Follow Benny In Genoa
Genoa (or Genova officially for Westerners who don’t feel the need to sound cultured online) isn’t so much of a city as it is a port. One of the all time famous seafarers is from here, it’s iconic dishes were made possible by trade and the city is built around the port with all paths seemingly leading to the water.
Rich people from all over moor their seacrafts in Genoa and for many Italians the city is a great spot for a week by the sea due to the abundance of good food and idyllic swimming spots.
Being a port in the 21st century means Genoa is definitely what some might describe as grungy, seedy or a little rough around the edges. We definitely saw drug deals take place, some sex for sale and like all of Italy I’ve travelled to so far, there is graffiti everywhere.
However, if you apply some standard continental common sense you might find yourself enamoured by this strikingly unique city and it’s signature blend of glamour and gusto.
The view from the water at Camogli beach.
You will however not find too many examples of this on my day. Katie’s day (i.e. the winning day) is probably the way to go.
Katie described by day as Home Brand day or ‘Katie’s Day At Home’ which for the uninitiated pretty much means my day was a poor counterfeit of hers. After shooting, I sort of exclaimed a bit of surprise with myself that I’d put in such a low-effort day and went into judging expecting to lose.
Then in the editing room I suggested to Katie that we scratch the whole episode to which she replied ‘No! This is the point of the whole show, to show the drastic differences there can be between planning and not planning your travels.’ She had me there.
So here it is, my likely biggest failure of season one, a cautionary tale of burnt feet and head injuries.
This Cafe
Not pictured: All the ‘cash is king’ signs.
I started my day on this cafe which was on the way to the station. I’m not going to look up which one it was because Caffetteria San Luca which we went to on Katie’s day was x10 the espresso bar that pretty much any Italian cafe is.
Even if you don’t like espresso, the Italian coffee experience is something you should at least try. Stand at the bar, order your espresso, neck it, maybe enjoy a little sweet, rub shoulders with the locals, slap some coins on the counter and get out. It’s different, it’s fun and it can be done at any place with a coffee machine.
Fun fact: We actually filmed this opening scene the day before we shot the rest of the episode. The reason for this is because after leaving this cafe and walking to the station, I hit my head on a tree branch so severely Katie and I agreed it was a good idea to go home and watch for signs of concussion.
Camogli
Pictured: The hat that partially obstructed my view of said tree branch, a day later.
Despite me butchering the pronunciation of Camogli (I’d learnt about the place that day to be fair) I managed to find the place OK after a 40 minute train ride across the scenic Italian Riviera.
A town of greater Genoa, Camogli similarly beckons you to the water, taking you by some nice places to shop along the way. The bakery we visited had great arancini and torta mele (an apple pie/cake hybrid) which I would definitely recommend for a picnic. If buying fresh fruit from a grocer, learn from my mistakes and don’t handle the fruit yourself, someone who works there does that for you while you point at what you want.
Camogli Beach
Theirs is an umbrella culture.
Before I say too much I’d like to say out of the three beaches we visited, Camogli beach ranks last. Out of the other two we visited (Boccadesse beach on Katie’s day and another beach we visited near Portifino station after hours) I don’t know which is better but Camogli comes last.
Here are the bullet points why:
It’s much more crowded.
The rocks are much bigger which means they are harder to walk on and hold more heat.
There is only a small public section, the rest is cordoned off by different businesses that might have big wait times if you didn’t book.
La Goletta Seaside
There was a photo with all the food but I look cooler in this one.
I like this place. I looked it up on Trip Advisor a few hours before we left home during a production break I was inspired to take after Katie’s riposa on her day. There’s a lot of businesses in this area that might be a bit more upmarket and polished but they simply weren’t open at a time that suited me.
Some places will give you the amount of food that we received here included in the cost of your drinks or just for a few extra euros but at La Goletta you had to buy it separately which is fine as I’m used to paying for the food I eat. Like the venue, the food was nothing special but did the job well.
Sette Sensi
If you converted my 40 euro sandwich into AUD then you are bullying me.
Nothing is wrong with the traditional Italian trattoria, in fact, everything is right with it. And yet, I wanted to see what contemporary chefs had to offer. Sette Sensi fit that bill as it had some bold claims about infusing Italian classics with modern/non-western ingredients and was also the highest rated restaurant open on the day of filming (we went to the number one and so should you!)
Personally, I think Katie was a bit harsh on this place in judging despite the fact I understand her criticisms. While I adored the luxurious wagyu sandwich for two, it was very intense and the mains might be a bit too imaginative for some. Can’t fault the service which was helpful and attentive in addition to the chef telling me the correct way to pronounce Camogli.
This is the one place on my day I’d sincerely recommend if you have been travelling around Italy for a bit and need something just a little different. Just don’t expect to win a travel competition off the back of it.
