We ate our breakfast in the hotel restaurant on the 6th floor. A lovely open room with views across the bay.
After yesterday’s trip to the free beach Maggi and I thought it would be nice to hire a sun bed and umbrella and spend a day on the beach. I certainly didn’t want to go back to the free beach and sit in the sun for a couple of hours.
Anyway we paid our €48 for 2 beds on the hotel’s beach and went into the sea whenever we wanted. After our reasonably large breakfast I wasn’t hungry so the fruit we had brought from La Colle was sufficient for me. We left the beach to eat it in our room. Maggi wanted an ice cream so we strolled along the promenade to the old town and bought 2 gelatos at the Casa Marchetti
A walk back and a return to the sun beds for reading and a couple of more dips in the sea. By 4 pm I’d had enough so I went back to our room.
We couldn’t decide where to eat in the evening so we took the easy option and booked a table at the hotel. I had a beautiful view with Maggi in front of me and the swifts and gulls behind her. The gulls are certainly not the most attractive of birds but they glide through the air with a great deal of grace. In contrast the swifts dart and dive frantically chasing each other and avoiding ground to air missile attacks.
The food disappointed especially in comparison to the previous evening. If we ever stay in the hotel again I won’t eat my evening meal there again. Such a pity that our last night didn’t live up to the first.
In the morning we ate another substantial breakfast and then drove to the olive oil manufacturer Frantoio Aldo Armato where we bought 4 litres of oil and a present for Helen and Issac.
Helen and Issac had just arrived at their favourite holiday destination in Vallecrosia on Thursday evening. Maggi had agreed to pop in on them on our way back from Alassio on Saturday morning. After the normal greetings we decided not to go for a swim but just have a short walk along the front. The beach nearest their accommodation isn’t very attractive so I’m glad we dodged the swim issue. After stopping for a non alcoholic drink we returned to the holiday home where Issac conjured up a very nice pasta dish which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Around 3 o’clock we made our departure, did a little shopping in the nearby Conad supermarket and then came home to La Colle.
Sunday and our last full day in La Colle. I am both happy and sad to leave our pretty village and head home. First thing I drove to Polygone to charge up the car for the journey home. There were a few more jobs to do around the house and then Nathalie knocked on the door to tell us that she had not been in touch because her sister who has cancer is just about to die and she has been back and forth to her house.
At five we drove up the hill to Debbie and David’s house which is situated off the beaten track in the hills behind La Colle. The house is past of an estate of half-dozen homes in a closed community. They don’t have a super impressive entrance to the property, but they have the most wonderful garden.
Debbie showed Maggi around the downstairs of the house and I saw the kitchen as we left. The house was designed by Robert Dallas like so many of the homes in the area. We had a very pleasant couple of hours together in the garden drinking and chatting. I hope we see them again soon.