Sunday 5 October 2014

Portofino

Just over an hour's drive along the Ligurian coast towards Genoa from the rugged and remote Cinque Terre gets you to the heart of the Italian Riviera.


Driving through beautiful Rapallo to Portofino, the views of intense blue-green sea are still spectacular, but peeling tumble-down village houses are traded for elegant mansions and fishing boats for expensive yachts.


Portofino, on a rocky promontory overlooking a protected cove, is a holiday home for some of Italy's elite and a favourite spot to park luxury yachts. 


But its basic appearance has apparently changed very little over the last half century, probably due to the intervention of powerful people who like to keep it exclusive and discreet.


The harbour is lined with heavily flowered, terraced, shuttered apartments, discreetly tucked-in designer-brand shops and chic restaurants, all with views to the ongoing entertainment of this busy little port. 




Topping the hillside that overlooks Portofino is the legendary Hotel Splendido (just visible top left in the pic below), where film stars and politicians have stayed since the days of Churchill, Bogart and Bacall.


We walked all the way up a winding footpath from the harbour to reach it, rewarded with sights like this on the way.



to have a cold prosecco on the garden terrace of the Splendido, and reflect on how the very rich live.


Portofino, September 2014

8 comments:

  1. Beautiful...Thanks for the pictures...

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  2. Karen, you've given me the illusion of joining you on that terrace, while I do my own contemplations!

    Many thanks for taking us along to this splendid place. xo

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  3. Ahhh, beautiful Portofino. Beautiful Italy, beautiful coastline. This is where my heart lives.
    What memories I have of this breathtaking place, the Splendido is where we spent time during our honeymoon. As long as I live I will never forget the beauty, the spectacular views, the harbor and the people. You are blessed to travel like this.

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  4. M'illumino d'immenso - what joy, thank you, Karen!

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  5. Hey keep posting such good and meaningful articles.

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  6. What you're saying is completely true. I know that everybody must say the same thing, but I just think that you put it in a way that everyone can understand. I'm sure you'll reach so many people with what you've got to say.

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  7. I like your approach on the topic. Your article is as interesting as your previous writings. Keep up the good work, thanks a lot.

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  8. I will probably be back again to browse more, many thanks for the data.

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