My videos in Italy and Switzerland (September 2012)

Lugano (Switzerland)

                                         

Milan (Italy)

Acquario di Genova / Aquarium of Genoa (Italy)

Italy 4: Milan-Genoa (19-20 September 2012)

19th September (Wednesday)

Pics taken from the Hotel Calypso in Milan,
near Caiazzo Metro Station, one stop from Milano Centrale Railway Station

My room

On the balcony

It was raining again!

Luggage ready

Ok, back to my Milan trip. Here’s a picture of the printed ticket from Milan to Genoa

At the Milan Central Train Station. My last moments in Milan

Milano Centrale is a very pretty building

Looking for the train ticket. 

Remember to keep the ticket because it will be checked during the journey!

We ate at the train station

Train schedules. Milan is one of the hubs where so many journeys connect

Multiple photos during my waiting time

This is the biggest train station that I've ever seen

There's always a lot of people at this station

This station is enormous with majestic architecture and stone arches and alcoves

 If you have time, do go there earlier to take some pictures, eat at a restaurant or you can do last minute shopping as there are plenty of shops

Huge screen

My train

Jairo accompanied with me and helped me with the luggage. 

We went up the train early because

With Jairo before saying goodbye. He was always so kind and was nice to meet him  :-)

During the journey passing through Tortona. Tortona is a comune of Piemonte, in the Province of Alessandria. Sited on the right bank of the Scrivia between the plain of Marengo and the foothills of the Ligurian Apennines

Genoa

I went again at the same hotel: Hotel Vittoria in Via Balbi, 33

Big Italian flag

Photos taken in my hotel's room

With a Swiss cap that I bought in Lugano

Relax during my spare time

I went out the last night in Genoa with my friend Cristiano

We walked through the city

 Libreria Antiquaria Borgolungo

Palazzo Doria Tursi, Municipio di Genova (Municipality of Genoa)

Genoa's main square: Piazza de Ferrari

Next to the square are several historical palaces and buildings. 
This is The Ducal Palace. During the Republic of Genoa, here lived the Doge's

Nowadays the palace houses art exhibitions 

Situated in the heart of the city between the historical and the modern center, Piazza de Ferrari is renowned for its fountain, which was restored in recent years along with a major restyling of the square

The Opera House of Genoa. 

The 63 m tall addition, Torre Teatro Carlo Felice, was added in 1990

Banca Carige (acronym for "Cassa di Risparmio di Genova ed Imperia") is the largest bank in Liguria and one of the main banks in Italy. It was founded in 1483 in Genoa. The bank's main shareholder is the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Genova e Imperia

Genoa's promenade - CORSO ITALIA

We went to Corso Italia, the main promenade of Genoa, Italy. It's one of the main roads of the neighbourhood of Albaro, east of the city centre. About 2.5 kilometres long, the promenade connects the quartieri Foce and Boccadasse

This was a place I wanted to see in Genoa, but we couldn't during go by day because Cristiano was working. So this evening we took the bus (No 42 from Piazza Dante) and we arrived there

Virtually all beaches in Genoa and surroundings are made of cobbles, rocks and cliffs

Looking at the sea. It was nice to see the beach by night

Wonderful place, a very small fishing village,with houses painted in different colors in which we listened to the sea and we forgot all about the noisy and crowded city of Genoa

We walked along the beach promenade

Cristiano & me

A small beach where time stopped flowing

Best place in Genova for a romantic date! Incredible view, not to be missed!

Capo Marina - Beach Bau (Spiaggia Bau) A dog beach :-)

The Beach Bau is the only structure that in Genoa welcomes our four-legged friends. This is a beach equipped for dogs inside the bathhouse Bagni Capo Marina (Cape Marina) in the huge boulevard Corso Italia, providing many services that allow us to go to the beach with our dogs. With an area reserved for them and all the bosses. It's equipped with swimming bau, where dogs can swim and rehabilitation, umbrellas, pet beds, bowls, fresh water to wash them and lots of games and fun in the water of the sea!

Il Veliero Ristorante-Pizzeria located is ubicated here at Corso Italia, 7.  It overlooks the splendid sea alongside Corso Italia, opened every day of the year, it can host up to 300 people, spread over 3 different rooms, and it's the ideal place both for a banquet and a romantic dinner by candlelight

Walking along the mosaic pavement.
Rose of the Winds (rosa dei venti) drawn in Corso Italia

Beautiful building. There are several palaces and villas in Corso Italia

Bagni Roma Ristorante & Cocktail Bar in Corso Italia 7C

Football pitch in Corso Italia 7

The buses to Dante 1. Bus timetables

We were really hungry and went to dinner at a local restaurant

Wonderful cured ham pizza!

We both had pizza :-)

I didn't like much this (photo below)

After dinner walk around the area. At the end of Corso Italia by the Church of Sant’Antonio you will find the brick pathway that leads down to the small fishing village of Boccadasse (literally from local dialect "the donkey mouth") 

From a tourist point of view, Genoa (Genova, according to the Italian spelling) isn't an astonishing town when compared to other Italian cities like Venice, Rome or Florence. However, there are some places which definitely deserve a visit and the small neighborhood of Boccadasse is one of them <3

Charming little streets, old houses amd  paths paved in stone

Again in the city centre. Via Dante

Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking. One of the offices in Genoa

This is Palazzo della Meridiana, a 16th century historic residence, which was reopened to the public in the fall of 2010. Palazzo della Meridiana is one of the “Palazzi dei Rolli”, a system of 42 Genoese buildings that in 2006 became a Unesco World Heritage Site

