My parents had given me and Janne a very nice birthday present this year – a weekend in Genova. Well, actually, due to some scheduling issues, we ended up taking the weekend in the middle of the week…
So off we set on Wednesday evening, down the A8, towards Italy. Traffic was kind to us until we approached Genova, but in the end, we arrived well in time for dinner. The first impression of Genova isn’t very positive, since its sprawling suburbs are a bit of an eyesore… Genova is one of the biggest cities of Italy, with a population of over 700,000, and is one of the countries major ports also. It has a glorious past, having once rivalled Venice – but has lost some of its splendour, it must be said, in recent years…
Anyway, having checked in at our hotel (superbly located just on the edge of the old town), we rushed down to meet the Turtiainen clan for dinner. My parents had selected a place just around the corner called Le Rune for the occasion. After a perfectly acceptable, if not mouth-watering, meal, we headed back to the hotel. After a digestif at the bar, it was time to hit the bed.
We got up bright ‘n early in the morning, and after a tasty breakfast at the hotel (a bit more nourishing than the average Italian breakfast – which is perhaps a bit light for my taste…), we headed out for a quick walk in the old town. We instantly took a liking to it – it really has an authentic feel to it. It feels a bit like the old town of Nice, without the tourists (there are even a few dodgy characters about). It’s also very spread out – I read somewhere that it’s “the biggest old town in Europe” (wonder how they determine which bits are “old” and which bits “new”?). After the quick visit, we joined the Turtiainen clan for a walk down Via Garibaldi – the palazzi-lined street bordering the old town. It’s a grand street, and houses some of Genova’s most important museums. After a quick look at the famous Palazzio Reale, we headed down to Genova’s defining feature, its port. To be honest, the first impression is not the most positive – unfortunately a 4-lane flyover cleaves through the port – an eyesore if there ever was one… there are a few sights in the port though – an aquarium, the ship used as a set for Roman Polanski’s film “Pirates” as well as Palazzio San Giorgio (which apparently housed the first bank in the world).
Having checked out the port, me and Mathilde found ourselves a lovely little bar on the outskirts of the old town, where we had a very tasty and good-value lunch, surrounded by locals…Almost made us feel Italians ;-). We then headed back into the winding streets of the old town, and continued our exploration. Our walk took us past various churches, the imposing Catedrale di San Lorenzo, and even the house of Christopher Columbus (who was born in Genova – apparently his house is the most visited in the world, hmm….). All in all, we really loved the old town – it’s dirty, noisy, crowded. But the place really is buzzing with life – sometimes it almost feels like the medinas we visited in Tunisia recently. Genova definitely feels a bit misplaced in the orderly Northern Italy; somehow it would feel more at home in the more chaotic south. We met up with my family again for dinner at Trattoria da Maria – a real gem of a restaurant. It feels a bit like a family-run canteen, or something. The menu is hand-written (only in Italian, of course), the prices are very reasonable (12 euros for a menu, if I recall correctly), and the service is impressively quick (especially considering the size of the place). After the meal the youngsters went for a couple of drinks in a bar near the hotel. We even met and chatted away with some locals (well, they were from Piedmont – close enough…)!
On Friday the plan was to do a bit of a road trip. So off we set, having stuffed our bellies full at the breakfast buffet again. Or first stop was at Camogli, a fishing village just a few kilometres from Genova. It is a lovely place – with its waterfront covered with multi-coloured houses, and its beautiful port (and surprisingly enough, there actually seems to be a few fishermen left). It reminded us a lot of the equally villages at Cinque Terre (which isn’t far away). We spent a very relaxed morning there, strolling along its narrow streets, and relaxing in the port. Of course we felt obliged to try the local speciality – the camogliesi (sweet local pastries), and of course a home-made gelato was called for as well (which was good, but not as good as the divine ice cream we had in Genova the day before).
Our next stop was Rapallo, a typical Ligurian resort, which reminded me a bit of San Remo. Apparently Jean Sibelius (who is, as I’m sure you know, a famous Finnish composer) composed his 2nd symphony here. After a stroll along the waterfront (taking in the castle), we hit the beach and went for a swim.
Our final destination for the day was Portofino – which one could call the St-Tropez of Italy, I suppose (Portofino is the most exclusive coastal resort in Italy, apparently). The drive up to the narrow road (we were happy we didn’t visit the place during the weekend – the fact that there were screens showing the estimated time to queue every few km probably means the place gets rather busy from time to time…) up to the tiny village is very scenic. Having parked our car in the un-reasonably priced car park (5 euros/hour – that’s bloody ridiculous!), we headed down to the harbour, where we had unreasonably priced cappuccinos (5 euros – that’s more like on the Cote d’Azur price than in Italy – and that was in the cheapest joint we found). In spite of the rip-off prices, it has to be said that Portofino is a very pretty village, and the setting couldn’t be much prettier – sitting as it is in its bay, surrounded by dramatic cliffs. All in all, Portofino is well worth a visit, but I was happy we visited it on a Friday in May rather than a Saturday in July (considering how hard it was to find a parking spot as it was).
