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Already planning a stop at St Gree, potentially Sunday but will check to see if Monday is an option!
Feel like it's time to give a trip report, since we've been back a few days:
Flew into Nice. Stayed there for a night in old town area. Very walkable and nice (hah). Trained over to Finale Ligure the next day. Got a recently renovated apartment in Finalborgo area, which was just awesome. Since my wife and other son weren't riding, we debated between Finale Ligure proper (proximity to the beach) and Finalborgo (proximity to riding). We ended up staying in Finalborgo, and I think it was the right move. Finale is nice, but it feels like a modern city, whereas Finalborgo is extremely charming and feels very bike/outdoor dominated.
Rented e-bikes from Evolve. We didn't have a shuttle scheduled, so we went ahead and jumped in on a morning group with them. Everything was going great until I had a dumb hugie on Pino Morto. I had opted for a half shell, which was a mistake. Ended up with a broken nose, broken cheekbone, and a badly cut up face (lip was partially detached). Ambulance ride to Pietra Ligure, and 3 hours later, I was released form hospital with CT Scan and a bunch of stitches and an insanely bandaged face that had me looking like the invisible man.
Determined not to abandon our trip, my riding son rode the next day, self-guiding with shuttles from Freeride Finale. He had a great second day of riding. The wife, other son, and I used the day to hike around and found some absolutely amazing hiking trails through nearby villages. The next day we were on to Cinque Terre (a supposedly fun thing I won't do again), which was a bit mad and busy for our tastes. Still as beautiful as it was when I was there 20 something years ago, though.
I had a followup in Pietra a few days before we flew home, so back to Finale for my son to ride another day and me to visit the hospital, pay up (a whopping 22 euro bill.. thank you socialized medicine) and hang out. Dropped by the Misspent Summers offices a few times over our second visit in Finale and got to chat with Ben for a while and pick up some goods. Then back to Nice where we did a food tour and flew out.
All in all, I can't speak highly enough about Finale Ligure. It absolutely suits the tastes and preferences of our family as far as the atmosphere, culture and speed of the area. We will definitely be back... next time I'll wear a full face.
How was your trip? Finale Ligure sounds like such a solid choice. I’ve been to smaller Italian coastal towns before, and honestly just wandering, eating, and people-watching in cafes can fill entire days. Plus, the train access from Nice makes it pretty convenient. I usually call travelocity customer service to book flights and hotels, or rent a car. They come in handy, especially when I’ve had to adjust itineraries last-minute. Curious to hear if Finale gave you the mix you were looking for or if you ended up exploring somewhere else.
Man, heal up soon. That sucks that you got hurt, but I'm glad you got to enjoy the rest of your trip. "Detached lip" is a new bad dream for me, so thanks for that. 😆
That was over a year ago, now! All good these days, though I had to go from a moustache to a full beard for a while, haha.
Post a reply to: European Trip: Finale Ligure or... somewhere else?