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A life less complicated

Featured / freedombird / 13 Comments

Having completed a large chunk of the British coastline and visited 1467 beaches on the way, ventured into the unknown, crossing the English Channel for the first time and seeing what the coastline of France has to offer and adding a further 459 beaches to our tally, we are off again. This time, as a complete change we are on the pursuit of stunning scenery and again crossing the channel and meandering down the core of Western Europe to see what we can see…

If you would like to see our earlier journeys around the UK, they have loosely been grouped together by location and you can find the links below.

NB some of the links below are not yet working properly as it is a work in progress….

Beach Guides:

To catch up with our earlier adventures in:

  1. North coast of Cornwall from 5th October 2017 to 11th February 2018 –   Freedombird in Cornwall
  2. Back in Cornwall at various times to complete the coastline – Freedombird back in Cornwall
  3. North coast of Devon from 11th February to 19th March 2018 – Freedombird in North Devon
  4. Somerset from 19th March to 29th April 2018 – Freedombird in Somerset
  5. South Wales coast from 29th April to 14th August 2018 – Freedombird in South Wales
  6. West and North Wales coast from 14th August to 21st October 2018 – Freedombird in West and North Wales
  7. North West England from 21st October to 26th November 2018 and 27th January to 4th February 2019 – Freedombird in North West England
  8. Cumbria from 27th January to 5th April 2019 – Freedombird in Cumbria
  9. South Coast of Scotland from 5th April to 25th May 2019 – Freedombird on the South Coast of Scotland
  10. West Coast of Southern Scotland from 26th May to 17th July 2019 – Freedombird on the West Coast of Southern Scotland
  11. Edinburgh and surrounding area from 18th July to 30th July 2019 – Freedombird in Edinburgh and surrounding beaches
  12. East Coast of Southern Scotland from 28th July to 15th September 2019 – Freedombird on the East Coast of Southern Scotland
  13. North East England from 12th September to 20th November 2019 – Freedombird in the North East of England
  14. Yorkshire from 14th January to 22nd February 2020 – Fredombird in Yorkshire
  15. Lincolnshire from 23rd February to 13th March 2020 – Freedombird in Lincolnshire
  16. Norfolk and Suffolk from 15th to 24th March 2020 and 28th June to 18th July 2025 – Freedombird in Norfolk and Suffolk
  17. Inland England on various dates travelling through – Freedombird in inland England
  18. West Coast of Northern Scotland Part 1 from 11th September to 14th October 2024 – Freedombird on the West Coast of Northern Scotland Part 1
  19. North Coast of Scotland and the Orkneys from 15th to 27th October 2024 – Freedombird on the North Coast of Scotland and the Orkneys
  20. East Coast of Northern Scotland Part 1 from 28th October to 15th November 2024 – Freedombird on the East Coast of Northern Scotland Part 1
  21. In the Highlands of Scotland from 15th to 26th November 2024 and 10th to 21st June 2025 – Freedombird in the Highlands
  22. West Coast of Northern Scotland Part 2 from 8th to 17th April and 31st May to 5th June 2025 – Freedombird on the West Coast of Northern Scotland Part 2
  23. Outer Hebrides Part 1 from 22nd April to 12th May 2025 – Freedombird in the Outer Hebrides Part 1
  24. Outer Hebrides Part 2 from 10th May to 30th May 2025 – Freedombird in the Outer Hebrides Part 2
  25. East Coast of Northern Scotland Part 2 from 15th to 18th June 2025 – Freedombird on the East Coast of Northern Scotland Part 2
  26. North and West Coast of France from 11th September to 7th December 2025 – Freedombird on the North and West Coast of France

Wednesday 29th April 2026 – a stunning visit to St Margherita and Portofino….

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Another beautiful day as we say goodbye to Celle Ligure and continue our journey along the coastal road, after a scenic stint we endure lots of traffic and traffic lights as we drive through Genova – mostly it is a large port with 4 huge cruise ships in dock as we drive passed with terraces of terracotta apartment blocks and lots of construction work taking place in the town itself. They also appear to be working on an expansive promenade beyond the port but unfortunately there were nose to tail cars parked all the way along the front, with not a chance for us stop to get a better look. Eventually we work our way through the town and the coastal road becomes increasingly windy passing high above the few coastal resorts that appear every now and again. We did just manage one brief stop – high above St Margherita….

