In the dying days of the European 2020 summer photographer Mickaël Cornelus did what we here in Australia can only dream of. A last minute road trip to the south of Italy. Long summer days, private beaches and iconic rows of parasols as far as the eye can see. This is summer through the eyes of Mickaël Cornelus.

"After weeks of isolation in Paris, it felt much needed to squeeze through the narrow window left open for summer 2020 as travel restrictions were eased. I first spent a bit of time at my parents’ house in Les Landes (south west of France), where there is not much else to do but surfing. I then decided to join a couple of friends for a last minute road trip to the south of Italy.

Our trip took us from the vibrant city of Naples to the charming village of Pisciotta. Quintessential of the Southern atmosphere, it was a delicate mix of feelings, oscillating between chaos and beauty. We passed through the cinematic and spectacular southbound Strada Statale 163 that connects Sorrento to Salerno, and travelled along the world renowned Amalfi Drive - something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. 50kms of narrow road, it offered a succession of hairpin bends and curves that rolled over dramatic mountain cliffs.

What followed was expansive views of the shiny deep blue Tyrrhenian sea, and the sound of cars and backfiring vespas fighting for space. The peninsula famous pastel seaside towns of Positano, Praiano and Amalfi. Their private beaches and iconic rows of parasols. The scorching heat of the sun on the concrete where locals sunbathed, lovers kissed and kids dove tirelessly. Italian summer as a catharsis. A hedonist parenthesis during times of pandemic.

The photographs presented here were taken on the shores of Sorrento, Praiano, Positano, Capri and in the heights of Furore."