DAY 481 - life’s a BEACH….somewhere in Italy

The wedgie bikini reigns supreme here in Italy and you can see your fair share of bum cheeks (good, bad & ugly) on any Italian beach, but at least they are not totally starker’s!

I remember as a kid having our summer family holidays at Victor Harbor or Goolwa and wishing it never ended.  I just didn’t want the long hot summer to end or to go home (& return to school) just yet. 

From Grosseto Beach in Tuscany and right down to Sicily we’ve followed the Med Coast (and the wedgie) and found some amazing, non-touristy, out of the way places.  We cannot get over how beautiful and crystal clear the Mediterranean Sea is…….it’ just like a swimming pool in many places.  We’ve also lucked it with some great free/wild camping spots with million dollar views. 

Amalfi coast is of cause just spectacular and we did the drive along the coast in both directions from Sorrento to Amalfi and then the following day from Salerno to Amafli.  We also quickly learnt where the locals went (i.e. free beach) and for good reason.  Some of the most amazing spots where not where you’d find hundreds of color matched beach umbrellas and deck chairs, but generally an obscure archway, with just as difficult parking and access and then 100 steps to reveal a marvel that only the locals know about.

Calabria region also boats some pretty amazing coastline and was a real surprise for us in Italy.  The coastline here offers great rocky outcrops with sections pebble beach, which is just perfect for swimming and fishing.  The area is a well-kept secret and generally Italians and a few Dutch know about.  We stayed in the North of Calabria in a place called Cirella & worked our way along the coast South to Tropea and Capo Vaticano and did the odd day trip up the hilltop villages and remote and hard to access beaches.  We’ve also learnt the value of a good pebble beach (i.e. no sand in crouch or motorhome) and it allows the water to by crystal clear which is perfect for snorkeling and fishing. 

It’s been the summer of a lifetime for both of us and one that we will not forget.  We’ve seen the most amazing beaches, swam in some of the best area’s Europe has to offer and enjoyed some great food and wine.    We have quite literally, swam, fished, snorkeled, sunbaked, wild camped, eaten & drank our way through this part of Italy and have througherly enjoyed every moment.

It’s been nearly 6 weeks since we’ve been in a campsite, so we haven’t had electricity, proper showers or toilets for a while and are having a blast.  We are now use to the milk going rotten every 2 days, cold outdoor showers, charcoal bbq & no TV.   I hope we are actually tanned and not just dirty!