SENSATIONAL SCILLA

We decided to have a little adventure one day and took the train from Tropea to Scilla which is on the Reggio di Calabria line. And a very efficient train service it was too, taking just over an hour and a quarter with a change at Rosarno. Although not very well air conditioned, so a little hot, the train was comfortable the staff helpful, our only tip would be to note that after purchasing tickets from the machine at the station you need to validate them on another machine for travel that day. This is the line you would take if travelling to Sicily and from Scilla you can look across the Strait of Messina to the island. 

Scilla splits into three parts - the beach area of Marina Grande which is where the train comes into, the Castello Ruffo which sits on the top of the cliff between the beach area and the fisherman's district of Chianalea which is where we were headed.  It is a 15 minute walk from the station along the sea front and round the base of the promontory where the castle sits. As you pass through the small harbour area you are greeted by the sight of buildings rising from the sea with walls in muted earthy tones of orange and yellow. 

This ancient fisherman's enclave is really different to the rest of the town and has a magical  almost piratical atmosphere.  Small fishing boats are moored in the clear, clear waters at the base of little streets which edge into the sea.

Restaurants are built on decks with the waters lapping below and serve wonderful local delicacies. Scilla's fishing heritage is evident everywhere and particularly in the restaurants where the local delicacy of pesce spada (swordfish) is well worth trying. 

Scilla is billed as one of the "most beautiful villages in Italy" and definitely lives up to this description.   The tiny slipways with water lapping at the base of the houses are mesmerising and one can't help but wonder what it is like when a storm hits. It reminded me of Robin Hoods Bay, but with the sun.

Sited as it is between the cliffs and the sea, there is only one main street that runs the length of the area and has shops, cafes and bars along it's length. Well worth a stroll along with plenty of stops to admire the views.

We didn't have time to explore the fortress Castello Ruffo, which I am sure offers the most amazing views of Sicily and the Calabrian coast, but promised ourselves we will visit again.

SUNSET ON THE COAST OF THE GODS

The sight of the sun setting over the Tyrrhenian Sea in Tropea is so beautiful, particularly when clear enough to spot Stromboli on the horizon.  We are always looking for the optical phenomenon known as  the green flash and although I have seen it once, we were not so lucky this time.  But none the less the sight is truly wonderful and almost biblical I think.  

In the picture below you can spy Stromboli on the horizon to the left. Sometimes, as it is still an active volcano, you can see little puffs of smoke rising from its' crater.

And the evening light casts a really warm glow over the streets of Tropea, accenting the colour of the walls of the ancient buildings.  

It is a flattering light for humans as well I think, bringing a warm glow to even the lightest of tans.  And as someone who does not sunbathe that is no bad thing.  In the pictures here I am wearing a top purchased from River Island last year with black Armani jeans, open toe wedge espadrilles from M & S and a white camisole, also from M & S.  A really comfortable outfit with the slits in the side of the top bringing a fluidity to the tunic that is welcome in the evening heat.

Oh, and here is that Zara printed tunic again, which I really cannot get enough of.  It is so easy to style and I have the same Armani jeans and  M and S shoes on here but with a black camisole underneath.  It makes an elegant evening outfit I think.  Don't forget this tunic is still available in the sale at only £15.99 and also makes a great beach cover up.  I think you need to be of a reasonable height to wear it though as it is so long at the back.

And the added accessory is Polly my brother-in-laws little dog.  In Italian she is called Cipolla which is Italian for Onion.

The outfit below is one of my favourites. The silk panel sleeveless top is from COS - some of the colours are in the sale - jeans from 7 from all Mankind and the shoes are from Dune and featured in our earlier shoes post.  

I have teamed it with a coral bracelet that was purchased in Tropea on an earlier visit and a necklace from Covet which has a stone that reflects the coral tones of the cuff. The sunglasses are Chloe and were purchased in Tropea last year from Ottica Sole Mare who have the most amazing selection of designer sunglasses and frames.

I love the jersey drop back of the COS top, a feature on a lot of their designs, and the high split on the sides just adds an extra dimension to the simple design and cut.

