Rupert’s description of Amalfi Coast

This was written by my son, Rupert Scarfe.  It shows his feelings about the Amalfi Coast.

THE AMALFI COASTLINE

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A BEAUTIFUL AREA WHERE ONE OF THE MOST FANTASTIC ROADS I KNOW OF, UNWINDS BETWEEN HIGH ROCKY MOUNTAINS AND A BEAUTIFUL BLUE SEA.

EVERYTHING HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID ABOUT THE DIVINE COAST, AS MOST PEOPLE CALL IT. SIMPLY A UNIQUE PIECE OF LANDSCAPE. BUT TO BE ABLE TO CATCH THE REAL EMOTIONS OR SENSATIONS THAT THIS ENSEMBLE OF BEAUTY, COLOURS AND SHAPES, IS NOT AN EVERY DAY THING.

IF YOU ARE DRIVING ALONG THE COAST, THE MOUNTAINS ABOVE YOUR HEAD MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE ONE OF THOSE GUYS THAT LIVE WITH LIONS, OR SWIM WITH SHARKS. YOU ARE SHARING VERY SMALL SPACES WITH BIG THREATENING SHEER DROPS, THAT STAND JUST A FEW METRES ABOVE YOUR HEAD. THE AMERICAN TOURISTS, (I SOMETIMES TOUR GUIDE AROUND THE AREA) SAY :

‘-GEE, I SURE WOULD NOT LIKE DRIVING THROUGH HERE EVERY DAY’ – AND THAT’S WHEN I FEEL KIND OF SPECIAL AND THINK TO MYSELF ‘I DO! I TRUST THE BIG ROCKS!’ I KNOW THEY COULD HURT ME ANY TIME, JUST LIKE A WILD ANIMAL, BUT THEY ALSO GIVE ME A SENSATION OF PROTECTION, ESPECIALLY WHEN I’M CYCLING PAST THEM AND COULD FEEL VERY VULNERABLE.

THERE ARE A FEW SPOTS WHICH ARE MY FAVOURITES, AND NO MATTER WHAT’S GOING ON IN MY DAY, I JUST NEED TO LOOK AT THEM TO FEEL AT PEACE AGAIN. WITH AN INCREDIBLE CONFORMATION FALLING INTO THE SEA, THEY JUST GIVE ME A SENSATION OF, I DON’T KNOW, I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THE CORRECT WORD FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS – CAN’T FIND IT! BUT THEY ARE WATCHING ME IN A VERY RELAXED WAY, NOT STARING AT ME – A BIT LIKE A MOTHER WITH A CHILD THE FIRST TIME SHE LETS HIM GO OUT ON HIS OWN –

‘YES, YOU’RE FINE, DON’T WORRY! – BUT I’LL JUST KEEP AN EYE ON YOU -‘.

AND THE DIFFERENT LIGHTS –

YOU WANT TO SEE THOSE DROPS COMBINING WITH THE SEA AT DAWN WHEN YOU’RE DRIVING IN THE DARK TOWARDS THE ALREADY ILLUMINATED SIDE OF THE COAST –

THE LATE SPRING AFTERNOONS WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN ….WITH THE PERFUMES IN THE AIR ;

THE BOUGANVILLEA, OR EVEN THE WARMTH OF THE AIR ITSELF ARE SO FULFILLING – WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A PERFECT COMBINATION OF COLOURS AND FORMS.

THE HUGE LAST PART OF THE APPENINES, CALLED ‘MONTE LATTARI’ (MILKY MOUNTAINS), THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA, THE WHITE VILLAS COVERED IN FLOWERS BUILT JUST BELOW THE ROAD A FEW METRES FROM THE WATER, THE ROWING BOATS, THE INCREDIBLE TUNNELS DUG THROUGH THE ROCK, THE FANTASTIC LITTLE BAYS WHICH EACH HAS ITS OWN SMALL BEACH ……

I’M ACTUALLY NOT ITALIAN AND WAS NOT BORN IN THE AREA, SO I’M LUCKY TO BE A ‘GUEST’ IN SUCH AN ENVIRONMENT.

DON’T THINK OF IT AS AT IT’S BEST ONLY IN THE SUMMER – DURING THE COLDER PART OF THE YEAR, WITH GREY CLOUDY SKIES AND ROUGH SEAS IT’S ONE HELL OF A DRAMATIC, PICTURESQUE SCENE AND JUST TRY TO IMAGINE A SUNSET ON A CLEAR DAY . WHEN HALFWAY DOWN THE COAST NEAR POSITANO YOU LOOK DOWN TOWARDS THE ISLAND OF CAPRI, OFTEN SEEN CLEARLY, THERE IS A HUGE ORANGE FIREBALL SINKING IN THE OCEAN (AS SOME CALL IT) ……….

IT’S BREATHTAKING!

THE LAST BIT OF THE COASTLINE IS ITS HIGHEST PART, WITH NO VILLAGES EN ROUTE, ONLY A FEW HOUSES SCATTERED AROUND……….YOU COULD BE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. YOU JUST SIMPLY GET LOST AND FEEL COMPLETELY PART OF THE SURROUNDINGS, WHICH MOTHER NATURE HAS SO KINDLY (AND I MEAN IT) LET ME BE PART OF.

SO, WHAT CAN I SAY TO YOU? IT’S JUST A VERY PROFOUND KICK TO YOUR EMOTIONS AND SENSATIONS AND BRINGS OUT ALL KINDS OF FEELINGS AND REALLY, REALLY PUTS YOUR HEART AND MIND IN PEACE WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD.

MY ADVICE TO YOU IS WHENEVER DRIVING ALONG THE ‘DIVINA’ (IT WOULD BE BETTER TO WALK OR CYCLE) STOP AND PARK SAFELY, TURN OFF THE ENGINE THEN LEAN OVER THE WALL, LOOK ALL AROUND CAREFULLY, LISTEN AND SMELL..

YOU WILL BE LOST, AND AT ONE WITH IT ALL – ONLY THEN YOU CAN SAY

‘I’VE SEEN THE DIVINE AMALFI COAST’.

Rupert Scarfe

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