Year 1955. Leningrad. Academician Zakharzhevsky is visited by his nephew, Alexey Zakharzhevsky. The academician and his young wife Ada meet Alexey at the station and take him to their house.
This journey begins on the coast at the Portofino National Park, a small headland of dramatic cliffs and woodland surrounding the famous village of Portofino itself. Traveling north takes the journey to Genoa, Italy's largest seaport and birthplace of Christopher Columbus. The second largest city in Italy is Milan, which has long been thought of as the fashion and design capital of the world.