Mega Yacht Fortunate Sun in Portofino, Ligure

Yes, I know I am a day late on yesterday's blip. My first back-blip since starting this adventure.

It was a busy day yesterday. Unfortunately we didn't get to see any of the €1M apartments as we'd hoped to as the estate agents sniffed us out as measly holiday makers waiting their time - we obviously hadn't just stepped off of Mega Yacht Fortunate Sun which was waiting to show its self off to the little tourist boat as we eagerly approached Portofino for a smooch around the galleries and shops. Needless to say there was lots of super artwork available but it was all very poorly presented at over inflated tourist price tags.

In one shop we had found a watercolour artist who had produced some really attractive and original mini pictures of the local area. I was taken by the one of Camogli which is my favourite place around here and is just along the coast from Santa Margherita. The work itself was super but was let down by the fact that it had been drawn with cheap watercolours and a biro pen instead of proper ink onto wafer thin non watercolour paper and framed into a tacky 50p IKEA frame with the shop label still attached!!!!

It was a real shame as had it been presented in a way that would command the €25 price tag then I more than likely would have purchased at least two of her pieces. Needless to say, we said chow and moved on swiftly.

Can you blame her for trying it on when mega yachts like this one are docking at the harbour which is a stones throw away from her little shop on a daily basis. The apartments in Portofino go for €3M upwards.

Grandpa has been coming to this resort for at least 20 years if not more. Yes, it was a slightly upmarket resort back in the day, but then Grandpa was in a fairly well paid local government job so liked to go on holiday to resorts such as this. Since Grandpa's first visit all those years ago this place has just spiralled well out of control, the money has taken over. The Russians have pushed up the property prices and it has become a proper millionaires resort. Grandpa said last night that we probably won't be coming here for much longer as 30 years on he is starting to get priced out and cannot really afford the high price tags attached to the hotel rooms and the high bills for the often mediocre food in the many tourist target restaurants.

A real shame, oh well. They say that good things don't last forever and unfortunately, Grandpa's lottery numbers didn't come up this weekend.

Back to Cambridge we go on Friday to tell all of our anecdotes from our holiday in Millionaires Lair!!! ;-D