There's nothing quite like being in the open sea, is there? It's so much more open, wild and free than a pool. You suddenly realise how small and vulnerable you are in such a big world, in such a big sea.
On our last day along the magical Amalfi Coast, we headed to Praiano for a splash, dive and a swim in the Mediterranean waters. We grabbed our towels, fetched a punnet of fresh Italian strawberries and hopped on the bus from Sorrento.
Praiano is a charming little town in-between Positano and Amalfi, completely local and free of tourists. It's ridden with secret beaches and coves, blue waters and local fruit markets.
It's Italian living at its finest.
We followed the signs that said "TO THE BEACH" and made our way down the 400-something steps (we worked off our week's worth of pasta and wine for the week for sure).
In the midst of trees, we saw bursts of orange, certain they weren't little fruits hanging from the branches.
A little further and we realised we hit One Fire Beach Club, situated along the Gavitella beach.
One Fire Beach Club is everything you can expect from a beach club - fantastic music, good food, an amazing view, friendly service and a laid-back atmosphere.
It's dappled in an abundance of sunlight (it's the only beach along the Amalfi Coast which stays sunny right until it sets) where the loungers face the sparkling turquoise waters. For as little as €16 you can hire out one of the loungers all day.
You can catch a boat ride from Positano to the beach or alternatively catch the bus to Praiano and walk down.
We jumped into the sea right away, before drying off with an alcoholic refresher.
There's a bar and restaurant at One Fire which serves up everything from salad, watermelon and pizza, to pina coladas, mojitos and crisp wines.
We bathed, swam, bathed, swam and bathed and swam until our skin and rumbling tummies could wait no more. We freshened up back at our hotel and headed straight to Hotel Bellevue Syrene for pre-dinner cocktails.
Since it was our last night in Sorrento, we dressed ourselves up something fancy. I wore a very chic navy playsuit from H&M which I happened to snap in the sale for a mere £10. It's spotted, nipped in at the waist, backless, long-sleeved and frilly at the hem - so it's all a girl can want from a playsuit and a hell of a lot more. I wish this was still available as it's so beautiful, but here are some alternatives:
I kept things chic, elegant and Parisian with a Chloe-esque bag from Zara and nude espadrilles from Office.
Jess also opted for a floaty and feminine blue look with a beautiful Zara embroidered top, teamed with a pair of white shorts that I'm so jealous of. She added minimal, classic jewellery (Marc Jacobs watch, Accessorize earrings) and swept her hair back with her trusty Ray Ban clubmasters.
Cocktails arrived prompt and swift after an extremely hard decision.
Tiramisu cocktail pour moi.
Lemon G&T pour elle.
(I should've learnt Italian for this trip. Instead I'll use the little French I know...it's all the same, right?)
The sun oozed with colours of peach, lilac, orange and soft yellow right before our eyes. The sea lapped against the shore, echoing soft sounds and making our last evening just that little bit more special.
The sun grew a deeper red and sunk slowly and mysteriously into the waves.
We sat gazing in awe, encapsulated by this phenomenon we are blessed with every day yet rarely get to witness.
We headed to the first place we saw for dinner - we were much too hungry to search! I can't remember what it was called but while the food and wine was good, it wasn't worthy of anything special. The service was a tad hap-hazerd and they knocked things around a little. But our day was so bliss, we were too darn happy to care.
Italy, THANK YAAAA for such beautiful memories. I have always wanted to visit the Amalfi Coast for all it's perfection and now I finally have. This trip is something I sincerely hope to remember for a long, long time - we're already planning when we'll go next!
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