Moved over to Amalfi

A 20 mile trip from Sorrento to Amalfi takes 90 minutes on the bus — but don’t think you’d get there any faster driving it yoursef. The road twists and turns and twists again, along the coast. Since we already had visited Positano from Sorrento, we just stayed on the bus all the way to the charming, but VERY busy, town of Amalfi. If this is the off-season, I hate to think what it looks like in summer, but I am sure there is a burst of tourists between Christmas and New Years.

We’re in an old hotel on the main square, with a view over the 12th century duomo (cathedral). That became a less attractive location when we learned there will be an all night party in the square tomorrow. (There’s another folkloric concert on the steps of the cathedral as I write, but it ends at 7 pm!). I knew about and was looking forward to the fireworks on the water, but had no idea that the concerts would begin after that. I should have brought my ear plugs from my Camino bag, I guess. Well, we hadn’t planned to do much on Jan. 1 anyway.

This afternoon we visited an old paper-making factory, and by old, I mean 13th century old. Paper made of cotton fibers, not wood pulp. We saw the original pulp-making machine, as well as the 15th century newer version, as well as the 18th century one, all powered by water. They coated it in gelatin made from rabbit to make it less absorbent. And then hung it to dry for months!Read more