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...

Naples: It was the best of cities, it was the worst of cities. Well ... it wasn't really the best of cities. Hello again, Blogonauts! On Saturday the express train carried our merry band from Rome to Naples. More than anything else, I was struck the mountainous scenery along the way. And once we lugged ourselves from the railway station into the streets of Napoli, I was equally struck -- nay, startled -- by the profligate mounds of trash and random scattering...

Buon Giorno, Blogonauts! Let me take you on a walk. Be they sandaled tootsies or horse's hooves, evidence indicates that ancient Rome was built for feet. A single-file sidewalk may now line a twisting thoroughfare, but the acutely angled turns make it apparent that, frequently, four wheels can be a handicap. Superimposed over this loose lattice of cobblestone lanes is a web of streets that vary in their annoying narrowness. Modern Romans have filled both the sl...

Buon giorno, Blogonauts*! Italy welcomed us with open skies and a warm sunshine hug. And luckily, we stayed awake to enjoy it. Our snugly-packed 767 gave us no unusual trouble as it toted us over the Atlantic. When we landed in Rome, it was just past 9 AM. Toby met us at the Termini railway station, we parked our luggage at the nearby hotel (a short 4 blocks away), and we were off, taking in the sights in this city that is itself an ancient landmark. And a funny ...

I have been back in the USA for a few weeks, but this blog has left too much about Italy ignored and unmentioned. So here are a few details to sew up the saga of my spring sojourn. My last full day in Italy (in other words, Saturday, 10 March) was devoted to filling in some of the gaps of my Florentine foray. I had mentioned earlier that one of the oldest buildings in the city is the St. John's Baptistry, which stands directly in front of the Duomo. To modern e...