BST - Genoa

[River Don]

Loved it. It's a bit weird walking around the city since every street feels like a dodgy, dark ginnel, it's difficult to tell which really are a dodgy dark ginnel. One minute, it's all unicredit and duetsche bank, turn the wrong corner and there is a hooker on every corner.

I didn't manage to get to see Sampdoria, it was a late Saturday kick off and we were travelling back on the Sunday. A bit too much to organise.

I've seen lots of beautiful fishing ports, like an Italian expensive version of Whitby, with nicer weather, coffee and ice cream. Whitby can still show them a thing or two about breakfasts, beer and fish & chips though.

[BillyStubbsTears]

It's a cracking place RD int it? Typical Italy. Beautiful, stylish, shambolic, dodgy.

Did you go to the Cinque Terre down the coast? One of the most beautiful places in Europe for me. Been meaning to go back there for years.

[River Don]

Yes we stopped at Rapallo and did the Cinque Terre by train. They are stunningly beautiful places. I liked Riomaggiore best because it has to be said that was the town that wasn't inundated with American tourists from the cruise ships while we were there.

Apparently though the tourist industry is a lot quieter than usual. Partly because of unseasonably bad weather, we had two days more like Donny in October and speaking to cafe owners in Rapallo and Santa Magheritta things have been quiet since the financial crisis. It was noticeable how expensive everything was, particularly food.