Today we had a slow morning and got a few things accomplished in the studio. After lunch, with the prospects of a warm and sunny afternoon, we opted to venture out to visit Portofino. It is less than 20 miles from Bogliasco, but not an easy transit over the normal network of steep, narrow, hilly roads. Portofino is on the other side of a major mountainous landform (from Bogliasco) that is so dramatic that it cannot be navigated by car. Several of the destinations are accessible only by hiking or by boat.
Portofino is on the eastern edge of this landform, and is the last stop which is accessible by vehicle......but that is an overstatement. The road, which is often choked by tourists, cannot be more than 15' wide at points. Several times in the last 2 mile stretch we had to pull over to let vehicles pass in the other direction. The stories of summer traffic jams are terrifying!
We were quite fortunate. It is still a few weeks in advance of the start of the summer season and the route was not as bad as we expected. While it was certainly a busy spot, it was quite comfortable and did not feel crowded with tourists. It was actually a perfect day and a mezmerizing experience. We spent a couple of lazy hours just hanging out and enjoying the nice afternoon.
One of the fun things we saw was the beginning of a large pile of wood and miscellaneous lumber which was being stacked up in the central, waterfront piazza (see picture). Saturday is the festival day for the patron saint of Portofino, San Giorgio.......culminated by a huge bonfire in the evening. We are thinking about going back!
The scale, color and texture of this small seaside village built into the hillside was captivating. It is well-deserving of its reputation as one of the most beautiful places in Italy. We are definitely going back before the crowds start to arrive!
Portofino
Santa Margherita
Bogliasco Sunset from our Terrace
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