Late morning, I'm finishing breakfast at 10 a.m. and check out the newsstand. It is really uninteresting. No major dailies, just fashion photo magazines, car weekly, all in Italian of course. The weather is hot and clear, as usual.
We were going to visit the Galleon anchored in the port, a prop from the 1986 fiasco
Pirates with Walter Mathau, directed by Roman Polanski. Trip Advisor comments report it fun for children but after 30 years in need of tender loving curating. We decided against it.
Instead I worked on this blog for a few hours. Then picked up some cheese and fruit and off to test the
Funicolare Zecca - Righi
.
I was so exited riding the
water powered cable car to the top. But the conductor told me they converted to electricity 30 years ago, after using the water system for 80 years. What a deception, this is up there with loosing Santa Claus to me.
Electricity is more reliable for the heavy use it now receives as part of the bus system. Still the "romance" of the tunnel carved by hand, the 47 degree rails means there is a staircase inside the car, made up for the deception.
The view from the top is outstanding, allowing us to see the valleys behind the mountain against which Genova is built. The park is small, and serves the local community at the top. It has an interesting model of the solar system and an observatory.
 |
| View from the top. |
I found an amazing view of the port of Genova from the nearby parking lot.
We bought a return funicolare ticket for four to the top (9 euro) and grabbed the next tourist in line to complement our threesome. She got a free ride up to the top and back down as part of our little group and it made for a laugh and good company.
We have dinner on a Unesco Heritage Via Lomellini at Mazzini's restaurant. They have Very good prices but not so Italian carbonarra sauce was "dry". The chicken was extra tender and delicious, the green beans were cooked to perfection. We were to eat at Osteria Pandemonio but it was closed for Ferie. The sign barely visible with the iron blind closed.
The street in front of the Helvetia hotel has barely changed in 300 years; but for the traffic.
