Genova Aquarium

Easter day, in Milan is raining hard.

As we have to visit mum for Easter lunch tomorrow (today is my sister turn) and we do not want to stay all day long at home because of the weather, we thought to take Momichan today to Genova Aquarium, anyway inside the building is not raining.

We arrive at the Aquarium at four o'clock, is still raining hard but despite rain, thousands of people are making long queue to enter and see the fishes. Finally we are also inside and the visit can start.
Momichan is excited, the first thing we see is the basin of Husar and Pepe two manatees (Trichecus Manatus), this is a recent novelty, they come from the Norimberga zoo, Husar is 11 year old, Pepe is only five. Their particularity is the tail similar to the one we imagine for mermaids.

There are many people, too many so we have to keep Momichan on our shoulders all the time to let her see the manatees and also because she could get easily lost.

After this the second basin and biggest one is the one containing sharks, bull shark, black fin, grey shark, saw shark and here also we find million people.
Momichan is so happy, she looks at the sharks enchanted (she has a big pelouche 120 cm from Ikea at home of a white shark with wich she always plays but she has never seen one alive up till now).
In the nearby there are other basins with coloured tropical fishes (Napoleon) and a big big turtle, Momi looks at the fishes tip tapping on the glass window indicating this and that fish shouting and smiling ^^

In another basin we can see little penguins, some of them are swimming, other stay on the rocks. We even see the Nile Crocodile ... you remember the song "how does the crocodile sound ?" and no one knows how does a crocodile sounds ? hehe Momichan asks theese crocodiles about, but they do not answer :) they go on sleeping or what ever they are doing.

This kind of croc can reach 7 meter length and 1 ton weight, fortunately theese are quite little, less than one meter long.

After long walking we need a rest, so many people make me nervous, I continuously have to search for my hubby and care about Momichan not escape too far, also look at the stroller containg all my belongings and Momichan items, after one hour I am completely stressed. With so many people is easy to loose a child or get stealed.
We decided to visit the souvenir shop, we let Momichan walk a little, she gets completely mad for some pelouches shaped animals, embraces a little soft grey penguin and we decide to buy her in remembering of this day. Here she is, embracing her new friend at the coffee shop we went afterward for a rest.

A particularity of Genova Aquarium is a special basin in which there are rays and trigonis and everyone can touch them, the animals are curious and if you are delicate you can easily touch them on the nose or parts of the body. Momichan get one of her sleeves completely wet and also tries to drink the salted water of the basin despite all my attempts to keep her dry. She has still short little arms so she is not able to reach the rays but she can see one passing by, very near.

A fish we are not able to see this time is the Moon Fish or Mola Mola, is a kind of disk with eyes and little fins that can reach 2 tons weight. In our visit in 2007 my hubby and I saw in the same basin of the sharks but this time, maybe because of the crowd, we did not found nowere.

(this Mola Mola has been photographed at the Aquarium on july 19, 2007 on our previous visit, Momichan at that time was neither in our dreams).

At the end of the visit is alredy 7.30 PM, we have to go back home, the Aquarium is starting to close. Luckily rain has stopped for a little while so we can go out breathing the fresh air of the evening.

Near the Aquarium there is a giostra and Momi wants to get inside, we buy her three tickets and she starts to shout happily seated on a little plane.

We have to find something to eat for Momi because we will be home not before eleven and she cannot wait for dinner. Near the giostra, some "bancarelle di mercato" (something like this), are selling regional foods and sandwiches, we buy some roasted meat for Momi and a big hot dog for us and we go back to the car. As soon as we are inside starts raining again ! UFF !!!

Anyway we are hot enough, we are seated and we have some food, Momichan eats all and drinks her fruit tea from her bottle, we start the engine of the car and we go, after a while Momichan is already fallen asleep. Is 9.20 PM.

We arrive home around eleven, Momichan awakes totally for a while, just the time to make shower, change diaper, wear a soft pijama and go bed with a big milk bottle. Meanwhile little penguin pelouche is also taking a bath inside the washmashine but in short time he is clean and dry enough to jump inside bed with Momichan who embraces it touching his fur happily and embracing the penguin Momichan fall asleep.

Dream little Momi, dream about this special day we had and all the new animals, things and emotions we had.