Flowers for yachts on the Italian Riviera.

Across the border is not far

The Italian Riviera is part of our normal week, not an expedition. Imperia is under two hours from the workshop, Portofino about three and a half. It is one coast with a border in the middle of it, and the border is the easy part: France and Italy are the same market, so a van full of flowers crosses without a document, without a declaration and without anyone opening a box.

That is worth saying plainly, because a boat that has just spent a winter dealing with import permits in the Caribbean sometimes assumes Italy is complicated. It is not. It is a drive.

Where we deliver

• Imperia, Porto Maurizio and the Gorgona marina.
• San Remo, Portosole and Marina degli Aregai.
• Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure.
• Genoa, Rapallo, Lavagna, Varazze, Loano and Alassio.

What changes compared to Antibes

Only the clock. On the French coast we take an order to 10pm for six the next morning. For Italy we want the order the day before, because the flowers travel further and we would rather they travel early and cool than fast and warm. Everything else is the same: same buying, same conditioning, same people.

If the boat is moving down the coast during the week, tell us the itinerary rather than a single port. It is usually easier to meet you further along than to chase you back.

And further south

Portofino is not the end of it. We deliver to Capri, the Amalfi coast and the Bay of Naples as well, and we have driven to Barcelona for a single delivery. Those are arranged rather than routine, and they need more notice, but the answer is very rarely no.