We spent around ten days traveling through northern Italy on our way to Croatia. After arriving in Savona on the overnight ferry from Barcelona, we spent our first night camping just outside Genoa. Granted it was Friday night, but the campground was insanely busy and loud (it seems like the vacation season has finally caught up with us). The campground’s good location right on the beach was more than outweighed by the major road on the other side, the drunken Scandinavians (no, not us) and the tweenage kids up until dawn. Ok, maybe it’s a sign of getting older, but the next day we checked into a nice hotel in Genoa. What a relief!
We had actually tried visiting Genoa once before a couple of years back but found the city completely gridlocked due to some local festival and ended up parked about 20-30 minutes drive outside of town, so didn’t really get to see much. This time we thought we’d give it a more thorough try. And we’re really glad we did. Genoa has a beautiful city center with very narrow streets (i.e. limited cars as well as parking) and great plazas. The city is very steep, located on a hill rising from the harbor. Among other things, we stumbled on the 5 km color run, discovered a amazingly picturesque fishing village, shopped at a ginormous market a little out of town, and had a burger in a beer cave (thanks to Andrea for restaurant Les Rouges and other suggestions).
The following day, we drove to Milan where we spent three days, two in the city (thanks to Andreas for the great advice) and one at the Word Expo (see separate post). From there, after a lunch stop in Parma, we headed to Bologna, a really lovely university town (thanks to Eleonora for the recommendations). Through sheer luck (or maybe through our heightened “beer sense”) we also found a local a craft beer festival to round off our time in Italy (see Beers and Breweries).
Arriving in Savona
Campsite
Genoa harbor
In Genoa there was this color run. We got some freebies (ice cream, alcohol free beer) even though we weren’t running.
Taking a little break in Genoa next to this lion that seems so sad
An art project?
Dinner at Les Rouges in Genoa
Some pretty amazing cocktails
The sun setting on Genoa
Little beach in Boccadasse – the Genoa fishing village
Home made ice cream
Beach and recreation area just outside of Genoa
At the market we found the slush ice stand
Alex in the beer cave at Ham Holy Burger
You scan the beer and it tells you what it is. That’s instead of reading the label. Technology at its best
We got stuck in a tunnel on the way to Milan for half hour due to an accident ahead. The kid in this car is actually taking our picture at the same time
Milan has great roof top gardens and balconies
Brew pub Baladin
Lunch next to the Duomo
Chocolate shoes
We went to a famous ice cream shop. This guy has a real sense of perfection in every cone he creates
Giant snail invasion in Milan?
Brewery Lambrate in Milan
Inside in the bar
Pretty impressive theater in Parma
In the back of the theater. Creepy, yes
Next stop Bologna
There were covered walkways throughout old town Bologna
Museum of modern art (MOMbo)
Part of the science faculty, this museum displays various anatomic wax models
This is Le Stanze at 18.00 when the free pre-dinner appetizers are presented
Alex at Le Stanze
So Italian, so cool
Since Milan is core-high fashion and Italian shoes are something else, I had to do a real double take on the chocolate shoes. Only in Italy.
I know, aren’t those shoes great. When Kristina was picking the pictures to post, she actually forgot that they were chocolate at first as well 🙂