So why Genoa?

Yeah, why Genoa?  It's not the most beautiful city in Italy, not even close.  It doesn't have the most historical sites, fabulous museums, beautiful architecture.  Nor is it some quaint village tucked away amid the vineyards of Tuscany.  It's big, boisterous and, in some areas extremely dirty.   But it is also full of surprises.  You can wander through the centro storico and see the largest medieval center in Europe or go to the upper city in the hills overlooking the centro and the sea, and see the neighborhoods of elegant palazzos, castles, palm trees and bougainvilleas. 

You won't find much English spoken here, especially in those places where you really need to understand and be understood, but people will try to help and laugh with you when you fail at both.  There is little extremism, of any kind, but particularly the racism that is becoming so pervasive in much of Northern Italy.  The people are happy you have chosen their city to live in, but will always ask why.  Why would you chose to leave the US, leave California, leave San Francisco, to live in Genoa?

The simple reason we chose Genoa is that my father was born here.  I thought jumping through the bureaucratic hoops would be easier in my ancestral comune,  but that's a delusion for another day.

The real reason, and the reason I think we will stay here,  is this is a true Italian city full of grace and chaos...and a thousand contradictions. There are mysteries to be solved and adventures to be engaged in and Genoa has plenty of both.