Genova. I've never been before, so when a day trip with the family was suggested, I was without hesitation. The drive was so scenic with snow capped mountain looming on one side, and sparkling mediterranean on the other side. The city is set on mountainous terrain that sweeps into a large port, but its the old buildings wrapped in modern highways that is the bizarre sight to my eyes. I have done my fair share of exploring the globe, and new sites are always going to be fascinating, but when you have no pictures in your memory bank to compare new places, the feeling is aliveness.
The aquarium, the point of the trip, is the largest in Europe - I have to highlight that it is barely half the size of the modest Melbourne aquarium. 2 bored dolphins, a few small sharks and seals, and a range of tropical fish made up the inhabitants. Its nice to see the emphasis on the environment, because elsewhere in Italy it barely exists - but the largest in Europe was hard to believe.
Docked port side of the Aquarium was The restored ship of Christopher Columbus. It is a spectacular sight to behold - almost comical surrounded by million dollar yachts, and the giant glass sphere containing fauna and birdlife. With daylight savings over, the day was not nearly enough. I look forward to another visit
My family in Italy - Soliana, Julian, Marjo, Amanti, Endri, Gerji & Elias