Tag: Genoa

Life in Photos – Day 46

On By mouseytongIn Food for Thought, Life in Photos, Misc..., wonderings...Leave a comment

A few weeks back, after my class, as I was making my way to the parking lot to get my bike, I happened to glance at the sunset, something I don’t usually do as I am mostly rushing home, and I caught sight of the sun gently setting behind the lighthouse, the Lanterna, a symbol of Genoa.

In all my years here, I can truly say, I have never seen this sight my my own eyes. Of course I have seen the sun setting over the horizon out at sea, but never from this vantage point. Also because I don’t live at the historic centre, so to get this exact view point would be quite impossible for me. I had to act fast as I know the sun sets pretty fast and I had all my groceries hanging off both arms. I didn’t want to miss the chance to photograph it. So, with groceries hanging off both arms and zooming in to not take the steel grills fencing where I was, I tried to hold my phone steady and get the sharpest picture possible. Though still quite out of focus, I managed.

I posted a few weeks back on my Instagram, wondering how many more sunsets I would get to enjoy, I am glad I managed to get this one. I don’t usually get any sunrise photos. I am not much of a morning person, if I can help it. I am a night owl, I tend to stay up late and if I can, sleep in. Kids, have changed things a little but being busy with the morning school run routines, I don’t even realise the sun rising. Wake up when it is dark. Wake the kids up. Morning routine, breakfast and then off to school. By that time the sun would have risen and it is all bright and bustling.

Getting carried away. Back to the topic. Photo of the day, sunset behind the Laterna. The Genoese lighthouse harking back to its glorious seafaring past, where its navy was the domineering force in the Mediterranean sea.

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 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.

Life in Photos – Day 28

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

Porta Nuova (New Gate) and the Lanterna di Genova (Lighthouse of Genoa)

Genoa’s crowning glory, the lighthouse. The most famous lighthouse in the whole of Italy. The visitors info can be found here. Featured right in front is the Porta Nuova. The description found next to this wall is as follows :-

In 1815, the Congress of Vienna gave the most Serene Republic of Genoa to the King of Sardinia, Carlo Felice. In 1827, this King built a New Gate of the “Lanterna” in the place of the 17th century gate which was a few hundred metres further east. You can see the Sabaude Coat of Arms which crowns the gate. Originally this gate was situated at 90˙ angle with respect to these walls, it has been leaned against them to conserve it and to still be seen by visitors. This area, made into a park, was originally the road to Genoa from the west.

Life in Photos

On By mouseytongIn Italy, Life in PhotosLeave a comment

Window of a 300 year old church in Pra, Genova

I have decided to add another dimension to my blog. Besides just blogging, I want to post photos as I go about my days not just to my Twitter account which many of you are not my followers and to be able to post just photos without the need of a full length post about them. Just photos and let them speak for themselves.