Where are we? The Valle del San Lorenzo

The Valle del San Lorenzo extends up the mountain, through the villages of COSTARAINERA, and CIPRESSA  to the northern hamlet of LINGUEGLIETTA. 

Let me tell you a little bit about San Lorenzo al Mare, and the surrounding area where we are staying during our March teaching adventure.

It spans the Mediterranean Sea from OSPEDALETTI at the eastern most point to SAN LORENZO AL MARE on its western most point. This is part of the northern Italian Rivera about an hour east of Monaco along the Mediterranean coastline. 

San Lorenzo al Mare is the village where our apartment is and where Roy is tutoring in the middle school. It is a medieval village dating back to the 1200’s. Our apartment is at 25 Via Castello which is a lovely ancient street with a covered archway

leading to a small square which ends at the Via Arellia. This ancient Roman Road, Via Arellia, begins in Rome and ends in Nice, France. Once called the Road to Gaul, it is known today as, Strada Statali #1, the Route 1 of Italy. Via Arellia cuts directly through San Lorenzo so that the older section of the village is separated from the newer beach section of condominiums. Both sections are charming with numerous parks, walking and biking paths and old medieval streets. In fact, there is a walking and biking path that runs from San Lorenzo al Mare about 25 miles to the village of OSPEDALETTI, just west of SAN REMO. Italy.

This area, all along the Mediterranean, is a very big tourist destination during the warm summer months. People from all over Europe as well as the Americas come to this area for holiday because of the sandy beaches and the beautiful sea.

Unlike the Rivera south of Genova, this area to the north is more arid and known as the Costa dei Fiori (coast of the flowers). In addition to tourism, horticulture is a very big industry here. Everywhere you look you can see greenhouses, nurseries and farms with horticultural plantings.

This is truly a beautiful area of Italy to visit.

Ciao for now!

Patti