Genova/ Genoa | Italy | June'14

Genoa was actually a second city we visited that day with my friend. The first one was a small beach Mediterranean town - Sestri Levante, - about which I don't have much to say; it seemed to be the perfect place to do nothing, look at the sea, eat focaccia and, judging from the atmosphere, probably, write poetry. 

So after spending half of the day in the same fashion (no poetry written, though), we moved to Genoa by a train, which represented Italian railway at its bests, covering 50 kilometers between two towns in an hour. 

Genoa felt so different, however, that it could just the same be 10 times the distance between relaxing Sestri Leavante and rushing, concentrated, messy Genoa. The city, just as the cliffs it's built on, seemed dangerous, sharp and complicated.

The weather was getting stormy; we had three hours to the train and spent them looking for la Lanterna - oh-so-famous, iconic lighthouse of Genoa. It looked quite close on google maps, but we lost our way at least twice on the way, got stuck on a sidewalk of motorway (well why not) and found Lanterna closed when we finally fought the rapid ascent which lead there. 

Being tired, a bit angry and a little bit rebellious, we climbed the fence which barrier staircase to the small yard behind Lanterna where the spotlight where installed. Our rebellious mood was rewarded by the terrible wind up there and an astonishing view - of the sea in front of us and harbor behind. I'm not even mentioning how beautiful the sea is, but the port, overloaded with containers, shipyards, stretching all over the eyesight, was somehow beautiful in its geometry. It felt wrong, though - occupying so much of the harbor that you could hardly see where it ends.

On our way back we were reading these information plates all along the road. It was a bit of a history of the city and a bit - of la Lanterna itself, but was stroke me was a random piece of information about Genoa. The harbor, being the huge commercial and passenger port, has taken the place of the sea, and separated the city from what gave it birth in the first place. 

It was becoming really cold now, and the wind was pushing us down the street. We spent some quality time trying to find a train station, went through a couple of particularly weird downtown streets and took the train a minute before departure.

My camera and phone had already died; we finished the food, and, being exhausted, were looking into the window. I was thinking about these words I read - how Genoa is the city, which almost lost its sea, and it was somehow disturbing and beautiful.

And not being sure if I want to come back, I will check the opening hours of La Lanterna all the same.

Here is to Genoa: the bright, difficult, struggling city on the Mediterranean cost, which almost let go what it breaths with.