Genoa, Italy

The first stop on my Med Cruise aboard the MSC Splendida was Genoa, Italy.  This was my first time really exploring Italy in thirty years and it's as wonderful as I remember.  When most people think of visiting Italy, they think of Rome or Venice.  But, I think Genoa is a hidden gem.  Very Italian in all of the best ways, but with not nearly as many tourists.  

It's the largest seaport in Italy and one of the largest cities on the Mediterranean Sea.  Called "La Superba" or the proud one, she has much to be proud of.  The city center was declared a Unesco site in 2006 and Genoa is the birthplace of Christopher Columbus.

We booked an excursion through the ship and spent the morning exploring the maze of squares and narrow alleys of the historical city center.   Matt and I typically do our own thing in the ports and avoid ship based excursions.  But, I really enjoyed this tour and it was a great way to see the old city center.  We were even the surprise guests at an Italian wedding.

The group was almost evenly split between English speaking and Italian, so at each stop the guide would let half the group take a look around while explaining everything in one language and then we would switch.  It was really very efficient.  The guide was very informative and the pace was perfect to really see the city and take a lot of photographs.

We ended the tour with a relaxing stop for some chilled white wine and Genoese style focaccia with onions.  We then had some free time before heading back to the ship for lunch.  In those few hours, I was completely taken with Genoa, Italy.

I'm sorry there are so many, but I just love looking back over these photographs.  It's just such a beautiful place.

Bye, Mom!  I'm off to the bar!

We sailed away as the sun was setting over this wonderful city

and I promised myself that I would return someday.

It's a charming combination of modern and ancient, scruffy and elegant, medieval and baroque, churches and cafes.  The perfect base to explore the Italian Riviera.  I didn't  know that much about this city before the cruise, but it was the highlight of the trip for me.  I can't wait to get back! 

Have you been to Genoa?  What did you think?

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  *I was a guest of MSC Cruises for a three night #MSCBlogCruise for the purposes of review.
All photos, writing and opinions are my own.
As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
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