From here it was a windy and steep decline down into Rapallo, through the town to our Aire for the night – the hospital car park. The were already about 15 vans in the nearly empty of cars car park and we were able to park up without any bother.

We had originally planned, assuming that we would have had a couple of stops on the way, to stay overnight and visit St Margherita and Portofino tomorrow but as it is barely noon we decide to crack on and visit them today. Armed with our roamer bus pass we board a bus, without checking that it is going to St Margherita and it was only as we left Rapallo behind that I realised we were headed east rather than west! Frustratingly this cost us an hour, but no matter we were soon on the right bus and in fact St Margherita is only a couple of miles away….

We alight in the centre of town and wander along the sea front and Spiaggia St Margherita….

Passing the huge Marina and into the Old Town….

On the west side of the old town is Spiaggia Minaglia and heading towards Portofino, Spiaggia Gino e Rino….

We cheat half way to Portofino as the footpath is becoming a bit hit and miss and the road is very narrow (anything larger than a car is only allowed beyond this point for access) and hop on a bus (minibus really) for the last bit, catching a glimpse of Baia Cannone….

Portofino did not disappoint, though busy it is a charming small harbour village, clearly frequented by the cruise ships as the shops are Dior, Louis Vuitton and Missoni and the like but pretty all the same….

We had a good wander around, sat and people watched for a while before catching the bus back to St Margherita and then on to Rapallo and back to a very hot van!!

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 44
  • Miles walked – 6
  • Beaches – 4
  • Bus ticket – £8.68
  • O/N – £10.40

Tuesday 28th April 2026 – moving on to Celle Ligure and Varazze….

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After some very strange rain, literally 2 seconds of heavy rain about 5 times in the space of about half and hour, during the night we awoke to brilliant sunshine and what turned out to be a very warm day.

Continuing our journey along the coastal road a mere 5 miles to the next resort, we found our Sosta way up the hillside, sandwiched between the two carriageways of the motorway, though oddly surrounded by vegetation we are only aware of seemingly distant traffic noise and it is a freebie so what is not to like?

We got on with some stuff in the van until early afternoon before making our way a veritical half a mile or so down to the sea front. From here we had distant views of the colourful Old Town of Celle Ligure and it’s beach….

But opted instead to continue eastwards passing the pretty Spiaggia Celle Ligure….

Following an interesting tunnel through the headland, lined with an art installation of ceramics….

At the other side of the tunnel, rejoining the footpath, overlooking Spiaggia ‘Ex Colony Milansi’, named after the huge derelict (though there are signs of refurbishment or remodelling ongoing) Colony Milansi which was built to accommodate children holidaying from the cities to enjoy the fresh coastal air during difficult times of the 20th Centuary….

A little further on was our first look at Varazze and it’s huge Marina and the somewhat abandoned beach of Ponente Nuovo Porto…

We did find a dog friendly section on Spiaggia dei Varazzini but the sand was way too hot and so we opted to take a break in the shade of the palm lined promenade….

Before wandering back to Celle Ligure via the shady and quiet cobbled streets of the town….

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 5
  • Miles walked – 6
  • Beaches – 5
  • O/N – free

Monday 27th April 2026 – moving on and exploring the coast of Albisola Marina and Albisola Superiore….

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Pretty reluctant to move on today as the Aire has emptied a lot and the location is so ideal, literally being across the road from the beach and a short walk into town – but we have more of this beautiful coastline to explore, not before a last look though….

We joined the coastal road and drove alongside the huge industrial port of Vado and through the busy streets of the semi industrial towns of Vado Ligure and Savona (neither place offering anywhere sensible and safe to park) and were soon parked up in our Aire for the night in Albisola Marina, about half a mile from the sea front and after a brief chill that is exactly where we headed.

