Sunday 30 August - Genoa

After a few quiet days, it is time for another adventure. Up fearsomely early (for us at any rate) to the sound of the alarm. Alarms and travels don't really go well together, but the train to Genova (local spelling) left at 7:21am and we didn't want to miss it. Very disconcerting that it takes only seconds to do our long and hot walk between each of the little Cinque Terre stations. The train ride was easy, as train rides are. No need to listen to the GPS prattling on about speed limits and the need to prepare to turn left in 450 metres.

A lot of tunnels, then onto more open coast. Mile on mile of beaches, many with private areas complete with little bathing cabins, but the bulk just had Italian families sunning themselves. Clearly still very much holiday season, though we suspect this may be the last day of holidays. A number of shops have had "closed for August" signs in them, and we wonder if Monday will also see the schools back.

Coming closer to Genova, we started seeing a number of trompe l'oeil decorated houses, with fake pediments, stones and other features. Some are really very good, and make an ordinary building into a far nicer one for us train passengers.

Arrived into Genova Brignole station around 9:30, then headed off by means of GPS, map and hopeful sense-of-direction to our first stop – Villa Croce. This is an art gallery specialising in modern Italian graphic works from the 30s onwards, and something I was really keen to see. The Italians of the 30s were pretty special, and a favourite of one of my architecture lecturers, one Vince Terrini. However it was not to be. The general collection was only open Tues-Sat, and even then most of it by request. Something the guide books omitted to let us know.

So, rather disappointed, we headed back towards the port area, which was totally done up in the mid-90s by the architect Renzo Piano. Stopped for a coffee on the way. Not one of the better ones. Coffee is quite different here to NZ. The beans and roast make it a lot more dry than at home, nowhere near as rich. It works OK in a cappuccino (a "capuch" as they say) but not so good in an espresso (a caffe). Genova was clearly a prosperous city. Streets are wide, the buildings heavily-decorated, and lots of nice trees. Reminded us a little of Melbourne, about which all these are true.

Down to the port where there were all sorts if interesting sculptures and structures, including an excellent aquarium. A huge crane-like structure holding up shade sails, and lifting up an amazing spinning viewing cylinder. We had picked up a few brochures, and talked to the info people, and found the rates for the different things reduce if you wave other tickets at them. So headed to the Palazzo Ducale to begin. An excellent exhibition on its last day, showing Polish theatre posters. Fascinating viewing, and would have loved to spend hours there, but we were well aware of how much there is in Genova, and our limited time. Managed to see in a few palazzo rooms to marvel at the decorations, in particular some immense chandeliers, but the exhibition used, and therefore hid, many rooms. Finished with a trip up into the tower, where they kept people prisoner for political and other reasons. Some gorgeous graffiti dating back to sailing ship days.

By now siesta time and the duomo was closed up, so bought some pizza slices for lunch. You just buy it by weight, in a range of flavours, and it is quickly re-crisped up for you if you want. Back to the port, where our Ducale ticket gave us a worthwhile reduction to the aquarium, though still pricey at 16€. Started our visit with an average 3D movie about sharks, leaving us less than impressed. Then onto the start of the displays. It is built inside an old freighter ship. Again, not too impressed, but the displays just kept going, and going, and going. A good range, from local to tropical, dolphins, penguins and more.

Paid an extra 2€ for a walk-in hummingbird forest, turned out to be a bit of a con. Three largish and noisy birds only. However the displays just kept going after, including a touch-pool of skates. By the end of an hour and a half, we felt well replete. The many tropical tanks at the end were our highlights, as usual.

Back to the duomo to see inside. Being a Sunday today, many churches had services on. Quite sad to see them so empty. One lovely old one at the port was quite New Age with guitars and a kumbaya-like song. The duomo was lush and fancy as you would expect. The stained glass was particularly nice.

Off again to see the palazzi in Via Garibaldi. This area was filled with the elite of the time, and there were 3 nice palazzi together to visit, on one ticket. Started with Palazzo Rosso, moved onto Palazzo Bianco then finished with Tersi. All have been turned into art museums rather than display what the palazzi were like, which was disappointing for us, but especially Karen who had been looking forward to seeing sumptuous rooms with their fittings, furniture and furnishings intact.

Instead we were treated to 30 variations of Italian renderings of John the Baptist having his head removed or carried about. There is a distinct style here, with all faces looking glum or anguished. Very little variation. I'm sure they were good painting, but more than a little monotonous. Broken by a few Rubens and Van Dykes, but they are still pretty grim. The one painting we did like was a Brueghel-like one of a Flemish village scene, painted with a little humour. There were a few rooms done up as they would have been, but not many. Climbed up onto the roof of Palazzo Ross for a great view over the city. Palazzo Tersi was a little more like a standard museum with displays of coinage and other things, but we knew we were running out of time to catch our chosen train back home, so yet again had to rush our visit.

Ended up with a bit of a rush through the streets to get back to our station for the 5:20pm. Back at 6:50 – must have had fewer stops. Thankfully the temperature in Genova was a whole lot cooler than here in Riomaggiore – late 20s rather than early to mid-30s – and it made for much more pleasant walking. All the same a long time on our feet and we were glad of a beer or two on our return. My cut 2^nd toe had been fine until the very end of the day, which was lucky.