Layover in Genoa: Wednesday

October 31, 2018

So no riding at all today. The bikes stayed in the cellar, and we dedicated the day to seeing more of the city. I’m supposed to be treating this period as a break from the blog, so this is as good a spot as any. I’ll be really brief now, and not even caption much of anything. Maybe someday I’ll make it back to add more detail, maybe not.

The Jesuit Church. I should have gone inside, but waited until I made it back here with Rachael and then we never did. Next time.

The friendly lion guards the entrance to the cathedral.

Tucked away in a tiny alley, as many interesting shops are. You just have to know they’re here, or stumble on them by accident.

Saint George Palace, on the waterfront in the old port

This is pretty amazing. This is the Neptune, an accurate replication of the 17th century Spanish galleon of the same name. Built in 1985 for the Roman Polanski film Pirates, and now a museum.

Both the scale and the detail are astounding. It’s remarkable to invest so much in the appearance of a ship of war.

It’s a bit hard to make out in all the detail, but the anchor is enormous.

The photo doesn’t quite convey how far up the masts go, but looking up at the crows nest really enhanced my appreciation of what it must have been like to work on one of these ships. Imagine scrambling up there in a storm!

Palazzo Emmanuele Filiberto di Negro, in the old port

Climbing up from the old port to the heart of the medieval city

Via Garibaldi, lined on both sides with elegant palaces. The district is a UNESCO protected world heritage site, the Palazzi dei Rolli.

Looking at each of these huge, ornate palaces, you can’t help but being impressed by the concentration of wealth that existed in Genoa centuries ago.

Some of these palaces are now museums, others are elite residence complexes, but most are banks.

The lobby of the Deutche Bank building. Not your average neighborhood bank.

I was excited about this, thinking it was the famous Lanterna, the lighthouse of Genoa. It’s not. It’s just some run of the mill lighthouse.

The Locanda Tortuga, another great hole in the wall. This guy was very welcoming. Yes, we have tables. Go downstairs, Claudia will seat you. When we leave after our meal, Claudia asks where we’re from, where we’re going. Impressed, she turns to tell the others, then offers us a Genoese liquor. We politely accept.

Empty when we first arrived, but it filled quickly. I loved the crowd and ambience. I wish I’d gotten a photo of the woman walking in with her puglike dog in her arms, her shawl draped across its head.

The back side of the Ducal Palace. Its main entrance faces on Piazza Ferrari, the fountain plaza.

It’s Halloween! No, we’re done now. You’ve got enough sugar. We’re going home.

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	4
Comment on this entry	Comment	0