A TROPEAN ODYSSEY

I am very lucky to have family in Tropea and therefore visit a couple of times a year, but the summertime visits are the most enjoyable, particularly when, as this year, you can introduce friends to Tropea for the very first time.  And there is no better way to do that than by hiring a boat for the day and sailing the Tyrrhenian Sea, along what is called the Costa degli Dei, the ‘Coast of the Gods.  We organised our day through our friend Tania at In Italy tours and it couldn't have been better - clear blue seas, fabulous food and even better company.  

I started the day in this lovely long striped shirt from Zara.  Made from Viscose it is really light and soft and the split sides made it ideal as a cover up, but you can team it with white linen trousers for a day sightseeing.  

For lunch I upped my game a bit and switched to this Pia Rossini cover up with a bit of glitz on the shoulders.  Worn over a Damella swimsuit with feature centre panel to give the illusion of a slimmer figure - and after the meal we enjoyed the illusion was definitely needed!

For the next day I chose what is now one of my favourite tops.  Also from Zara this fabulous tunic looks great with trousers and camisole in white or black and really helps to dress an outfit up.  It is still available in this Ecru colour or in black and white and is in the sale, so a real bargain.  It also works well as a beach cover up as it is light and comfortable to wear when the sun is beating down.

And a little bit about where we stayed in Tropea.  We rented an apartment via Homeway which is located in a converted convent, overlooking the sea.  The conversion was designed by my architect brother-in-law and is the most fabulous of places.  My daughter has featured more of the property on her You Tube channel so you can see pictures of the inside there - link here.  

As with a lot of properties in Tropea it is accessed from the street via vast doors that open into a courtyard bathed in sunlight and populated by beautiful tropical plants. 

And the view from the terrace is just amazing as it overlooks the church of Santa Maria dell'Isola and on a clear day you can see Stromboli puffing away on the horizon.  

I have included a Tropea guide on a previous blog post but have included some more pictures that really capture the incredible ambience of this beautiful town that was,  according to fables, founded by Hercules as one of his ports.

For my next post I will feature some of my evening outfits and some more pictures of the Calabrian jewel that is Tropea. 

GETTING CREATIVE WITH CREAMS

We thought we would give a lighter palette of creams and whites a go - a real summer favourite of ours and particularly flattering if offset by a lovely golden tan, which sadly we cannot do as we are not getting any sun in the UK!  But my goodness, all the rain has helped the greenery look its best if nothing else.

In these pictures Anne H is wearing a jumpsuit that she purchased in last years sales from the MaxMara Weekend range while in Rome - she has never worn it though and is still not sure about it.  So any comments would be gratefully received - positive, or negative.  It is 100% linen with a viscose top and is really comfortable to wear although the shoulder fixing is a little tricky.

Her necklace, borrowed from the other Anne, has the lovely turquoise flowers that really lift the piece and the outfit as a whole. The necklace was purchased in Thira, Santorini, last year.  Her shoes are from Carvela and so old she doesn't dare say when she bought them,  her clutch is another borrow from Anne C and her glasses are Versace model 1188 purchased two years ago. 

Anne C is wearing an asymmetric pleated tunic in cream from Julien Macdonald at Debenhams and while no longer available online, she has seen it in-store in a different colour. Zara also had a similar style but without the sleeves, though not sure it is still available online as it was in the sale. She is wearing it with her trusty Florence and Fred at Tesco cream trousers which are no longer available, but similar ones here.

Her ballet flats are from Next about 18 months ago (oops just spotted some pretty ones while I've been linking up.....)

So onto this beautiful statement bag - which normally lives on my dressing table, it is so pretty - was a custom-made piece by fashion designer/author Jacey Lamerton, who sadly no longer makes these and has moved on in her profession.

The pearl and diamante necklace is from her good friend Liz Wright's fabulous hat and gift shop Simply Devine, (which we have previously featured) while the matching hoop earrings and bracelet were a gift from her late mother-in-law.  The dress ring is from Neoglory, which has some very pretty jewellery and accessories, and some which are completely over the top!

