On to Portofino

 Monday  

19 August 

Day 50

46 to go

Moving day again. We were up at 8am and happy to start our morning routine. Dressed, breakfast, and completely packed, we left our apartment and made the trek up the hill to the train station. We were there well before time. We sat on the platform watching another train board and go and then at 10.10am, it was our turn. We joined the other passengers, thankfully finding an easy space to stand with our cases. The journey was only 4 stations along the long and a short 33min trip. While there were plenty of tunnels, there was also a lot more to see on this train trip. Plenty of seaside spots, umbrellas out ready to welcome the beachgoers. 

When we reached San Margherita station, we piled out of the train and then went in search of the 782 bus. We joined the line for the small, electric bus. We let the one that was there go, as it was full and then climbed aboard the next one, stuffing ourselves into the back and again, dodging paying the five euro fare. 

The bus took 20 minutes to arrive at our stop. It wound its way along the water’s edge, with plenty to see. It was also a pretty tight squeeze in places. When we got off, we had to navigate a lot of stairs. I was helped by a kind man, who had also tried to help Paul, before realising the bags were super heavy. 

Once down the stairs, we had plenty of cobblestones to navigate, which did not make for an easy passage. We pushed the cases passed the fancy restaurants and the boats, before finally making it to the accommodation. Thankfully, we were able to go straight in, but not before climbing the first flight of stairs. We were in by 11.45am. 

We unpacked, checked out the room and the pretty impressive view over the harbour and the very expensive boats. We took stock for an hour, before heading outside. We did a brief walk around, before stopping at a small market for some lunch things and returning to the room to eat. 

Somewhat sated, we went out again, just as it started to rain. We found another market to use and then went in search of an easier way to get our cases to the bus. We think it was successful. We wandered the lanes, buying a gelato. At $28 for two, I think it will be the first and last here. We continued our walk of the harbour area, checking out the view from the opposite side and the many luxury boats. We had looked at a few menus, balking at the prices. $98 for prawns. Spaghetti was $40. 

We returned to the room, a little deflated. We will have to find some cheaper options for food over the next couple of days. There are some other towns that we will probably explore, so will have to hope they are better priced. 

We decided we would eat in tonight, so returned to the market for pasta supplies. It was starting to spit again, so it was a quick venture out, before returning to the comfort of the room and the view from our first floor window. 

By 5pm, we were getting hungry, so decided to get cracking on our pasta dinner. Well we hoped to, until we found we were unable to plug the hot plate into the wall socket. We tried all of them, and there were a few, to no avail. The only one we were able to use was in the bathroom, which was not going to work. 

I contacted the host who let me know there should be and adapter and that he could drop one over tomorrow. That was not what we wanted to hear, so Paul, was straight on the phone, insisting that we get an adapter within 30 minutes or we’d be booking up dinner on them. Amazingly, we had one within 15min and dinner was on. I put together the pasta with olives, speck and a tomato passata. It was delicious and needed. 

After dinner, we went for a long walk. We trekked up the road to the Chiesa Di San Giorgio. Along the way we found a goat doing some gardening and entertaining the tourists. From the church piazza, there were fabulous views over Portifino and the towns along the coast. We then continued to follow the path that lead to the lighthouse, spying a large cruise ship at sea. 

In the return, we ducked down a lower path which took us all the way to Spiaggia dell’Olivetta, a small rocky cove, hidden away from it all. It was a bit of a climb down via the stairs and it meant a bigger climb back to the path and on to Castello Brown and then back onto the flat ground of the harbour, via a very steep set of stairs. 

We walked through the town of very pretentious people. There are a lot of boat shoes, no socks, pastel pants that are too short and long, flowing dresses hanging off people with far too much Botox, carrying an obligatory small, fluff ball with a nasty bite. This is certainly a town for the rich and possibly famous. 

We returned to our view of the harbour, happy with our post meal walk. We sat enjoying the view unfolding outside the window and relaxing for the remainder of the evening.