Italy with friends Webinar Series - Genova - Discover your New Classic Destination

Good afternoon everyone and welcome, welcome, welcome to today's webinar. We have Genova, discover your new classic destination. Of course this is a webinar promoted by the Italian National Tourism Board of US and Canada. We want to thank all our attendees as usual. We have our friend from the United States, from Canada, but also from Mexico and Puerto Rico. So thank you very much once again for being with us. Now today we're talking about beautiful, beautiful destination that I believe most people have heard of, beautiful city of Genova, but the attempt that we're going to make today into making it a proper tourism destination. Because up until now most of you probably heard of it because that's where big sheep from cruise lines land, but most of the times feel that Genova is the doorway to the destinations around the coast of Liguria or anywhere else in Italy. We are going to make a strong case with a great, great, great testimonial and guide who's waiting in the winds and you can see on your screen right now about why Genova can be its own destination, why landing in Genova, staying there is not getting, you know, a short end of the deal, but actually it's an extraordinary experience. Now we can see already waiting in the wind beside our two testimonials, a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful landscape which once again is what we are discussing today, but before I do that I want to set the mood right, show a beautiful video on the city of Genova so we get right there and then we'll talk to our testimonial. Take it from there. All right, here we are in beautiful Genova and you already seen from the video already there's a lot that we need to cover right now, but I think the things that I'm very excited about we have a really special, special Cicerone, we have a special guide in this beautiful town, probably the most prestigious that we have so far. We have today none other than Tourism Council, actually the council for the city of Genoa, they're in charge of the business development, economic development, but also of course tourism of beautiful city of Genova and this is Laura Gaggero. Ciao, Laura! Ciao, Francesco! Welcome to Genova and welcome to Boccadasse, our fishing village just around the corner in the city center of Genoa. Wow, fantastic! So this is what we see behind us, it's part of the city of Genova. Yeah, and together with me there is Mario, the president of fishermen. Oh wow, so he's a professional fisherman, he's the president of the association of fishermen. Perfect, I mean it fits perfectly. So, why should we come to Genova and stay there, not just stop with our ship and just leave it? Why should we stay there? Of course, we love people who come to Genova to have a cruise, but if you stay a couple of days, two or three days before or after your vacation with the cruise, then you can discover a hidden gem of the Mediterranean. Genoa has been for long, for centuries, the capital, the economic capital of the Mediterranean. And so you have beautiful palaces built in the 1600s, 1700s by the richest people in the world who lived in Genoa. And you have a good food, good climate, I mean for us it's summer until November, so you have to come here. It's 12 months a year and I think also to add on that, and now we're going to touch it because you were kind enough to pre-record this beautiful walk. Yes, there are all these luxurious palaces, but also, and I think that's what is going to surprise a lot of our attendees, there's another part of Genoa that you're going to show us today through this little walk. Is that correct? Yes, that's correct, it's quite picturesque, but let's go to the pre-recorded video. Perfect, okay, yes, as she said we pre-recorded this little walk where Laura is walking through Bocca d'Asse and she's going to walk us through and I think there's going to be a lot of things that will be interesting to find out through this walk. Let's take a video. Hi everybody, 11 p.m. may be an ideal time to get here. I'll show you the church of Saint Antonio from Padua, which is really a picturesque church where a lot of people get married because it is just by the sea. I mean, you see here the sea, sailing boats and a fantastic promenade that leads from the city center here to Bocca d'Asse and I'll show you some hidden corners and I'll let you get acquainted with one of the most beautiful fishermen corners in Genoa, just near the city center. You can arrive here either with a walk from the city center or taking bus number 31. Over there, there is the bus stop or taking at the cruise terminal, the city sightseeing service, which arrives at 200 meters from here and then you can have a stroll by the sea. So, let's get to Bocca d'Asse and meet a real fisherman, Mario Migone. So, we are here near the church and we are getting to, this is the the door, the portal of the church and here we are getting to the Belvedere which was a well-known writer from Genoa and here you can see a lot of people and also the sea and this beautiful, the beautiful view on fisherman houses. So, here we are, let's start our trip in Bocca d'Asse. So, from the Belvedere we are getting down with this narrow alley, narrow street which is in Genoese is called Creusa and there is a famous song from a local writer which is called Creusa de Ma, means the sea and here we are getting to fisherman restaurant. Over there, there is Mario Migone, he is my friend, so tell him Laura told you to get to eat some fresh, some good fresh fish at his restaurant. Here we are, Mario! Okay, so here we are with Mario, the president of the Fisherman Association here in Bocca d'Asse and this is his restaurant and this wonderful view on Bocca d'Asse. So, Mario, tell us something