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Sunday, March 11, 2018

Flying into Genoa, Italy



On our last day in Calabria (you can read all those posts on my blog, under the Calabria label, we drove on the Autostrada  A2, or Autostrada Mediterraneo, over and around towns and the Aspromonte mountains to the Lamezia Terme International Airport, where we flew north to the Liguria Region of Italy to the city of Genoa.  This was not our first visit to Genoa, as my husband has aunts, uncles, and cousins that live there, but on this visit, we were able to experience the city for the longest period of time and feel like true Genovese!

(Please enlarge each of the following series of airplane window photos by clicking on them--that way more detail can be seen)


As our airplane approached the Genoa area I was mesmerized by the views from my window.  I could see very clearly the very blue Ligurian Sea, and all the boats moored in the small harbors and coves along the coast.


The Apennine Mountains border the eastern side of the city.


An even closer view of the mountains and shoreline



A view of the high-density city of Genoa. It is the sixth largest city in Italy by population, and one of its major economic centers.


As you can see when you click on this photo to enlarge it, most of the residential buildings in Genoa are larger apartment buildings. We stayed in an apartment near the soccer stadium, the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, which can be seen in the upper left near the Bisagno River.


Now a portion of the large Port of Genoa, which is the largest and busiest in Italy.


In the port, you can see passenger and container terminals, shipyards and other industrial and cargo industries, and marinas where sailboats and yachts are moored.


In the center of the view above you can see the Lighthouse of Genoa, also referred to as the Lanterna. At 249 feet (76m) it is the world's fifth tallest lighthouse and the third oldest lighthouse in the world.



We were so happy to see our relatives again, including two cousins from the island of Sardinia that were visiting. My husband's uncles are in their 90's, yet are active and robust.  We spent much of our time with them, enjoying their company in Genoa, but did take a few days to take trips to Lake Maggiore, Verona, Padua, and Bologna.


What were our first impressions of Genoa? It's a city of old and new standing side by side. A city where history seems alive. A city where the hustle and bustle of busy city streets that are filled with motorcycles galore meet grand tree-lined boulevards and grand villas and palazzos surrounded by gardens. Where ancient city wall remnants are surrounded by modern apartment buildings. A city of friendly people and delicious cuisine.


Genoa is the historic birthplace of the explorer Christopher Columbus, and this public park displays his three ships, the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, made with flowers. I was excited to see this again, after seeing it for the first time on a trip to Italy I made when I was a senior in high school. Old memories mingled with new on this trip.

I'll be showing the historic medieval part of Genoa in my next post, with the old fishing district neighborhood called the Boccadasse, both truly the most beautiful and interesting parts of the city.

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34 comments:

  1. A trip with so many wonderful memories. I loved seeing all your photos englarged for more detail, especially all the mopeds. It reminds me of all the bicycles in Amsterdam. I guess mopeds are much better than trying to drive a car through narrow, hilly streets.

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  2. What wonderful aerial photos you were able to get! It's always exciting to me to see where I'm visiting from the air! Thank ou and have a wonderful week!

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  3. Such amazing views from the plane, Genoa looks like a fascinating place to visit where the old and new live side by side quite comfortably. It must have been wonderful to be able to spend so much time with family on this trip and to revisit places you'd loved before.
    Happy Mosaic Monday.

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  4. ...things always look interesting from the air. Thanks for sharing these wonderful views.

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  5. Pat, Thanks for sharing your trip to Italy. Nice to see family! That port is amazing and the city built around the mountains. Sylvia D.

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  6. Your trip posts are so wonderful. It's especially nice that you were able to spend time with family. That can be hard enough here in the states, even a state or two away. But across the pond -- well, I'm sure those reunions were extra special. Genoa looks lovely too. You inspire me to investigate Italy more!

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  7. Genoa is such a mysterious name - did not realize Columbus was Italian! Love your areal views and makes me want to go and board an airplane! Wow, wow, wow you saw so many family members on this trip! Thank you for sharing the significance of your time there with All Seasons! Have a happy week, Pat!

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  8. I look forward to seeing all of your trip photos!
    Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2018/03/springtime-at-sarah-p-duke-gardens.html

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  9. How wonderful to have relatives of such great old age...you and your husband are both fortunate. And your photos are lovely, and now I get to make a much-postponed admission...some of my favourite travel views are from airplane windows, a point of view denied all the ground-dwellers! I enjoyed this post very, very much.
    Kay
    An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  10. We've all enjoyed your trip photos! What a memorable time you had! Glad we got to see so many of the photos and smile along with you! Hugs!

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  11. Oh my gosh that blue sea! And what a beautiful city -- it's wonderful to get to stay in a place long enough that it feels like home. You were so lucky! Enjoyed the family reunion pictures as well, what a good get together that must have been. (I hope I age half as well as your husband's family members.)

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  12. Those are great photos from the air. Amazing how much detail they show.

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  13. I am loving all of the photos you are sharing from your trip. I can only imagine that it was all wonderful.

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  14. Amazing views and a great place to visit! I am envious of your travels.

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  15. Those views from the plane are amazing.
    So nice to spend time with family on your trip.
    I've enjoyed seeing your photographs.

    All the best Jan

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  16. That looks like an attractive place. I live cities next to the mountains, and that one has a beautiful sea too!

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  17. My goodness Pat, your trip looks fabulous! I loved seeing the views from the air. You are right, enlarging them gives a much better view. I especially enjoyed seeing the Lighthouse of Genoa. Such a wonderful time to see all of your husband's relatives! ♥

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  18. I find these pictures totally fascinating. I will likely never travel to that part of the world, but I do enjoy seeing this.

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  19. Pat - so much about this is interesting. Somehow, the common color of the buildings makes the town look so neat and organized, especially from above.

    And yet, there is plenty of green, as proved by your picture of the Christopher Columbus memorial - neat!

    I continue to be amazed with the size of your (husband's) family - my mind immediately goes to the logistics of organizing your visit and letting everyone know your plans!

    I look forward to your next post!

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  20. Wow, the photos you took from the airplane are great! The weather was so clear and perfect for photos. I would like to see more of Northen Italy. I visited Milan once but it was for a short time. I want to see more of the places you visited!

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  21. I arrive in Genoa via a cruise ship and enjoyed exploring the city for a day.

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  22. great shots from the aircraft. I rarely succed whith them.

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  23. Lovely shots - such an idyllic place!

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  24. Genoa's location by that beautifully coloured sea, with the mountains behind, is stunning. You captured it perfectly from the air. Wonderful collage of family!

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  25. Great photos Pat, especially loved the panoramic ones from the plane. Genoa is a wonderful city, and so underrated as a tourist destination. Looking forward to your next post.

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  26. The aerial shots are so cool. You really get a sense of the area. That water is such a deep blue.

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  27. Looks beautiful. Only drove past this city but it looks like it is worth a visit.

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  28. Your photos from the plane are fabulous and scary for me--that looks like way more people than I would want to mingle with!! But I'm glad you are excited to be there :)

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  29. looks like you had a lovely time! We are going to be there at the end of June as we are getting on the ferry there to go to Sardinia.

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  30. How exciting for you. - Fantastic views from the plane.

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  31. Wow...you got great shots from the air. Haven't been to Genoa in years and will look forward to future posts.

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  32. Oh my and wow....what a trip and what great photos to share...Michelle

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  33. Wow, you got some great shots from the airplane! Quite impressive to see the harbors, boats, and even the lighthouse from the sky! And how wonderful to be able to visit with your husband's family there, and to also get to vacation and see the sights of Italy. Such an incredibly beautiful place to visit! You do a fantastic job of sharing the beauty with your readers :)

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