We spent our first night in Italy in San Remo, a city on the Italian Riveria that was founded in Roman times, was expanded in the Middle Ages, and became a popular tourist resort in the 18th century. It seems that most tourists today spend their time on the waterfront, but for us the most interesting part of town was La Pigna, the atmospheric pedestrian-only medieval quarter filled with narrow, twisting alleys that steeply ascend to a hilltop garden and the 17th century Madonna della Costa Sanctuary. The kids frolicked in the playground next to the sanctuary until our stomachs called out for our first Italian meal. Initially, it didn't seem there was any commerce to speak of in the eerily quiet old quarter. But then we found a small restaurant, where it was pretty clear we would be the only diners for the evening. It was a memorable meal and a perfect example of how pasta should be cooked. Jeremy adored his meat ravioli with a passion usually reserved for Harry Potter books and Wii video games, and for the rest of our travels he lamented that no other restaurant in Italy (or Europe for that matter) could recreate the masterpiece. He also proceeded to devour half of Eden's meal, trofie (handmade squiggly little pastas) with pesto, and he even liked the wine (I assure you that it was a very small sip!). After just one meal, he had decided that he liked Italian cuisine better than its French counterpart.
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| Happy family after dinner |
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| Lion in Genova |
We woke up the next morning and headed to Genova (Genoa in English), a large port city that combines an impressive historic grandeur with some downright seediness. Almost immediately upon our arrival, our hotel owner had two pieces of advice: keep your wallet in your front pocket when walking around in the scruffy narrow alleys of the old town, and don't wander around too much at night. But it's precisely the stark contrasts of Genova's decayed glory that make the city so fascinating - with streetwalkers selling their services in a side alley in the middle of the day only a few blocks away from a beautifully preserved old palace.
Throughout Genova's long history, the city has been inhabited, occupied and/or sacked by Etruscans, Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, Ostrogoths (who apparently were related to the Visigoths by marriage), Byzantines, Lombards, Franks and Arab pirates, before becoming an independent city-state in the 11th century. The city grew into a naval and economic powerhouse that rivaled Venice, and its influence extended from Corsica to Crimea. After a period of decline and French occupation in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, the city experienced a revival as Genoese bankers played a major role in financing the Spanish crown's foreign endeavors. But the Spanish crown overextended itself and went bankrupt in the 17th century, ruining many of Genova's merchant houses and ending the city's Golden Age. (Sound familiar?) For today's visitor, there's an abundance of art and culture, as Genova boasts one of the largest historic centers in Europe. The only downside is that the modern parking meters charge an exorbitant 2.5 Euros per hour.
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| Having fun at the Leaning Tower of Pisa |
On our third day in Italy, we headed to Pisa, another Italian maritime power that at one time rivaled Genova and Venice. In the year 1284, however, Pisa suffered a stunning defeat at the hands of the Genovese navy, and it never fully recovered. Perhaps today Pisa can take comfort in the fact that it attracts far more tourists than Genova does. Most tourists head right to the Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles) and we were no exception. We all went into the Cathedral (or Duomo) and admired the mosaics, which show a strong Byzantine influence. We also went into the circular Baptistry, which reportedly is the largest in Italy. Jeremy and I then climbed to the top of the Campanile, which is famously known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa. (Unfortunately, children under eight are not allowed to climb up, so Eden and Talia did not make the expedition.) Sure it's a cliche, but it's a lot of fun and the kids had a great time. Talia was especially happy when we yelled and waved to her from the top of the tower.
The tower was built in three stages, across two centuries. Apparently, the design was flawed from the start. Work began in 1173, but the foundation was not deep enough and the soil was too unstable, so the tower started to tilt as soon as the builders got to the third floor in 1178. Construction was then halted for nearly a century, as Pisa got distracted by almost continual warfare with Genova, Lucca and Florence. This delay allowed the soil to settle, without which many believe the tower would have toppled over. Construction resumed around 1275, and to compensate for the tilt, the upper floors were built with one side taller than the other.
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| The Cathedral with the Leaning Tower in the background |
As a result of this unorthodox construction, the tower not only leans, but it is also curved. Cool! Construction was halted again due to war (remember the afore-mentioned defeat to Genova in 1284?), and the tower was not completed until 1372. In more recent times, major engineering efforts have taken place to stabilize the tower and for the first time in its history the tilt is no longer increasing. But of course the engineers were careful not to get rid of the tilt entirely, lest tourists lose interest in Pisa and turn their attention instead to the leaning half-size replica that was built in the 1930s in Niles, Illinois.
Well, I've been up the tower twice now (the first time was in 1987) and I probably won't venture up again in this lifetime. I didn't think my fear of open heights would be so bad - until I got to the top! Jeremy joked about sneezing and the tower falling down as a result, and I let out a nervous little laugh and told him it was time to go back down. See you on flat, solid ground.
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| More photos from San Remo |
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| Eden and Jeremy in an archway |
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| More photos from Genova |
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| Antique shop in old Genova |
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| You can eat a bunch of them if they're little, right? |
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| More photos from Pisa |
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| The Baptistry |
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