Nervi, Italy
A dramatic coastline. A lost, romantic ghost. An eerie 2020 prediction.
Enchanting Nervi is situated in the heart of an old fishing village lined with brilliant, colorful houses and wonderful seafood spots. However, our visit to this lovely town was further enhanced by dramatic views, amazing eats, wonderful new friends, and a few ghost stories.
Milan to Genoa to Nervi
Our trip to Nervi began at Milano Centrale, Milan’s main train station, and took us to Genova Brignole station located at Piazza Verdi in Genoa. From there, we hailed a taxi to our hotel, Hotel Villa Bonera in Nervi.
Hotel Villa Bonera
This fabulous little historic gem is situated in a beautiful nook just steps away from the Passeggiata di Nervi, a scenic walkway with breathtaking views of a dramatic coastline. The service here is excellent and the food and events make you feel like you're home.
This hotel is also a historical site that dates back to the 1500s and is now a family-run business. If you go, be sure to say hello to Roberto, Gabriella, and their children, Marco and Barbara.
Hotel Villa Bonera's frescoed ceilings, the ancient fortepiano in the hall at the second floor, the dining room that was originally the chapel of the villa, contain so many stories - including a few ghost ones. We’ll get into that shortly.
Passeggiata di Nervi
The Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi or Passeggiata di Nervi is one of Nervi’s main tourist draws and I could see why. The incredible views of the Ligurian coastline start from the Porticciolo marina and leads you through a seaside path lined with cafes, gelato stands, and seafood restaurants.
As you wander a little farther up the path, you reach Parchi di Nervi, which has botanical gardens and centuries-old villas housing museums like the Galleria d’Arte Moderna. This stroll concludes at the ancient port of Capolungo making for a 2 km trek with quite a few spots to grab a bite or take incredible photos.
After basking in the sun in a Passeggiata cafe with prosecco, we made our way back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. As we climbed the stairs toward our floor, we decided to take a detour and explore the top floor. Barbara recommended it as a great place to take pictures and more views of the Porticciolo.
Sightings
As Alex and our little one began making their way down to our floor, I took a few extra shots before turning away from the top floor’s ballroom. As I adjusted my camera, I noticed a man who appeared to be dressed in 16th century garb staring at me from across the room.
“Ciao,” I said, wondering what was up with the period cosplay. When I looked up again, he wasn’t there. As I caught up to Alex and our daughter, I told him what happened.
“You should tell Barbara. I think she’s talked about that happening before,” Alex laughed.
So the hotel has a 16th century ghost, eh? Before telling Barbara, I decided to sketch who I saw, just to see if my account matched anyone else’s without influencing any answers. I was going to wait a few days before saying anything.
In Dreams
That night, I had a dream of the ghost appearing again, yet standing in our room. He looked like he was carrying a stack of poetry in one hand and looked like a neurotic 20-something male, most likely brimming with romantic verses of love unrequited.
Around 3am in the middle of dreamland, I felt someone kick the end of our bed. I looked around and everyone was still asleep. Our room was cozy and had nowhere for anyone to hide. I checked the lock on our door and the bathroom. Maybe it was a small earthquake. It’s happened a few times at our place in Los Angeles. Italy has them, too, so no big deal.
As I slipped back into dreamland, there he was again. Much like the recurring dreams I was having in Los Angeles about leaving the US, the ghost of Italian past reiterated that 2020 was more than just a journey to live life abroad as we had planned, but that the world is about to change. He droned on about how the “stars,” and indicated a troubling year ahead and to stay inside. In the end, he said that the best thing for all of us, and the way forward, was to start our lives in London and proceed from there. Then I woke up and started scrolling through Café Astrology.
Later, we had dinner plans with the lovely family who runs Hotel Villa Bonera at a placed called Manuelina in nearby Recco.
Manuelina - and the best damn focaccia of my life
This is one of those restaurants you would imagine appearing on Parts Unknown. From the impeccable service to the ambiance and amazing food, Manuelina delivers culinary gems that leave quite an impression.
First, the focaccia. Probably the best focaccia I've ever had in my life and nothing anywhere else comes close. As a matter of fact, you could just order focaccia here, leave, and still have an amazing experience.
As we enjoyed one fabulous course after the next, Gabriella and my mother-in-law, Olga, told stories of how they grew up together in Nervi, along with hilarious stories of travel by Roberto. There are few places in this world that I would gladly eat past when I feel remotely full, and Manuelina is definitely on that list.
This place knows how to truly delivery on a dining experience and at times it felt like theater. Just excellence all around. The seafood, pasta, risotto, everything was incredible.
New Year’s Eve
As Hotel Villa Bonera delivered on a dance-filled and family-friendly NYE lined with even more amazing food from their in-house chef, we closed out 2019 and welcomed the year to come as Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams blared throughout the hotel. Little did we know that “sweet dreams” would become “good night” to normalcy in early 2020 as COVID-19 ravaged much of the world and changed the way we eat, live, and function on a daily basis. In between a few trips to the restroom throughout the evening, shadows lingered in the hallway and stairwell a little too long, but I pressed on and ignored it each time.
Checking Into 2020
Before checking out of the hotel, I told Barbara, who was at the front desk in the morning,, about the ghostly apparitions and the dreams. She told me his name was Niccolò, and would often be seen by female guests during their stay.
“Niccolò is selective in who he bothers, but everyone described him pretty much the same,” Barbara said. She described his long hair, young face, and period dress.
“Does he look like this?” I said, handing Barbara the sketch.
She laughed aloud and said, “Yeah, that’s him!”
As we bid farewell to all of the wonderful people we’ve come to know at Hotel Villa Bonera, we called a cab to take us back to Genova Brignole train station. Before taking the train to Milano Centrale, Alex and I chatted about our ghostly, food-filled week in Nervi, and how many memories he’s made in this wonderful little town where his mother spent much of her youth.
While 2020 has undoubtedly changed our collective perspective on life, this trip set the tone. Sometimes, you really do have to listen to those whispers gnawing at your senses, follow your dreams, and enjoy every bit of joy you can get along the way.
Farewell, dear Nervi. We hope to see you again soon.
