AspiringNomad

I started my Sunday morning like the last two, with a cup of tea and cereal in bed. I don’t think I would ever tire of waking up with the sun beaming in through the gaps of the shutters. It’s honestly like something from a film!
I checked the train times for Santa Margherita and packed my things for a long day ahead. 12 stops went by and I arrived at my destination. Bright blue skies and a beautiful seaside town await!
I purposefully made sure I had an appetite to try the local delicacy of foccacia. Down a pretty, quiet street, I found a cafe and put my order in. The foccacia did not disappoint, it was delicious!
As I was sat in the sun, a girl next to me asked if I could take her picture. Clearly completely in it for the ‘gram, I took a few photos from different angles and asked her to check them over, we took a few more until we had ‘the one’ and then were both laughing about how ridiculous it was. I asked her where she was from and she is currently living in Reading but originally from Canada. We chatted for a while and then decided that we would walk to Portofino together (about a 6km).
There was a very welcome sea breeze as we walked along the coastal path to Portofino. Chatting away and taking pictures, it was nice to have met someone who was so easy to get along with. Despite being from two different parts of the world we had lots in common.

As we arrived in Portofino, you could see the wealth spilling from its edges. Ferrari’s and Lamborghini’s started to speed past on the coast road and the people suddenly seemed to be dressed in suits and floaty jumpsuits and dresses. As lovely as it was I couldn’t help thinking it was a place for rich people to come and show off! Despite all that, the beauty of the little seaside village outshone any fast car or enormous yacht. As we stood at the top of Castello Brown it was hard to believe I was actually there rather than looking at a PC screensaver! Once Danika and I had taken far too many photos and joked about hanging around the yachts for a rich Italian man to sweep us off our feet, we headed back to Santa Margherita to get something to eat. We both happened to be on the same train home but I was getting off at Brignole in Genoa whereas she was heading back to Milan.
We exchanged details and hugged goodbye at the station.
I was equally exhausted and burnt from being in the sun all day and the last thing I wanted to do was bag my things up and check in to my flight home.
I feel like I have only just got started in Italy and I am certainly not ready to leave. Damn needing to work for money!

Reglardless of the fact I didn’t want to leave the apartment, I planned to get up and out fairly early. I had essentially moved in even though I had only been there 4 nights. All my belongings were dotted around the place, my clothes hanging in the wardrobe, dishes drying on the rack, I would have been quite happy living there!
I wanted to spend my last moments in Genoa exploring the tiny little streets which stretch up from the port into the city.
They call them Carrugi, they are quite impressive, all interlinking and paved with cobblestones. My aim was to pick up some authentic Pesto from the official region of the green gold but in true European fashion, the strange opening hours meant that the shops were still closed. So yes, I’m sorry to say but I had to buy all your gifts from the airport!

It was soon time for me to get the Volabus back to the Airport and I am now sitting at my gate with another slice of foccacia and a coffee. There is a crying baby in the waiting area and you can tell that everyone else is praying that they are not the unlucky soul that has to sit next to him on the plane.

I’m overwhelmed with how much I have enjoyed Italy over the past few days!
This little trip away was exactly what I wanted it to be. I’ve learnt so much from travelling by myself and feel incredibly lucky that I have been able to come to such a pretty place. I have no doubt that I will be returning to Italy in the future but for now I must say Arrivederci!