Lounging ladies catching the rays in
Santa Margherita
The view of Portofino from the water
I'll bet the yacht owner's wife is called Lovey
A spot of shopping in Portofino
Yes, real people live in Portofino too
I came. I saw. I fell in love.
Yes, I know this is a typical saying when you visit Italy. But in this case, I’m more than happy to be “typical.” That’s because our all-too-short excursion to the Amalfi Coast from the MSC Splendida gave us a tantalizing glimpse of what a longer holiday in Italy could be like. Today’s unforgettable day trip took us to Portofino with a brief stop in the equally charming seaside resort town of Santa Margherita.
First, we docked in Genoa (or as the locals call it, Genova): the “vertical city” which features buildings of all shapes and sizes clinging to the mountainous coastline of northwestern Italy. A 45 min. coach ride took us to Santa Margherita, clearly a magnet itself for tourists – including the ladies who soaked up the sun on the rocks beside the beach. The scene reminded me of sea lions perched along the Pacific Coast!
Then, as the road to Portofino can’t accommodate large coaches, we took a 15 min. ride by modern ferry. Actually, it probably is the better way to travel, as you chug past millionaires’ yachts (Ivanna Gabbalot would have been in heaven) and into a post-card perfect harbour.
We had some free time in town, enough to do a bit of shopping in the tiny but elegant boutiques and pause at one of the many waterfront cafes. OK, so at €9 it was the most expensive mineral water I’ve ever bought. But it did come with nuts, olives, chips and was delivered by a stunning Italian waiter straight out of central casting.
The only thing missing was a chilled bottle of Prosecco. Oh, and George Clooney.
Good to know: The Portofino excursion is the most popular one for the Genoa stop. The other bestselling excursions from this itinerary on the MSC Splendida (we sailed from Barcelona) are: Tunis - shopping tour; Malta - La Valetta & Mdina; Sicily – Taormina; Rome – Classic Rome.
