Genoa, Italy

Ciao!  We are currently in Genoa Italy.  We arrived here on Monday after a long, but easy train ride from Avignon.  The travel Gods were looking down on us that day as we had very tight connections combined with late trains, but some how we made all of them!  We were greeted by our host Guiseppe at the train station and brought us to his beautiful home, right off the harbor.  He is a wonderful, friendly man who is 65, retired, and has lived in Genoa all is life (reminds me of an Italian version of Dad : ).  Him and his wife have been incredible, giving us recommendations on where to go, what to do, even making us breakfast every morning!  Pat and I have our own little "apartment" within the house, with a bed in a lofted area and our own sitting area below, with a computer to use.  It was a wonderful way to be greeted to Italy.

Genoa has been awesome so far.  I had no idea what to expect going into it.  It is a smaller city, walkable but still has a city feel to it. It is a beautiful city on the Western coast of Italy.  It is an old port town and is know for its pesto (they say it was created here) and its foccacia.  It is also the birth place of good ol Chris Colombus.  There are tiny little streets everywhere that you can easily get lost in.  Laundry hangs out to dry on clotheslines outside windows.  It has a very old world, mixed with new world feel.

Pat and I started our first night going to a place with pizza and home brew which was awesome after the long train journey.  The next day we started by taking an extremely touristy "train" ride through the city (imagine a  train car pulling mini open air cars through a very busy city, while blasting the history of places we passed and stereotypical Italian music)  It was hilarious until we both felt sick after 30 min of the ride.  BUT it did give us a good overview of the city.  The rest of the day was spent wandering around.  I found an incredible vintage store where Pat had to leave me for a bit to do some damage : ) As Elizabeth called it, my "Shwag".  For dinner we had one of the best meals I think I have ever had.  Simple pesto pasta and Tirimisu, but seriously...no words can explain...heavenly really.

Today we took the advise of Guiseppe and went here for the day...http://www.google.it/imgres?imgurl=http://www.italy-travel.net/camogli.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.italy-travel.net/liguria_tour.htm&h=507&w=676&sz=172&tbnid=IJib1UfMNlbL1M:&tbnh=93&tbnw=124&zoom=1&usg=__HTcBvZWXYC8QK04eE_b5FBVYFJ8=&docid=x1f85Rgs9k3U0M&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Fk6IUPT6HvLR4QSnnIGYBw&ved=0CEEQ9QEwBg&dur=3137

70 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, crystal clear water...I could not have asked for anything more : )  A rock beach brought me back to Maine, and I could hear, as Mom says, the rocks "talking" all day long as the calm waves rolled in and out.  I could have spent weeks in the town, on that beach.

So, am I liking Italy?  An overwhelming YES.  On Friday we leave for Cinque Terra (five towns), known for its trail that you can hike on from town to town.  We will be without internet there, so there may be some radio silence until Venice.  Until then, I will spend tomorrow eating as much pesto and focaccia as my body will allow.

xo  : )