Genoa, or Pigging Out at Panifico and Other Such Stuff

statue of Columbus, famous son of Genoa

From one seaport to another: on our way from Venice to the Cinque Terre, Callie and I spent one night in Genoa waiting for Sarah's plane to get in from Poland. The difference between the two cities, Venice and Genoa, was quite obvious when we got off the train: Genoa is definitely more "working class" than Venice, though, this should be no surprise.

I'd been told that Genoa was not a particularly attractive city. One might even say ugly. And, well, to be honest, there are some grungy bits, like a street near our B&B Callie delighted in calling "Via Scuzzio"...but, all in all, beauty can be found in the city, and you don't need to look hard, either.

The Basilica of Genoa (Chiesa della Stanitssima Annunziata del Vastato):

The Palazzo Ducale (another Doge's Palace):

And the Port of Genoa:

Callie near the docks

We mostly just walked around Genoa, taking in the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the Downtown (Strada Nuova/Via Garibaldi) and eating delicious food: trofie con pesto Genovese (pasta with Genoa's famous pesto), ravioli in salsa di noci (walnut sauce), foccacia up to your eyeballs, SUPERB white wine, and the pièce de résistance, rose-flavored gelato (a Ligurian specialty). We ate at Panifico, a little quasi-dive hidden in a cul-de-sac off of Via Garibaldi. The food was excellent, and only one of the wait staff could speak decent-enough English to communicate with us. That's when you know the food is going to be good. Plus, it was 1/2 as expensive as Venice, a welcome departure from what we had grown accustomed to in terms of the bill.


Also included, of course, in our stay were yummy cappuccinos and delicious baked goods. If we stayed in Genoa any longer, it's quite possible we would have had to buy bigger clothes :)

As it was, one night was good enough. We met Sarah at the train station without a hitch, and made our way to the Cinque Terre.