dinner so we got up and went to breakfast early. Nice watching the empty beach. Seagulls calling. Fishermen in their boats heading back in from getting their catch. 

We went for a short walk and visited the church. It has nice bells. We walked over to the Bay of Silence beaches

Lunch was back at the Vis a Vis on their beautiful outside terrace on the top floor. It is breezy with spectacular view of the baia dí silenzio— bay of silence, isn’t that a pretty name? And also of the city in the opposite direction. They have pretty white curtains hung all around which flutter in the breeze just an exceptional place. On my friend Matt’s recommendation we had the fish burger with fries, but first we had appetizers. We both got the anchovies all ways. What a great dish. My sister would love it. She’s a big anchovy fan. This one had them marinated in vinegar with a little pesto on top, fried, on a bread with cream, and a delicious curry version. So yummy. It was a really nice lunch. And then back to the hotel for naps, showers, picnic and may be a visit to the roof bar again. A nice day.

We did go to the roof bar this last evening. It was beautiful. I love watching the sunset, the boats, the mountains, the water.

We are home now where it is BROILING hot. Going up to 40C next week, that’s 104.2F. Damn hot! And this is only June! 🥵