Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Portofino, Italy


Portofino

The view of Portofino is surely one of the most photographed sites in Liguria. You can’t pass a postcard rack without seeing it. That said, it is indeed a truly stunning sight to see in person. In fact, legend has it that the German officer directed to destroy the town and its munitions depot couldn't bring himself to do it and disobeyed the order. Portofino has long been a favorite British tourist spot and a number of dignitaries and celebrities have built villas there. Richard Burton even proposed to Elizabeth Taylor there during one of their go-arounds.

Today this fishing village is full of high-end boutiques and art galleries. We spent much of our time just looking around. The shops didn’t have much to offer us, so we wound our way toward the lighthouse. Along the way, we peeked into the Chiesa di San Giorgio, a yellow-faced church dedicated to Portofino’s patron saint St. George. This could go a long way to explaining the appeal of the town to the British or maybe it's just that the Brits and their 2 to 1 pounds are the only ones who can afford to buy anything in this town much like it's counterpart Cannes in France.

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