RoboEthics Workshop - Last Day

After returning from the soiree in the private home of a Genoese family back to the hotel, I still need to prepare my presentation for the next day. So I have to pay the price for not having completed it earlier… and I have to stay up until 2 am to complete the vugraphs.

After a short sleep, I wake up at 6:30. Decide to use the time to get a view of the city in the morning. Genoa is stretched along the Ligurian coast, facing south. The whole coast line is very hilly, so the city stretches across several valleys and hills. My walk through the still quiet streets takes me down towards the coast, where I finally get a broader view of the city itself. A wild chaotic mixture of modern buildings, renaissance palazzi, and a maze of roads. The sun has not yet risen above the hills in the East, there is still a kind of blue light over everything, like within a large shadow. Some thick clouds hang above, and suddenly a few snow drops fall down, bouncing on the street. These are no flakes, but little droplets, like hail, but made of snow. I have not yet seen snow in Leeds, but here in the Mediterranean Genoa, it snows.

At the conference, I give my talk. Present are also the authors/journalists Flo Conway and Jim Siegelman – we later talk about the interesting issues that were discussed at this workshop.

Under the arcades of Via XX Septembre. 

Via XX Septembre. 

Via XX Septembre.  

View through old gate. 

Front of historic ship with gallion figure - town in the background. 

Ruins of medieval building 

Silhouette of roof line. 

Sunrise over Genoa. 

My first day at the RoboEthics Workshop

First day at the RoboEthics workshop. Actually, the workshop has already been on for two days, but I only could attend from Wednesday.

The meeting takes place in a bibliotheca. Surrounded by shelves of historic books, the participants sit around a large row of tables. One speaker at a time gives a presentation, the others then ask questions, and discussions arise. The schedule soon is no longer valid, as speakers exceed their time, and discussions take longer than anticipated.

A picture-perfect blue sky outside looks very tempting, for a stroll through the city. But I stay, attending all the presentations – afterall, this is why I am here.

In the evening, the whole group is invited to the private home of a Genoese family: a “soiree” takes place, with a chorus singing liturgical music. Then food is served, and the participants can continue informal discussions.

The venue of the RoboEthics workshop in the Bibliotheca Berio. 

First Night Stroll through Genoa

After I checked into the hotel and dropped the luggage in the room, I decide to do a short walk. Circle around the hotel, then head down towards the historic center. It is Carneval. Not as burlesque as in Venice, of course not as outrageous as in Rio, but people walk around in costumes, with funny hats, with masks. In the Palazzo Ducale court, a whole group of people is dancing, to the music of three musicians, playing on historic instruments. What a good and joyful mood! The dance continues seemingly endless.

Further down into the center there are narrow streets, historic buildings, restaurants. But I will explore this some other time – it is getting late, and my lack of sleep is making itself noticeable. The temperature is a little milder than in Yorkshire, but after a while it turns a little chilly. Nightly temperature will be at 3 C, not much different from Leeds.

Piazza de Ferrari at night. 

Via Garibaldi at night. 

Nightly view on the Piazza de Ferrari, Genoa. 

Porta Soprana (12th century). 

Carneval dancing in the Palazzo Ducale in Genoa. 

Firenze, Duomo. 

Firenze, Ponte Vecchio