Rihanna RELEASES Her Summer holiday snaps with her fans after sailing round Italy with her friends

Bikini babe: Rihanna throws a sexy over-the-shoulder pose as she relaxes on the deck of a luxury yacht while sailing round Italy

Posing: Rihanna worked the camera as she relaxed on board by the hot tub

It's very rare that fans get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at their idols, many of whom prefer to keep their personal life private.
But Rihanna fans were in for a treat today when the pop star posted a selection of intimate snaps from her recent break from her world tour.
The 23-year-old put the photos on her Facebook page which showed her relaxing with some of her close girlfriends on board a yacht off the coast of Italy.

Wearing a pink bikini, the star poses on deck before larking about with one of her friends as she lets her hair down.
The pictures were taken this summer, possibly during the three-week break in her Loud Tour after finishing in England having played the V Festival, and making her way to South America.

High kicks: Rihanna and her friend looked like they should have been in a chorus line as they posed for a picture

Me and my girl: Rihanna strikes a pose while her friend just beams for the camera

And it looked as though she was really getting into the swing of her time off as she and her friends took over the luxury yacht and went off to explore the coastal towns of southern Italy.
Rihanna brought along her very close bunch of pals for the girlie break and even with no men on board they still looked as though they were having a very fun time of it as they fooled around striking at times some very naughty poses.

This is the life: Rihanna stands with her back to the camera at the stern of the boat with her fingers in the air

Fresh-faced: Rihanna shows off her natural beauty as she sunbathes on the deck

They were snapped enjoying some drinks and fooling around on board the yacht as they made the most of their luxurious surroundings.
In the black and white shots, the girls lounge on the boat's bow sipping from Ace of Spades champagne, the brand belonging to rapper and businessman Jay-Z, a close friend of Rihanna.

Smoking! Rihanna puffs on a cigar as she gazes out across the horizon

Ray of light: Rihanna poses on the wooden deck as she soaks up the sun

The gang are also seen ordering some lunch at a hilltop restaurant and then hunting for knick knacks at a local shop before visiting a church.
Rihanna resumed her Loud Tour on September 17 taking it to Brazil for four dates, before heading back to the UK at the end of September to visit Belfast, where she also filmed the video for her new single We Found Love.

Cheers! Rihanna and her friends sit back with some champagne as they toasted the sunset

Delicious: The bubbly came courtesy of Jay-Z and his own brand Ace of Spades

She took her tour on to Dublin before flying back to the UK to play dates in London, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow, before heading to Scandinavia for dates in Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
But she had to cancel both her Swedish dates after she was taken to hospital and hooked up to an IV drip after going down with the flu.

Cheeky! Rihanna giggles into her hand as her friend makes sure every bit of her is coated with suncream

Come on in, the water's lovely! The girls cool off with a dip in the Mediterranean

She soon recovered and is now on tour in Germany before heading back to the UK for the third time this Sunday for 14 more dates, before heading back to Europe and taking the tour to Italy, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland as well as Poland and Hungary.
She will then come back to London, which is proving to be one of her favourite cities, where she will wrap up the tour for three dates just before Christmas.

One for the album! Rihanna smiles as she poses in front of an amazing view

This shopping is hungry work: Rihanna gets some knick knacks and then stops at a cafe for ice cream

Say cheese! Rihanna cuddles her friend as they pose underneath a religious painting, possibly outside a church

She will take a break in 2012 but today she announced that she will be back in the UK next summer headline the Barclaycard Wireless Festival in London’s Hyde Park on July 8.
Tickets go on sale on Friday November 18 for the event which was headlined by the Black Eyed Peas, the Chemical Brothers and Pulp last year.

Patient: Rihanna looks at the camera before the waiter takes her lunch order

On the tiles: Rihanna adopts a sexy pose as she has her picture taken outside a ceramic shop

She will be taking a much needed break in the New Year especially after falling ill in Sweden with her doctors advising her to take it easy and cut down on the clubbing and drinking.
A source told The Sun: 'Rihanna is running on empty but she's still been going out drinking and living it up.

Back on board: Rihanna and her friend toast their holiday

Party time! With masks and party tooters, the girls let their hair down

Smash it! Rihanna looked as though she was about to put her fist through her friend's birthday cake

'She doesn't have any down time where she can completely relax. She spends most of her time in the studio, on stage or in clubs.
'Doctors are worried she's overdoing it. She needs to take some time off. Otherwise she'll be vulnerable to more illness.'

Thank you! Rihanna high fives the water taxi driver after he drops her and her friends back to their yacht

Look what I bought! Rihanna shows off a trinket as she leisurely poses with a friend

Sunset siren: Rihanna showed off her enviable figure in a swimsuit and a cropped Bob Marley T-shirt as she strutted her stuff for the cameras