With breaks and rest stops, it took about 8 hours to travel from Florence to Campania and the Amalfi coast. We passed Naples and Mt. Vesuvius. When we reached Salerno, we turned inland, climbing through dramatic spine of the Appian mountains which rise from sea level to 400 m in the space of 5 miles. The road is narrow with sheer drop offs and crazy, espresso drinking Italian drivers on motorbikes. Our goal was the village of Ravello, which is sublime, and easily one of the most beautiful places we have ever visited. We spent a few hours touring Villa Ruffalo, with its beautiful gardens which are the setting for the Ravello music festival which is now underway. Our hotel is the San Peietro in Maori on the coast where we had a late dinner. The next day we explored the coast road from Maori to Positano, one of the most beautiful drives in Europe, ending with dinner in the Norman tower.
