The Road Trip: Leg 8 (to Oberschwanden)

Change of plans.... we were planning on spending two days in Genova, and then go through Vernazza in Cinque Terra on our way to spending a day or two in Parma, but it is raining in all of Northern Italy for the next few days. And since it's not very enjoyable to walk around a new town, looking for things to do inside and worrying that you're missing things, and since we were only able to reserve our hotel room for one night, we left for Switzerland. Where it is also raining, but at least we don't have anything in particular to do or see.

We took our time leaving Genova, but after eating breakfast and doing internet things and going to the Genova Aquarium (which is evidently the largest in Europe, and features manatees and seals and things), and walking around town a bit more, and doing a bit of shopping for driving snacks, we got on the road.

I was disappointed to leave Genova, but Julianna assures me we can come back. The narrow streets are wonderful, and it's great to get lost in the old city. Soyoung highly recommended the opera, and nothing was playing while we were there, so we missed that. We had one wonderful meal, but there were at least three other restaurants we wanted to try. I didn't go into any wine shops, or buy any salame Genovese, and while Julianna did have "Trofie al Pesto" it was at a lousy lunch counter, just half a step above a Bar/Tabac. There are some very cool churches, with quite intricate facades, and a beautiful, Belle Epoch men's barbershop where I desperately wanted to get a haircut, with five stools and a 60 year old barber and (I assume) buckets of Pomade. Our 23 hours in town were just the slightest taste of a very cool city.

The drive to Switzerland was uneventful. They let us through the border crossing without any hassle (thanks Kris, for the loan of a car with Diplomatic license plates), and it is green and raining and pristine and lovely in a way I imagine is pretty typical for Switzerland in the springtime. The trip took a bit longer than it probably should have done, since I've started playing with the Prius, and you don't average 48.7 mpg over a tank of gas while driving at 80 mph...

Anyway, we're in Oberschwanden, Schwanden beiBrienz, CH until Sunday Monday. (Tuesday?)

View Larger Map