Sea Cloud dropped anchor in front of one of the most important towns in the maritime history of Amalfi. The Duchy of Amalfi was one of the four maritime republics of the Mediterranean. Rivaling Genoa, Pisa, and Venice around the 10th and 11th centuries, Amalfi has given a lot to sea-faring history. The compass was a creative invention of the Amalfitano Captain Flavio Gioia, but the region also imported the Chinese technique for making paper, opening the entire European continent to the important handmade material. It was then that making books became an industry.
10/3/2024
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Sea Cloud
Amalfi and Napoli, Italy
Anticipating rough weather, we woke early today to attempt a morning visit to the city of Amalfi. Unfortunately, the seas were already too rough to safely disembark, and we were compelled to make other plans. We instead spent a quiet morning at sea, including a presentation by National Geographic-Lindblad Historian Rebecca on shipwreck archaeology, a fitting topic for a ship prudently avoiding rough weather. Today’s lunch on the lido deck featured the famous Sea Cloud pasta wheel, a large wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano in which a delectable pasta is prepared. We managed to dock in Napoli around midday, and interested guests accompanied Expedition Leader John on a walk around some of Napoli’s historic neighborhoods. Our leisurely walk took us past the medieval Castel Nuovo, through the soaring Galleria of Umberto I, and alongside the expansive Royal Palace of Napoli. Back aboard Sea Cloud this evening, we enjoyed the guest slide show during cocktail hour followed by one final, sumptuous dinner in the ship’s elegant dining room.
