On to Genova

Thursday  

22 August 

Day 53

43 to go

Moving day again. Today we had a leisurely start. We were up and about by 8am as usual and into our breakfast with a view. We packed our cases and tidied up around the place. Paul spoke to Bollsy, who was at our place. We could see on the security camera that it was particularly windy. So glad we have been able to replace the Perth winter with this glorious Italian sunshine.

At 9.30am, we began our move. Lugging bags down stairs and then navigating the cobbles and large flat slate stones to the bus stop. Thankfully it was early enough to not be bothered by crowds. We boarded then 9.45am bus and made the windy trip back to the Santa Margherita station. We were there earlier than anticipated, so were able to get on the 10.13am train for Genova. 9 Euros paid, we waited on the platform, before hauling our bags aboard and finding a place to stand for the journey. 

As we were on the earlier train, we picked up the general line rather than the express. This meant stopping a lot more often and a longer journey, but it didn’t matter. We watched the beach landscapes come and go, some spots felt like the train could just roll into the sea below. Thankfully, we made it to Genoa Brignole with no fuss and were able to get off the train easily and down into the station. 

From here we needed to find the Metro line. I had read tales of tourists falling victim to shonky local police in regards to tickets for the metro, so we were keen to cross the t’s and dot the i’s. We found the ticket office, bought the tickets and were shown where to validate and then the platform we required to get to Darsena station. In the end it was a very smooth journey, with no local police to be seen.

Once at Darsena, we made our way up the escalator, only to be confronted with two flights of stairs. Paul hauled the bags up once more and then we were off to il gelato, the meeting place for our apartment. We found a seat, ordered a snack and by 12.10pm, Paolo was there to show us to the room on the harbour. It was a wonderful little apartment, but wasn’t ready for us yet, so we left our bags and went exploring. 

We walked the harbour front, checking out the buildings and the incredible tall ship, Vascello Neptune. We saw the beautiful frescoes adorning Palazzo San Giorgio and then walked up into the old town getting lost in the little lanes and alleyways. We even ended up in the red light district, with girls perched in every doorway. 

We were beginning to feel hungry, so searched for a pizzeria, finding a great beer, pizza and pasta bar. The food was amazing, as were the drinks. We then made our way back through the town, stopping at a supermarket before returning to the apartment, where the dirty washing went straight in the machine and we spent some time relaxing. 

By 3.30pm, the washing was out and we were ready to explore some more of Genova. We walked some familiar streets before ending up on a road that housed some different museums. We were able to take a look in a few of the entrances, taking In the fresco ceilings and the various sculptures. We also noticed a quite heavy police and armed forces presence. We didn’t know if we should be glad our concerned. 

Our destination was a lift to take us to a viewing platform. Paul spied its entrance, as we arrived at the crossroad. We bought a 24hr metro card for 10Euro each and then processed to the lift entrance. The lift was built in 1909. It takes you to Spinata castelletto, where you have a 180 degree view of Genova. From here we could see where our apartment was on the port. There were also plenty of ships. 

After taking I the view, we walked around the piazza, buying a gelato for the wander. We then located a different lift, Castelletto Ponente, built in 1909, that took us back to ground level. Once on the lower deck, we began to walk the street, before Paul spied a sign for the. Zecca - Righi funicular built in 1897, so we figured we should jump on and see where it leads. Turns out it goes to Righi 1500m up the hill. There wasn’t much of a view unfortunately, as the windows were covered in graffiti. 

When we reached the top, there was a sign pointing to panoramic view, so we climbed some more stairs and enjoyed the 360 degree offering. You could make out Portofino, we the mountains to the east and the town of Genova. 

Happy with our expedition, we opted to descend on foot. It was pretty tough going, with lots of slopes and stairs, but we got to see a bit of the neighbourhood and enjoy different views. We were finally back into familiar territory by 5.45pm.

The Santissima Annunziata del Vastato, that we had passed by earlier in the day was open, so we opted to take a look at the opulent architecture and frescoes. An interesting sculpture of a person begging, greeted us at the door. There was plenty of money used to design this church. 

Feeling hungry, we returned to where we ate lunch. It was just opening for evening trade and was quiet compared to lunchtime. We chose to sit outside and had pasta and salad. It was another delicious meal. 

Satisfied, we wound our way back to the room for the evening. Enjoying the cool of the AC, as it was still about 25. We did eventually wander back outside at 8.45pm to check out the nightlife along the wharf. It was very lively with music and restaurants lining the strip. We did a good walk before returning to the room for the remainder of the evening.