TIME FOR TEA

Who doesn't love a good cuppa?

We certainly enjoy our afternoon tea outings, though for this shoot we ventured no further than the back garden!

This quintessentially English custom of tea drinking actually dates back to the third millenium BC, and only enjoyed popularity in the UK from around the 1600s.  However, it was not until the 1800s that the traditional afternoon tea was born.  During the Victorian era, afternoon tea flourished, but following world wars and the depression, the tradition was only enjoyed by aristocratic families.

In recent times, however, afternoon tea - particularly with a glass of champagne - has become extremely popular again.  In fact one of our babyboomer friends has set up a website Sconesjamandcream with all the latest information on venues and special offers for tea lovers.

Anne H's dress is from Phase Eight and has a flattering cross over waist that gives the impression of a waistline that is not really there!!   Even though it has a floral pattern the colourway really works within Anne's preferred monochrome palette as the black predominates. Although this dress was purchased two years ago, the style is a standard that Phase Eight bring back each year, albeit with different patterns and colours so it is well worth a visit to their site if you like this style of garment.

Annes delicate bracelet was from Laura Ashley and purchased a couple of years ago, her shoes are from Dune and a classic mid heel black suede court which do not detract from the drama of the dress.

Anne C's afternoon chiffon tea dress is from Wallis, and although her spotted heels were bought from Matalan, they are a perfect match.  Unfortunately neither are still available. but similar dresses and shoes are available.

And staying with the vintage theme, Anne's hoop earrings and matching bangle were a gift many years ago from her late mother-in-law, while the fine bone china tea set is her late Mum's.
Her watch is classic Gucci and was a silver wedding gift from MrC 16 years ago, though is still available online here in silver.

SUMMER - BUT WHERE IS THE SUN?

We're still waiting for some proper sunshine this summer, particularly since we just want to wear the rest of our lovely new summer outfits.  However, Anne H's fabulous big back garden is a riot of wonderful colours and perfectly sets off the latest in our summer haul of new outfits.

Anne C is wearing a deep lilac double layered sleeveless top from Simply Be, which she also bought in black for herself and another one in a grey print for her daughter - all in the same very flattering style.  Unfortunately it is no longer available, though there is a similar black one here. She has teamed the top with white jeans from Marks & Spencer.

The block heeled platforms in white leather are from an independent shoe shop, while the pretty purple straw bag with drawstring top (great for keeping your valuables out of sight) was a craft fair purchase many years ago. Amazon, Polyvore and eBay have some cute straw bags online, though she couldn't find any in purple - maybe it isn't this season's colour, though she saw a great pink one on Shopstyle.

Her necklace is one of her favourites and often features in her summer wardrobe, and was bought in Santorini, as was the chunky purple bracelet.  The gold Gucci watch is the one she wears most of the time (seen here in silver) and is several years old, but still available online, and the diamante stacking rings on her right hand are Swarovski.

Anne H is wearing another Zara find - she has done rather a lot of shopping with Zara this summer - which is an asymmetric pleated top.  Available in the sale, but not in the deep green that she is wearing here, at only £12.99 it is a real bargain and really dresses up an outfit with its dropped back and totally feminine shape.  Some still available online here though, in cream or orange.

Her jeans are from 7 for all mankind and a A pocket, long beach dark boot cut jean - and that is a mouthful.  Also in the sale at £90 with most sizes still available.  A bootcut or flare is a really flattering cut and makes legs look longer while balancing the hip.... not that Anne needs her legs to look any longer.  

Anne's colourful clutch handbag was a Zara purchase from at least three years ago, and adds a flash of vibracy which is perfect for an evening out.  Her necklace is from Covet which always has a great range of unique, ethically sourced, pieces of jewellery.  She has teamed it with a handcrafted bracelet with coral insets that was purchased in Tropea, which complements the necklace and picks up the orange in the handbag giving a perfect foil to the dark green of the top and dark blue indigo of the jeans.