Time Travel

A while ago, Patrik and I visited my parents. We talked about this and that, about old vacation and so on. Until my mum suddenly presented an old postcard……..

We were dumbstruck, because it shows the coastline of Loano, but back from the seventies!

Look:

The backside reads: LOANO – RIVIERA DELLE PALME – ITALY

No marina, no hotels (none that’s visible anyway), no tourist industry. Only a few fishing boats. It looks like a peaceful, sleepy and quaint little village. The ancient cathedral, Convento di Monte Carmelo, is about the only recognisable building in the picture, plus probably the big white building, which is the Villa Chiara today, a B&B.

The story to the card is actually simple: Back in 1977 me (10 years old), with my parents, my two younger brothers and my auntie were on vacation in Borghetto Santo Spirito – the village west of Loano.

Back then, our neighbours – who were Italians – owned an apartment there. So, my family took the opportunity and rented it for a week.

Here are a couple of photos from the balcony’s view and the beach of Borghetto Santo Spirito. Look at those vintage cars *hahaha*. In the background of the first one you can just make out Gallinara, the small island outside Albenga. Also, the Castello Borelli is visible, built in the 19th century, sitting prominently on its cliff.

Naturally, I never forgot that I was on holiday in Italy when I was a kid. But it totally slipped my mind, where we were. It didn’t seem very important anyway, after all these years – well, until now!

After slowly digging up more and more memories, and after many light bulb moments, we had such a good laugh and simply couldn’t believe it! How little the world is sometimes, isn’t it?!

I mean, out of all places in Italy, in 2018 Patrik and I decided to have our boat in Loano! How crazy is that? After forty-one years being there again and seemingly not knowing anything about it, much less recognizing it!

I do hope that people in the marina are familiar with our blog and can see this ancient post card!

It’s a true treasure! I’m so happy my parents kept this post card! 😊