Potofino

Portofino is almost too beautiful for its own good. When one walks the harbourside quay you will be rubbing elbows with day-trippers, the Italian industrialists, celebrities, the motor yacht fraternity and a lot of rich but not so famous folk who consider this little town the epicentre of the good life. The late afternoon is the time to arrive which we did after a gentle stroll from where we had anchored Malua in the bay of Santa Margherita. The daytime crowd has left either in the bus or on the many day ferries plying their trade up and down this beautiful coast. At this time there are a few people in the harbourside bars preparing for the night's dining at the local restaurants.

We chose the La Gritta American Bar. A famous writer called this bar "the nicest waterfront bar this side of Hong Kong" The prices where nice all right the drink selection apart from cocktails poor. A range of champagnes, cocktails starting at 18 euro, bottles of wine starting at 34 euro and two types of beer at 8 euro for a 250ml served I might say in a warm glass which you could not get a head from the beer! The balance to that were the snacks - at least 8 different types ranging from chips right to carrots and halved small tomatoes. Along with the good services comes the view, and what a view. While were sipped our drinks three super mega yachts went astern into the quay. The smallest called "My Toy" while the largest, "One More Toy", came complete with a jacuzzi on the top deck along side a treadmill and exercise bike and bar! The rich or is it their parents or friends stepped ashore to walk along the dock to a preselected restaurant for a night of the good life.

After our two drinks we walked up the side streets to catch the last bus back to Santa Margherita to dingy back to Malua for some real beer and a wonderful meal looking at the guests at the water front hotels of the Continetal and Imperiale. Not a hard choice as to which side of the view I would like to be. Tomorrow we walk the trails to the San Fruttuoso cove.