Sunday, August 10, 2003

By Phyllis Macchioni

GETTING THERE: By taxi, Genoa is 15 minutes from the Christopher Columbus Airport. You can also reach the city by taking the number 100 bus (Volabus), which leaves the airport every 30 minutes. If you are coming in by train, Genoa has two train stations, Stazione Principe and Stazione Brignole. From Stazione Principe, bus nos. 18, 19, 20, 30 and 33 will take you to Piazza de Ferrari and the center of town in 10 minutes. From Stazione Bringole, bus nos. 17, 18, 19, 20, 30, 33, 36, 40 and 41 will take you up Genoa's main shopping street, Via XX Settembre, to Piazza de Ferrari in five minutes.

TOURIST INFORMATION: APT Genoa, Via Roma 11/3, 16121 Genoa.

WHERE TO STAY:

• Hotel Bristol Palace, Via XX Settembre 35; www.hotelbristolpalace.com. The Hotel Bristol Palace is housed in an 18th-century palace in the center of the city. In the heart of Genoa's shopping district, the historic center, the old port and the city's most important museums and tourist attractions are all within easy walking distance. Doubles from 145/350 euros. Price includes service charges, VAT tax and a buffet breakfast.

• Jolly Hotel Marina, Molo Ponte Calvi; www.jollyhotels.it. You'll find one of Genoa's newest hotels, the Jolly Hotel Marina, on one of the oldest wharfs in town, the Ponte Calvi. It is close to the Aquarium, the largest aquarium in Europe, the Sea and Navigation Pavilion and many other maritime attractions. Doubles from 180/270 euros. Price includes continental breakfast.

• Jolly Martin Piaggio, Via Martin Piaggio,11; www.jollyhotels.it. Close to Genoa's exclusive Via Roma shopping district, Piazza de Ferrari and Genoa's Ducal Palace. While the Aquarium and other harborside attractions are 5 minutes away by taxi, you can walk to the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, Christopher Columbus' house and other sites in the historic center. Doubles from 190/280 euros. Price includes continental breakfast.

• Hotel Astoria, Piazza Brignole 4; www.hotelastoria-ge.com. Across the street from Brignole train station and close to the city's sprawling food bazaar, Mercato Orientale, the recently restored Hotel Astoria was once home to one of Genoa's noble families, the Marquis Serra. Restored in 1999, many of the rooms still reflect the 1860 style of the original building. Doubles from 100/160 euros. Price includes continental breakfast.

WHERE TO EAT:

Genoa is a sea-faring town, so expect to find fish on just about every restaurant menu. Many of the fish are familiar once you translate their Italian names. For example: branzino is sea bass, dentice and orata are sea bream, and merluzzo is cod. Popular shellfish selections include cozze (mussels) and ostriche (oysters). Bianchetti or rossetti are tiny baby fish served up in a number of delicious ways. You can count on seeing moscardini, polpo or totani, variations of the squid and octopus family, in cold seafood salads or as part of a fritto misto, or mixed fry. Be sure to try the acciughe fritte, fresh fried anchovies, breaded and stuffed and the perfect accompaniment for the great white wines of the region.

Other local delicacies include focaccia, a type of pizza, Torta Pasqualina, a savory pie made with ricotta cheese, hard-boiled eggs and artichokes, Swiss chard or other vegetables of the season, and Parmesan cheese. Pesto is a Ligurian specialty sauce, traditionally served over trenette or trofie pasta. Ligurian walnut sauce is wonderful over stuffed panzotti, a type of ravioli. Italian cooking is still based on what is in season, including fish, so not everything is available all the time.

Pigato, Vermentino and Cinque Terre are local white wines.Nonsmoking sections in restaurants are still hard to find in Genoa, especially in small restaurants, but they try to be accommodating. Not all restaurants accept credit cards.

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