Mercato Orientale in Genoa

22 July 2023 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Bon appétit, Shopping Reading Time:  7 minutes

Mercato_Orientale (Eastern Market) © Twice25 e Rinina25/cc-by-2.5

Mercato Orientale (Eastern Market) entrance © Twice25 e Rinina25/cc-by-2.5

The Mercato Orientale (Eastern Market) is a market in Genoa that opened in 1899. Located in the very central via XX Settembre, it is housed in the ancient cloister, never finished, of the convent annexed to the church of the Consolazione, built between 1684 and 1706.   read more…

The Costa Diadema

1 November 2020 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Cruise Ships, Yacht of the Month Reading Time:  5 minutes

in Marseille © flickr.com - Roman Hofer/cc-by-sa-2.0

in Marseille © flickr.com – Roman Hofer/cc-by-sa-2.0

Costa Diadema is a Dream-class cruise ship owned by Carnival Corporation and operated by Costa Crociere. The ship was ordered in October 2012 and was delivered to Costa on 25 October 2014. At her time of delivery, Costa Diadema was the largest vessel to fly an Italian flag and Costa’s largest vessel to date; she is currently Costa Crociere’s flagship.   read more…

The Seabourn Sojourn

1 August 2020 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Cruise Ships, Yacht of the Month Reading Time:  6 minutes

in Fremantle, Australia © Bahnfrend/cc-by-sa-4.0

in Fremantle, Australia © Bahnfrend/cc-by-sa-4.0

Seabourn Sojourn is a luxury cruise ship operated by Seabourn Cruise Line. It is very similar to Seabourn Odyssey. The ship was ordered for building in the shipyard of T. Mariotti S.p.A. in Genoa Italy. She is the flagship of Seabourn. In December 2017, the ship underwent a six-day refit in Freeport, Bahamas.   read more…

The AIDAnova

1 June 2020 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Cruise Ships, Yacht of the Month Reading Time:  < 1 minute

at Meyer Werft © Dickelbers/cc-by-sa-4.0

at Meyer Werft © Dickelbers/cc-by-sa-4.0

AIDAnova is a cruise ship built by Meyer Werft GmbH in Papenburg, Germany under contract from Carnival Corporation for AIDA Cruises. The first of the new Excellence-class ships, she was launched on 21 August 2018 and delivered on 12 December 2018. She has two sister ships scheduled for delivery in 2021 and 2023.   read more…

Theme Week Italian Riviera

9 May 2020 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Theme Weeks, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  6 minutes

Vernazza © Charles van Dijk/cc-by-3.0

Vernazza © Charles van Dijk/cc-by-3.0

The Italian Riviera, or Ligurian Riviera, is the narrow coastal strip in Italy which lies between the Ligurian Sea and the mountain chain formed by the Maritime Alps and the Apennines. Longitudinally it extends from the border with France and the French Riviera (or Côte d’Azur) near Ventimiglia (a former customs post) eastwards to Capo Corvo (also known as Punta Bianca) which marks the eastern end of the Gulf of La Spezia and is close to the regional border between Liguria and Tuscany. The Italian Riviera thus includes nearly all of the coastline of Liguria. Historically the “Riviera” extended further to the west, through what is now French territory as far as Marseille.   read more…

The Seabourn Quest

1 December 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Cruise Ships, Yacht of the Month Reading Time:  5 minutes

© José Valenzuela Arce/cc-by-sa-4.0

© José Valenzuela Arce/cc-by-sa-4.0

MV Seabourn Quest is a luxury cruise ship in Seabourn Cruise Line. It was constructed by Italian shipbuilder T. Mariotti. The vessel entered service in June 2011.   read more…

The Costa neoRomantica

1 March 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Cruise Ships, Yacht of the Month Reading Time:  6 minutes

in Tallinn © Pjotr Mahhonin/cc-by-sa-3.0

in Tallinn © Pjotr Mahhonin/cc-by-sa-3.0

Costa neoRomantica (formerly Costa Romantica) is a cruise ship for Costa Crociere completed 1993 as a sister ship to Costa neoClassica and was refurbished in 2003. Her public rooms are decorated with rare woods, Carrara marble, and millions of dollars in original works of art. Costa neoRomantica‘s homeport is Genoa in Italy.   read more…

The Costa Luminosa

1 October 2017 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Cruise Ships, Yacht of the Month Reading Time:  8 minutes

Costa Luminosa in Trondheim © flickr.com - Trondheim Havn/cc-by-sa-2.0

Costa Luminosa in Trondheim © flickr.com – Trondheim Havn/cc-by-sa-2.0

MS Costa Luminosa is a cruise ship, owned and operated by Costa Crociere. Costa Luminosa entered service on May 5, 2009. The ship’s design is a hybrid, taking the best elements of Spirit-class and Vista-class cruise ships. A sister ship, Costa Deliziosa, was launched in February 2010 and is based on the same design. Costa Luminosa departed Civitavecchia in Italy on June 3, 2009, on her 13-night maiden voyage, with ports of call in Savona, St. Tropez, Barcelona, Lisbon, Le Havre and Amsterdam. Costa Luminosa is the thirteenth ship of Costa Crociere, part of their five-ship expansion program, which include Costa Pacifica, Costa Deliziosa, Costa Favolosa and Costa Fascinosa. Costa Luminosa and her sister ship, Costa Deliziosa, was ordered in the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard on 12 June 2006. The two ships have a gross tonnage of 92,700 and are 292 metres (958.01 ft) long. The keel of Costa Luminosa was laid on 10 October 2007 in the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard in Venice. She floated out of drydock on 30 June 2008 and completed her sea trials on 30 March 2009. At a period of 18 months, the ship was handed over to Costa Cruises on 1 May 2009.   read more…

The historic port city of Genoa

3 March 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, European Union, European Capital of Culture, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  9 minutes

Grand Hotel Miramare © Twice25 & Rinina25

Grand Hotel Miramare © Twice25 & Rinina25

Genoa is a city and a major seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria. The city proper has a population of 609,000, while its urban agglomeration consists of 718,896 inhabitants. Finally, the coastal metropolitan area that snakes in the central section of Liguria is estimated to have a population of about 878,000. Genoa has been nicknamed la Superba (“the Superb one”) due to its glorious past and impressive landmarks. Part of the old town of Genoa was inscribed on the World Heritage List (UNESCO) in 2006. The city’s rich art, music, gastronomy, architecture and history, allowed it to become the 2004’s EU Capital of Culture. Genoa, which represents the southern access to the sea of Italy’s industrial north-west basin, is the country’s largest seaport and one of the main manufacturing and commercial hubs. The city, since the 19th century, hosts massive shipyards, oil refineries and steelworks, while its solid financial sector dates back to the Middle Ages. The Bank of Saint George is among the oldest in the world, as it was founded in 1407, playing an important role in the city’s prosperity from the middle of the 15th century. Today a number of leading Italian companies are based in the city, including Fincantieri, Ansaldo Energia, Ansaldo STS and Edoardo Raffinerie Garrone.   read more…

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