Amalfi

Our son Hunter was so spellbound when he woke up in Positano on his first trip to the Amalfi Coast, he went out onto the balcony and started screaming with joy. He still talks about it every day. Yes it can be busy and crowded but you can’t overlook the beauty, especially from the water looking back to that view: the cascade of houses, the patina of sun-bleached colours… I always think of it as being frozen in time. below, from left: One of the most magical places to stay on the Amalfi Coast is Casa Privata, in the village of Praiano. Originally a fisherman’s cottage, it’s been painstakingly restored and is now a boutique hotel with its own private cliff for sunbathing and a ladder down to the ocean for swimming. opposite page: view of the Amalfi coast; casaprivata.it

SKIPPER YOUR OWN BOAT TO LUNCH

I’m all about getting out in the wilderness, renting a Vespa, a vintage convertible or a boat and just seeing things from different perspectives. Travelling then appeals to your senses on different levels, especially in a boat, which in Amalfi is a really easy way to get around. I’ve got my own boat licence so we spent a lot of time on the water, but if I were to have a few drinks I’d get a skipper with one of the older wooden boats. My most enduring memories are the sea journeys back from Nerano to Positano after lunch at our favourite restaurant, Lo Scoglio. The sun is setting, there’s the scent of pine and ocean and the sound of the boat’s diesel engine, which gently lulls you to sleep as you meander along the coastline.