Unforgettable Moments from Luni to Genoa

Hello my friends. Last month we visited the city of Genoa. On the way there, we made a short stop at the archaeological park and museum in Luni, near La Spezia. My nephews and my sister were with me on this trip. We got on the highway but couldn’t see anything as the weather was completely foggy. We passed in front of the San Giovanni Battista Church, an extraordinary example of 20th century architecture. This is the famous highway church on the road to Florence, dedicated to John the Baptist, the patron saint of Florence.

After passing through Pistoia, the weather cleared. The sky was now bright and beautiful. By the way, Pistoia is a very charming town and I’d like to write a post about it sometime. Then we arrived in Carrara, famous for its black marble quarries. It’s like the little marble capital of Italy. Marble is everywhere here: being extracted, processed and sold.

And then we reached our destination, the archaeological park of Luni. It’s the site of an ancient Roman city. Its name comes from the moon goddess Luna and it was founded in the 2nd century BC. What interested me most was that, like many other Roman cities, it was built according to a standard plan. In Florence, it’s quite difficult to see Roman ruins without a guide. But here, in a wide open park, everything is easy to see.

Because marble is so abundant in the park, it was used even for paving the streets, not just in houses.

As we were walking to the amphitheater, a man stopped us and offered us a bunch of pastries from a bakery. He said "this is my treat". What a lovely gesture. We ate some of them right away. That’s one reason I love the countryside. After this sweet moment, we skipped lunch and continued our journey from Luni to Genoa.

The road was quite winding and filled with bridges and tunnels. To have fun, we sang songs by our favorite bands with the kids. And finally we arrived in Genoa. We left the highway.

Our first plan was to visit the Maritime Museum, but due to an event in the city center, it was impossible to find a parking spot. So we switched to Plan B. We went to the hotel, left the car there and took public transport to the harbor area, which is more fun for the kids.

My own plan was to at least see the cathedral. The hotel gave us a two-room suite with a small kitchen. The room was spacious, bright and clean. It was very good for a three-star hotel. The bathroom was large too. The windows faced a fairly big street. The hotel’s location was central and the weekend parking fees were quite affordable. Five euros on Saturday and free on Sunday.

We grabbed a quick drink and headed out for a city tour. It was tough to reach the main square, but we finally made it. We wandered around the inner courtyard of the Doge’s Palace, but we were so hungry. We took a short break for a meal. We hadn’t yet made it to the cathedral. When you travel with kids, plans often shift. But in the end, we reached the cathedral, dedicated to Saint Lawrence.

Then we returned to the hotel to change because dinner was waiting. We had a reservation since most restaurants were full. We finally got a table on our third try. Our dinner table was filled with seafood. There were paccheri with octopus, scallops, tomato soup with mussels, trisses with anchovies. Each dish had a different flavor. My nephew’s meal also had octopus. His plate had small squids and fish roe. I chose a traditional Genoese dish cooked with steamed vegetables. There was a big sea crab on top. The presentation was as beautiful as the flavors.

The next morning greeted us with rain and fresh air. It was also my nephew’s birthday. He’s now seven years old. The streets were empty. Almost no one was outside. Except for a few people walking their dogs, everyone was home. The view from the hotel was beautiful. The balconies across from us looked amazing from below, but from above we mostly saw buckets and mops. It was a fun little detail. If there hadn’t been construction nearby, the square would have looked much more charming. The façade of our hotel was also quite impressive.

We were a little sad to leave the hotel, but a new adventure was waiting for us: the Aquarium. We left early in the morning, feeling hopeful. We thought it might be easier to park the car, but everyone advised us to use public transportation. In the end, we decided to take the metro.

There’s only one metro line in Genoa. It was raining and we didn’t want the kids to get too tired, so we chose the metro thinking about the return trip. It was also fun for the boys because they had never been on a metro before. There’s no metro in Florence, only trams.

We ran toward the metro station. Everything around was so decorative. Every detail was worth a closer look. We’re planning to come back one day and take a guided tour. This city, with its narrow streets and architecture, is special. The metro was very clean and very quiet. We reached the harbor area. It was still drizzling. The crowd had grown, but we already had our tickets, so we didn’t have to wait in line. It wasn’t just an aquarium. It was also like a fun and market area. Taking the metro was a smart choice.

Exploring the aquarium wasn’t easy. It was very crowded and we struggled a bit because of the noise, the heat and the long lines. But even so, it was worth it. We had a very special moment. Our tickets were checked and we entered the aquarium at the exact minute and hour my nephew was born. That became his birthday gift.

The weather was cool and pleasant when we came out. The kids were still full of energy. My nephew wore his birthday badge proudly. After leaving the aquarium, he picked out a crocodile toy. There were even real crocodiles and snakes inside.

Our adventurous day left us hungry again. So we stopped at a café and had a light snack and a light lunch. Then we hit the road toward Florence.

I guess now it’s time to say goodbye.
I hope you enjoyed my post and found it interesting.

Wishing you all a lovely morning, day, evening, weekend or work week.
Take care and see you soon.