A surprisingly elegant building in which different architectures and styles co-exist, frescoes and pictorial decorations of great value, a delightful outdoor area and a central position in the most visited part of the old city of Genoa. The building is one of the earliest and most significant pieces in evidence of the architectural restoration of Genoa

On the last evening in Genova I had a wonderful time with Cristiano. He invited me to dinner and we enjoyed walking along the promenade and visiting the old town... It's nice to visit this beautiful place and better if you have a good company...  :-)

20th September (Thursday)

For a great start to the day, nothing like a good free buffet breakfast 

Sweet and salty mixed

On the fifth floor my room

I loved going to The Old Harbour (Porto Antico), next to the Aquarium, because so an entertainment area with museums, cinemas, cafés and also a beautiful promenade along the sea... So I went back and this time I decided to visit the Aquarium by myself, cause my friend Cristiano was working

The Galleon Neptune, a pirate ship built for the Roman Polanski film Pirates in 1986 (with Walter Matthau), now moored here. This old Galleon is one of the attractions of the old harbour

Genoa’s waterfront, open and lively 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

The Old Port of Genoa Italy (Porto Antico) has been transformed into a busy tourist centre

“Rodi Jet” (Battellieri. Genova- Consorzio Liguria Via Mare)

This Port is a major Italian seaport on the Mediterranean sea and the busiest port of Italy

Entrance to the Aquarium

The Aquarium of Genoa (in Italian: Acquario di Genova) opened in 1992, is one of the largest aquariums in Europe

The aquarium includes 70 tanks containing a total of 6.000.000 liters (1.300.000 imp gal; 1.600.000 U.S. gal), and almost 10.000 meters (33.000 ft) of exhibit space

Big screens

Around the water world
There were many information screens. The explanations were in Italiand and English

A diver

This aquarium several big tanks with dolphins, penguins and smaller tanks with fishes from all around the world. There is also a tropicarium with exotic snakes, turtles and birds

Abyss - Lights in the dark

Life in the Abyss

The experience of the visit is so incredibly magic because it allows a true "immersion" underwater thanks to the large panels acrylic of the lower level of the main tank

Whale sharks and manta rays are kept amongst many other fish and plant species in the main tank. Just amazing!!! I took many photos of this visit

Sharks and sawfishes

The coralligenous assemblage

National Center for Information on Protected Areas

Exterior views

First souvenir shop (there was two)

Famiglia Volutidae: these species are found in warm and temperate seas. 

They're carnivores and live in the sand

The underwater Posidonia meadows

Where do Cetaceans come from?

Dolphins! I really adore them, that's why I don't like see them in such a small and plain environment :'( They should be in a better place, no doubt

Seal tank

Piranhas

Big fishes

Corals

Sea stars

Penguins, one of my favourite animals

Really adorable!

La Bolla is the glass sphere (biosphere) outside of the Genova aquarium, surrounded by the amazing sailboats and yachts. It can be seen on the harbor directly behind the Genoa Aquarium. Designed by Renzo Piano, the Genoa Biosphere (La Bolla di Renzo Piano) is a popular tourist attraction in Genoa Italy

The tour is structured on two levels and allows the public to admire the animals either from above, or from a diving perspective. There is also a restaurant inside the aquarium

The Grande Nave Blu and its three stages. Stage 1: the vessel of the early explorers and the discovery of the diversity of life. Stage 2: Madagascar, a fantastic example of biodiversity. Stage 3: the Mediterranean sea. The relationship between man and the sea

An immense world

Further than anyone ever before...

Opening Nature's great encyclopaedia

Species in their thousands

The ray fish pool

The  manta rays can be petted softly on its back but can't touch their eyes neither the tail!

The sturgeons and other fishes

A green snake!

Turtles

A lizard

Tomato frogs

Cetaceans and man

Jellyfish in Aquarium of Genoa

Banggai cardinalfish

Beautiful fish

Visitors walkway

The second souvenir shop where I bought two key chains and a lovely stuffed seal

My bag with my souvenir purchases

The exit. The visit was over. I think it was a little expensive but the experience was nice. Penguins, turtles, sharks, and dolphins... a lot of exhibits and a really wide selection of the fauna. It was very well laid out, informative, hand had signage in English as well as Italian, so you can learn about these species and how to protect them, and the building looked like a ship ready to head out to sea

This aquarium is one of the best I've  ever visited. Though I prefer the Perth's Aquarium

The hotel's terrace

Inside the bus going to the airport... Arrivederci Genova!

At Genoa Airport. Flight Genoa-Valencia

Inside the plane

Nice views of Genoa

Incredible...We flew from Genoa to Valencia in only 1 hour!

At Manises (Valencia) Airport. The plane arrived far sooner than expected! It's Ryanair ^_^

My baggage

Leaving the airport

With my mum holding the Italian flag

Going back at thome and taking pics inside the car

At home, at last, and being welcomed by my Dante!!! What a lovely babe :-)

This was my first trip with Dante at home and I missed him a loooooooooot!!!!!

Purple kisses :-*

LOVE LOVE LOVE. Il mio amorevole Dante

Pens and pencils from different countries where I've been

Lovely stuffed dog that I bought in Lugano. It's a Saint Bernard

Key chains from Italy and Switzerland

Much more souvenirs! Caps, scarves,  t-shirts, etc.

Forza Azurri! Forza Balotelli!

Handbag and wallet from Milan

Postcards from the Ticino and Milan

It was one of my greatest trips abroad, enjoyable and fun. I fell in love with Italy and Italian people almost immediately and I improved my Italian language skills in a very short time! I made new friends and I took many pictures everywhere. I liked Genoa and Milan cities and of course The Ticino in Switzerland where I saw again Daniele.

I had on my mind to go back soon to Italy after this nice experience :)