about your activity as a fisherman here in Bocca d'Asse and how many people work with you? Oh, 32 people and but when you started... So, some of you work really on the boat and go every day to catch fish, fresh fish for the restaurant, some of you cook the fish for your for everybody who's coming here and so but when you started there were just nine of you. No, just two people, you and? And Massimo, so Mario and Massimo. And now all of you are new people but a lot of people who like Bocca d'Asse and like the fisherman activity, who like to cook fish food both for the Genoese and for tourists. So, let's see where you just began. At the very beginning, this is the new part of the restaurant, there is also a room inside but when you started the place was much smaller than now. So, and here is GE8317 is the number of the shield of the of the boats, of the first boats because now you have nine boats and this is where everything began. So, you can see the church of Sant'Antonio Bocca d'Asse and we've come down with Mario where everything began how many years ago? In 2004, no 2014, so 10 years later, okay so it's six years and here you managed to do everything, you made a lot of work because it wasn't used as a restaurant here. It was a warehouse and the church of Sant'Antonio used it for when there was the feast of Sant'Antonio on the 13th of June. Every year on the 14th of June there is a big feast here for Sant'Antonio and so Mario, can you show me just a little bit nearby Bocca d'Asse? You know Bocca d'Asse means in Genoese is Bucca d'Ase which means mouth of a donkey because of the form of this village and here you can see you can have a bath here so if you come in the morning or in the after in the early afternoon you can have a bath here and you can see already a lot of people who are here and of course the ideal time is about at 6 30 p.m 7 p.m and later because you can have aperitivo here and you can fried fish mainly fried fish and of course a glass of vermentino which is our local wine so everybody knows Mario here oh he works for virgin atlantic for virgin ships let's interview him too so we are we have people with us from New York and from San Francisco oh cool yeah I'm from Miami what what can you suggest here in Genoa to American people I mean Bocca d'Asse it's so this is it this is it this is the gem of the city so here's where you have to be and you have to eat at Mario so that's the most important thing and you are in the business of uh ship building for a cruise business I work for Virgin Voyages you should also take a cruise at Virgin Voyages yeah I saw your Virgin Voyage uh ship uh in the port of Genoa two days ago yeah yeah so you should you should also sail with us you can come here you go to Ibiza you go from Barcelona you go everywhere and then also in Miami but of course spend a couple of days at least two or three days or so in Genoa before or after your cruise so you can visit Bocca d'Asse and it's great I have here the best uh the best fishing man the best restaurant man and his English is very very good so thank you thank you you enjoy so let's let's get back to our uh visit of Bocca d'Asse this is uh Piazza Nettuno square and here you can see the typical houses of the fishermen very colorful like in Portofino Santa Margherita Camogli and Cinque Terre but this is just at two or three kilometers from the city center and then let's have a stroll in the small squares here in Bocca d'Asse where there are also typical restaurants where you can eat fantastic fish and other specialties such as Trenette al Pesto, Focaccia and from Genoa here the it's aperitivo time so Osteria Cresa de Mar and Il Genovese you here you can taste a fantastic a fantastic pesto which is made by a guy who is not here now but he organized the world championship of pesto and here you can see this narrow street and other restaurants typical restaurants everything is ready for dinner here so here we are Mario you're getting back to your restaurant but okay so Mario waits for you in Bocca d'Asse at his restaurant let's get up the top of this narrow street where there is a small castle and of course a fantastic view of the sea and of Bocca d'Asse here lived a famous songwriter in the 60s and 70s he wrote fantastic songs such as if you know a little bit let's see this corner how fantastic it is here you can hear the sea wow so really the gem of Genoa and let's go back to the top and I was telling you that Gino Paoli wrote a song I can try to sing it for you C'era una volta una gatta che aveva una macchia nera sul muso una vecchia soffitta vicino al mare con una finestra a un passo dal cielo blu and then it goes on but I'm breathless I have to go to the top we were there and here we are going this is the first castle and then there is a second one with Balvedere which is really fantastic of course people who live in these houses are really wealthy people I think that the small flat here by the sea in Bocca d'Asse is worth the same than in Amalfi so here you can see the sea and this is a very romantic place this Balvedere and and here you can see another view of Bocca d'Asse and of San Antonio and of course the castle and from here the view to the mount of Portofino which is just here and the Scoglio di Quarto which is almost here where Giuseppe Garibaldi sailed to free to free Italy and united Italy and over there you can get over there either from the sea or the rocks there is a fantastic place called Santa Chiara where you can drink fantastic and romantic aperitivo. Wow Laura this is this is incredible I mean before you say anything I have about 100 things I want to say especially the attendees I think the first and foremost honestly it just shows the enthusiasm that you have for your beautiful city we are talking about somebody who is a minister or councillor