Crossroads Tour: Genova, Genoa, Italy

My original travel journals were split across August Phoenix Hats and a few other websites. February 2021 marks the 12th anniversary of the beginning of my travels. To celebrate, I’m reissuing my journals as Director’s Cuts, with the complete text as well as larger and additional photos. My Crossroads Tour series details my travels to Florence (and a few other cities) and Istanbul in May 2011.

I find a guidebook across the street in the Piazza de Ducale Genova and study it over a cup of caffe ginseng at the Arte dell Caffee. But there’s no useful information, not even a map. I ask the baristo, who points me in the general direction of the Lanterna.

On my way out, I note the numbering sequence on the street. Starting at 9, then 7, 17, 15, 5 (the Green Door to the Ducale B&B), then a door with no number, and another with no number, and another 7. I was looking for 5/10 and should have just read the labels on the doorbells. It seems to be the identifier for B&B’s in this part of Italy. Fellow travelers take heed.

It’s a pleasant walk to the waterfront, past a boat in drydock that’s being pressure washed, past the aquarium, and the Neptune, a replica of a 17th century galleon that was used in Roman Polanski’s ‘Pirate’ film. An open air tour bus is idling in front of the maritime office. The driver speaks enough English to direct me up the street towards the Lanterna. I said “I’ll be back for a tour,” to which he responded, “wait until after 1 PM because there is a labor strike today.” ‘”Fun for you” I said, and he laughed. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).