We caught an InterCities train from Rapallo to Genova Piazza Principe station. Lots of trains go from Rapallo but some make very frequent stops. The InterCity was a little over 30 minutes but some Regionale are over an hour.

The track follows along the coast making for good viewing.

We’re staying at Hotel Bristol Palace in the historic centre. Some bicycle race was happening which made getting to the hotel a round about route. The entrance to the hotel is not obvious.

Inside the hotel has a very impressive staircase.

A very short walk took us to the main piazza Piazza de Ferrari

A lighter lunch of gazpacho and burrata:

Scott now has cold symptoms. While he napped, I wandered nearby. Below the theatre, Carlo Felice, and in front, a statue of Garibaldi, hero of the battles for Italian unification. I think every city in Italy has a street named for him but since he was born nearby, he’s especially given pride of place in the city.

Many streets look like alleyways especially since it’s Sunday and shops are closed up. For dinner we went to a restaurant that was supposed to be on the same street as the hotel but it was down a side street and up a staircase.

The restaurant was run by the same family since 1939 and because we were early by Italian standards, was filled with tourists. They have a lot photos of celebrities who have eaten there including some Popes, Muhammed Ali, Sophia Loren, Celine Dion. The food was okay.

Above mixed seafood, below lamb chops

I was amused watching a man sitting behind Scott eating spaghetti like it was ramen. He put one end of the noodles in his mouth then slurp them up. A sight I had never seen before.