Arriving at the sea front fairly centrally we opted to walk back the way we had driven along the brightly coloured mosaic promenade (which in the bright sunlight was a little dazzling) of Albisola Marina to the far end of the beach….

A sort of sand / gravel mix with plenty of space for everyone but with a mix of manicured private sections and only a little patch of dog friendly beach at this far end. After a little off lead time, we continued to walk towards Savona to catch the little Spiaggia delle Madonetta, with the rocky outcrop housing the Madonna Shrine and Albisola as a backdrop in one direction and the Port in the other….

At this point we headed back the way we came, crossing the river that divides the two villages and crossing into Albisola Superiore to enjoy a stroll along the thankfully paved promenade, passing the main beach Spaiggia Albisola Superiore and down onto the l’ultimo Spiaggia Abisola to find a little bit of shade for Tilly behind some rocks….

Before wandering back to the Aire in the shade through the narrow alleyways and streets of Albisola Superiore….

Thoughts of the day:

  • Even though roadside outside of the villages the footpath is consistant alongside the coastal road and feels quite safe as it is protected either by barrier or wall, unlike in France where it was often just a gravelly or grassy verge and often just disappeared altogether.
  • This Aire or Sosta is just below the motorway so is a little on the noisy side but really nicely laid out with a bit of shade and level concrete grid to park up on.

Today’s stats:

  • Miles driven – 10
  • Miles walked – 6
  • Beaches – 4
  • O/N – £4.69 (no EHU)

Sunday 26th April 2026 – A walk along the coast to Bergeggi…

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Still some cloud around keeping it a little cooler we enjoyed a more leisurely stroll today, wandering west around the headland passing Lido delle Sirene and Grotti de Bergeggi….

Getting a lovely view across Bergeggi a small hillside village with a lovely mostly course sandy beach….

A much smaller and less touristy place than either Spotorno or Noli of yesterday but all the more welcome with quieter beaches and for a change mostly public beaches with seemingly no dog ban! Spiaggia de Luna and Spiaggia di Bergeggi…

Such a welcome treat to be able to sit on the beach and let Tilly play whilst I relaxed – just as a sunday should be.

Thoughts of the day:

  • We decided to stay put as the roads at the weekends appear to be particularly chaotic with the huge numbers of groups of bikers and cyclists enjoying the coastal road (totally get it as this road is pretty spectacular) and we are quite content to have a lazier day.
  • I have been somewhat distracted today, as my son was running in the London Marathon and I wanted to keep an eye on his progress – very proud of his achievement of completing the challenge and raising money for Make a Wish an amazing charity.

Today’s stats:

  • Miles walked – 6
  • Beaches – 3
  • O/N – £13.87

Saturday 25th April 2026 – a walk along Spotorno to Noli….

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An overcast day today for a change and actually a welcome one as it meant that we could do the longish walk I had planned during the middle of the day, instead of worrying about the heat – it was still warm but ideal.

The village and roads are much busier today but there is promenade all the way into the old village along the sea front with Bergeggi Island looking stunning across the aqua marine sea – the Ligurian Sea…

The long beach running down the resort is mostly sandy with areas of fine shingle, as per, some of it sectioned off into private beaches but much mostly it is accessible beach – Spiaggias – di Spotorno, Pluto, Molo Sirio, Aurora and Libera Serra…

A quick dip into the old town and it’s beautifully decorated interior…

Followed by a stunning walk over to the next village – Noli. The walk between the two villages is probalby only about half a mile and though roadside is quite safe with stunning views up to Castello di Monte Ursino and out to sea….

We continued our walk along the promenade noting that the beaches are slightly more shingly here – Bagni Hilton (private), Spiaggia dei Pescatori – lined with small fishing boats, Bagni Ondino Noli (private). Spiaggia de Noli and at the far end Spiaggia Caponoli…

Noli is an unspoilt medieval fishing village and well worth a visit though we opted out of the long climb up to the castle, opting instead for a mooch around the streets….

What a find – we enjoyed a well earned drink and relax on the beach before walking back to the van…

Today’s stats:

  • Miles walked – 8
  • Beaches – 10
  • O/N – £13.87