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Abroad, Genoа, Italy

The happiness to be an Italian #Genoa

posted by Dario
Jul 25, 2017 1343 0 1
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The happiness to be an Italian #Genoa

Table of Contents

  •  The Italian Gothic riviera
  • Genoa aquarium
  • Torre della Lanterna
  • Cathedral of San Lorenzo
  • House of Christopher Columbus
  • Square of De Ferrari

 The Italian Gothic riviera

 

Genoa is the city that taught me a very important lesson – Always bring an umbrella with you! I visited the capital of Liguria on a very stormy day but that did not stop me from going around and get wet. As a port city, it is extremely different from the others in Italy with the unconventional architecture and town planning which also contributes to its extravagant appearance. I would personally call this Gothic style but I will let you decide on your own through the pictures.

Genoa aquarium

The first thing I did when I arrived in the city was to run like a child to the Genoa aquarium (the largest in Italy). This place satisfied my childhood curiosity. This aquarium has an amazing variety of 70 ecosystems and over 600 species of the animal world! Halls that house aquariums are located on several levels in different forms. Visiting this aquarium is a real adventure that will bring a wide smile on your face. The main idea of ​​this landmark is to educate and show people the importance of nature and the conservation of biodiversity. The most popular inhabitants here are the penguins, the numerous shark species and the happy seals and dolphins that have an attractive program with interesting tricks. But for me the most exciting attraction was the sea cow – a sweet, fluffy and graceful creature.

Useful information:
Working time:
January, February, November and December: 9:30 to 20:00 (last entry at 18:00)
March, April, May, June, September and October: from 8:30 to 21:00 (last entry at 19:00);
July and August: 8:30 to 22:30 (last entry 20:30)

Prices:
Adult: 25 euro;
Children’s ticket 4-12 years: 15 euro;
Group ticket (minimum 20 people): 19 euro;
The price is justified by the attention and care they devote to the animals and keeping everything in excellent condition;
Visiting the aquarium is completely worthwhile and will leave you long-lasting and rich memories;

Torre della Lanterna

My next stop is not a famous landmark but it is the symbol of Genoa – Lighthouse (Torre della Lanterna). It is 77 meters high, being the highest in the Mediterranean and the second highest in Europe. It is interesting to note that in this place for the first time in unofficial data, a tower was built in 1128, and the current shape dates back to 1543. Also the light from its lighthouse reaches a distance of 50 km. Unfortunately, I was not lucky because this day the rain was the strongest, as you will see on the pictures. And due to the bad weather conditions the lighthouse was closed but I managed to take a picture for memory.

Useful information:
You can climb the observation tower for 2 euros;
There is no fixed working time, so you should check in advance for it and avoid an incident like mine;

Cathedral of San Lorenzo

After my disappointment that I could not visit the lighthouse and my steady wetness I headed for the center to see the cathedral of San Lorenzo. It was founded in the 9th century as its atypical façade was constructed in phases. This building is the perfect example of the Gothic style I mentioned at the beginning.

Useful information:
Work time:
From Monday to Sunday: 8:00 to 12:00 and 15:00 to 19:00;
Free entry;
Treasury Entrance:
Adult ticket: EUR 6;
Reduced ticket: EUR 4,50;

House of Christopher Columbus

Few know that Genoa is the birthplace of the discoverer of America. The house where Christopher Columbus spent his childhood is in the center of today’s city and can also be seen thanks to the reconstruction built on the former foundations in his honuor in 1992.

Useful information:
Work time:
Tuesday-Sunday: 11:00 to 17:00 (April, September and October);
Tuesday-Sunday: from 11:00 to 18:00 (May to August);

Prices:
Adults: EUR 5,00;
Debit ticket: EUR 3,00;
Children under 18 years free of charge;

Square of De Ferrari

The last landmark for me on this rainy and windy day was the attractive square of De Ferrari. It is famous for its large fountain and design. Built in the 19th century, it is a key point for the city and close to it is a large part of the city’s precious architectural heritage, part of which is the opera “Teatro Carlo Felice”, the Doge’s Palace and others. Here is the administrative centre of the Liguria region, the Commodity Exchange building, built in 1912, and the palace of Rafael Luigi de Ferrari, a palace of Galliera, whom after the square was called.

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Travel Blogger

Dario Dionisi



If you want to know something more about me – my soul is a traveler, my origin is Italian and my true essence is a faithful friend. I am always open to new ideas and will be very happy if you want to contact me at dario@beyondsofia.com

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Dario • Exploring beyond Sofia
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To many, Costa Rica’s charm lies in its lush rainforests, unspoiled beaches and abundance of wildlife. With breathtaking landscapes and a myriad of creatures – from toucans to monkeys to jaguars – it’s easy to see why. 

Where else can you hike active volcanoes, zip line through cloud-covered rainforests and surf warm turquoise waters within the span of just a few days? In this compact but diverse tropical paradise, exhilarating outdoor activities are abundant. 