for tourism of the city of Genova and still takes the time and with that kind of passion tell the story of a beautiful city in that manner which I think speaks volume of you know of the hospitality of course of the people of Genova and moreover I mean how necessary it is for you to understand what Genova really can give. The second one is to me we spoke Laura during the sort of the rehearsal is the fact that honestly it's very surprising to see that being part of the city of Genova specific people that don't know as much as others do and really have almost this sort of like a small village feel to it of what it is otherwise just a town a beautiful town but still sort of a you know a town with all the downsides that a big town has and I mean and the third thing is like I don't know if you casted it but you know the kids are running towards you you know there's sort of like the little couples that you were disturbing of course and you know gazing at the sea there and none other and we also went through it the fact that you have somebody in the know somebody who represents a large cruise line American or a large cruise line that actually lands in Genoa and decided to have you know has an afternoon in Boccadasso which I think speaks to value on the fact that you know if if they did that it's because he knows this place very well so thank you very much I think was a was a great way walking I think a lot of question will come from it. I can't hear you Laura probably you have to unmute yourself I cannot hear you I cannot hear you Sam a little bit grainy your image is a little bit grainy I don't know if you have if you don't have a very strong you know internet connection can you hear me now okay can you can you speak try try to speak louder okay why she's she's working on her connection I can't not hear yet and other things that I wanted to say of course is the presence of can you hear me can you can you can you speak perfect okay I can hear you now I can hear you whatever you do stay there you don't seem to have a very strong connection just stay there I can hear you yeah okay yeah I'm very enthusiastic of my hometown and I'm so happy as a councillor for tourism to be in the position of speaking about my hometown because it's really a gem in the Mediterranean maybe it's less well known than other cities but it's really a gem of course there is also culture just a culture tours that can be done in the city centre just near to the to the cruise terminal and you can get to visit the palaces built in the 1600s and 1700s by the wealthiest families in the world the richest people in the world were Genoese we invented banks we were bankers of the royal family of France and so on and so our wealthiest people built the most beautiful palaces it's possible to visit them overnight there so you can really have a good experience perfect perfect you have you have a horrible horrible internet connection you're very grainy so let's show a quick video on the beautiful palaces you mentioned and then get a better connection okay let's see the video okay oh you're still kind of grainy I don't know about the connection oh I lost you for a second so why she's she's reconnecting again what you've seen is this beautiful palace that she was mentioning which is an expression of course how rich Genoa really was in the heyday and the other things that maybe was lost a little bit in her voice being broken maybe I will recover it was the fact that all this this palace of course can be visited by most of them or some of them actually you can actually stay there and have your event there so can you hear me no no I cannot hear you I cannot either see or hear you Laura hello Laura can you hear me so while Laura is working on the connection I also wanted to expand on the fact that these beautiful palaces that she already mentioned beside being an expression as I said of the heyday of Genoa of course are a really one-of-a-kind settings for events uh you know congress the the largest one she was mentioning where the dodger was used to sort of host uh can I have up to 400 people sitting there so which means we're talking about a very large event and on top of that as I said some of them you can actually even sleep there and sort of really live once like a king but I was gonna I was I was gonna really tell Laura and I think I can share with you first the fact that I think the contrast between the sort of this two world of the sort of lavish so I should be can you hear me I can't hear I can hear you well but I cannot see you unfortunately uh just a minute I I'm trying to connect don't perfect absolutely I was telling our why are you doing that I was telling to the attendees that while while you were talking about the palace oh now I can see you well I can see you I can see the gentleman with uh with the red apron of course and now my uh my I can see you perfectly so don't my image is free uh I see you very well I see you well go ahead okay so I'm here with Mario and with Roberto Roberto Panizza is the organizer of the World Pasteur Championship so uh he travels abroad uh with the mortar and uh selects um people who are trying to um to prepare with the mortar pesto and the best ones are invited to come to Genova every two years for the final uh of the championship as I mentioned as I mentioned that probably the gentleman knows pesto is extremely popular in the United States but I think a lot of needs to be explained today what real pesto tastes like or looks like because I was telling before to Laura that the only sound associated with pesto it's it's a can that opens in the United States because that's how we get pesto but I feel that you have something to say about you know quality of pesto how the pesto should taste like how it's really made and all that so we are eager yeah let's