Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Portofino, Italy

The beauty of Portofino was exactly as I had dreamed it would be – still  turquoise water, Italianate mansions perched high atop a cliff and a enlivening breeze of lemon blossoms and salt water.  We drove from Genoa to Portofino with a goal of laying in the sun, lingering over a long afternoon lunch (that was finished with gelato) and climbing to the top of the hillside to see the view from up above.  The end of May is the near the end of the mid-season and right before high-season which allowed us to spend an entire day not completely overwhelmed by fellow tourists.  We ended up hiking from Santa Margarita, a beautiful seaside town just under two miles away from the port town of Portofino.  The trail we hiked took us high into the hills where all you could hear are birds chirping and the invigorating smell of the water and towering cypress trees.  Like that of the Cinque Terre you enter Portofino from the top and make your way down the hill, where you are quickly surrounded by luxury boutiques and outdoor cafés.  A hike to Castello San Giorgio is definitely something that anyone exploring the town should do since it gives way to one of the best views of the port.  The colorful architecture of Portofino is very unique.  The facades are painted in tromp l’oeil and are made to look as if they actually have textural details.   Here are some of the moments that captured the beauty of this stunning Italian locale.  



*Photography by Alison 

6 comments:

  1. Gorgeous shots! Although it's a few years away, my bf and I already know we want to take our honeymoon in Italy.

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  2. Ahhhh , Alison–so gorgeous! I'm already dying to go back to the Italian coast–there's just nothing like it!

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  3. aaahhhhh....heaven!! Thanks for the beautiful photos....it took me back some 9 years when I took my husband right before we got engaged.

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  4. I loved Portofino and would love to go back! Stunning images!!

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  5. These photos are so gorgeous that they don't even look real! Adding Portofindo my bucket list now ;) xx

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  6. I have been seeing lots of Italy pictures lately and this are some of the most beautiful ones.

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