Genoa

On Friday, July 17, we took a scenic train ride through the French countryside to Genoa, Italy. Getting to see the interior of France was great, especially as we went through the hill country, where I could just imagine all the Neandertals that had probably lived in the little rock shelters dotting the landscape. I also got a big kick out of seeing the farmlands covered in nothing but white Charolais cattle. My grandfather and uncle have been Charolais ranchers in Texas for decades, but in America the breed is still relatively rare (but becoming increasingly popular due to their superior quality). Melanie and Joe Horst (our friends from Wiesbaden, Germany) arrived in Genoa the same night we did to spend a few days of their vacation with us in Italy. Genoa is an interesting town, unlike most of the major tourist cities in Italy, Genoa is clearly “working-class”, serving as one of the most important Italian ports.



Even though Genoa is not really a tourist town, there was still plenty of things to see there. We climbed Genoa’s famous lighthouse which was close to our hotel, we walked through the “old town” and found Christopher Columbus’ house (actually a replica since Napoleon blew up the original), saw several beautiful cathedrals, basilicas and palaces, we ate great Italian food on the harbor, and visited the marina after sunset.