August 6, 2009
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Portofino
Portofino is a classic everyone-must-go-there-once holiday destination. No new houses have been built since 1935, making Portofino a gem of such shimmering polish that over the years it has dazzled everyone from Clark Gable to Grace Kelly, Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman. Heck with those credentials I just had to film there…I used Portofino for several coffee TV commercials a few years back.
It is a typical Ligurian fishing village located in the Cinque Terre with pretty little colored houses dotted all around the harbor and main-square. In spite of its notoriety, Portofino still maintains today the atmosphere of ancient maritime traditions, craftsmanship, colors and perfumes that still today captivate illustrious travelers.The Cinque Terre is a little corner of Liguria where generations have worked to create this monument in landscape architecture, represented by the steep terraces sloping down the sea and picturesque fishing villages.
It is so special that it was recognized by the Unesco “Mankind’s World Heritage”, and is now a National Park and Marine Area with the aim of protecting this great cultural heritage. Christopher Columbus prayed at the chapel in the small harbor church there and Winston Churchill often painted on the beach of the harbor when he was able to take a holiday.
The highlight of the film shoot however was an indulgence I felt guilty about as I was supposed to be working but I was surrounded by luxury…our hotel, the Hotel Splendido.
There is no chicanery: it’s just in a class of its own. There is a distinct nostalgia of how it must have been 75 years ago and yet it is contemporarily impeccable.
The Hotel Splendido, described by Harpers and Queen as a “peaches-and-cream villa” is situated on a hillside overlooking Portofino; dotted with luxury yachts in a turquoise sea.
It is impossible to ignore the staggering array of Ferraris and Bentleys as you enter the magnificent reception hall. There is so much splendid eye candy to behold that a large dark pair of Gucci’s with a Hermes scarf wrapped lightly around the bouffant a-la-Loren will hide your natural curiosity.
Apart from the crowd it is really is immense pleasure to be at this coastal landmark, where the terrace for dining is totally incredible. By booking a table closest to the view you can dine on Ligurian delights while sipping some of the finest wines in Italy; with a view that makes you feel a million dollars. It’s just special.
To make our stay even more special they realized I was with an American film crew and that it was Thanksgiving holiday for us so to supplement our Italian feast they prepared a roasted turkey with chestnut dressing on the big day. My cousin Grace drove over from her home in Genoa to join us that evening.
The Health and Wellbeing Center Spa was imperative for our crew as we had filmed in the Alps the week before and we were tired and our bones still ached from the sub zero temperatures of filming on the slopes. There are saunas, Turkish baths, hot stone massages and a spectacular salt-water pool over looking the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean.
I think if I could live anywhere in the world I would choose Portofino.
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