View of the village on the coast of Amalfi. Picture: Thinkstock Source: Supplied
Inside Amalfi on the Italian Riviera. Picture: Readers Escape Source: Supplied
THE PURE magic of Italy's normally exclusive and extravagant Amalfi coast will now leave you with change in your pocket, writes Mike Smithson.
I'm sitting at a roof-top restaurant high above the turquoise water of the Mediterranean, as dusk brings out the twinkling lights from surrounding towns. It's a nightly occurrence for visitors on Italy's spectacular Amalfi coast and the current weakness of the euro means this once extravagant holiday lifestyle is within reach of more people.
The ancient coastal town of Praiano is perched at the foot of surrounding steep hills covered with chestnut forests. It's on the winding road between Positano and Amalfi, but it doesn't suffer the same tourist hustle and bustle as those more famous towns.
There are few flashy hotels here but plenty of comfortable villas that offer tourists an authentic Mediterranean atmosphere without the hype of other destinations. Most cafes and restaurants are family-run and boast similarly wonderful views. Without this, they'd struggle to survive.
Their fare is largely based around local seafood and wines. It's easy to work up a healthy appetite for lunch or dinner as walking to and from eateries usually involves a steep stroll along the maze of narrow streets clinging to the rugged coastline.
It's also easy to jump the gourmet gun in estimating just how much you can eat. Warm, crusty bread comes with every meal, irrespective of whether you're watching your waistline or not.
Pizza is the cheapest option at about $13 for a serve, which could almost feed a family.
The famous thin and crispy bases are covered with whatever topping you like, but the smart money is always on a seafood selection as it's likely to have been caught locally the same day. Risotto and pasta dishes are priced at $28 for a main course.
It can be washed down with a local pinot gris or shiraz which maintain quality across the range and rarely exceed $30 a bottle.
Then it's a constitutional walk back to the villa, via a coffee shop or gelateria, to take in the night view and sea air before a restful sleep and, in our case, another day of sunshine ahead.
Villa La Barchina is the second residence of a local family and has been passed down through generations. It's a first-floor apartment, boasting a terracotta-paved terrace balcony almost as large as the premises itself.
It has all the home comforts of a modest and tidy bed-and-breakfast.
It's far from 5-star accommodation, but that's explained in the advertising blurb as if it's a badge of honour.
A galley kitchen provides basic cooking needs, with a sitting/dining area, two bedrooms and an adequate bathroom completing the floor plan.
Adjoining french doors give access to the balcony and the panoramic view of the glorious blue expanse. Boats and ferries traverse the waterway far below and provide a fascinating glimpse of Italian culture dating back to the sixth century on the Costiera Amalfitana.
For $1500 a week, La Barchina can comfortably accommodate a family of four or five.
The walk to the beach is not for the faint-hearted.
It's close to 800 steps from the villa's front door to the water's edge or, for the more adventurous, an exhilarating motor scooter trip down the winding roads (hire one from the local garage for about $110 a day including fuel and insurance).
Local beach coves are a hive of bathing, pedestrian, scooter and boating activity. It's a must to stake your patch and hire a sun bed for the day but don't expect to feel white sand between your toes. The pebbles are rough on tender skin so take footwear that can weather the tide.
The local water-taxi operator's job is to take your $10 sun bed rental fee, but it's money well spent.
Lounging in the glorious sunshine, you also absorb a full gamut of daily life, particularly from local fishing merchants emerging from the sea with their catch and the banter as they on-sell it to restaurateurs.
Our favourite cove also housed overnight cabins, so there's always the colour and vibe of people arriving and departing via water craft.
Small trattorias line the narrow path which winds around the cliff face.
Taking a dip in the cool brine is an experience. The pebbles ensure the water is crystal-clear.
One of the few downsides of the Amalfi experience is the narrow single highway connecting the coastal towns. Large tourist buses inch their way past each other constantly tooting their horns to avoid potential collision.
Public transport is economical and it's often packed, but once you're on board it provides a scenic way to travel the relatively short distances.
The major city of Naples provides the closest international airport or you can fly into Rome and catch a high-speed train for a 90-minute trip south.
Source: A day in the life of a wizard
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