Genoa Aquarium

When planning for this trip we wanted to have a range of experiences and included the girls in the process of choosing where to go and what to see. Genoa, a busy port town, was a surprise to us. With no expectations, we were charmed by the narrow maze of laneways, colourful building scattered in the hills surrounding the port, the cheap and tasty food and the warmer weather!

 

Today we visited the Acquario di Genova, apparently the second largest aquarium in Europe conveniently located only a few minutes walk from our place at Porto Antico, the old port. Arriving at opening time, we purchased the aquarium only ticket and with cameras ready we entered!

We were plunged into darkness, to watch an impressive short animation on the ocean all in Italian of course.

 




Spread over a building slightly resembling a ship, we explore the three floors filled with a various marine animals housed in an assortment of tanks.  The manatees were Katy's favourite.

We built our own fish before setting them free on the big screen!

It was tiring work, weaving amongst the other tourists bustling to get the best spot to take the perfect photo. Halfway around we recovered with a snack and rest looking back on Genoa.

The touch pool was busy, not helped by the rays and flounders, most of whom were camouflaged in the sand in the centre of the pool. Persistence paid off for Katy who waited for what felt like an eternity managed to stretch out and pat the flounder without getting too wet!

Despite not understanding a single word of the dolphin show, the girls loved watching the dolphins frolicking in the water. We all enjoyed observing the dolphins graceful underwater movements below deck.

More tanks appeared on this never ending tour - a few snakes, poisonous frogs, a chameleon or two followed by corals and the very cool jellyfish. We emerged from the aquarium, 3 hours after arriving, well and truly filling our quota of photos (350+ between the three girls.) Everyone was happy but hungry...time for pizza!

Back into the narrow streets, we bought delicious pizza focaccia from Focacceria San Luca and ate it down in the sunshine at the harbour.



Post lunch, gelato in hand, we embarked on a walking adventure based a bit on what Andy had discovered during his morning run. Our aim was to wander though the streets in search of the Zecca Righi funicular that would take us uphill away from the busy city centre into the hills offering panoramic views of Genoa. We would then return via the creuze, a network of tiny, steep cobblestoned pedestrian paths that link the city to the surrounding hills.

Arriving at the funicular station, we were greeted with a sign - chiuso. The funicular was closed due to a technical problem. Continuing up to the next station just to be sure, we were momentarily distracted by a playground and stopped to play Marco Polo on the equipment! This station, Carbonara, was also closed, so we admitted defeat and headed back to the apartment.

Italian Tour Begins!

Over the 2 week school holiday period, we are making our way south through Italy. Leaving our place in Grenoble at 7.30am, we noticed a distinct difference in the lightness of the morning compared to a month ago when we left to go skiing for the day. A good sign that the days are getting longer and perhaps warmer!

Our destination for the day was Genoa, located 400km away on the Mediterranean. The journey involved 4 train changes and a 2 hour break halfway at Modane. Without reserved seating, we still managed to sit together for the whole trip.

At 4.30pm, our train rolled into Genoa and we ambled the 1.5km (the same distance of walking to school - our yardstick whenever either girls asks how long a walk will take!)  to our apartment through the narrow streets. We unpacked and relaxed before heading out for dinner.

Our host had recommended a local pasta restaurant for dinner and investigating further we discovered it opened at 7pm! (A little late than usual for us.) Leaving the apartment, we found the harbour a short distance away. Weaving through some shady looking characters hanging out at the local bar, we arrived at the said restaurant to a small crowd of people gathering. It was then we noticed the banner hanging over the door - Cavour 21 Trattoria Genovese, Pesto World Champion.

Slowly the crowd grew and we wiggled in closer. It really wasn't clear what, if any, queueing system was to be employed, and it looked like there was no way the restaurant would fit in all these people. Would we be rejected for not having a booking? Would we be able to understand the directions once we got inside? Well, in the end it was relatively orderly, and there were a few more rooms than we could see from the front window. We were shunted to a 4-person table in once corner of the restaurant. On the neighbouring table were two couples, who clearly didn't know each other, but got seated together. Our other neighbours had a couple and two singles! Glad we had a family of 4 to fill a table...



Anyway, the wall was decorated with placemats decorated by previous patrons, some of them pretty artistic. The food was outstandingly cheap (especially coming from France) and delicious. (Nat had the pesto, just to see how world champions live.) And there was no hanging around at the tables. We all ordered immediately. Food came in a few minutes, and people vacated their space as soon as they finished, to help reduce the growing line of patrons out the front. All quite an experience...

