Genova is an incredibly beautiful city that has very much been constructed on the side of a mountain. The city is a very complex-dense-vertical topographic condition that can only truly be understood by visiting the city. The entire city is a series of buildings, streets, alleys, and retaining walls. It is the retaining walls that ultimately define the city enabling one to enter a building via the roof or from another location sometimes 10 stories lower, both entrances technically at "grade". It is common in Genova for a building to have numerous entries, all at street grade all at different elevations. The 4 story Villa I am currently living and studying in has 5 different entries all at different elevations, all at exterior grade.

Contrary to what I was told by Jon Anderson very few locals in Genova, Italy speak Inglese. Excitingly I find myself struggling to verbally communicate with merchants and locals.

During a short tour with Stephano Fera, our Historical Italian Architecture professor, we stopped for a caffe break. I purchased a latte machiatto which was only .90 cents in Euros about $1.40 American, it was 10 times more delicious then a Starbucks latte. The Caffe is good!