Genoa!

September 4, 2008

The weather is starting to cool a bit; from high 80s down to lower 80s. That works for us and it’s time to take a day trip to Genoa. Genoa is just an hour away, south, by train and is on the coast that Kim so misses. Genoa’s location has contributed to its destiny—it’s on the Tyrrhenian Sea but also protected by mountains; this came in handy over the centuries as everyone was trying to conquer everyone else. It was already a trading post in the 6th Century BC; the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Hannibal’s brother- all were interested and involved in its fate. Business competition and wars were a regular occurrence between Genoa, Pisa, and Venice. Later, Spain, Austria, France all had their hands on the area and once Italian unification took place it became the main port. With that distinction, it was heavily bombed during WWII and remained in bad shape until it came time to celebrate the 500 year mark of Christopher Columbus’ “discovery” of America in 1992.

(A small side bar on Columbus. Historically, there is much confusion and many questions regarding his origins and life circumstances. He himself was quite vague about his birth date and parents. Apparently, he may have been not only illegitimate and Jewish but poor which did not go over well when discussing money and business with kings and queens. And, his last name may not even have been Columbus but a name he took on as they didn’t have paparazzi and Geraldo in those days and it was easier to get away with fudging your true identity.)

Then in 2001 Genoa hosted the G8 summit which led to even more sprucing up of the city that continues to this day. Genoa’s hosting of the G8 summit was greatly influenced by the 500 year aforementioned anniversary and so when you depart the main train station, there he is, Mr. What’s His Name looking down upon you from great heights. (Oops! No picture! Next time.)

For me, the first time arrival in a large city can be a bit stressful given the need to orient oneself. It’s a real treat to know that we can come back and don’t have to see everything in one or two exhausting days. So for our first visit, we chose to visit the waterfront area which reminded us a lot of Vancouver Canada. On one of the piers they have the largest aquarium in Europe that comes highly rated in the guide books and a nearby museum devoted to the Italian’s Antarctic Exploration. Our future visits will include (drum roll….) their cemetery, other museums and palaces, wandering the many small winding streets, two funiculars and many more historical sites.

The aquarium was a pretty amazing setting; it was huge and built in the shape of a ship with several “decks” of exploration. There was a strong emphasis upon education and understanding the symbiotic nature between humans, the sea, and the need to protect all forms of sea life. There were huge elaborate exhibits that held vast quantities of sea life giving the public a bird’s eye view of their underwater world. They had a whole section on Madagascar and the uniqueness of that tiny island off the coast of Africa. It was all very tastefully done with amazing attention to detail. We were glad that we’d come on a Tuesday and since it’s almost time for school to begin (9/15), there were not vast quantities of tourists and children, allowing for a more relaxed viewing.

After the aquarium, we had lunch and both ordered pesto pasta dishes because Genoa is the birthplace of pesto. And, it was pretty darn tasty; I give them the prize. Coincidentally, our restaurant was right next door to the Antarctic museum so once fortified we entered that world. The Italians, the Brits and the US all have bases at Antarctica, as well as the original base of New Zealand’s. The museum took us through what it’s like to work and survive there while supplementing our knowledge with on-land and undersea videos. Again there was a strong emphasis upon the health of the oceans, the importance of Antarctica and its’ impact upon our world’s climate and how we as humans must become better stewards. We learned about sea currents (I never had really thought about them) and all the creatures that use those highways for their travel and survival.

So with that, we were so full of education that it was now time to rest our minds and wander over to explore the old (medieval) part of the city which is close to where the train station resides. As the waterfront reminded us of Vancouver, the old section of Genoa very much reminded us of Venice in the easy-to-get-lost twisty and narrow streets that wind and interlace with one another. Within them are more shops and flats than can be imagined with a cacophony of sound and vibration of life. People from many lands have made this their home and are working hard to earn a living. African men and women in their brightly colored clothes with matching turbans looking elegant and refined contrasted with the young, street savvy youth who appear to be looking for prey. Turks, Arabs, Chinese, Indians, all with their food specialties and presentations to lure one’s palate. It was a grand sight and interaction that bodes well during the daylight hours but is not a place I’d want to be at night.

We continued our walking and exploration, edging our way closer to what we hoped would soon be the train station. We tried using the water as our guide but did ultimately admit that we were lost and had best ask for directions if we wanted to make our train. We found a bar, bought 2 bottles of water and as we paid, asked directions. Happily, we were quite close and from there made our way back to the station for our trip home.

Genoa left me wanting more. I told Kim before the train began to depart that I want to return. It will be easier now that we’ve had this one day and have experienced the pre-requisite getting lost. Next time we’ll probably get lost again but I have enough experience now to know that that is when all the good finds and fun occur.