Among the olive trees and the enchanted island: A weekend in Bergeggi

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They must have been quite amazed at the inhabitants of the village at the foot of Mount Helen, when one day, towards the beginning of the sixth century, they saw another mountain close to the coast, little more than fifty meters high, it slid slowly over the sea to stop not far from the mainland. It was a rocky island, covered by Mediterranean scrub, with "on board" two saints: Eugene and Vendemiale, fleeing persecution by the Vandals. According to popular tradition, these are the origins of the Island of Bergeggi (Berzezzi in Liguria, which comes from the Germanic word "berg", or mountain), now the Regional Natural Reserve. Eugene, Bishop of Carthage from 481 to 505, was left to live on the island which had miraculously "steered" in front of the Ligurian coast, while Vendemiale left for Corsica. After the death of Eugene, his remains were transferred to nearby Noli, but legend has it that a few years later his remains were returned to the island alone ... A few hundred years later, in 992, the bishops of Island Savona built a monastery where the monks of Lerins settled.
However things went today Bergeggi is a small earthly paradise on the Riviera Ligure di Ponente, and it is precisely here that we decided to stop for a weekend.
After settling in two of the eight comfortable and bright rooms at the Hotel Oro Verde, located on the heights of Bergeggi, which opens a breathtaking view over the Gulf of Capo Noli, go to the discovery of the country. The historic village is spread around right there, and Torre del Mare, the fraction of the more modern country, can be reached along the paths that descend from the hills towards the coast. During our walk we visit the Parish Church of St. Martin of Tours, and we try to discover some of the old towers, including the Medieval Ages and the fifteenth-century tower Torre Oak. A "watch" the village there are several strong, that of St. Stephen and St. James, located on the border with mountain Vado Ligure, and you can also visit the ruins of Fort St. Helena, also known for the tragic disaster of 1921, when they blew up the storage of explosives stored inside.
Waiting for the second day of our weekend, some of us devote to scuba diving around the island, a favorite destination for divers, we are going to make the acquaintance of a goat or rather, his statue of the metal in the middle of the gardens of the village Tower of the Sea. To recall, according to the popular imagination, is the Pied Piper sits on the western tip of the island: a statue depicting metal perhaps a shepherd playing a wind instrument.
During our weekend visit to Bergeggi the spectacular sea cave, which opens in the limestone cliffs of the coast.
At the end of this beautiful day, we proceed to that oasis of relaxation surrounded by nature, which is the Hotel Oro Verde, where we will have a delicious dinner of Liguria. Before sitting down at the table, admiring the panorama that opens from the terrace and take a stroll in the garden near the swimming pool and olive trees, where we also organize weddings, birthdays, confirmations and baptisms.
"Years ago there was only one little house where my grandfather came to cultivate the olive grove and orchard. It 'was my husband Franco to build all the structure you see today, "he says Olivia, who manages the Hotel Restaurant with her husband, her mother Sylvia and father Henry. The preparation of the delicacies that we are going to enjoy is assigned to Luke Cook, helped by Igor.
Let's start with the range of home-marinated salmon with pink pepper and melba toast, the rose of Golfetto with fresh buffalo butter, raw vegetables and shrimp to the purple of San Remo bouquette citrus. Our vegetarian friend will appreciate a warm vegetarian quiche of leeks and saffron cream soup. We follow these delicious appetizers from diverse basket of pasta with anchovies and fresh tomatoes, ravioli and taste even the seasoned fisherman's octopus and zucchini to the trumpet and the trofiette raguttino rabbit homegrown. We continue with a fantastic dinner of sea bass stuffed with shrimp turban of creamy shellfish, fried anchovies, crispy vegetables and panissa, while some of us taste the Mediterranean tuna steak with sesame seeds and balsamic reduction.
Our dinner ended in great sweetness, among other things, the cannoli tasting Oro Verde, prepared like the Sicilian, but the candy Chinotto of Savona, the Bavarian yogurt with berries, carpaccio of pineapple and fresh fruit and a nice pistachio ice cream and pears in phyllo dough with sauce and Amarone.
The lights in the Gulf and the olive silence us company before going to sleep, waiting for another splendid day at sea.

Frances Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:
www.comune.Bergeggi.sv.it
www.hoteloroverde.it
Oro Verde Hotel Restaurant
Gorge Road to the City of St. Elena, 11 Bergeggi (SV)
Tel: 019/859853