Lovely walk from Genoa to Boccadasse
On our last day in Genova we decided to walk from Genoa’s old town to the village of Boccadasse, along the seaside promenade, Corso Italia. This 2.5km-long walkway, which begins around 3km east of the city center, passes by one beach club after the next, clearly marked by the change in the umbrella pattern and color.
The promenade ends at the entrance of Boccadasse, once a separate fishing village now caught up in Genoa’s urban sprawl. It is a bit of a hidden gem and looks like it could belong to Cinque Terre. The name derives from the shape of the small bay: Boccadasse would mean the mouth of the donkey (Bocca d'azë). According to legend the village was founded around the year 1000 by some Spanish fishermen that, caught by a storm, found refuge in this bay and never left. The name of their captain (De Odero or Donderos), would be derived the surname Dodero, still prevalent today in the area.
It has a small pebble rock beach, the pre-requisite gelato shops, and some cafes along the waterfront.
Given that Genoa is responsible for bringing pesto to the world, I decided I needed to complete my trip with “pesto alla Genovese” on testaroli, a spongy type of pasta (sometimes called bread or pancake pasta) originating from the Etruscan civilization of Italy and considered the oldest type of pasta in the world. It was different than anything I’ve had before and very yummy!!
