Europe – Day 6

Our last day of two in Genoa and today was a full day of seeing sights, eating, and just walking a lot.

The last 5 days we have average 14,000+ steps a day.

We got up at about 9, had a wonderful breakfast that was waiting at our door when we opened it.

This place is amazing.

We took a taxi up to the center of the Old City and got on a Hop-On Hop-Off bus.  There are two routes to the bus both an hour long.

On the first route, we did the entire route and then back to a stop where there way a lift to a high part of the city and it was a beautiful view and also a great gelato stand!!

Then we walked to the center and on the way found a women’s shop where Barb bought 3 neat jackets or light weight coats.

Since we planned to walk a lot, we took a taxi back to the apartment to drop off her purchases.

Then it was back to the city center for the other bus and imply walked around.

In the Old City with all of the winding streets the jaw-dropping part is all of the homes that were built in the 13^th to the 17^th century and they are still in use today!  Some of them are in the same ownership and others have been converted into city buildings and also apartments.  It is just amazing to walk around and see all of these building.

Tomorrow we board the MSC Seashore and we are sooo excited to cruise on this ship.  It is Italian and holds a lot of people, 5,000+ but we were fortuniate to upgreaded to their Yacht Club a very private ship within a ship with a suite.  There would be about 2,500 passenger cabins and 110 Yacht Club cabins, so this will be quite an experience.

Night from Genoa – Tomorrow the ship!!

                                         Our fantastic apartment at Maison D' Or, Genoa, Italy

                                           A typical street corner in the Old City of Genoa, Italy

                                                 Breakfast deliverd to our door in the morning

                                                    Ready to  go for the day and night

                                                            A quick lunch

                                  private yellow house on the right get into a chaffeured car!!

                                            Just a little snack in the middle of the day

                                                These were single family homes

                                                       Barb with a new coat

                                                   Dinner - fish on the left and capacio on the right

                                                                Where we ate dinner

                                                           Tasting wonderful!

                                                            One of many churches we visited

                                                A single family home 

                                      Another famous palace and the smaller building were or are

                                      single family homes!!

                                            These are or where family homes - jaw-dropping

 

Europe – Day 5

We first had breakfast at the hotel.  They  surprised us with a Happy Birthday display on a tabel all waiting for us when we arrived.  Nice touch and it was a wonderful hotel.

From our hotel in Zermatt, they took us by their little electric vehicle to the train station where we boarded the 8:15am train to Milian.

When we got to Milian we had 7 minutes to change trains to go to Genoa.

It was not easy but we make it.

After 2 hours we arrived in Genoa and took a taxi to our apartment, yes, our apartment.

We were met outside the building by the Manager who took us inside and rather than take the lift, we walked up to the next floor to the apartment.

Ed had surprised Barb with an apartment and it was beyond our expectations!

It has a livening room, a kitchen, a huge bathroom and then a separate large bedroom.

I will post the video of the room but not sure it will show how amazing the apartment is.

We then walked to the Old City where we were met with our guide for the next 2 hours.  He was driving a bicycle with a seat on the back for us.  Kind of like a bicycle rickshaw!

The Old City is amazing with buildings dating back many centuries.   From the days of wars with other countries, they built the city with very narrow, winding streets.  There were like our alleys covering a huge area.  The reason that they built the city that way was to divide and conquer countries that were trying to invade them.  The size of the Old City is .4 of a mile, with an amazing number of little streets, like our alley, filled with small restaurants, food stores and just normal places for the people who live there.

Most notably, the city's elaborate collection of over 150 palaces is a sight to see. Forty-two of these palaces became UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2006, and although most are privately owned, several of the glorious edifices are open to the public year-round.

Our driver gave us the name of a restaurant that we went to after it opened at 7:30pm.

It was the best meal we have had so far.   We started out with Anchovies and finished with a wonderful pasta dish.

It was a very small place with, of course, seating outside.    We had a wonderful meal and then wandered the street for a couple of hours.

When we got back to the room, they had left a small birthday cake which was delicious.

Tomorrow will be fun exploring Genoa.

Night from Genoa

                                                        Breakfast at the hotel in Zermatt

                                                Ed's Happy Birthday table at breakfast

                                                    Taking us to the train station

                                                    Our host at the hotel

                                                    The center point of the Old Town

                                                Our guide for a two hour tour

                                                  Inside a beautiful church

                                            This was someones home!!!

                                        It's 6:000pm - Beans and Grapes from the market

                                                             Dinner

                                            Ed's birthday cake left in the apartment