ask in January in the end of January are being in Columbus Ohio to make a world championship in Columbus Ohio both places sorry you you're gonna have this championship in Columbus Ohio yes because we go around the world to learn the traditional recipe and to prepare the finalist for the final in Genova and the World Pesto Championship we compete every two years but in the two years we go around the world to organize the selection. So you're telling me that there are people in Columbus Ohio who knows how to make real pesto? Yes and we have a competitor who come in Genova next time for the next World Pesto Championship. Fantastic so tell me more like you know like I never tasted really what the real good pesto should taste like because as I said before pesto it's one of those things that now the name it's left a lot of stuff that looks that looks kind of like pesto but tastes so different so if you have to explain to somebody who never tasted pesto before which is probably two people in the world but what what it should taste like to be a good pesto? Pesto is a very simple recipe but it's very difficult to have a great pesto because it's not easy to try the right ingredients and the right ingredients especially basil are you can taste only in Genova this is important because it makes the difference and the the tradition I can say you the traditional recipe because you we need a good basil sweet small leaf and you can put also in extra virgin Ligurian olive oil a light oil not strong in flavor and Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino from Sardinia and the pine nuts not other nuts possible and salt and we have is that these simple ingredients you can make a great pesto so yeah go ahead. It really represents our I would like to say I am also Somalian so I use this word because it describes the flavor also the culture of our city I mean it's a traditional sauce pesto everybody prepares pesto with trenette or with other kinds of pasta and it really expresses the the taste the flavor of our city and you it reminds you of Genova of the Mediterranean atmosphere also of your vacation it stays with you forever now another question I have for you you you tend to make only enough for the plate that they use in the day it's not one of those things that you make tons of it and then do you reuse it no this is better just pesto you you want to you need for your pasta not for because it's not a sauce you have to make it fresh I mean yeah so I saw behind you it's called Genovese this is your this is the place where people can come and and taste your pesto so it's your little was that a restaurant because the first honestly from the little thing I thought it was the ice cream place so I said okay we're gonna have a pesto ice cream I guess it's a beautiful corner for gourmet people because you can eat pesto but you can eat also other specialties of our which are traditional focaccine is a is a pasta filled with cheese and fried in deep oil see I hate this I told you Laura I hate this because this is lunch break here you show me all this food we can't eat it there you go what we have here Panisse is a very very ancient Genoese food made with the chickpea flour and it's a memory from the when the Genoese people go around the Mediterranean Sea and take in other traditions also the use of the chickpeas for example and it's like a polenta cooked oh nice when it's cold it's chopped and the fried are not potatoes but the traditional Genoese food wow and we have also a lot of other things fantastic so these are really typical typical Genovese recipe or Genovese sort of what is that because we can't see it lift it up a little bit lift either lift the cam like that lower a little bit the camera I can't see the plate without oh yes what is that again it's it's a pie it's a salted pie filled with vegetable or in this case filled with rice and is a sweet is rich are street food mid-range street food people arrive in the Genoa port and the people need to eat at the in every time every hour and they can they need to have something to eat around the working you know or working and these food are perfect for this use so good it's so good it's so it's so unfair you have food everywhere but the one time it was necessary is only in some places in the world sure and not not for case no hamburger is born in the United States or hamburger in Germany and the fish and chips in London and also in Genova are the same the same family of products it looks so tasty you're having a virtual taste but it's not that good the visual taste is not that good this is a traditional place where people sell these uh these products oh wow wow so yeah you like you said it's just you come in you get a slice and you go out you go about your business so it's just a really street food fantastic fantastic oh my god this is painful this is painful you have enough people what kind of wine do you drink with this stuff what kind of what what is the best uh pairing when you when you this kind of stuff what kind you want to taste one of these yeah I wish thank you I hope it doesn't go the wrong way what is the what is the right wine to drink with that Laura what is what is the right wine you are also sommelier what is the right wine that you eat that you know that's best suited usually we drink vermentino in Genova and in the whole Liguria but also Bianchetta which is typical from Genoa and it is cultivated just next to the new bridge of Genoa you know the bridge we are building in Genoa designed by Renzi Piano and on the hills uh near the new bridge there is the cultivation of this Bianchetta Genovese okay but has to be white wine that's what I'm guessing white wine mainly we have white wines in uh in Liguria we have some a few few red wines uh near Sanremo and also in Genoa in you drink with