Secret swimming holes & beaches under bridges, Amalfi Coast, Italy.

We took our time the next morning as our bus wasn't until 10:30. We were set to meet up with our next AirBnB host, Lucio (Lu-cho) at one of the seaside towns, Minori. We caught the busy bus no problem, however it dropped us at a unmarked stop so we ended up having to find wifi to find our man! Alas, we were soon in his tiny car heading up the mountain side which at one point in the road goes so narrow they need traffic lights in the daytime! Pulling into a gated carpark, we arrived at his house in Ravello. It was a big home with many levels, all inhabited by his family or family friends. We dropped our bags in our room & headed out to scale back down towards the ocean. 

The walk was intensely steep, & after a good half hour, we made it to a town called Castilliglio. Once again taking crazy steep steps down to the actual beach, we wasted no time in stripping off & charging on in. The swim was replenishing, & exactly what we needed. We clambered back up the stairs & walked towards the town of Amalfi (Overrated) for a browse before returning to the middle beach, Atrani. We swam off a massive concrete slab for a good hour before heading back to Ravello on the bus.

Feeling starving for dinner, we threw on some clothes & walked across the street to a big open garden with lots of tables in it. We had a delicious pizza dinner in a nice breezy setting before we paid up & stumbled across the road & straight into bed!

The next day we had a big one planned, a two hour bus ride out to 'Bagni Della Giovanna,' a secret waterhole I had seen & had been dying to get to. We packed a spare change of clothes for dinner in it's closest city Sorrento, & set off for the bus. The ride was nauseating, dangerous and kept us on the edge of our seats. It entailed two hours of twists & turns along with the slamming of brakes when meeting another vehicle on the almost one way cliff side roads had me feeling woozy, so once we made it to the bus stop & grabbed a snack, I was on the mend! We walked down a path following directions off the internet, veering off the road & down a skinny path lined with ruins. What we found at the end of our decline was an extraordinary hole in the ground with a shining emerald & blue pool at the bottom. 

We navigated our way down to a small strip of beach, the place was scattered with primarily locals, which was a great sign. We wasted no time in diving under the cool, refreshing blanket of water & we marvelled at the moment. Sean decided to take it to the next level & he made yet another leap of faith straight from the top of the path into the surprisingly deep ocean. We swam out through the hole in the rock & were met with gorgeous blue ocean. Deciding to move our stuff to the cliff on the other side, we leapt from an old bridge into the sea, & splashed around soaking up the sun and all its glory. 

After a wonderful few hours spent at our new favourite swimming spot, we decided to gather our gear & head to Sorrento on foot which was only about a half hour track. After browsing bars we settled on an Irish pub for a cold pint of Nastro Azzuro. Getting changed in the process, we were ready for dinner, which was a few doors down. The restaurant, Parrucchiano, is a Sorrento institution & one recommended by Cristina & family. The restaurant itself is huge, with countless tables & an army of waiters. We were sat at the most picturesque end of the restaurant, with lemons everywhere you looked, & our romantic dinner for two was set. A delicious Italian meal & fantastic local white wine later, we were out & back on the bus home. Thankfully I slept the way back so it was nowhere near as bad as the morning!! We climbed into bed ready to take on the next day. 

The next morning we woke up & immediately met two new faces who just checked into the other room. Mike & Fhum, a newly married couple from Montreal were super friendly, & they offered to drive down in their hired car to our next swimming destination, Furore with us. Before long we were on the road, & we made it to the giant bridge which connects the main road over a cove. Heading down the steps, the boys were picking out the best places to jump from, & were so excited they would've leapt straight away, fully clothed! After wisely deciding to check the depth, they were back up the stairs & off they went, free falling into the deep, picture perfect sea! It was my turn next, & after standing on the edge for a while, I let myself go, & I plummeted into the beautiful, refreshing ocean. It was fun but once was definitely enough!

