Thursday 22nd June 2023

Chiesa Di San Luca : San Pietro in Banchi

Today, we are leaving Florence, the capital of Tuscany and travelling to Genoa, the capital of the Ligurian region.

We have both thoroughly enjoyed seeing Florence, with its iconic buildings and works of art.

After breakfast we left our apartment in the pleasant neighbourhood  and headed to the tram stop.  The 20 minute or so tram ride took us to the bus station where we would take the bus to Genoa.

The bus, which took a little over two and a half hours, was probably the most beautiful bus ride I have ever experienced.

There were views of small villages situated amidst densely forested hillsides.

 

Stunning properties and church steeples were dotted here and there, some seemingly without an access road. The picturesque scenery, often with a backdrop of majestic mountains, continued throughout the journey.

Once we had arrived in Genoa, it took us a little while to find our accommodation.  Asking for directions, one person sent us in one direction and another person in the opposite direction.

Our accommodation didn’t have a reception but luckily a cleaner let us in, we couldn’t check in until 6pm but at least we could leave our luggage to enable us to start exploring.  Our B&B was on the 6th floor of a building on a main thoroughfare which faced the city’s port.

Leaving the apartment block, we turned left, leaving the noisy busy street behind us.  A few steps took us into a little square with a couple of bars and eateries. We chose one and ordered a couple of cold beers and two plates of finger food.

Feeling restored after our light refreshments, we started exploring the area.  Now, just a couple of minutes walk away from the B&B, we are in the historic area.

When we planned our trip, we knew that we would be visiting lots of cultural sites in the first two cities. Our intention was to relax more in Genoa and do sightseeing of a different kind and visit the small coastal towns etc.

But, we couldn’t help popping into the opened doors of the Chiesa Di San Luca.

The stunning church originally constructed in the 12th century was rebuilt in the 18th century in the Baroque style.

 

 

A short while later, the San Pietro in Banchi also drew us in. Situated in a small pretty square named Piazza Banchi; many believe that the church was built on the site of an old pagan temple in the 19th century.

At 6pm we checked in to the B&B. There were just three en suite rooms with a large shared kitchen. Maurizio, the manager boasted about the brand new kitchen and informed us that breakfast would be placed in the three small wall cupboards with locks on them. Each cupboard had a corresponding room number and breakfast consisted of long-lasting brioche, jams, nuttela and honey.

Later, we realised that the kitchen had no pans so we couldn’t even boil an egg if we wanted to.  Perhaps, this is their way of keeping their brand new kitchen pristine! However, we do like the accommodation and it is fairly central.

Before dinner we walked along the main road adjacent to the port.  There were a couple of huge cruise ships docked.

A full scale replica of a 17th century Spanish galleon sits in the harbour. Apparently it was built for Roman Polanski’s 1985 film ‘Pirates’.  It is now a tourist attraction and for a small fee, it is possible to go aboard.

A while later, we chose a trattoria just a few steps away from our accommodation for our evening meal.  Well, it was perfect!  Friendly staff, delicious food and lots of locals were eating there. It was our sort of place!

 

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