Travel An hour’s drive from the grit and grime of Naples lies a glittering stretch of coastline that’s so jaw-droppingly beautiful, it’s served as the setting for many an ancient myth. The irresistible appeal of the tiny towns within swimming distance of the Tyrrhenian Sea has long been a lure for writers, enchanting everyone from Virginia Woolf to John Steinbeck, who flocked to the Amalfi Coast in search of sunlight and inspiration. The base for my literary pilgrimage is Palazzo Avino (rates start from €500 per night; palazzoavino.
com ), affectionately known as ‘The Pink Palace’, a 12th century marvel of peach-hued stone perched on a peaceful hilltop in Ravello. Run by sisters Mariella, Attilia and Mariavittoria Avino with Wes Anderson-like attention to detail, the hotel’s signature shade of pink adorns everything from the frilly parasols to the menus. With its Michelin-starred restaurant, chic boutique, and private beach club, the hotel is among the finest on the Amalfi Coast.
Small touches are a big deal here – names are remembered, welcome notes are left, bookmarks are placed in your bedside read, and sweet treats are left under tiny glass cloches in your room, like the Sugar Plum Fairy has paid you a visit. The overall feeling is one of being cocooned in comfort. On arrival I’m greeted by Richard, Mariella’s sausage dog, whose namesake, German composer Richard Wagner, wrote the second act of his opera Parsifal after an inspiring turn about the gardens.
