“So much serenity”- Darryl Kerrigan

The Amalfi Coast, is full of all the possible natural beauty of the ocean without all the ravaging killers of Oz. The Jongma clan tumbled down the windy roads and rolled up to the edge of the small town of Furore. A divine little villa dug into the cliff was where we stayed, overlooking an apparently endless sea and unbroken horizon. Our visit was graced by some of our Dutch family, the De Jong’s, who crazily drove the entire distance from Holland to stay just a few minutes down the road. It was awesome to catch up with them again after my December visit (read here). It was a great chance to sit down for a cup of tea with a view before we piled into Neil’s car to head to their hotel for a classic Italian meal washed down with home-made lemoncello!

The next morning was a lazy rest morning where we woke up late and strolled down to the cove beach that was a few steps away from our front door! An amazing cove enclosed by cliffs on either side led from the waters edge to the peak of the cliffs. Sunbeds were laid out for each family member and after drifting in the cool blue water we dried ourselves in the shade of umbrellas and took in the breathtaking scenery of the area! By evening we were starving and needed to fill up on brilliant Italian pizzas, and were treated to a vast selection of classics with Mediterranean twists!

The road along the coastline has to rank as the one of the most dangerous and hectic in the world! The solution however, is to get a boat and speed along with an even greater view of the towns built into the sides of cliffs. With the propeller whirring we made our way to the beautiful town of Capri. After the standard gelato we toured a few stores and observed the wonders of the famous lemon liqueur ‘lemoncello’, which became the standard way to finish a meal for the rest of the trip!

Further on in the day we stopped for swims around the grotta della smeraldo (emerald cave) where the over 18’s enjoyed prosecco and the kids dived below looking at fish resembling the famous ‘Dory’ from Finding Nemo. I was lucky to fit into both categories there! Further boat travel took us to the blue and red grottos before another swim near the famous Faraglioni rock formations, which kind of resemble two of the twelve apostles from Oz.

One final night of Lemoncello and pasta awaited us atop the cliffs, and I have to make a mention of the incredible people who make tourism around the area of Furore and Praiano. The locals are incredibly proud of their area and a true sense of community has been projected from the effort and energy they put in to making our experience unforgettable. Our final evening wrapped up with some gigantic prawns before we made the journey back home to pack for our next adventure! Here are my top 5 recommendations for Amalfi!

1. Take a boat out: Hire a boat and splash out in all the greatest swimming spots, visit a few different towns and get a better feel for the entire coastline from another angle.
2. Eat, drink and be merry: Relaxing is one word that could describe the experience in totality. Take the time to sit down with friends and family, and enjoy a good laugh with a few local waiters
3. Spend some time on the beach: Take a deckchair and swim down in a sheltered cove or the open seas!
4. Visit a few different towns: Each town has a slightly different atmosphere, form the bustling energy of Capri, through to the picturesque positioning of Positano
5. Chat to the locals: Priority No.1 to gathering an insight into the beauty of the area comes directly from the people themselves!

#jongmasjourney is continuing ahead at full pace! Subscribe by email here to get my next update on Pompeii via email!

Until next time, and as Grandma’s friend Laurie always says…

“Love all around”