Finishing up your visit to Ventimiglia and Dolceacqua, drive on up the coast to Sanremo on the Italian Riviera. The drive along the coast road is very scenic, and you won’t save any time getting back on the A10 toll way from Vintimiglia.
Beyond the spectacle of the made-for-TV Mediterranean coast, Sanremo has a couple of other attractions you should not miss. But first you need to park your rent car.
Up along Via Feraldi you can probably find a space in one of the private lots. Pay the attendant and amaze yourself as you squeeze between two other vehicles. Let your passengers out first. From there it’s a short walk to the Casino di Sanremo and the beautiful Russian Church.
The casino is a couple of hours drive from that other famous casino on the Riviera, the one in Monte Carlo. It’s a toss-up to me which is the most outlandishly turned out. If you don’t have any money left after Monte Carlo, you may want to just sit out front on the balustrade and make conversation with strangers in the same situation. And pose for photos, to be sure.
The Russian Orthodox church nearby has much to appeal to the eye, but little history. It is less than 100 years old at this writing, and was built for Russian expatriates who came here, presumably to escape the Moscow winters. It is said to resemble San Basilio in Moscow. Photographers alert: It’s hard to get a fresh or open view. If you are very careful and work hard you will come away with some images that look as good as the hundred or so you will find on the Internet. Do it anyhow.
Sanremo is not just about edifices. Or the beach. Walk the streets between Via Feraldi and the Casino and enjoy the attractive shops and the colorful wares, fruits and vegetables for sale. Before you get back to your car, be sure to stop for ice cream. Doesn’t matter where. Italians think they invented ice cream and have outlawed cheap imitations.
It may be the best way to get back to France, and to Nice, from Sanremo is to drive back to Ventimiglia and pick up the A10 there. Otherwise, get yourself a modern GPS navigator with maps and street directions for Europe. Following the posted street signs from the Casino area takes you on a convoluted tour of the city’s mountainous streets until you finally break free and spot the A10 toll plaza.