| Having been very close for a long time we finally planned a weekend in Genoa. Our trip coincided with the celebrations which commemorate the liberation of Italy at the end of the second world war. The patron saint of Genoa is St George, and we reckon that those hats and shorts could be a big success in England as well.
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| It was also celebrated in a less traditional way.
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| The harbour area of Genoa was radically renovated by Renzo Piano (famous local architect) and it has become a pleasant, modern, car-free complex including the acquarium, spherical greenhouse and rotating lift.
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| Genoa is famous for focaccia and pesto. We immediately endeavoured to try both at once and discovered it was rightly famous. The pesto is like nothing known as pesto elsewhere in the world!
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| We paid a visit to the Villa Lomellino, which is usually closed to the public.
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| In the heart of the city, it features a very large rooftop garden...
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| ... which is on top of a road tunnel.
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| The royal palace (of the Savoy dynasty).
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| The cathedral of San Lorenzo.
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| Genoa is unique in my experience for having lifts as part of its public transport system! Part of the city is so steep that a small tunnel into the hillside and a little extension of the lift shaft provides a fast and convenient way to get up the hill...
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| ...and a beautiful view out over the city.
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| Our second day was rainy and we joined the masses to visit the highly acclaimed acquarium.
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| With dolphins, seals, sharks and penguins it is somewhere between "Animal Kingdom" and a standard acquarium.
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| A piranha hanging around.
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| A penguin contemplating a dip.
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| A giant turtle not doing very much really.
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| A fascinating element is the Humming Bird Forest - its more of a room than a forest, but you wander amonst the humming birds and can see their amazing flight up close.
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| Jelly fish.
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| The general public was an exhibit almost as amusing as the animals, as they jostled for position.
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| The dolphins stole the show.
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