A Sealyham in search of a film star
Wow, it’s been a red carpet day for Stan and I. It started on the beach with a lovely walk before I headed to my Italian language classes at Grasshopper Language School in the town. We made a lovely new friend, Carol, from Denver, Colorado. She’s one inspiring lady and loves to spend extended trips in Rapallo. Denver is land-locked so it’s important she chooses an apartment with a wonderful view of the sea. It was her advice that led us to get the ferry boat to Rapallo in the afternoon.
I can’t begin to describe how stunning this part of the Italian coast line is. It comes as no surprise that this is the playground of celebrities. But it’s not the present day celebrities we’re in search of - it’s those from the past. We hoped this trip to Portofino would yield more success than our very lovely trip to the Excelsior Hotel. And, as you’ll see, we were not disappointed.
But first things first - we had to get our bearings and see what Portofino had to offer. I guess your mindset has a huge impact on the way you experience life. But let’s face it, your surroundings count too. Portofino made Stan and I feel like film stars. From the moment we embarked at the harbour, we had goose bumps, we felt a million dollars walking through the streets. Everyone wanted to meet Stanley and learn more about him!
The first American couple we met wanted to take his photo. Seasoned Portofino visitors, they knew exactly where we should head. Go to Pucci, they said! And I think you’ll agree that the Pucci sign makes a fantastic backdrop for our latest celebrity Stanley Poochie! The good news is that Stanley hasn’t let fame go to his head. He knows what’s in fashion today can be gone tomorrow. So, he limited himself to window shopping. That made me breathe a sigh of relief! And it’s not his fault he didn’t know these Portofino brands have stood the test of time, influencing what we all wear, whatever our spending power.
At one point he thought it might be good to get a selfie at all the high end brands. But when he saw the plethora of shopping destinations on offer, he decided to play it cool and select only those that truly reflected his fashion sense. If he were to be totally honest, he stopped at Longchamp because the whole thing was quite exhausting and the chance of a little sit was too good to pass up.
Sitting in the Longchamp chair resulted in its own drama. Like any good Sealyham he asked to take his place on the chair before sitting down. The lady in the boutique was already peering through the glass doors at all the passers by. We got the definite sense that sitting on said chair without permission would solicit a reaction. So, we did the right thing! We asked and she smiled, waving us on.
Stanley felt confident in the decision and was relieved. However, within seconds of sitting an Italian lady became quite agitated and we couldn’t really understand why. Affronted that she might have thought we had sat down without permission, we felt compelled to explain. No, we really were told it was OK to sit down. Then she revealed the truth, the lady in the shop never let anyone sit in the chair. I have no idea what relationship dynamics existed between the Longchamp fashionista and the restauranteur next door, but one thing was sure, Stanley was special and was allowed to sit.
But the window shopping wasn’t the real reason we’d headed to Portofino, we were in search of 1950’s celebrities and evidence that Stan’s Sealyham relatives had been there before him. And, that’s what led us to the Hotel Splendido Belmond. Entering one of the world’s most beautiful hotels comes with some trepidation, but Stanley’s celebrity demeanour put me at ease.
‘Just go straight to reception and let them know we’re here’, he said. ‘
Wowk! I’m on it Stanley!’
And so, I did. And that’s when the lovely concierge provided us with evidence that, yes 1950’s film stars stayed there.
He graciously handed us two photographs taken at the hotel of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor and Ava Gardner. Of them, we knew Burton and Taylor had a Sealyham, but Ava Gardner was a big fan of Corgis (the royal dog). I wonder if she’d known that Princess Margaret had a Sealyham she might have been tempted. Stanley has also done his own research. It’s not just humans that like Ancestry.com, As a breed that is very rare these days Stan was curious to learn about his relatives. It wasn’t just Burton and Taylor that loved Sealys - you can add Alfred Hitchcock, Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, Cary Grant and Randolph Scott to the list. Cary Grant was so enamoured of his Sealyham that he gave him his own real name - Archie Leach. Hitchcock was so convinced of their acting abilities that he included them in his movie, The Birds (1963). Considering they visited and filmed in the region in the 1950’s we were hopeful that some of them would have brought their best friend with them on their trips. Sadly, we couldn’t find any evidence that Sealyhams accompanied their famous friends. If anyone knows the truth we would be delighted to learn it.
Whether we ever find physical evidence that they visited here back then, we hope Stanley’s convincing you of his star qualities. Sealyhams are an adorable breed!
Buongiorno! We’re going to Portofino
Pucci knew Stanley was coming!
Breaking all the rules at Longchamp!
Following in their footsteps - Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor
