A Little Tale of a Ghostly Visit While on Vacation In Italy...

Having been invited recently to write a ghost story by one of our ghoulie gather ghost groups, .I thought long and hard and remember this little tale that happened one night while staying in an old old hotel while on vacation some years ago in Italy...here is my story, and though not a very horrifying tale, it is true and really did chill me down to my bones..

Portofino is located on the sun-drenched area of Italy called the Ligurian coast also called the Italian Riviera.This port town has an ancient history of piracy and mayhem until trading with Genoa began...Eventually this picturesque rugged coast town settled down to become a mecca for fishing and sailing, then, became the classy resort town that it is today..For quite a few years it was a haven for the rich and famous, with their yachts anchoring just off this idyllic harbor. Still others came for the beauty of the town itself.

We had arrived from another lovely port town of Santa Margarita just a bit north, about 4 miles, and even though it may have been only a short distance away the atmosphere was quite different since Santa Margarita is more of a vacation spot for the local Italians and quite a bit livelier while everything is more reasonably priced.

When we arrived we had to leave our car in a car park just a short walk or ride out of town since no cars are allowed in Portofino.

The hotel sent someone to help us with our luggage so that wasn?t a problem. We were staying at a hotel that was right on the harbor and at one time had been an ancient and luxurious villa, handed down over the centuries and had many stories of previous owners. I think one of those owners decided to visit us in our room that night.

But, before I get into that I want to just tell a little bit about Portofino. This tiny port town, one of Italy?s most romantic and colorful little corners, is really just a large square surrounded by buildings in every pastel shade to be found on a palette with the glistening blue waters of the Mediterranean at it?s doorstep. The buildings in the hills just seem to hang there, amid green vegetation and tall trees with hiking trails for even the novice hiker. The waterfront is lined with shops and cafes, each one another color of that same palette. There really isn?t too much to do in Portofino besides relax at a café and people watch or hike in the hills above?The walk around the protected harbor is a delight, a true beauty with those hills surrounding it on 3 sides. Looking out into the distance at the yachts and fishing boats bobbing in the water is an absolutely breathtaking sight..A picture postcard setting if ever there was one. You can also take boat rides around the coast which is what we had planned to do the next day, as well a visit to the old church of San Giorgio, built on the site of a sanctuary dating back to when the Romans were there and even before they arrived.

That night when we were dressing for dinner, my husband went downstairs for some reason or another and I was showering?. I had taken out the outfit I was going to wear that evening from my suitcase along with my shoes and put them on the bed?Oh, this room had been furnished in antiques and had a very high bed, with a little step stool beside it, when I came out of the bathroom my clothes weren?t there, or my shoes or the little step stool. I thought to myself, I could have sworn I?d taken them out but then said to myself, self, maybe you just think you took them out, so I removed them again and got dressed, leaving my shoes beside the bed while I finished my makeup and hair. Going back into the room my shoes weren?t there but were next to the closet beside the stepstool. Again I shrugged that off but did mention it to my hubby when he came back to get me.

We went off to dinner at one of the restaurants along the waters edge and had a memorable meal, Mussels Provencal, I think that was the first time I ever had that dish, now one of my all time favorites, along with 2 bottles of wine from the neighboring vineyards of Santa Margarita...It was one of those 3 hour leisurely meals where everything you put into your mouth tastes like a little bit of heaven.  At the end of the meal we decided to walk along the port looking out at the twinkling lights on the lit up boats in the harbor and at one point I almost fell in the water. Two bottles of wine is a lot for just us, but that Santa Margarita wine was just the best!

As the evening progressed we finally went up to our room, the bed had been turned down, Italian chocolates on the pillow, the step stool in place and I got into bed. I immediately fell asleep, unusual for me, and slept like a log until about 3 am when I felt someone shake me..I sleepily said to my husband when I woke him, ?what do you want?? ?What do you mean?? He said, I answered, ?Why did you just shake me?? ?I didn?t shake you? he said, ?go back to sleep, you are dreaming?, all that wine, he muttered..Ok, but first, I think I?ll go to the bathroom, so I stepped down to reach the step stool and nearly fell on my face, it wasn?t there! I knew it was there when I went to sleep because I used it to get into the bed.. Needless to say, at this point I was a bit freaked out and stayed up the remainder of the night, pretending to be asleep to see just what was going on, but nothing else occurred and when I reminded hubby what had happened in our room while I was dressing for dinner combined with being shaken awake in the middle of the night, we decided to checkout of the hotel that day instead of staying the following night..I mean, I was really shaken hard not just a tiny bit. I can almost feel it as I write this.

So that?s my little ghost story nothing too dramatic but needless to say it was enough for me to make my stay in Portofino a truly memorable one..

Happy Halloween..