Bordighera

Today I went to Bordeghera,  30 minutes by bus West along the coast towards France. It is a smaller town than San Remo, but apparently it's palm trees are better. The Vatican sources it's palms for Palm Sunday from Bordighera. Monet lived here for a while and painted many scenes.

It is like many towns along the coast -it has an old town with ancient walls and narrow twisting lanes and the new part along the current coastline. I went first to a church with, I thought,  a very confused name,  Chiesa dell' Immacolata Concezione dei Padri Francescani.  A service was about to start so I light a candle, sat for a bit, and left. A success grade 2. I chose which candle to swith on, but no flame.

Next I walked along the coast , past all the 'beaches' , both private and public, to a little chapel. It features in some of Monet's paintings.  The old part was very plain and simple. Mass is said once a day, but the only thing hanging above the altar is a statue of an old man in a cloak. Moses or God or Old Father Time?  There was  a new bit added on with 2 candle lighting stations.  Another success grade 1 plus. I could choose which color candle, light it with a real flame, and choose where on the stand to put it.

I walked up to the old town through a pleasant park with good views, through a very old gate, through narrow lanes to another church, similar to many others, lots of sparkle and twiddly bits and statues and dark, gloomy paintings.  Success grade 2, I could choose a  pretend candle and which place to slot it into,  but no flame.

According to my map,  there was another church further up the hill. Not so. I could not find it, stopped and asked 2 very old ladies and was told there used to be a church but it was incorporated into the nursing home.

Back down the hill and lunch at one of the many places along the waterfront.  I sat looking out over the tops of the beach umbrellas  to the sea and along the coast to the west. It was easy to see France. It was a good meal.