Morning in Genoa

We're still hanging around Liguria. Andrew's parents come tomorrow evening and we'll spend the following 3 days in Florence. Today we spent the morning in Genoa and then came home to luxuriate in our own individual states of stupor: reading, crossword puzzles, "Scandal" Season 3, and of course deep and serious napping.

Genoa is an impressive city: Impressively bedecked with ancient wealth, impressively riven with bustling pedestrian alleys, impressively grimy. Genoa does not care what you think about it. It is there for the long haul with or without your approval. The city's port district, however, is noticeably polished with bright, modern public spaces, a huge aquarium, and the trendy supermarket Eataly.

Eatlay packages a brazenly "American" experience -- a one-stop-shop for all groceries and related paraphernalia with endless shelves of selection -- but it seems to be catching on in Italy despite that fact. It's hard to see the entrenched array of traditional "-erias" (salumerias, panneterias, osterias...) being displaced by something like an Eataly, but Italians looking for convenience (you can even order food --sandwiches, fresh pizza and pasta -- to eat right in the store) may start to change their shopping habits.

We ate dinner back at the house (fresh, melt-in-your-mouth pumpkin ravioli with butter and sage) and then walked around the seaside town from 10 to 11pm. Everyone was out, eating outside in streetside bistros. The air was busy with live music (a duet of electric piano and a DJ spinning Pink Floyd), cigarette smoke, and perfume. We got gelato (violet, nutella, fig, vanilla) and walked the buzzing waterfront and the quiet plazas a few streets back.

Here are some pictures from the morning.