Trip to Italy - Day 12

Thursday: Slight Adjustments.  We scanned the train schedules at the Milan train station yesterday.  We found two options:  an 8:14 timing as suggested by the info desk and a 9:14 which had a tight connection through Genoa.  Naturally, by the time we had eaten breakfast and checked out of the hotel the first wasn't a possibility.

We walked about three blocks to the station.  We wondered why everybody had seat numbers and even spent a bit of the trip in different compartments as people came in for specific seats.  Then, when the conductor looked at our pass, he informed us we owed another 13 Euros each.  We were in an ICplus train rather than simply an ordinary Intercity.  They require reservations which can be had at the station for 5 Euro with our passes.  When purchased onboard there is an extra charge based on the distance travelled.  That was a lesson learned.

It appeared our connection wouldn't be possible, so when we got to Genoa, we saw that the next train to La Spezia was in a little more than an hour.  That was enough time to pop out and look around.  The sun was bright and things seemed beautiful.  Genoa hugged the side of a mountain from here.  We quickly decided that it'd make a nice stop.  So, I sat with the bags in amongst the scooters in front of the station, and Jay ventured out to see if there were any close-by hotels.  He found a clean and reasonable place just a few steps away.  It cost just 50 Euros per night but includes a phone, TV, and the best towels we're seen in Italy.  For some reason, the average bath towel in this country is more like a super-sized kitchen towel.

Jay paid ahead for two days at the hotel. We were all checked in a little after eleven.  Next, we started walking up the steep hillside with a tourist map in hand.  We puffed our way too far up.  The advantage of having a map when walking is that even if there's a language barrier, it's pretty easy to indicate that one wants to know where they are at that time.  We were so far off, that we bought bus tickets to get back to the hotel area and had a very late lunch.

In the evening we found the correct way to the shopping area.  It leads down to a modern waterfront where there is a very large aquarium.  As the sun was going down I thought how very nice this city is.  Of course, cities with a waterfront do seem to often make my list of favourites.  We were hungry and ordered whole chickens at a restaurant down in the area.  Lots of immigrants were selling goods in the actual stores and on the pavement.  I'm not sure how many of them are here legally.

Tomorrow, as we have extra time before going south, we'll take a morning train to Turin.  It takes about two hours on a train that will be free with our passes.  We'll just spend a bit of time there and come back in the late afternoon.