The Real Portofino in Italy

From breakfast anchored a short distance off shore, we could see the traditional Mediterranean building colors of Portofino surrounded by green hills rising from the yacht harbor.

It once again made the fantail buffet on our ship a very special place for breakfast.  We saw a four-masted Windstar ship a bit further out than ours, and I assumed their 200 guests plus whoever went ashore from our ship carrying 1250 guests may overwhelm the scenic port village that has about 500 residents.

After another great breakfast, Julie and I wandered down to catch a tender boat to shore, and almost as soon as we arrived at the meeting point and picked up our tender ticket, we were called to board.  

Unlike larger ships, there was absolutely no delay to wait for enough passengers to fill the lifeboat.  Another lifeboat was already jockeying for our spot, so with our boat less than half full, we were off to shore, which was particularly advantageous because this happened to be a day with heavy chop.

We arrived before the village had entirely awakened, and the first tender had not arrived from Windstar, giving us the opportunity to see what a typical morning might be on a day without cruise ships.

We scouted out sidewalk cafes, reading menus and observing views to possibly return for lunch.

One of the first places we found was a wine bar called Winterose, which had some significance to Julie and me because we had met at the Windrose almost exactly 35 years before.  The words don't actually translate, but close enough for the start of a day in a romantic setting.

It doesn't take long to walk all around the harbor, but by the time we had, considerably more cruisers were arriving from our ship and Windstar.

We decided to walk up stairs to a church and castle with scenic viewing spots, eventually encountering a tour group that had come from a large Royal Caribbean ship, which was forced to port a couple of miles away by Santa Margherita.

I used to describe Portofino as a port with only enough space for small cruise ships, but on this day, not only was there a  Royal Caribbean mega-ship, but also passengers from an MSC ship.

While technically, MSC ships don't stop in Portofino, their home port is frequently Christopher Columbus's hometown of Genoa, less than 40 minutes away by train or bus.

In any case, we seemed to be far enough in front of the growing throngs to be able to enjoy all of the scenic views from the top and spend a little time in the church without feeling crowded at all.

While we walked all the way to the castle, we balked at paying the modest admission fee this time.  The reason to enter the castle is supposed to be for the panoramic view rather than the castle itself, but we felt we found plenty of other scenic viewpoints. 

After wandering back down to the harbor, we sauntered up the main street to see what little shops might have to offer as well as checking out a few more cafes, but as I've often said, we aren't big for souvenir shopping.

We found an ideal table at a reasonably priced sidewalk wine bistro with a beautiful view of the harbor and settled in.

It probably goes without saying, but whenever you're in a touristy area, you should always check prices before you order.  The restaurants on either side of this place had much heftier prices, possibly jacked up specifically for the big cruise day, but the place we went seemed to be priced for locals.

The house wines and Margherita pizza were no more than what we would pay for something similar back home, and they could not have been any better.  Best of all, the waitstaff didn't rush us away, allowing us to soak in the ambiance, views and autumn sun of the Riviera.

By the time the full-on crowds of the cruise ships had come into town, we returned to our ship, once again with a very easy tender boarding that returned almost as soon as we boarded to make way for another tender boat taking our place at the dock.  

That evening, we had reservations at Red Ginger, one of the alternative restaurants without cover charge on Oceania Riviera.  We had a great meal.  This was actually the second time we'd dined in this specialty restaurant.  The first time I'd ordered a special seafood dish of the day rather than from their regular menu, and while with several courses I had plenty to eat, that entree was not up to the delicious standards set on board venues throughout our cruise.

Julie and I thoroughly loved every part of this second Asian fusion meal.  Getting reservations for a second night in Red Ginger (also at no additional charge) had been easy.  The Spicy Duck and Watermelon Salad was particularly noteworthy both times.

It was another fantastic day, start to finish.