We swam, chatted, & the boys continued to jump off things for awhile before we unanimously decided we were all hungry for lunch. Heading to Lucio's favourite restaurant spot, Atrani, we hit up a restaurant called 'Ristorante Salvo,' & tucked into some fresh, tasty seafood. Finishing up & headed home, we pulled up at the supermarket & picked up a few supplies. We made it back home & it ticked over to beer o'clock. Sharing a few beers with our new friends & also Lucio & his gf, we swapped stories & marvelled at the massive downpour that swept over us. 

As night crept in & a few beers later, we decided it would be an fantastic idea to head to the eggplant festival down in Maiori. The four of us piled into the car & navigated our way to the festival. Unfortunately, it had been rained out & our craving for eggplant parmigiana was looking like it would go unfulfilled! That is, until the boys went into a small family restaurant & walked back out with a whole tray of the stuff!! We headed back to the house & each dished up the delicious parmigiana. We got through a couple bottle of wines, & after an evening walk around Ravello checking out the fanciest hotels, we were back home & into our beds! 

We woke up, packed up yet again & then bid farewell for now to our French Canadian & Italian friends. Hopping on the bus back to salerno we arrived, boarded our train back to Rome, & said sayonara to the sea, & the phenomenal Amalfi Coast!

Florence charm and Mediterranean magic, Cinque Terra, Italy

The next morning we were up early & out the door still rubbing sleep from our eyes. Luckily we didn't have to go far, & we dived into the ocean for one last swim. We showered, packed up & headed to the port to catch the 1pm ferry, & after a smooth ride we arrived back in Piombino Maritima. We bid Cristina & Jane farewell for now, as we would be seeing Cris in the Cinque Terre the following day, & both again up in their lake house in a few days! 

We casually strolled around the port before jumping on our train bound for Florence. The trip thankfully wasn't a long one, & we arrived two hours later. Checking into our hotel, we dropped our bags & headed out straight away to find one of the replicas of the statue of David, & dinner afterwards. We walked into the heart of the city, past a beautiful church, & arrived at a square with the statue, & a whole ensemble of orchestra music. After snapping a few pics & enjoying the soft Italian music, we walked down a series of back roads until we arrived at a cosy little restaurant at the front of a house. 

Dinner consisted of a large salad, a tasty prosciutto pizza, & a delicious, crisp Tuscan white wine. After settling up, we walked a little further until we reached a river. Wandered aimlessly across one bridge & back over another, we eventually set our sights on home & bed. 

After a great night's sleep, we woke up & were all packed by 9. Thinking that we could get breakfast in our hotel until 9:30, we ducked out of room to grab some nourishment. However, the woman who was on shift had other ideas, & was already nearly packed down when we asked if we could eat. She aggressively started to get things back out & feeling uncomfortable, we told her not to bother & left to find somewhere else. We did find a place for a brioche & a coffee, & after heading out for a quick look at the second Statue of David replica, we returned to gather our things from the hotel, before walking to the train station & boarding the train, bound for The Cinque Terre.

Scoring a cabin all to ourselves, we set off & after another few hours, reached our destination, Levanto - a town just past the fifth fishing village of Monterosso. Exiting the station, we wandered up towards the hills - luckily taking a left before having to ascend - & reached our bed & breakfast, 'Fattore.' Meeting the friendly owner, Christian, we dumped our bags & got onto wifi to track down Cristina's whereabouts. Unsurprisingly, it was beachside, at a bar right at the edge of the ocean. We set off back down, through town, & reached the joint. We met Cristina & were introduced to her friend from home, Patricio. We wasted no time in ordering an Aperol Spritz each, & it shortly arrived with some complimentary nibbles. 

Patricio asked if Sean wanted to head out for a surf, & Sean jumped at the chance without hesitation! Cris & I watched on, (even borrowing someone's binoculars!) as the two new mates hit it off attempting to catch the Mediterranean's unusually giant waves, they ventured back in after a good hour & we were back to drinking & socialising. 

As the sun set over the hill, we begun to feel hungry for dinner. We left the bar & headed home for a quick change. Walking back to town, we stumbled upon a tiny pizza restaurant that was packed full. Thinking it must be great, we waited patiently until the elderly waitress ushered us to a table. After waiting patiently again to order, a hot, fresh & delicious anchovy pizza was placed on our table. We devoured the meal with an average local white wine & then headed to another bar for another Aperol Spritz each & a cigar.

