Hello, again, Blogonauts! Today we'll talk of seaside trails trekked vertically. The U.S. is a continent-wide country, and our coastlands involve long, flat, often sandy stretches. Perhaps a dune or a rocky pillar breaks up the terrain, but with a few exceptions, the land gently slopes toward the water, and then disappears beneath the waves. In contrast, Italy (crudely put) is a craggy, hundred-mile-wide peninsula dangling from the belly of Europe. (Think of hu...

Hello again, Blogonauts! Today, let’s give the notice due to the long departed … and their delightful leavings. As a rule, the legacies of natural tragedies quickly fade. Disasters of human origin (wars, terrorism, assassinations, and the like) receive centuries and volumes of debate and analysis. But when Mother Nature strikes, she often sweeps away the evidence. Earthquakes, avalanches, tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, and usually even volcanoes lea...