The French and Italian Rivieras

From Marseille, France to Genoa, Italy

          The six hour train ride from Marseille, France to Genoa, Italy took us through a series of stunningly beautiful settlements along the Mediterranean Coast, many with instantly recognizable names like Toulon, St. Tropez, Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Monte Carlo, San Remo and Savona. From the Cote d’Azur in Southeastern France we crossed the border into Italy and continued along the Ligurian Coast to the port city of Genoa. While not necessarily a tourist destination, Genoa was the boyhood home of Christopher Columbus and has many historic buildings worth a look, including several interesting churches and the palaces of some the noble families of earlier times. I enjoyed window shopping along the plazas and walking through the narrow streets, but one could easily get lost in the maze. Genoa was to be my jumping off place for the Cinque Terre, where I hoped to be the next day. If all went as planned I would catch the early morning train to Monterosso, quickly find a hotel there, and set out on the eight mile hike between the five seaside villages.