Adventures in northern Italy: Genova

We went to Genova on Saturday. It's in Liguria on the coast, and it's where Christopher Columbus was born. They're pretty proud of that.
The biggest modern attraction in town is the aquarium, which is the largest in Europe. It was crowded, and weekends in early November aren't a busy time. I'd hate to be there during peak season. There are the usual fish displays -- including multiple Nemo tanks -- and some nonfish species such as penguins.
The aquarium is built on a pier in the heart of the port, so there are great views when fish aren't distracting you.
We also went to the Galata Museo del Mare, which focuses on Genova's history as a port. It's mostly paintings of the port and models of various ships -- including the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria -- but there's an interesting display about life aboard a galley warship. Laura got to be an officer for a little while.
Owen allowed a few photos of himself, although he wasn't too interested in the subject matter.
We didn't visit the submarine, but we did make it to the Ellis Island exhibit. It's an extremely well-done look at immigration from Italy (specifically by boats leaving Genova) to the U.S., mostly in the early 1900s. There are examples of the male and female dormatories on board trans-Atlantic vessels, and you have the option of taking on the persona of a random immigrant (you get a passport of sorts) and following them through the process. At the end, there are biographies posted of the people you were following so you can see how they fared once they settled in the States. I thought it was fascinating.
Laura and I also went aboard Il Galeone Neptune, a pirate ship in the port. Laura nearly was eaten by a sea creature.
We also were facinated by this medieval arch and the tiny street beyond it, although we didn't have time to explore it.
We had some interesting diaper-changing and train-losing-electricity experiences on the way home, but overall it was a fun day.