Nature-seekers will roam thick jungles while beachgoers will sprawl across the powdery sands. It’s hard not to admire all the splendors this “Rich Coast” has to offer.

#CostaRica #PuraVida #LatinAmerica
Heading to the next stage of life ~ Since soon I Heading to the next stage of life ~

Since soon I will celebrate my 30th birthday, I’ve been reflecting back to the person I was when I entered my twenties, and while I still feel young at heart, I’ve evolved into a completely different person.

I must confess, I have mixed feelings about turning 30. While I cherish the memories and experiences I have gathered during this time, I have also however, had my share of setbacks. The most important aspect that has inspired me are the experiences that I have gathered during my travels. Meeting new people, understanding their culture and trying new cuisines have changed my perspective towards life in general. While I am still a child somewhere in my heart, turning 30 is a big deal because it is assumed that I am an adult now.

Here are my 30 most precious travel experiences before turning 30:

1. Exploring my home country.
2. Travelling solo.
3. Supporting small local businesses and entrepreneurs.
4. Learning a foreign language.
5. Saving money for traveling.
6. Making friends while traveling.
7. Cooking traditional dishes.
8. Trying traditional food everywhere I go.
9. Overcoming my fear.
10. Trying something new.
11. Travelling with family.
12. Travelling with friends.
13. Travelling for myself and not social media.
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15. Living in a foreign country.
16. Packing like a pro.
17. Visiting my (some of) dream destinations.
18. Falling in love in a foreign country.
19. Blending in with different cultures.
20. Taking a piece of every place with me.
21. Learning to say no (in different languages).
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23. Documenting my trips.
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26. Rediscovering my favourite places.
27. Planning elaborate itineraries
28. Keeping it positive and never regretting to have climbed that mountain.
29. Some people around the world are born disadvantaged, not biologically, but socially.
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Travel is, at its very essence, a tool – nothing more… nothing less. Broken down to its very essence, it becomes an instrument to fulfil our desires, attain new experiences and to discover a difference that is at least a step away from our local surroundings.

One thing that we can often forget is that travel also has the added benefit of helping us build a pretty solid amount of confidence too, something that we all stand to benefit from in the long-term, in our own personal development.

Follow this 5 simple steps and enjoy the best ways to develop your confidence, which can be learned whilst travelling:

✅ Be positive
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✅ Listen to your head and heart
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#travelling #positivethoughts #confidence
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Choosing this life is more than a temporary escape. It will completely and entirely transform who you are.

So are you prepared for a journey of beauty, adventure and heartbreak? Read the next few rows.

✔️ Traveling is saying yes to life.
✔️ Uncertainty is a traveler’s homeland.
✔️ Traveling is a life of extremes.
✔️ About the unknown driving force.
✔️ Discomfort as a teacher.
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✔️ Experiencing exhilarating freedom.
✔️ Understanding different perspectives.
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✔️ Travel teaches you everything.

This is what the life of a traveler is like: Be courageous. Follow the calling of your heart. It will lead you to a million places you would have never expected. And you will grow big. You will grow beautiful. You will grow so full of life it will make your heart burst with happiness. Some of us simply belong to the road.

#lifeofatraveler #travelthoughts #travelinspiration
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Double trouble - Double S

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Dear Portugal, I would never have pointed to a ma Dear Portugal,

I would never have pointed to a map and picked you. I wasn’t sure we would even like each other. I came with only a few belongings and even fewer expectations. But I had the desire to get to know you and see if I would stay. And like two people making an acquaintance at a dinner party, we searched for commonalities: exploring, an insatiable appetite for rice and seafood, a bond to the earth and the sea.

At first I fell for the little things. The promise of discovering new things every single day. That dazed feeling after a few glasses of fruity vinho verde. The melancholy while listening to Fado music. The rissois, natas and feijoada, the melt-in-your-mouth queijo fresco, delectable sardinha and unforgettable bacalhau. And surprisingly, even lamprey and percebe.

I loved the quiet irony of your lavish, impressive buildings next to your ancient, dilapidated houses. I even adored your temperamental weather, sunny in the morning and sometimes tempestuous in the afternoon.

And I loved your people. The grandmas dressed in black with their soft faces and culinary secrets. The fishermen with their old fashioned hats. The shopkeepers who actually mean it when they say “obrigada.”

And then I began to love you for your words, and the new feelings they gave name to.  For that elusive feeling of saudade –– untranslatable but described so accurately by the Portuguese writer Manuel de Melo: “a pleasure you suffer, an ailment you enjoy.” Or the chamego — the sense of intimacy, infatuation, and cuddling, all in one word.

Of course, there are things about you that I will probably never understand. You’re an old soul and I’m too juvenile. I’m impulsive whereas you are cautious and pensive. I have this incessant desire to be happy, but you have this habit of enjoying being triste.

But I’ve lived many lives in different parts of the world, I’ve been running around, not caring where I rest my head, not knowing where I’d end up. Perhaps I met you, Portugal, because something inside me had really been crying out for stillness, for a safe haven where I could finally become myself.

#Portugal #loveletter #Lisbon #porto
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