Friday, September 19

5:00 am came quickly.  We had a bumpy, noisy ride to Genoa where we connected to Santa Margherita Ligure (SML). Hotel Laurin was close enough to the train station to walk (see photo to the right -- hotel is just left of the fortress). We were pleased with our 4-star Best Western (booked at home via the web). Our room was large, non-descript, and looked out over a busy harbor. Our terrace was almost as large as the room. We had an interesting window -- there was a glass door to the patio and behind it an automatic grate that would slide up and down, blocking out every crack of light. SML is a pretty little resort town filled with hotels, shops, and restaurants. We were fortunate that we were able to get into our room at 8:00 am. We got our stuff organized and napped.
It was another beautiful day, and we were excited about exploring this area. First on the agenda was a quick boat ride to Portofino. It is a pretty little town with a harbor, shops, and outdoor cafes. We wandered around for an hour or so and took the boat back. I've had gelato every day -- and today is no exception.  We sampled Portofino's specialty, excellent foccacia bread.
In the afternoon we wandered around SML. In comparing this area to home, Portofino is like Newport Beach (for the rich and richer), and SML is like Laguna Beach (laid back with something for everyone). We had dinner at Da Baicin, a restaurant recommended by some people on AOL's travelers' bulletin board. It was an excellent recommendation. Good food and good service. SML was pricier than Venice for food, but still lower than I expected. We spent about $25 a day each on lunch and dinner combined. The hotel, however, cost more than I expected for this area. At 230,000 lire, I at first thought we were paying a high price. But after seeing the town, I can see that we've done well.
I'm reminded of our quest for bathrooms.  In Venice we saw lots of signs for "WC" with arrows. Good luck in actually finding one of these.  We made it a point to use the bathroom just before leaving the room.  Also, we ate in restaurants for lunch rather than grabbing snacks for no other reason than to have access to a rest room. Today Maritza encountered her first bathroom that had only a hole in the ground and places for feet.  I haven't seen one of these since Greece -- but that's another story.
The view from our room at dawn