Category: Italy

A Tribute To Genoa

On By mouseytongIn Food for Thought, Italy, MusingsLeave a comment

This video was sent to me in a WhatsApp group. I couldn’t help but tear up when I was listening to this. *Sniff*

Genoa is genuinely crippled by this disaster. The city is literally divided in 2. So many areas are closed and so many families have been evacuated and so many businesses affected. Even giants like IKEA are feeling the pinch in just 20 days from the collapse of the bridge. You can only imagine the damage to smaller businesses.

Some big companies had to layoff or rather suspend some personnel indefinitely as well some parts of their building is right underneath the bridge so it is not safe for them to work.

Now the city is also at almost a standstill especially during peak hours as traffic that usually passes by the city via the highway has now got to go through the city and back onto the highway. Good thing is that highway is free for now. Even the Telco companies are waiving this month’s bill in solidarity to businesses within the vicinity of the bridge. Our business is one of them.

Some places are so dead…it is disconcerting and sad.

I hope we bounce back soon. I hope that the displaced families will have everything sorted before winter comes.

I ❤️ Genoa!!

Life In Photos – Day 43

On By mouseytongIn Italy, Life in Photos, Mousey's TravelLeave a comment

Cascata delle Marmore – Marmore falls

Cascata delle Marmore
Cascata delle Marmore

This photo was taken from the outside. It was on a whim that we stopped by this waterfall last year in August. We were on our way back from the south after a summer holiday with my parents, aunt and parents in law. Got the idea for this whim from a friend of mine who visited it just a few days before for his summer holidays. Since we wanted to break our long journey back from the south, on my insistence we search and found an amazing B&B in Arrone which was only 5 km away from this beautiful sight. However, when we got there, there was this HUGE line for the tickets to enter that we decided we will do this possibly another time. My MIL was already fretting as we had an eventful morning before this and to wait inline for a few hours with a 6 month old and all the older folks was not a good idea. So we drove out of the parking lot and further up ahead on the road that led to the highway and stopped to take this photo. you could feel the spray of the fall this far out!! It was quite a sight! I definitely recommend that you visit this place if you have a chance. From what I heard from my friend as well, it is definitely worth it. Hopefully we will get round to visiting this place again when we are more prepared. Like possibly getting the tickets online. oh wait! They don’t have online ticketing.. dang it! Oh well, be ready to brave the queue.

This waterfall is located in Terni I think. you can get more info on it here. Some of the translation is not the best but you can get the general idea. Have fun!

Hotel Sagittario Padua

On By mouseytongIn Accomodations, Italy, Mousey's TravelLeave a comment

I realised while looking through my photos, that I have been staying in a lot of hotels. A job hazard. But we do find some gems now and then. Last year, about a week to 10 days after my stay at VIE Hotel, we were again in Padua for the Antique Motor show. This time, we chose to stay at Hotel Sagittario which basically means Sagittarius Hotel. Though quite an adventure to get to it but with a proper navigation tool you shouldn’t have any problems. It might not seem right as you drive but do not be disheartened. It is located off the beaten path.

It has ample breakfast selection. By ample I mean not just continental breakfast. This time because it is for work, I woke up early to partake in the most important meal of the day. 🙂 Besides their breakfast, there is a little restaurant in the same compound. Though not part of the hotel, there is a special collaboration that the hotel has with the restaurant. Book via the hotel and they will give you a card to pass on to the restaurant. With that, we not only have a special rate but also the option to sign the bill to the room and pay when we check out. Though we didn’t use this option but I am sure, it will be appreciated by others. And the restaurant had great food and exceptional service.

The room was very comfortable and it had everything. Didn’t use their wifi or LAN internet service as we were in Italy and I had my own internet connection via my telephone service provider, so I can’t provide you with that info. But click on their site link and you questions will be answered. I booked this hotel via booking.com another favourite site of mine. The rates for this hotel was reasonable for 6 days 5 nights.

The room was clean, cosy and chic. I like the little touches that though simple, made the room feel adequately designer chic for me. The service was excellent and the front desk staff remembered our names and greeted us each time. This alone makes it stand out from the rest! 🙂 Definitely recommended. IMG_1966

love the sink. Though space is lacking to put anything
love the sink. Though space is lacking to put anything
simple and functional
simple and functional

IMG_1969 IMG_1970

our cupboard and fridge
our cupboard and fridge
the sofa in the cupboard
the sofa in the cupboard

Life in Photos – Day 32

On By mouseytongIn Italy, Life in Photos, Mousey's Travel2 Comments
Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta
Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta

So, late last year some time in end of November, a friend came to visit as he was based in Europe for a few months and wants to make the most of his tenure here in Europe. I became his tour guide. It was short days but he was not adverse to walking so we walked the historic centre. Took him on a bit of a mini gastronomic adventure. The to die for fresh whipped cream cones and with coffee, the chickpea delicacy known as farinata, and fried seafood at a historical hole in the wall place. Didn’t take him to eat the best (according to me) foccacia in town but I think we got him some foccacia formaggio which is a Ligurian speciality. More specifically a Recco speciality. Anyway, enough about food. While we were walking around town, I took him up another way, past a bridge that I myself have never walked before. Past it but never crossed it. I could have in my early days here but not since then as I don’t remember it at all! As we crossed the bridge I saw this in front of me. Besides the St. Lawrence Church in the historic centre, this is another important church.

