Well, I was going to write a chapter a day, but I have done my homework, I don't have a TV, I have checked my bank statements, so what the heck. Here goes with the next episode. Wednesday, and Genoa. Genoa, according to the Lonely Planet, has a population of 604,800 and I have no reason to doubt that. It also says that when people first see Genoa they are reminded of bowls of spaghetti piled high. Well..... I'm sure there is a vantage point somewhere where one can verify that. I looked hard when I flew out but still didn't quite spot it, but never mind!
Anyway. Genoa was founded in the 4th century BC and was an important Roman port. It still looks to be an extremely busy port, actually. Genoa was the first northern city to rise against Nazi occupation and the Italian fascists during World War 2, liberating itself before the arrival of the allied troops. I didn't know that and I think it's really interesting. Genoa's most famous son was Christopher Colombus. There is some debate about whether he really was from Genoa, but regardless, his old childhood home is there, and we looked through it!
So back a bit. We decided to have a 'local' day on Wednesday, and as Ian wasn't so busy with rugby stuff that day he came with us on the train into the centre of the city. Basically we just mooched around walking round the streets - some very narrow indeed. We looked through the cathedral, which is rather lopsided, as they ran out of money and couldn't afford to build the second tower. It's quite an interesting looking place in black and white checks. Or is it stripes? I can't remember. We saw Chris's house, as I said, and as it rained for much of the time we also played, "Let's fend off the Umbrella Sellers" again. We saw Genoa's Arc de Triomphe, which is probably spelt differently. And we saw the gardens which show Colombus's 3 ships. Kind of a floral tribute.
I was quite taken with the woman singing (in the photo) and it just seemed to me to be a very Italian thing. It may not be, but she was singing an Italian song and playing the accordion and I thought she was just great. The graffiti that you can see was not so great and I'm sorry to say that it was everywhere in Italy. Really disappointing and somehow surprising.
Also you can see me outside the black and white cathedral, and Colombus's three ships. Wasn't it brave to go exploring in those little ships, with no fresh food after a while, and the ever-present risk of falling off the edge of the world?! My intrepid high seas adventures have been limited to the ferries and the Earnslaw, really. Anyway, back home on the train again and that was Wednesday. Another goodie. Stay tuned.
3 comments:
Love the lady and the accordion, she has a wistful expression. I do hope she's not seriously poor and wistfully wondering whether she can afford to have an onion in her saveloy soup - or the italian version. You are a very tiny tourist against a very large portico (is that the word) and the three ships are . . . well, you can tell they're ships. I thought my younger sister's papier mache three ships that she got as a gift one time were more admirable but maybe you had to be there. And would I give my eye teeth to 'be there'. I hope you've got plans to return.
Yes, she does look wistful. Perhaps wondering what happened to her rellies who left to grow tomatoes in NZ. Actually, I think that NZ's Italian community mainly come from Southern Italy. Please correct me if I'm wrong! Salvi - are you out there?
I meant Nelson's Italian community. I tried to correct it but I didn't know how to.
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