Genoa, Milan and Venice

Genoa
Driving in Genoa was a nightmare ~ confusing signage or lack of it together with drivers who have very little road courtesy, make visits very time/energy consuming (and us not speaking any Italian does not help either). All plans/maps etc go out the window. We looked for a place to park our car and then tried to locate a Tourism office to get a working map of the place. Asked a few people and they did not know where one was. Someone finally told us that we may get maps at the Train station, so we walked up there and yes, we found a city map and began our exploration.

Columbus Park

Arc-Piazza della Vittoria

Fountain on Viale E. Filiberto

Market

Building detail

Via XX Settembre

Tiles on sidewalk~Via XX Settembre

Piazza de Ferrari

Palazzo del Ducale

San Lorenzo Cathedral

House of Christopher Columbus

Sant Andrea Cloister

Porta Soprano

We got a hotel near Port Antico and walked to a Pizzeria to have dinner. After dinner we were walking back to the hotel something funny happened. We saw two “women” all dressed up and ready for business near a gas station and a car ready to pick them. There was also a guy filling gas in his car. Since this would be the first time we had to get gas for our car in Italy, Gene said “I have to watch how this is done”. I thought he was talking about watching the women, but he was genuinely talking about the car and getting gas.

Torre della Lanterna

Maritime station

Old sail ship - Port Antico

Bigo (crane) Port Antico

Outside the aquarium

Fountain East Genoa

Buildings from Port Antico

Fountain outside maritime station Port Antico

Street artist Port Antico

La Biosphera

Bridge in Genoa

Jeans billboard on way to Milan

Fields driving towards Milan

Fields driving towards Milan

Milan

Milan was another experience. One of the things we did was visit the Cathedral – it was totally awesome. We even got to go up and walk on the roof top! – from here you could see the view of the whole city. After that we walked thru the piazzas (squares) and shopping area and then started to head out of town. Another signage problem (or maybe it is just us!!!)… it took us an hour to find our way out to the freeway. Gene even had an accident - hit a car at an intersection while trying to figure out which way to go.

sculpture

Duomo

Piazza del Duomo

Duomo

Piazza del Duomo from top of cathedral

Galleria Vittorio Manuel II

Tiles on Floor~Galleria Vittoria Manuele II

View from top of cathedral

Piazza del Duomo

Church

Venice

Cold, wet rainy day. Parked our car and went to the St Roma Station and got onto a boat to go to San Marco. Walked around and saw some sights, We really wanted to take a gondola ride along the canal, but with all the rain, and rough seas, it seemed like no one would return to land after they got onto the gondola. Never seen so many umbrellas in one place!!

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Bridge near Port Roma

All goods go to Venice on a Boat

Bridge of sighs

Gondolas but no riders - too rainy and rough seas

Tired of walking around and drenched, we stopped at a Café near the Rialto bridge to get some coffee, the waiter who had a sense of humor, asked whether we would like to sit in the sun or shade, we opted to sit outside next to a heat lamp!!!

Life saver heat lamps


Photos may be a bit out of order and some un-named because our map of Venice melted away in the downpour. Even our tickets for the ferry which needed to be scanned were so soaked that the attendant just looked at us in horror when Gene handed her the almost tattered ticket.

Famous Rialto Bridge

From Venice to Innsbruck