Spot 10: Sanremo

Together with the rest of the Italian Riviera we had the chance to visit, Sanremo was the biggest disappointment of our journey so far. Not knowing exactly why, when planning this trip Sanremo appeared always side by side with Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Nice or Monte Carlo. Pure illusion. Its centre, cut by wide avenues filled with beautiful and reasonably preserved beginning of the 20th century buildings and palm trees, still holds the main traces of what once was one of the top European summer destinations. But at the same time underlines what seems to be the city’s main characteristic: its stoppage in time. This is even more notorious when we acknowledge the (high) average age of its tourists. The scarce nightlife and the crowded rocky beaches just added to the great feeling of disillusion. Another downsize: the use of shampoo was not allowed in showers at the beach...Where am I supposed to get a bath then!?