We finished our last evening on our Italian road trip with a nice meal in Tristan & Isolde in the old town of Genova, another place my parents had discovered during their last visit to Genova. A nice enough place, a bit similar to Trattoria da Maria – a bit classier, and a bit pricier. Great way to end a great trip!
On Saturday, my parents and Janne & Katja had to speed up to France, since Janne & Katja had a flight to catch. But since we had all day to get back, we decided to take the opportunity to make some stops on the way. Our first stop was Savona, a place we’ve driven past many times, and often thought to visit. It’s a nice enough town, good for a short stop. Once upon a time it was actually quite a significant city, rivalling Genova in importance, but those days are long gone. Still, it has a pleasant old town, which we strolled around. We finished our walk with a drink at a nice square in the old town – and were treated to some very tasty snacks to go with it (a great tradition in Italy – a bit like the tapas they bring with drinks in some parts of Spain).
Our next stop was the small village of Noli. The reason we decided to stop there is that our guide-book mentioned it had been an independent republic for 600 years (I mean there cannot be many former republics smaller than Noli on this planet – Noli has a population of 2900). And we were not disappointed – Noli is a very cute village, and has managed to preserve its historic centre better than most places on the Ligurian coast. There’s even a quite impressive castle overlooking the village (a testament to Noli’s glorious past…). We had a typically tasty lunch in a small trattoria (perhaps not surprisingly, it seems that some of the best food in Liguria can be found in hidden-away trattorias in small, little-known villages).
Our next stop was Alassio, a resort town about half-way between Savona and the French border. After a refreshing swim in the sea (on the only public beach we could find amongst the private beaches which are all too frequent in northern Italy), we headed out to find the main tourist attraction in Alassio – The Wall. On the way to the wall, we took the opportunity to buy some Baci (means kisses in Italian; chocolate cream-covered biscuits – not to be confused by the more famous Baci from Perugia). The Wall – Il Muretto di Alassio – is covered with autographs from visiting celebrities – a bit like the handprints in Cannes in front of the Palace des Festivales. Most of the celebrities were Italian, so didn’t recognise a lot of the names – but I did spot Hemingway’s and Dario Fo’s signatures.
So that brought an end to our road trip in Liguria – the next stop was Cagnes-sur-Mer. As always, we had a great time – Italy is really growing on me more and more by each visit. We’ll be back!
More photos here.
So off we set on Wednesday evening, down the A8, towards Italy. Traffic was kind to us until we approached Genova, but in the end, we arrived well in time for dinner. The first impression of Genova isn’t very positive, since its sprawling suburbs are a bit of an eyesore… Genova is one of the biggest cities of Italy, with a population of over 700,000, and is one of the countries major ports also. It has a glorious past, having once rivalled Venice – but has lost some of its splendour, it must be said, in recent years…Anyway, having checked in at our hotel (superbly located just on the edge of the old town), we rushed down to meet the Turtiainen clan for dinner. My parents had selected a place just around the corner called Le Rune for the occasion. After a perfectly acceptable, if not mouth-watering, meal, we headed back to the hotel. After a digestif at the bar, it was time to hit the bed.
We got up bright ‘n early in the morning, and after a tasty breakfast at the hotel (a bit more nourishing than the average Italian breakfast – which is perhaps a bit light for my taste…), we headed out for a quick walk in the old town. We instantly took a liking to it – it really has an authentic feel to it. It feels a bit like the old town of Nice, without the tourists (there are even a few dodgy characters about). It’s also very spread out – I read somewhere that it’s “the biggest old town in Europe” (wonder how they determine which bits are “old” and which bits “new”?). After the quick visit, we joined the Turtiainen clan for a walk down Via Garibaldi – the palazzi-lined street bordering the old town. It’s a grand street, and houses some of Genova’s most important museums. After a quick look at the famous Palazzio Reale, we headed down to Genova’s defining feature, its port. To be honest, the first impression is not the most positive – unfortunately a 4-lane flyover cleaves through the port – an eyesore if there ever was one… there are a few sights in the port though – an aquarium, the ship used as a set for Roman Polanski’s film “Pirates” as well as Palazzio San Giorgio (which apparently housed the first bank in the world).
