Another one of my favorite places to visit! Cervo is an ancient town built on top of a hill, with around 1,200 residents. It overlooks the Sea and is gorgeous.

one of the entrances

map (so many winding streets to explore!)

Quinnie and Papa taking in the views. LOTS of uphill walking here!

There are some great shops here run by local artists. This glass blowing studio/ shop was great. You can watch the artist while she works. She said she makes her own Murano glass. Now Quinnie is dying to take glass blowing lessons. Both girls got to pick out a little treat (below).

toy store Gepetto

Lots of leather products sold here (shoes, bags, belts). I bought Simon a wallet here 15 years ago and it lasted a long time. If you turn around from here and look uphill, this is your view (pic below)…

St. John the Baptist church

inside

church door

View of the square from the church steps. Every summer Cervo hosts a big classical music concert in this square. Oma and Opa have a poster from one of the concerts in their bedroom in Italy.

Hard to believe someone lives here- with the view of the Sea to one side and that church on the other!

café next to the church

restaurant with a view!

more restaurants

little shop selling locally grown olive oil

We found this window with baby chicks. Both girls are obsessed with chickens so this was definitely a highlight for them!

Quinnie and me

 

Here’s more info on Cervo…

 

Bussana Vecchia is a really interesting place, with an even more interesting history. It’s a village that was built up on a hill in the 9th century. It was abandoned in 1887 after an earthquake destroyed it and killed over 2,000 people. It was considered a ghost town until the early 1960’s when it was renovated and repopulated by an international group of artists (info from Wikipedia).

entrance

café

lots of these cute little spaces where artists sell their work

Doorway to one of my favorite studio/ shops here. The artist is a very nice woman who’s been here since the 70’s (I think). I remember meeting her when we came here 15 years ago.

inside

Her husband sells his amazing artwork and candles here as well.

how cool are these rooms?!

I bought some of her artwork of Bussana Vecchia (by Studio W & J). Look at this place- you can explore for hours and hours!

I bought a pair of these earrings she made also.

picture of me taking a picture

interesting stone work

we grabbed a few drinks at this restaurant

great restaurant view

Kiera and me

I love the ghost town feel of this place. Across from the restaurant there is a huge abandoned church…

grass floor inside

stairs and doorway to nowhere

One of the residents had this donkey, which the girls loved of course!

Isn’t this place amazing?!

Here’s more info on Bussana Vecchia…