One day of the trip to decided to walk over to San Fruttuoso, which is a tiny fishing village located on a pristine bay not far from Portofino along the Rivera. We were told the population consists of only about 39 to 43 residents! The only way to get to San Fruttuoso is by foot or via a ferry. And talk about a mixed visit...we laid out in our squares cuts while lying in front of an Abbey which we toured later. The temperature was just fine. The abbey itself was quite charming, and officially called the abbey of San Fruttuoso di Capodimonte, a Catholic place of worship. It was dedicated to Saint Fruttuoso of Tarragona,bishop and Catalan saint of the third century, whose ashes are kept in the abbey. The place skirts the natural park that leads from Portofino, and appears out of nowhere it seemed, set in a small inlet, protected by a sixteenth-century tower, and the architecture happily integrates with its natural environment around it. We read that it was the martyr himself who chose the bay, to escape the Arab invasion of Spain, he took refuge in the bay building a church there to preserve the relics of the martyr San Fruttuoso. The monastery, with its cloister, the primitive abbey, the archaeological finds and the small village, is worth a visit to discover the authentic soul of this place lapped by great views and spectacular crystal clear seas.
Landed right in my shot before I snapped. I named him Francis.The gulls there were quite bold.
An abbey pus.
The Doria family tombs dating back to 1275 to 1305. That's is amazing.
My heart melts.
ReplyDeleteVery Nice!
ReplyDeleteJUST PERFECT! Wow! That is all you can say! Everything about this vacation is fantastic. I need to get out of the US...so many different and more stunning things to be seen. And the GULL is bold!!! Amazing capture. That location and building is so cool. And old! 1275!!!
ReplyDeleteI admit when that seagull landed in front of me it almost scared the hell out of me.
DeleteIm ready to go back and find our secluded spot, lay, catch rays and hear the bay.
ReplyDeleteI'm right behind you..
DeleteAbsolutely lovely!
ReplyDeleteXOXO
Sixpence
You're firing off on all cylinders with this trip Mistress! I so regret now we never planned this trip. William would have loved it. It is just jaw dropping. This is my kind of vacation...away from city life and mass tourism. You were smart to go off season. The age of the place is mind blowing compared to that in the states. You know here, they would probably have torn that down, all in the name of progress.
ReplyDeleteI'm so enjoy this post. Keep them coming I hope...I'm like a sponge soaking them up.
I agree Agnes. I take vacations I'm more and more liking locations like this instead of City environments. Don't get me wrong I love cities, but there's so much more to see and you almost feel like you need to see things, where's locations like this is by far more relaxing.
Deletelove all the pics! what a great journey you had!
ReplyDeleteNext time...I plan a trip in Milan and look you up!
Deleteto make love together, obviously!
DeleteThe color of the water gets me every time., Reminds me of the water off of Maui when I lived there.
ReplyDeleteYour photo of the gull against that beautiful background is frameworthy!
ReplyDeleteCall me cynical, but I wonder why Fructuosus was made a saint? He doesn't seem to have done anything special (I cheated and looked it up on Wiki), but then neither did those saints who spent their time on top of pillars in the desert.
ReplyDeleteKitty! Also quite a beautiful place.
ReplyDeleteMy friend kept a small boat in Portofino, so that was always our way to San Frutuoso. Heaven! Except for the stone steps in the cliffside that we had to climb. Usually very easy, but the last time I didn’t know i had a small tear in my left quad from an accident the day before. A few steps up and I felt a rip. Kept on going. Spent the afternoon and went home with one leg twice as big as the other. The rip was the mis le. Memories!
ReplyDeleteYes I would think you and Cliffside walkways would not mixed together and spell disaster. But at least you ripped it in a beautiful area!
DeleteBeautiful , quite beautiful xx
ReplyDeleteSaint Fruttuosa sounds like he shoudl patron of queers, I will pray to him for a dreamy Brazilian rugby go-go boy.
ReplyDeleteHave I ever mentioned I like the way you think?
DeleteSuch an idyllic location - and surprisingly Moorish/Arab architecture! You seem to have had the best of times with this holiday... Jx
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely stunning!
ReplyDeleteAwwwwwww so jealous and it is jaw dropping beautiful. Beautiful Portofino.
ReplyDeleteWe visited Portofino, and San Fruttuoso abbbey... it's wonderful, the views, and the town of Portofino is excellent for fresh fish restaurants, the atmosphere, and so Italian life is to dream off, why we have not return more often is beyond me. Very nice post and pictures.
You have my wanderlust going into overdrive.
ReplyDeleteHoly smokes! This place is gorgeous!!! Is it heaven on Earth? Next time take me with you.
ReplyDeleteIf you going to take a vacation, this is how to do it!!! Stunning pictures. So much different than here in the US.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that sort of makes P-town pale in comparison, doesn't it? I have no words for the beauty.Sounds and looks like you had a good time.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes wonder about a theory I have about you: instead of you always having and going to lovely places, you go anywhere and it becomes lovely?
ReplyDeleteYour too kind....but this place was beyond lovely and was so, loooong before I went there. You and your hubby should go. The perfect relaxation spot. But your right to a point, I can probably make my own music anywhere I go.
DeleteVery nice
ReplyDeleteGorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!!!
ReplyDelete