What's the hardest thing about visiting yacht charter shows for me?

When the yacht show season begins, I'm simultaneously happy, sad, and nervous. It's hard to contain so many emotions within one nervous system. But what can you do?

I'm happy because it means traveling to a beautiful place, discovering new yachts and crews, meeting broker friends, new joyful rendezvous, and so many wonderful emotions and experiences. The yacht charter show season also means that the beginning of summer is just around the corner, with charters, guests chartering yachts, planning the trips, cruising around, the singing of cicadas, the beauty and abundance of sea and the beautiful coastline of the Mediterranean.

I'm sad because during the on water exhibitions for brokers, I only have enough energy to visit yachts, communicate with colleagues and crew, take notes, return to the hotel, and rest. I'm an empath, and I tire quickly from too much socializing, so I only have enough energy to get to the hotel and rest—most often, for me, that means being in silence and alone or in some very quiet atmosphere with people around. It happens rarely that I have the extra energy to attend the yacht parties & cocktails that are organzied for brokers during shows. These are wonderful events to experience a yacht at the sunset with many people around, to see how the crew handles all this stress. Indeed, it is a big stress, and I respect the crew job so much! But I have to make a choice - either I go out after working hours or I rest to gain the energy for the following day.

It's not just the lack of energy after work for social activities that makes me sad. It's more the lack of energy to stroll around the city, take a leisurely walks, soak up its atmosphere and energy, and visit museums, galleries, and churches. I love architecture, so I happily enjoy the cultural and architectural heritage of the places I travel to, whether it's for work or my personal travel.

This year, I was in Sanremo for the MYBA yacht show. It was my third visit to this Ligurian town. The first time was a long, long time ago, when I was still studying at university in Italy and living in Milan. Last year, I came here for the show, but I honestly didn't have time to see anything. I only had time to explore the yachts before heading on to the next one, in Nafplio, Greece. This year, I arrived the day before the event. I didn't have much energy after a long flight from Istanbul and several trains from Nice to Sanremo with a short stop over in Ventimiglia, but I said to myself - you have to go for a walk before the work starts. How I reached the very top of the city's beautiful sites, I don't know. One reason - I really wanted to. I'm always grateful to myself for such an effort as a fan of panoramic views. And this one has stayed with me forever.

I'm talking about the hill with the Diocesan Sanctuary of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Madonna della Costa - a modest from outside but stunning on the inside church - on top of that hill. It's incredibly beautiful here – you can gaze out over the sea, the mountains, the houses on the hills, and in my case, the yachts that gathered in the Portosole marina for the exhibition.

After taking a million photos and videos – as always – I headed down through the super-narrow streets of Sanremo's old quarter, which reminded me of a beehive. What an amazing place – Italy at its finest. I went down to the city's main pedestrian street with its boutiques, cinema, and restaurants, bought myself a cute, cheerful summer hat and a lemon-flavored ice cream, and returned to my hotel, the Alexander—a very pleasant and architecturally beautiful place near the yacht marina. After unpacking, I went to rest. The following days were devoted solely to the exhibition. And this time, I wasn't so sad. After all, I managed to collect a few personal memories of this city.

One emotion remains—the reason why I worry. It's probably close to the same reasons why I'm sad. It's the fear of missing out. I'm worried that I won't have time to explore the city, gather enough information about it for work, I'm worried that I don't have enough energy for everything. This is probably the hardest new emotion. Because of social media, you develop the habit of thinking that everyone is doing everything, and that so much is accomplished in a single day. But that's certainly not true. I wish I remembered this much quicker before starting to worry.

Life and all our emotions are certainly not an easy ride. But that's what it's made of. And although I haven't yet managed to explore all of Sanremo, I can say that visiting it by car or train is definitely worth it. It's worth a full day and an overnight stay.

Visiting it specifically by yacht is very difficult. The city is far from the main routes and marinas, so you need to come here when you have ample time and an open fuel budget . Yachts are usually chartered for stunning anchorages - swimming in the beautiful seawater, snorkeling, water sports, and staying near beautiful bays protected from the wind and large waves.

The coastline here is more exposed, so it's not on the list of popular destinations. But if you're an explorer and enjoy doing so on a yacht, and you have the time and financial resources for it, then, of course, the choice is yours. There are the Cinque Terre and Portofino nearby – so there's plenty to do in this part of Italy. Ah, this beautiful Italy – it always finds something (or a lot to be honest) to warm the heart of a traveler. It is I think one of God's favourite places on Earth. Otherwise, how can it be so charming?!

Thank you, Sanremo, for showing me some of your beauty and serenity. You have reminded me how amazing it to dolce far niente before the working days. Hopefully, see you next year!