FURORE, ITALY

​Furore is part of the greater Amalfi coast, yes, but it is not exactly Amalfi as what you would see in the postcards. It’s actually about 30 minutes away from Amalfi town, so really, Furore is a small, quiet, coastal village a bit off from touristy Amalfi. And rightfully so, as it has its own charm and personality.
 
I arrive in Naples and after a healthy dose of Neapolitan pizza (of which I finished a whole pie by myself #FATamal), I am greeted by my host, Raniero. We then proceed to drive to Furore in his white Fiat Panda, past fields, villages, coastlines through narrow, curvy roads that would pass for a Formula 1 track. Before I manage to get really sick we arrive, down a small narrow road that leads to a small cottage, right on the coast facing the wide, blue Mediterranean sea. 

The secluded little cottage

Raniero's family's little  vineyard, in winter

​I am gobsmacked. It is just too beautiful for words. The square, white cottage is surrounded by olive trees at the front, grape vines at the balcony and on the right side, large lemon trees next to a barbecue pit, with beautiful, yellow, juicy lemons. Beyond these trees is a vast view of the sea, dark blue, showing signs of a menacing winter rainstorm.
 
The cottage itself feels like some kind of Diva Channel Telemovie scene brought to life (no cute rugged Italian farmer though, unfortunately) – it is cosy, detailed to perfection. There is a large fireplace in the living room with a couch and guitars, and above the mantle are picture frames and trinkets with Italian words engraved. The kitchen has a small wooden table at the centre, and you can imagine Raniero’s mom moving about; the counter with drinks and cups, a pantry with at least 10 different types of dried pasta (I counted), a stove with an array of local olive oil of all types to try. 

​The narrow staircase leads to the bedrooms and bathroom. The bathroom is cute, with a small bath tub that has a window overlooking the sea. But the bedroom is a world in its own. There are floor-to-ceiling book racks filled with editions of many languages, vinyl records, board games, and mementos from the owner’s travels. But of course, the best thing has to be the writing desk. It is a large wooden one, and it faces the Mediterranean sea, the breeze coming in through the balcony doors past the blue and white curtains. One could easily imagine sitting there for hours, writing, reading or just plain daydreaming.

Window to the Mediterranean

To be clear, I wouldn't be caught dead in those crocs. They were already there at the house.

There is a small coffee shop where the locals would drop buy for a cup of coffee or a slice of local desserts made that day. Furore has a few restaurants, but most would close down during the low season. There are also local grocery stores, and upon Raniero’s advice, I go into one down the street, manned by a cheerful nonna, and ask for the local specialty – fior di latte cheese, sandwiched between some pane (bread) with a good drizzle of local, extra virgin olive oil. The result? Delizioso! Fior di latte is a relative to mozzarella – think of a softer, creamier version of it. It was so good I ate it again for breakfast the next day, by making a caprese salad with juicy, ripe local tomatoes and some of the olive oil at the cottage. By this time I had given up on the idea that I was going to try and go slow on the cheese at the mercy of my waistline.

One could pop in the coffee chop for a cup of Napoli's best!

Caprese's salad at the front porch, using fior di latte local cheese

Missing pups :(

Sunrise is what the cottage is all about. It faces the sun at this time of the day, and as the rays of sunshine emerges from behind the tall cliffs, I find myself just standing in the chilly morning outside, taking it all in. The local farmers start early here, so as soon as the sun rises you can hear and see them going about their business. Some are trimming olive trees, some gathering the lemons and oranges they grow, some revving their truck engines, and some taking their dogs out. I sit outside watching the morning go by with my plate of cheese and a cup of hot lemon tea made from the lemons outside the house.
 
Furore feels like one of those magical, hidden Italian villages you would come to when you need a break from life. It’s quiet, beautiful and lonely, like an imaginary pause button when you desperately need one. With delicious local produce and a picturesque coastline to match, it’s all you would ever need for an epic escapade.
 
NOTE: You can check out my short Vlog of Furore at my Instagram page! 

Olive trees set on the coast, right in front of the house