rabbit uh we have as meat we use rabbit uh mainly and um and then we have we have uh which is uh well structured uh as a wine uh a very good one but mainly we have white wine awesome perfect now I believe we have a short video that shows a little bit about the the pesto making isn't it okay let's take a look at that okay all right so as I said to you during the rehearsal it's it doesn't just taste good doesn't look good but also it sounds great when they make it it sounds like it's music it's fantastic Laura before before we do you saw and the house of Christopher Columbus perfect two in one show before actually we move forward I wanted to ask you one thing first going back to Mario for a second if he's still around was you know we forgot to mention or to ask him if those sort of being him sort of the coordinator president of the association the fishermen there if the ability to actually have a fisherman experience it's actually available it's something that can be so you you can connect or you can be reached out and people can arrange to have that for their clients so you can have a full immersion with our fishermen you can go fishing with with them so you can have a half a day from 7 to 12 or the whole day with the fishermen and so you can you can catch a swordfish or perfect and also what you you catch with Mario fantastic I mean I mean and also I believe that's beyond the actual catching fish is the actual experience to see Genova or the coastline from the water which has to be absolutely really wonderful and how many people for a maximum of six people nice so it's really a charm of course it's just a tailorment thank you very much Mario this is great and also you know like you are as I said you just fit fit perfectly and it's around the end Laura we were saying before so we got cut off a little bit for the connection but I think that just this two simple element that you brought us today one the beautiful sort of lavish sort of architecture and the core of the Palazzo and then almost this sort of small little town feel to it all condensing to one it's so unusual that I think it really makes a very strong case as we were saying in the beginning to make Genova really a destination not just simply a convenient place to land to visit the rest of Italy now I think that you know we we cover a lot of bases I don't want to take too much of my time let me see if I see some quick questions one was actually yes what was the question about okay you mentioned that in the beautiful Palazzo it's possible either to stay or to have events now if anybody is interested in doing so is there a way to go through your office and sort of get that connection of course you can write an email to my office and I'm sure you can send the email to to everybody and through this email I receive your request and together with my staff we address your request that's amazing I mean I don't know if you have any questions or anything to add I mean like this has really been quite a treat to see the city and once again we haven't seen a single known pictures of the city which is really I think quite remarkable tell the story of this beautiful city that I'm sure a lot of people are you know unknown or as you have heard of but really showing a side that to me it's you know worthwhile at least investigating more in terms of you know making it your final destinations you know in a trip now again I want to thank you of what Genoa is I mean there are a lot other things to show of course I just give you the picture behind you right now you can see people just just walking by just sitting leisurely on that little square slash makeup beach kind of thing and then people gazing I mean it just tells a tells volume of what you can do in a place like that yeah perfect so I think I believe we have the last videos before we say goodbye isn't it yeah and if you want to to come to Genoa to see live and to organize the trips for your tour operators and so on please write to Francesco and then to me because I'm always there to help you to have to build the right experience for your clients it seems very clear honestly and I cannot thank you enough and I know our attendees would definitely appreciate that because this level of commitment it's absolutely remarkable so let's see quickly the video and then I'll get back to you for the final goodbye okay let's see the video I've dreamed of breathing fresh air looking at the world from above you have imagined the sea at your ankles in your fantasies you have discovered hidden treasures and walked in the greenery of timeless gardens you have admired a city kissed by the sun dining by the sea caressed by the whole world in your dreams but now is the time to really go this summer come to Genoa Genoa all you ever wanted all right so if it was necessary I think the video says it all you know all you ever wanted because in part it's actually true you know extraordinary food beautiful architecture great environment over everything has Mario waiting for you as well as Roberto who's of course waiting open up so I want to thank you once again Laura thank you very much for having us of course thank you Mario thank you Roberto this concludes our webinar to all the attendees you will be receiving a survey let us know what you think of this presentation if you want to have more information once again we will provide you with the contact of all the people that you know that need to be receiving your emails and finally of course this is a cooperative effort a lot of people are working on this not just me blabbering like uh like 20 minutes it's uh so I want to thank my colleagues from the Toronto office Salvatore and Sabrina from our Los Angeles office Fabrizio Emanuela and of course from New York office Caterina Cosmo Marte thank you very much see you the next one bye