Bilious Blog…Around Europe in 80 days#20

So I’m sitting in a bar by the Genoa dockside and at the next table are two women who look like a combo of Sophie Loren & Salma Hayek and this has no bearing on my initial thoughts on the city whatsoever.Honest guv…

Genoa looks mad in the best way possible.It’s like seven hundred years ago they gave an architect carte blanche and said “go nuts” and the same firm have been doing so ever since…even down to the huge fuck off fly over dividing the port from the rest of the city.It should be a carbuncle that ruins the aesthetics of the city but instead it looks cool…I have only seen a tiny bit but I’m hooked.Those tight little alleyways that skirt the port are awesome,they’re about three people wide and about 25/30 metres high with endless shops.The whole place just engulfs you but frankly I wouldn’t go near them at dusk or beyond.A den of villains I bet…

 

So I bet you’re wondering if I got away with no reservations between Verona & Milan? Nah of course not.Not even close…as soon as I saw the guard at the end of the carriage metronomicly checking each ticket the jig was up…€23 it cost me.That’s twenty three of yer actual European Euros! I think half of it was a fine of some kind.Anyway on the next part of the trip to Genoa I got the only train not needing reservations,along with more clued up travelling folk than me.Sat with a nice German couple and their cute daughter and all it cost me was a few Mentos sweets…

Genoa station and went out for a smoke naturally and a gander at Google maps to get my bearings,looked up and there’s my hotel up on the hill.Result( sorry fellow Wolves fans I shouldn’t say that) Clocked in and handed over my passport and went to my room in one of those sexy old school gated lifts..,did my bits then went down stairs to reception.I hadn’t even noticed the woman was a Brit never mind an accent “I see you’re from Wolverhampton “ “ er,I yer,er how…” “ I’m from Stafford,been here thirty five years” It’s my mission to get her at least talking posh Yamyam by the time my three days are up…I’m proud to say I made her laugh when told me the hotel used to be a convent and I said that every third building in Italy can say that…

In some cities you don’t really need to use the public transport much but I think here it’s gonna be a necessary thing to download the app and get tickets as everything seems to be at an unimaginable upward angle.I will check it out tomorrow.My legs & lungs won’t be able to withstand the onslaught otherwise… 

Well there we are.Not a bad day all round despite being clobbered for €23…oh and bollocks to the football,..

Cheers me dears…