If you expect to find a place to eat on Easter Monday in northern Italy, you might be going hungry.
Our search for lunch and entertainment this past Easter Monday in Genova led us to the same place as the rest of the city – the walkway near the ocean. Literally thousands of people, Genoese and foreign, walked along the narrow path, stopping at bathhouses to sunbathe in their sweaters and sit on the rocks overlooking the ocean. After thirty minutes we found a tiny pasticceria (bakery that sells sweets) that had tramezzini (sandwiches on white bread) advertised on their chalkboard. With our limited Italian we were able to figure out that the shop was out of panini and ordered a tuna sandwich with mayonaisse and lettuce for 1.50 euro. It was quite possibly the most delicious sandwich of my life. A short walk further down the street a gelateria was open. The crowd was gathering in the sunny late afternoon, and we fought for our spot in line and ordered as quickly as our broken Italian would allow. I fumbled too long with my cash and the man behind the counter took two more orders before I handed him the 3 euro for our gelati: one chocolate, one lemon. The lemon was complete with a lemon seed – that’s how you know it’s fresh!
No, there isn’t much to do on a holiday. All the shops close, even the big grocery stores. If you are lucky, like us, you will know the touristy areas and be able to find something to eat and a place ‘fare una passaggiata’ – take a walk. Perhaps that is part of the novelty and wonder of a new place. At home I would never simply take a walk all afternoon, but here in Genova, there isn’t much else to do, even for the natives. I constantly wonder how different summer will be here, as it is a resort town. Summer is fast approaching, and Genova is dusting itself off slowly, gearing up for droves of Italian, Swiss and German vacationers. The bath houses are starting to get cleaned up, more and more restaurants are open and the sun is shining more brightly every day. I can’t wait for summer!
