Around Genoa

Boxing Day morning, we got up relatively early and headed down to the downtown. We parked in front of Martina's old high school...



then started touring around the town. It was a super sunny day, then started to rain and was dreary. Later, however, the sun came back out again. Nice.

Nicer still? The orange trees on the pedestrian walkway outside Via Cesarea. LOVE this country.

ADORE this brightly coloured holly.

So it is a bit of a running joke that these Genovese stripes are particular to this area of Liguria. Thing is, in Italian, one would say, "particulare" or something to describe something that is rare, original, indigenous, typical (yes, I know that is contradictory), normal...the list goes on and on. Anyway, I suppose the closest word in English is "particular". Martina and Michele said it a lot. Needless to say, the stripes became the bell in our Pavlov of English translation joke. Let it be said again...we laughed a lot.

Zia Maria...super glamour, non?



Us gals. Not quite as glamorous ;)



Ah, now THERE is some Christmas.



The centre of town. Love love love.

Alas, the museum where we saw the Riviera on canvas. It was a remarkable display of all of the glory of France that we had just seen. What a great exhibit. What are the chances it would be there right then? Right when we would be there? Given my luck, pretty, pretty good ;)

The cathedral in all her splendor...

The very particular stripes of Genoa ;)

A wee bit of fruit before we hit the seaside...



Ah, now THIS looked like our old Riviera.

The port...panorama styles.



Not so thrilled to be outside in the ridiculously windy rain. Still, we were glad to be in the country of love.



It wasn't quite Monaco, but it was still the sea. We'll TAKE it.





As we continued through the city, we snapped away at the arcitecture...

...and the streetscapes from all angles...

There are those stripes again ;)

(note for Jamie: it is a very particular situation)

BEST strange-looking perhaps homeless woman ever:

Inside the cathedral was just as grand...

The "natural clock" (sundial)...

And the Red Palace, which also housed the museum all about Genoa. Who knew there was so much history there? After a few hours though, we were spent.

But then the sun came out :)







...and well-wishes abounded...

...and more stairways led to more possibilities...

Alas, we stumbled upon Christopher Columbus' house!

...and the old church that used to be built behind it. Oddly enough, the building was transported to another location. They left the gorge columns behind though. Thankfully.

Our last stop before the pesto pasta that awaited us for dinner? The gate to the city.