Having checked out the port, me and Mathilde found ourselves a lovely little bar on the outskirts of the old town, where we had a very tasty and good-value lunch, surrounded by locals…Almost made us feel Italians ;-). We then headed back into the winding streets of the old town, and continued our exploration. Our walk took us past various churches, the imposing Catedrale di San Lorenzo, and even the house of Christopher Columbus (who was born in Genova – apparently his house is the most visited in the world, hmm….). All in all, we really loved the old town – it’s dirty, noisy, crowded. But the place really is buzzing with life – sometimes it almost feels like the medinas we visited in Tunisia recently. Genova definitely feels a bit misplaced in the orderly Northern Italy; somehow it would feel more at home in the more chaotic south. We met up with my family again for dinner at Trattoria da Maria – a real gem of a restaurant. It feels a bit like a family-run canteen, or something. The menu is hand-written (only in Italian, of course), the prices are very reasonable (12 euros for a menu, if I recall correctly), and the service is impressively quick (especially considering the size of the place). After the meal the youngsters went for a couple of drinks in a bar near the hotel. We even met and chatted away with some locals (well, they were from Piedmont – close enough…)!
On Friday the plan was to do a bit of a road trip. So off we set, having stuffed our bellies full at the breakfast buffet again. Or first stop was at Camogli, a fishing village just a few kilometres from Genova. It is a lovely place – with its waterfront covered with multi-coloured houses, and its beautiful port (and surprisingly enough, there actually seems to be a few fishermen left). It reminded us a lot of the equally villages at Cinque Terre (which isn’t far away). We spent a very relaxed morning there, strolling along its narrow streets, and relaxing in the port. Of course we felt obliged to try the local speciality – the camogliesi (sweet local pastries), and of course a home-made gelato was called for as well (which was good, but not as good as the divine ice cream we had in Genova the day before).Our next stop was Rapallo, a typical Ligurian resort, which reminded me a bit of San Remo. Apparently Jean Sibelius (who is, as I’m sure you know, a famous Finnish composer) composed his 2nd symphony here. After a stroll along the waterfront (taking in the castle), we hit the beach and went for a swim.
Our final destination for the day was Portofino – which one could call the St-Tropez of Italy, I suppose (Portofino is the most exclusive coastal resort in Italy, apparently). The drive up to the narrow road (we were happy we didn’t visit the place during the weekend – the fact that there were screens showing the estimated time to queue every few km probably means the place gets rather busy from time to time…) up to the tiny village is very scenic. Having parked our car in the un-reasonably priced car park (5 euros/hour – that’s bloody ridiculous!), we headed down to the harbour, where we had unreasonably priced cappuccinos (5 euros – that’s more like on the Cote d’Azur price than in Italy – and that was in the cheapest joint we found). In spite of the rip-off prices, it has to be said that Portofino is a very pretty village, and the setting couldn’t be much prettier – sitting as it is in its bay, surrounded by dramatic cliffs. All in all, Portofino is well worth a visit, but I was happy we visited it on a Friday in May rather than a Saturday in July (considering how hard it was to find a parking spot as it was).We finished our last evening on our Italian road trip with a nice meal in Tristan & Isolde in the old town of Genova, another place my parents had discovered during their last visit to Genova. A nice enough place, a bit similar to Trattoria da Maria – a bit classier, and a bit pricier. Great way to end a great trip!
On Saturday, my parents and Janne & Katja had to speed up to France, since Janne & Katja had a flight to catch. But since we had all day to get back, we decided to take the opportunity to make some stops on the way. Our first stop was Savona, a place we’ve driven past many times, and often thought to visit. It’s a nice enough town, good for a short stop. Once upon a time it was actually quite a significant city, rivalling Genova in importance, but those days are long gone. Still, it has a pleasant old town, which we strolled around. We finished our walk with a drink at a nice square in the old town – and were treated to some very tasty snacks to go with it (a great tradition in Italy – a bit like the tapas they bring with drinks in some parts of Spain). 
Our next stop was the small village of Noli. The reason we decided to stop there is that our guide-book mentioned it had been an independent republic for 600 years (I mean there cannot be many former republics smaller than Noli on this planet – Noli has a population of 2900). And we were not disappointed – Noli is a very cute village, and has managed to preserve its historic centre better than most places on the Ligurian coast. There’s even a quite impressive castle overlooking the village (a testament to Noli’s glorious past…). We had a typically tasty lunch in a small trattoria (perhaps not surprisingly, it seems that some of the best food in Liguria can be found in hidden-away trattorias in small, little-known villages). 
Our next stop was Alassio, a resort town about half-way between Savona and the French border. After a refreshing swim in the sea (on the only public beach we could find amongst the private beaches which are all too frequent in northern Italy), we headed out to find the main tourist attraction in Alassio – The Wall. On the way to the wall, we took the opportunity to buy some Baci (means kisses in Italian; chocolate cream-covered biscuits – not to be confused by the more famous Baci from Perugia). The Wall – Il Muretto di Alassio – is covered with autographs from visiting celebrities – a bit like the handprints in Cannes in front of the Palace des Festivales. Most of the celebrities were Italian, so didn’t recognise a lot of the names – but I did spot Hemingway’s and Dario Fo’s signatures. So that brought an end to our road trip in Liguria – the next stop was Cagnes-sur-Mer. As always, we had a great time – Italy is really growing on me more and more by each visit. We’ll be back!
More photos here.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment