Thursday, July 7, 2011

Quick Thoughts on Genoa

DAY OFF THANK GOD

Anyways, Milena is taking me to a Latin American festival in the city tonight, so I need to get ready, but I spent the better part of today in Genoa! Definitely didn't like it better than Verona, but here's a couple quick thoughts on this city on the water:

-It's a port city, and it embraces it, which is really cool. There are fish shops everywhere near the water, and the port still thrives with life, especially in the morning.
-Another excellent gastronomic advantage: foccacia is Genoa's specialty. There are foccacerias everywhere too, and I'll admit it- I had two lunches because I couldn't just try one slice. AMAZING.
-The city is full of buildings that have frescoes on the sides, but it's not like Verona where the frescoes function mostly as art. In Genoa, the paintings are mostly of... windows... shutters... columns... haha things to trick the eye into seeing a magnificently crafted building, while many Genoan buildings have simply flat facades. Why are they trying to fake everyone out? Wasn't Genoa a super rich city, the center of art and commerce back in the day?
-Totally touched a stingray at the Genoan aquarium. They're kind of slimy, actually.
-The streets are super hilly, super thin and super dark because the buildings are so high they almost block out the sun.

Didn't love it, but certainly enjoyed it, and it was definitely interesting to compare the different feels and unique hum that each city eminates. Also, I kept thinking about the Princess Diaries all day, because the Italian name for the city is Genova, and the country that Julie Andrews is queen of in the movie is Genovia.

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