We got a hold of Cris again & agreed to meet at another café bar. The cocktails were strong & tasty, & we drank & laughed the night away with inappropriate chat! We decided to call it a night after a few cocktails each, & stumbled home at 1am. 

We woke the next morning drearily, the cocktails definitely came back to bite us. After slowly getting out of bed, we got our things together & headed out to visit Vernazza, one of the Cinque Terre. We hopped on the train & after a short while, arrived at our destination. We checked out a few of the stores, had a delicious sandwich at a place called 'lunch box,' & climbed up a tower which provided magnificent views! 

After taking in the beautiful scenery, & itching to get into the deep blue - if a little rough - ocean, we headed back down to the marina. Sean jumped off a ledge where huge waves were crashing onto, & then we both dived into the much calmer marina. 

We splashed around for a little while, then decided to head back home, picking up a few supplies for a salad dinner at home on the way. I tossed together a delicious, healthy salad, & still feeling rough, we decided against having a drink with dinner. After dinner, we hopped into bed to watch the BBC news, & shortly fell asleep. 

The next morning we arose still feeling the effects of the two nights previous, but pulled through, dressing in comfy, active gear & headed to Levanto station. We purchased a Cinque Terre national parks card which we required in order to hike from one village to another, & hopped on the next train bound for Riomaggitore. 

We disembarked the train & walked down towards the marina. Stopping briefly for a café macchiato whilst taking in the sights of the bustling bay, we finished & walked over towards the allegedly picturesque Lover's Walk. Unfortunately, the path was closed due to landslides which was a massive shame, however we did check this beforehand so as to avoid even greater disappointment. 

Figuring that the next walk would start in the next village along, Manarola, we hopped back on the train & in no time we arrived. Walking down towards the beginning of the cliffside trek, we bypassed it for now in search of a pristine swimming spot. We found one of the edge of a rocky boat ramp, & we wasted little time in stripping off into swimmers & diving into the crisp, clear blue water. The swim gave us a massive renewed energy, & after we climbed out & dried off, we were straight up to the cliff trail with our sights set on Corniglia. 

Oh, if only the trek was as flat as the inconveniently closed coastal paths!! We soldiered on up the mountainside under the unforgiving hot Italian sun through grapevines & up raggedy steps. Our only tiny bursts of energy came in the form of the local white wine grapes Sean kept picking sparingly straight off the vines! After a couple of hours of sweating & pushing hard, we reached the cliffside village of Corniglia. 

Because the marina required a lot more effort than the others to reach, we opted for a delicious gelato in the town centre, before continuing on our journey. Thankfully from Corniglia, the coastal path was open, so no surprises at all in the fact that we didn't hesitate to join it. Funnily enough, the walk was still quite steep, (I fell hard and fast) but thankfully more so coming the other way! We praised a higher power as tourists passed us up the hill panting & sweating, knowing all too well how it felt.

We reached a familiar looking village in Vernazza after a good hour & a half, and stepped up the pace towards the ocean! We jumped into the deep blue and it was refreshing and crisp. We found a spot on the rocks and sent the good part of the next hour enjoying the Rays and splashing around. After a much needed rest and romping, the late hours of the afternoon aroused our appetites and we climbed back up the through the town to a restaurant we had passed on our descend. We had a gorgeous view of the Mediterranean from 🌱 & service with a smile. The food came out promptly and we were super satisfied with our tasty seafood cabonara and tomato/olive stuffed mussels! The sun was beginning to set and with my bung knee (from falling) we opted for the train to take us to the last village of Monterosso. 

The last time I had been in the village with my sister was 8 years ago.. And after far too much limoncello, we stripped off and skinny dipped!! Opting for a far more sober experience of it this time we walked around the bustling little town that seemed to attract the dressiest of the 5 villages! Women were kitted out head to toe in designer tack, face full makeup and Stilettos on cobble streets.. Good luck with that! Limping and resembling a drowned rat after a day of hiking and swimming Sean and I decided to head home on the train.. Not before taking a moment or twenty to be captivated by the gorgeous full moon over the water!