The Nomadic Times

A Day at the Coast

Ah, the carrugia of Genoa. I have to say that the Old City is a remarkable place. The streets are narrow and meandering, full of mystery and intrigue. But that is to be expected. What I didn’t expect was to take a noon wander down a winding lane, pass a few mouth-watering pastry shops, make a left into an alley, and be propositioned half a dozen times… always with a “ciao” and a kiss (to the air, that is). It seems that Genoa is still a sailors’ haunt at heart.

Beyond the gentrification, there lies not just a seedier element, but a living working-class city, where every alley has its share of laundry run out-to-dry, and dogs hunting out someone’s dinner from last night (partially digested or not). The Porto Antico was not a surprise. It has been totally packaged for tourists, even down to the 35 EU adult entry fee for the “Acquarium Village.”

On the other hand, I was more than happy to lay down 7.50 EU for a 40 minute harbor tour. Very magical to see the city unfold as we pulled away from port. The narrative was all in Italian, of course, but do I really need to know how much coal or petroleum is brought into Genoa’s port each year? It’s so obvious that it really is a working city, and the port is its lifeblood. The crane operators and dock workers are the strong arms and back of Genoa, the containers and bulk goods its sustenance. I always like taking strolls off the typical tourist path to see how people really live; seeing how they actually work, whether under the hot Mediterranean sun, or in the dank alleyways of the Old City, is just as eye-opening.