Thursday, January 9, 2014

Genoa, Italy

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.

Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy
Bye, Mom!  I'm off to the bar!

Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy

We sailed away as the sun was setting over this wonderful city
and I promised myself that I would return someday.

Genoa, Italy


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?



TWITTER | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | SUBSCRIBE | BLOGLOVIN


  *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.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.



25 comments:

  1. Fantastic post! I love all the photographs, you have given a real sense of the place. I'm now adding Genoa to my travel wishlist :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gorgeous photos! They make me want to try a cruise for the first time... In Italy! I look forward to seeing more posts about your cruise!

    ReplyDelete
  3. So what you're telling me is that I must add this to our weekend getaway list??? :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful city! I loved Italy and am dying to go back!

    ReplyDelete
  5. These look so gorgeous *le sigh* we need to get back to Italy. Soon.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Me, too!!! Florence is high on the list. Venice is a definite but I'm thinking if I wait a few years, they might finally ban the cruise ships and start to limit the number of tourists. I love a cruise but hate to see a beautiful European city strained by too many people. That's no fun for anyone. 

    ReplyDelete
  7. It's a pretty special place. I went as a teenager and always dreamed of living in Italy some day. 

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks so much! I'm a big fan of cruising. I think everyone should try it. 

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks, Jessi! That makes me so happy :D

    ReplyDelete
  10. Beautiful, thanks for sharing. I would love to explore Italy and all the little off-the-beaten-path towns.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Lacy Colley YamaokaJanuary 9, 2014 at 3:21 PM

    great photos, ahhh the food in italy is more than a good excuse to return

    ReplyDelete
  12. So jealous that you get to go do stuff like this for your blog! I hope one day I can :D

    ReplyDelete
  13. We went a few years ago in late September / early October and Venice (tourist-wise) was pretty ok then.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Genoa looks like a beautiful place to visit, these photos are gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Looking forward for our cruise on MSC SPLENDIAin June.... if you haveany suggestio to give us about genoa, naples, barcelona... dont hesitate to laet me know.... from Montreal, anxious to meet France, Italy, tunisia and spain!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Lucky girl!!! You're going to have a fabulous time!! Genoa was my favorite and I'm posting about Barcelona later this week. Send me an email at selena_jones@me.com with any questions. I'm happy to help, if I can! Thanks so much for reading and commenting, Natacha. xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  17. It was my favorite. It had so much character and charm. I want to go back to Italy soon!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks, Ashley! I heart my camera!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I really need to get back to Italy! Any excuse is a good one. Thanks so much for reading and commenting, Lacy!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks so much, Leah! Italy is someplace I've always dreamed of exploring. I'm so glad that you commented. I've followed you on bloglovin & can't wait to read more!! xoxo

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for commenting. I love to hear from you!