swall

Day1.

First of August.

We left at noon with the house sparkling clean for the visitors using our house in our absence. Caught our Ryanair flight to Pisa. When we arrived it was 10.30 Irish time and 11.30 Italian time. We got a taxi to the Royal Victoria Hotel, which was disappointing because the façade was being done up and was covered in scaffolding. The interior was amazing, though. I was so wired that I couldn’t even think of sleeping. This wasn’t helpedby the fact that the river bank was crowded with hoards and hoards of people sitting on the wall, just hanging out! So I hopped into my high waisted hot pants and a vest. Walking down to the bars with my step dad was like being on a stage. The combination of high waisted shorts and my pale pale skin caused people to stare, a lot. I bought lots of water and gulped it down. Damn, it was hot! After staring at bats flying over the river, I went back up to my room and got ready for bed, and realised I had already gotten a heat rash. Lying in my bed, I saw that my ceiling was amazing! All painted and old and.. beautiful.

Day 2

Quickly did the necessary touristy things such as the leaning tower. Wasn’t that leaning, really! Got the train to Genoa. Lovely and air conditioned! We arrived at the apartment. It was decorated like a manor house, which I found strange for an Italian 3 bed apartment! Went for a walk to check out shops and stuff. I decided that I hated the place, because I couldn’t see any shops that sold anything of interest to me. Carlo, the person who’s apartment we were staying in made a delicious risotto and fish dish. yum yum! After dinner mummy and I went out for a walk. Everything was cold. I felt very sad as it wasn’twhat I had expected at all- it was a ghost town!

Day3

Got funny but yummy croissants for breakfast filled with apricot jammy stuff. Went for another walk and found H&M and Zara to my delight!

Day4

We went to the port area, which had a great playground! Then we wandered around tiny narrow streets in the medieval quarter to find a restaurant. After a while we came across a piazza with loads of bars and restaurants all packed in. Sat outside and sampled my first taste of Genovese pesto- so creamy!

Day 5

We decided to go to the beach, so we caught a bus out of the city. It took about 20 mins until we were at the end of the line, after passing loads and loads and loads of beaches, all tiny and packed with people! We asked which beach was public, but found out that the public beach was just rocks. Not suitable for the younger siblings, oi! So we just went into the private beach, desperate at this point, while mum went for a walk. I think it was about a fiver to get in, another sum of money for a changing booth, more again for a locker.. oh oh oh! We sat down on the sunbeds, after realising we had left the towels with mummy! Then we got in trouble cos we hadn’t paid for the chair. Oh my goodness! The sea was ridiculously salty and the Italians were ridiculously skinny and beautiful- I felt fat and pale and ugly!

Had a delicious pizza for din dins!

Day 6.

We decided to catch a special train to a little town in the mountains called Cassella, which apparently had a swimming pool. The train was supakuul, all graffiti’d. And very narrow, so that it could climb steep mountains! On the train we got talking to a man who told us that the only train bringing us back to Genova that day was go to leave an hours after we got there! Bummer or what??!?! The town was vair quaint, little bra shops and a lovely bar/gelatería, where I had the best ice cream of the whole trip: lemon and pistachio .. oh YES! We passed the pool, but then had to hop straight back on the train. Then went to sleep in the apartamento!

Day 7.

Went to another private beach, but this one had a pool with it! It was a nice relaxing day, but nothing too exciting happened!

Day 8.

Mother and I took a DOUBLE DECKER train to Nervi,.where there was this amazering promenade clinging to a cliff face, dotted with cafés and little shops. One café was actually on a rock out in the waves that was connected to the mainland by a bridge. It was closed, because the waves were crazy and splashing all into it, but it was still cool to see. There were also private “beaches”, which were just bits of rocks with changing rooms beside them, umbrellas, chairs and changing rooms, ETC!

Day 9.

Got the train to Bonassola, a seaside town where we were going to be staying, but didn’t in the end up! It was nice, but kinda touristy. Met the nicest girl on the train!

Day 10.

The cleaner came to the apartment, so we al rushed out of the house and got a train to Spotorno. We went to the public part of the beach. Nice not to pay for beach!

Day 11.

Went to Zara in the morning and bought shorts and a striped dress..

piccies coming! of clothes! yipee!