An easy weekend

We have had a pretty active schedule over the last few weeks, and with 2-week trip to Italy on the horizon we decided to spend this weekend in Grenoble. On Saturday, we thought the girls might like some time apart, so Ella & I went climbing together in the morning (followed by coffee on the way home) while Katy had her first French social engagement in the afternoon — a birthday party for one of her new school friends.

The only real excitement of the day came when Ella and I were about to head off to meet Nat in the afternoon, when we heard a commotion outside. When we looked out we saw the Gilet Jaune (Yellow Vest) weekly protest heading along the opposite bank of the river, with riot police guarding our side of the bridge. We decided to bide our time. Then, when we did head out, we jumped onto my yellow bike (Ella dinking on the back) so that when we inevitably met up with the Gilet Jaune as they meandered around town (which we did) we could turn around and pedal away from them again ...

On Sunday morning we decided to go for a family walk. We considered heading up the valley towards Crolles, or across to Poya to walk on the edge of the Vercors ... but in the end we decided just to walk up the Bastille again! This time we went a different way to normal, starting up through the Jardin de Dauphinois, which gave us the chance to explore some new paths, stone walls and tunnels.

 

 

Once we got out near the top, there were enthusiastic attempts to capture photos of our friends, the baubles.

  

I opted for a panorama that included both girls, the Vercors, the baubles, the Belledonne and both girls again for good measure:



Not to be outdone, Ella produced her latest masterpiece entitled “the 5 moods of my little sissy”:



By the time we got down, the weather had turned and the wind had picked up, so it was nice to have our exercise out of the way and relax at home for a little while.

 

Hike up Mt Jalla

On Wednesdays school finishes at 11.45am! With the sun shining and the cable car reopened, we took the opportunity to explore a bit more of our back yard. 

I lured the girls out giving them the opportunity to take a return trip on the car cable but only if they promised to explore the Mandrin Caves and walk to the top of Mt Jalla. Thankfully they agreed. After lunch, we sauntered over to the bottom station of the Telepherique de Grenoble Bastille, purchased tickets for a return trip and climbed aboard a glass bubble.

When it opened in 1934, the original cable car consisted of two blue dodecagonal (12 sided) cabins that held 15 people including the operator. These cabins were upgraded in 1951 with rounded boxes painted blue and could accommodate 21 people. In 1976, the spherical glass cabins were installed and quickly nicknamed baubles or bubbles. As the main tourist attraction of Grenoble, these baubles carry around 260,000 people per year. 

Being the off season, the Téléphérique was quiet so we were lucky to have a bauble to ourselves. Soaring upwards, it only took 3-4 minutes to travel the 700m (with 270m ascent) to reach the top. 

Once at the top, we made our way to the Mandrin Caves (named after a Dauphinois bandit and smuggler). As part of the Bastille defensive system, these caverns and underground passage were excavated in the cliffs of Mount Jalla allowing troops from the Bastille to move without being seen. Those attacking the Bastille from the Chartreuse direction would cross the glacis then find themselves trapped between fire from opposite directions as the troops located in the caves were able to fire from behind.

The Mandrin caves are not really caves at all. The first section has a series of 'windows' with a wide passage connecting them. The next section, involves descending a flight of stairs before another window appeared. From here the stairs disappeared into complete darkness. We began thinking that a sensor would switch some lights on but it didn't. Luckily I used the light on my phone and after a conference (Ella wanting to go on and Katy wanting to go back) we continued on. Eventually after a nervous few minutes of pitch darkness, a small glow appeared. Our pace quickened as the light at the end of the tunnel brightened! We emerged relieved to have made it!

The small path continued along the base of a large steep stone wall with Mount Jalla in the horizon in front of us. I was confused and very disorientated as to where we had popped out until we turned a corner to find the drawbridge of the Bastille! The girls were not happy that we had to walk up once again past the entrance of the caves to go to the summit of Mount Jalla however an ice cream helped distract them for a while.

 

Mount Jalla sits at an elevation of 630m and is home to the national memorial to the Mountain Troops, the Blue Devils, who have fallen in combat since their creation in 1888. The wide track slowly climbs before a series of switchbacks brings you up to the saddle. It's a popular walking and running trail with lots of people and their dogs out enjoying the sunshine and slightly warmer weather. Halfway up the switchbacks, remnants of snow and ice partially cover the track providing more distraction for the girls.

 

At the top, the afternoon haze is beginning to form over Grenoble. Basking on the rocks in the sun, we enjoy an afternoon snack.

The return journey downhill is always faster only stopping briefly for a spot of posing for photos! In no time we arrive at the top station of the cable car and climb into a bauble ready to enjoy the ride down. A great afternoon out.