I was told that this was one of the highest point in Genoa in ancient times besides the lighthouse. The sailors would look out for dome of this church and the lighthouse to tell them that they are now in Genoa. There are of course other higher 20th century buildings that surround it now but from a higher vantage point from the back of Genoa you can see how in those days it was one of the most easily recognisable building in town. You can read more about this church from wikipedia here in English and in Italian. Though I think the Italian site has more information. While researching for links for this photo I found also a Wikipedia page on the area of Carignano, (it is only in Italian) where this church is situated. I found out that it was built to link the city to Sarzano in the 1700s. It was later fitted with grilled fencing as it was a popular suicide point. I found this point amusing. I mean it must have been quite sensational news back then for the Wikipedia author to mention it. 😛

I have never been inside his church but someday I will. maybe when I am tour guide again for my friends. 🙂

Snow!

On By mouseytongIn Italy, Misc..., Mousey's Travel, MusingsLeave a comment

Supposedly the worst snow we have had in the last 30 years. It was announced just yesterday that it will snow really hard today. It is predicted to be so bad, schools are actually closed today. It was just mild throughout the night and this morning but now at around 4pm earlier it started to come down hard. Everyone is now trying to make their way home now. Genoa is a hilly and curvy city. We are part of the Riviera so technically we enjoy temperate weather. It snows maybe max 1 week altogether in any given year. Sometimes even less. This winter I think we saw about by now 4 days? or is it 3? If you follow me on Instagram you would have seen my horrible attempt at a mini snow angel for my sis which ended up looking more like a bell than an angel. 😛

Please excuse the shaky video and not so good commentary. I heard from the cousin as she was leaving the office that it is sowing heavily and that she is leaving now to get home. I jumped up, got my camera and started filming. Didn’t know what I was going to do about it. I just thought that this might be a good post. See, how hardworking…. >_< Can’t blame the cousin for getting off early. She lives a little further away and to get to her place, the roads are curvier and a lot more steep and narrower than mine. Those who have been to my place will know, that is quite bad. At any one time, only a car can be going either up or down. The other has to find a hole to squeeze in and let the other pass. Worst when there is a bus.

M just went to get the quad bike for tonight. Guess what is our mode of transport today? The little big kid is having fun whenever it snows. 😀 Can’t use our vespas as they are a tad unstable in all this snow and steep curvy roads. Especially with slush and ice. On flat roads, it is fine if we go slow but here in Genoa…..well, dangerous. Where my inlaws stay it is worse. Snow is fine but when it melts and becomes ice there is no way you can get home. My BIL innovative way of getting home is a cardboard box sliding down the road and then on all fours crawl his way back a few metres up to the door. Welcome to Genoa!

So far I am enjoying the snow from the comfort of my office, in front of my desk at work. Ok, technically not working now as I am sneaking in a blog post. This is how I am braving the snow. Now back to work.

Was going to post about CNY but maybe the next post.

Viva Barcelona!

On By mouseytongIn Italy, Misc..., Mousey's Travel, SpainLeave a comment

image

Presently cruising over the clouds and in 15 mins we will be either making our descent into Barcelona or we will be landing. No worries, I am only writing this on my Note while it is on flight mode so no danger there. Will post once we land or when I get internet access.

Everytime I see beautiful clouds, I think of my sister. Today while cruising I saw this.

This is my last leg of the journey. Took me 7 hours just to get here. Couldn’t get a direct flight from Genoa so I flew via Rome. Cheapest was Alitalia. No choice. I chose instead to have a loooong transit so that my luggage will arrive. Never had much luck with neither Alitalia nor Rome airport. @_@

Lets see if my luggage arrives. *fingers crossed*

Update:
This post was written yesterday and I couldn’t finish writing it then as you can read from above, we were landing soon. Then it was waiting for my luggage, getting a taxi and going to hotel. Checking in. Straight for dinner with my client and back to unpack, shower and get ready for today.

Also, I finally got a local line with some internet access. I am trying to finish this entry but it is not working out too well. I am on site for work. Consistently distracted. 😦

I will try again tonight.

Ciao!

Life in Photos – Day 29

On By mouseytongIn Italy, Life in Photos, StationeryLeave a comment

image

Found this old calculator in a restaurant. Was very impressed with it. Stood there staring and staring, trying to figure out how it works. The best part was, when I posted this on my Facebook page, my Uni professor commented that he used this before!!! I was so excited. Of course I had to ask him how it worked. It seems that you key in the number you want multiplied then crank the lever how ever many times you wanted to multipy it by. So, I think it is just for multiplications. He couldn’t remember any more how to use it besides for multiplication. I had to be contented with that info. But it was really exciting and interesting for me!!! Ah…..I love history!

P/s : Just found out that this was my 100th post!! wohoo!!!