Genova is the capital of Liguria, and the sixth largest city in Italy. It is also one of Europe’s largest cities on the Mediterranean Sea and the largest sea port in Italy. Genova can be reached in 2 hours by driving or taking a train from Milan

 We got off the bus when we saw this big ship. We weaved our way through all the illegal immigrants selling fake merchandise and keep on going to the ship.     

The Neptune is a ship replica of a 17th-century Spanish galleon. The ship was built in 1985 for Roman Polanski’s film, Pirates, where she portrayed the Spanish ship of the same name. The boys were thrilled, cause this is the biggest pirate ship they have ever visited.  

View of the surrounding…This replica is bigger than many other real ships. Sometimes I really respect those who would build a gigantic replica just for the sake of a movie. Worth it or not is another question, but their dedication is something very extraordinary.

The time was around 3 pm, still “early” to go to bed. We then walked into the city center for sight seeing. Although it’s Saturday late afternoon time, the streets were quiet, to my standard. The city’s rich art, music, gastronomy, architecture and history allowed it to become the 2004 European Capital of Culture.

Genova is also the birth place of Christopher Columbia, who was an Italian explorer, navigator and colonizer. He had completed 3 voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American Continents. 3 voyages, and his effort to establish settlements on Hispaniola island, initiated the Sapnish colonization of the New World.

Before we went back to the hotel, we think it’s better to take our “early dinner” first. Since most of the eateries were not ready to serve dinner at 4.30 pm, sons suggested to go to MD. Fine, MD we go then.     

But where is MD? We asked a lady who seems to be a local resident, but she didn’t look very confident when she pointed the direction to us. End up, it proved that she was wrong. By her wrong direction, we had walked down to an alley…     

In fact, MD proves to be one of the important eateries when we travel around Europe, for it provides the familiar foods to us. Also, foods are always available when we needs it, even at the “odd hour”.