Italy (2026)

Overnight stops (in date order): Genoa (x28); Borghetto sul Mincio (x2); Venice (x3)

The ferry from Tangier

took on more passengers at Barcelona

on the 60-hour crossing to Genoa.

Anticipating a long stay, because of a delay in getting my (Paul’s) driving licence renewed, we parked the truck up

and settled into an apartment

with a great view over the town

and a 10-minute stroll to a city beach.

Genoa had enough attractions to keep us occupied for a month of so.

It is first and foremost a maritime city.

Its port and docks still bustle;

and partly explain why so many guide-books use ‘gritty’ as an epithet for Genoa.

The City’s twin symbols are the Cross of St George and ‘La Lanterna’ – one of the world’s oldest lighthouses.

The marina has a view of the distant snow-capped alps;

when it is not obscured by wildfires on the nearby hills.

The historic centre

encompasses grand civic buildings

churches and the cathedral,

the Banco di San Giorgio (one of the word’s first banks – founded in 1407)

the ‘palazzi’ of the wealthy from Genova’s hey-day as a maritime, trading and banking powerhouse from the 15^th to the 18^th Century

and the ‘Carrugi’ – a warren of narrow alleyways

leading down to the Porto Antico.

Forts

and 20km of walls

are strung along the hills and ridges behind the city.  The walking trails that link these have great views

and a little wildlife.

In keeping with its topography, Genoa’s transport system is vertical as well as horizontal.  For the same €2 ticket, that gives you 110 minutes of unfettered access to buses, urban trains and metro, you can access harder-to-reach places by funicular,

cog railway,

public lifts

and even a ‘funicular elevator’, – the Castello d’Albertis-Montegalletto Elevator – that runs horizontally for 300 metres before switching to lift-mode for a 70-metre vertical ascent.

Genoa’s two most famous sons are Christopher Columbus,

whose childhood home

has been recreated as a museum,

and Niccolò Paganini,

whose favourite violin – ‘Il Cannone’ – is on display at the Palazzo Doria Tursi.

Genoa’s other museums have their share of treasures;

including the second Caravaggio of the trip so far.

The Cinque Terre hiking trail

starts 90km by train down the rugged Ligurian coast.

The rollercoaster of a walk links Monterosso

with the other picturesque seaside towns that comprise the Cinque Terre – Vernazza

Corniglia,

Manarola

and Riomaggiore.

After a happy month, during which we celebrated our wedding anniversary

– licence sorted and truck serviced –

we finally left Genoa; heading east.

At our first stop, we joined the German travellers, and their luxury motorhomes,

at the picturesque and historical town of Borghetto sul Mincio;

famous for its garden.

This gives an opportunity to thank two friends, also named Paul, for their own garden photos – Paul Turner for his picture of our own front garden in bloom

and Paul Larsmon for his painting of his wife – ‘Sudoku in the Garden’.  This was a wedding anniversary present to Sharon – though he tells me he is open to offers!

 

We had a brief view of Lake Garda from the truck window

as we travelled to spend our last three days in Italy just north of Venice; allowing us to join the tourist hordes in La Serenissima.

We took breakfast at the Caffè Florian,

visited the Basilica di San Marco,

located the residence of Marco Polo

and spent a few hours at La Biennale.

We left Italy the next day.

Danielle’s reflections on Italy in the medium she enjoys most:

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Harmony