“Heather, myrtle, yellow broom flowers and the salty taste of the sea” and then containers, cruise ships, dilapidated buildings and countryside. “This is another world compared to the Liguria of tourist brochures: not beautiful, but infinitely interesting”. Nicky Guardner, the expert on ‘slow travel’ for the British newspaper The Guardian, wrote about the Ligurian coast and a characteristic journey on our trains.
The journalist explains that, since a landslide in the French Alps had blocked the main railway in August 2023, those who had to go from Paris to London opted for “creative itineraries through the Riviera, using the historic railway that runs west from Genoa” . This is what she chose to do too: “Having to go from Trieste to France, I opt for a dose of Ligurian sun and take the train via Genoa, following the coast west to France”.
In this article Guardner, co-author of Europe by Rail: the Definitive Guide, recounts her journey from Genoa to Ventimiglia, which she spent looking out of a window. She looks at the sea, the port, the typical Ligurian scenery. “If you move towards the interior of the coast, here are the scents of Liguria: lavender, sage and wild garlic which, together with pesto, focaccia and green shutters, make the Riviera di Ponente so fascinating” she writes.
His itinerary starts from Principe station, where “nothing about Ligurian romance is remotely evident on a crowded Monday morning”. Here he notes the coat of arms of Saint George present at the entrance and points out that Genoa paid homage to the dragon-slaying martyr long before England claimed him as its patron saint. Guardner says that as soon as the train left Genoa, an announcement conveyed detailed instructions on how to file a complaint. “I don’t see any reason to complain,” she thought, however.
Continuing his journey, he sees “heather, myrtle, yellow broom flowers and the salty taste of the sea”. And then containers, cruise ships, dilapidated buildings and countryside. This landscape leads her to reflect on the fact that “the decision to run the railway right along the coast served those who intended to develop ports and landing places, but annoyed tourism promoters eager to see grandiose seafronts, palm-lined avenues and luxury hotels able to compete with the Côte d’Azur”. And it therefore underlines what the two souls of Liguria are, tourism and industry, two contrasting but inextricably connected interests that make it the way it is.
