We left La Spezia, Italy, around noon today and took a train to Genoa. We arrived around 1 p.m. and then went directly to the hostel, a short walk from the station. We didn't make a reservation for the train ride to Genoa, as the rail employee told us we didn't need one since we had our EuRail pass. We later found out, however, that we did need a reservation. We had to pay 18 euros each on broad the train for a one-hour ride. The EuRail pass has been great and is definitely the way to go if you are traveling through multiple countries like we have been doing, but I still don't quite understand how it works with reservations. It seems the rail employees don't either, but I digress.
After we arrived, we checked in to hostel, which is more like a B & B. I think the owner and his family live here as well. He gave us a map of Genoa and we made our way to the harbor area for lunch. The city is full of Gothic architecture and a myriad of narrow streets. It is also home to a plethora of shops, name brand stores and pizzerias and gelato stands.
We found a sandwich shop that had more than 20 different types of meat and cheese on display. You picked the type of meat you wanted on your sandwich, as well as the type of cheese, and the employees sliced it for you and put it on fresh bread. It was a great lunch.
It started raining as we were walking to the sandwich shop, so we decided to return to the hostel afterward and wait out the rain. Before returning, however, we stopped by the house where Christopher Columbus was born in 1451. I have now seen where Columbus was born and where he is buried, and I have also been able to see where he left Spain on his first voyage and where he returned. His birth place is now a museum you can tour, but we only saw it from the outside. Here is a picture.
Around 8 p.m., we ventured out for dinner. The "Lonely Planet" book highly recommended Ristorante Pizzeria Piedigrotta, so we went there. It was the best pizza we have had Italy. And the restaurant was very authentic. The menu was only in Italian, the wait staff spoke very little English, and all of the other people eating dinner there appeared to be Italian. I think we were the only English speakers. It was wonderful, both the food and the environment. Here is a picture from dinner.
Afterward, we returned to the hostel. Tomorrow, we are catching an early train to Marseille, France. We should arrive around 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. We will spend the night along the French coast and then catch a morning train to Barcelona on Monday. I can't wait to return to Spain, especially Barcelona. Perhaps I should blog in Spanish from Spain ... ¡vamos a ver!
¡Gracias por leer!
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