Our first day. This is out the window of the hotel - Best Western City - in Genova.
A typical street in Genova.
Lunch in Genova. We're actually sitting in the street.
Umm... Don't remember which church this is... We'll figure it out and update this. Sorry.
This was at two in the morning in on the second night in Genova. Jet lag really kicked in for Kiki and she was up for about three hours in the middle of the night.
Kiki on the bed in the hotel in Genova. That same jet lag night, I think.
San Lorenzo Cathedral in Genoa. Notice the stripes on the pillars and arches, typical of Liguria, the state Genoa is located in.
Genova. Kiki in the Palazzo Bianco with a painting of St. Ursula. This museum was a former palace. The galleries all had these folding leather chairs and functional black and white spaces. Very cool.
Me and Kiki with Carravaggio's Ecce Homo. The subject is Pilate presenting Christ to the crowd.
Monica and Kiki in the second floor garden of the Palazzo Bianco. This garden connected the Palazzo Bianco with Palazzo Tursi (also a museum). The red building behind is Palazzo Rosso, another palace museum.
This is just one of many, many Italians in Genova who gave us great personal attention. We were looking at clothing of the Belle Epoch and she scooped up Amelia and gave a us a little tour of the exhibit.
The garden of the Palazzo Bianco from above. The street (via Garabaldi) is below - between the red building across the way and the garden.
Monica and Kiki on the crow's nest at the top of Palazzo Rosso.
At the top of Palazzo Rosso. We just went in to use the bathroom, but we ended up meeting a curator who took us to the top of the museum and pointed out all the monuments of Genova. The Teatro Carlo Felice, where Monica was working, is the largest pink cube shaped building just to the left of her head (the costume shop is on the very top floor). The baby fell asleep between the previous photo and this one.
This is Piazza del Ferrari, facing the Teatro Carlo Felice where Monica was working. The columns are the entrance, the theatre and its offices are in the tall pink building to the right.
Kiki on the train to Manarola, Cinque Terra.
Downtown Manarola. The sea is directly ahead just around the bend.
Manarola. Turning around 180 degrees from the last photo.
Uptown Manarola. Our hotel - Ca d'Andrean - is the bright yellow building in the lower left. Our room is to the left of the room with its blinds open.
Downtown Manarola.
We took two walks on our full day in Manarola. The first was on the "Via Dell' Amore" to the neighboring town of Riomaggiore.
Along the Via Dell'Amore.
Via Dell'Amore. You can see the path continuing on the cliff in the background.
The church in Riomaggiore.
In the church in Riomaggiore. It was rainy and cold for much of our trip so churches were a real sanctuary to us. The baby could run around in them without getting wet.
We tried to get to a nature preserve from Riomaggiore, but it was closed.
The second walk that day to the other neighboring village of Corniglia. A bit more adventurous hike.
To Corniglia.
I loved this thing. "Dumpy" is a powered, tracked wheelbarrow.
The only bit of unadulterated sun we saw on our whole trip. On the path back from Corniglia, about five miles out in the ocean. It was beautiful.
In the restaurant on our day in Manarola.
Next stop - Firenze.
Monica and Kiki in front of the Ponte Vecchio. The bridge is lined on both sides with shops. It was the only bridge left across the Arno in Florence after WWII.
Inside the Basilica di Santa Croce. This - and the other churches of Florence - are MASSIVE. The sculptural pieces along the wall are tombs. The one in the center right is Dante's.
Rossini's tomb in Santa Croce. For you opera lovers.
A chapel in Santa Croce. You can pick out me and Kiki.
The tomb of Vittorio Alfieri. She wears a city on her head.
Santa Croce. In front of Michelangelo's tomb. (We couldn't use camera flash in the church so excuse the blurriness.)
In the cloisters of Santa Croce.
Chillin' and relaxin'.
A garden/cloisters in Santa Croce. The church is behind Monica. There were easily a hundred people inside. When we got here we were alone except for the kids you see in the photo. It was a beautiful, stunning contrast.
The Uffizi, into which we did not go, from across the river.
The tower of Palazo Vecchio from the hotel window. Hotel La Scaletta, named because you have to walk up stairs to get to reception.
You trip over this kind of stuff in Florence.
In front of the Palazzo Vecchio with a copy of David.
From the rooftop terrace of the hotel. Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, Campanile, and Il Duomo are in the center. Palazzo Vecchio tower to the right.
A small bit of the front of Santa Maria del Fiore. Note the hundreds of people. This was not even the "high season."
A young archeologist at work in the Roman ruins under the Duomo.
Il Duomo
Campanile (Bell Tower)
The weather was not often on our side on this trip. Here in the Piazza del Carmine it rains on us as the sun shines. Still beautiful though.
Palazzo Pitti from the hotel terrace. One of the Palaces owned by the Medici. The Boboli Gardens are behind. The story goes that the palace was bought for the wife of Cosimo d' Medici because she got tired of living in the Palazzo Vecchio (w/ the big tower across the river) She started refurbishing it to move into but died before she could finish it all.
The Palazzo Pitti. It actually looks bigger than this in real life.
In front of Palazzo Pitti. We were waiting for some friends for tea and a play date.
Monica's friend, costume designer Elena Puliti, with her grandson Edouardo (is that how it's spelled?), and Kiki. At Elena's daughter's home for tea.
At tea.
Elena and her grandson.
At the hotel La Scaletta.
Hotel La Scaletta.
Florence. The sculpture museum at Palazzo del Bargello. Kiki loved to say "lion" and "rau rau!"
Sculpture of the mythical Jason (Giasone) with the golden fleece. I've picked up some thing better.
Courtyard of the Museo del Bargello. Note the rain.
Florence. Kiki in the Basilica di Santo Spirito.
Our last night in Italy. The view from the window of our hotel. Hotel Bellevue. The monumental statue of Christopher Columbus (Genoa's favorite son) faces away from us on the left. The facade of the train station is on the right.
We walked down to this pier to look at the yachts. It was popular with joggers because it's flat, long, and uncrowded.
Ciao, Italia!
