Not just 'bicycle' though. The is about they cycle of life ... how a beautiful and tranquil town grows out of control to become an ogre.
It's well know that San Remo is some kind of Mediterranean paradise, and I dare say that in days gone by that was the case, but what we saw today was sometimes exactly that idyllic image, and other times quite the opposite - a rather more run-down busy provincial town with the problems associated with growth and success that we see elsewhere.
A very quick tender into the harbour, probably the fastest in nearly three weeks, and we are ready to discover Sanremo (the space seems optional, and variable) so we head off to the Concathederal, which might sound like it's the main Chiesa in town, although we quickly learn its just one of many. Being Sunday, every church we visited had mass being celebrated. Nevertheless beautiful, we quickly move on, past the C16 ruined tower and head off into the old town, passing a variety of unsalubrius ares en route.
But once in the old town we are amazed by the incredible passageways and steps, twists and turns beyond which lies visual treats, such as the C11 walls, ancient squares, C17 cistern, C13 & C15 gates into the walled town. Photographing these had mixed results but I will post my best efforts in due course. We found at the top of the hill a Sanctaury, service in full flow, which dates back to C12 but has been replaced by a much more modern C17 building, an opera house, and lovely park, before descending though the ancient passageways and piazza to see the more modern and much less attractive modern areas.
Here there are social problems just like many other places: posh shops, adverts for guarded parking, street-sellers and vagrants are all symbols of our modern malaise. And shit on the streets is evidence of a culture that needs to get a grip, some things are easily fixed.
After our wander round town, we head off West along the old railway track. Actually, wobble might be a better adjective as I'm struggling today, toes strapped together and making hard work our day's wander with plenty of analgesia to calm the discomfort of my damage.
We struggle along the mercifully flat cycle / running / walking track for several kilometres until we come across a very long tunnel that seems to vanish into the distance without coming out again, so after about half a km we abandon this, accepting it's the end of the track for us. Turns out this is an iconic place, the start of the famous Sanremo-Milan "Granfodo" ciclistetourismo event that has taken place every year since 1907.
After all this excitement its time to head back, finding an interesting cemetery as we return, and then identifying a few quite astonishing old hotels and villas amidst the cacophony of grotty newer buildings, guest-houses, shops and general messy developments. The casino from 1905 stands out as a beautiful building, as we approach the town centre again. We decide to have our last lunch in Italy as we are all French after today, and reject every one of the harbour-side eateries that we walk past. Fortunately we remember a nice-looking restaurant we saw previously and end up having probably the best ever pizzas here, it was quite wonderful and in my case the first ever pizza in Italy!
We while away our afternoon by the pool, again chatting to the ladies and their long-suffering husbands in some cases, before attending the Seabourn Club event and then the exquisite Chef's Signature dinner tonight.
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