Salve dal Sud Tirol, I don’t suppose Copper Age man was paying too much attention to the scenery five thousand years ago, but today Sud Tirol is one of the most picturesque places in Europe (as well as the richest). After staying the night at Laghetti – having been the guests of honour at …Read More
Bongiorno from Venezia, What does a business do when competitors copy their product? It’s a big problem for some, including here on Murano island in Italy. Branded motorbikes are assembled in Indonesia and Ghana but they don’t come from the company whose brand they bear. Smartphones were quickly replicated by other companies after Apple introduced …Read More
Bongiorno from Tarvisio, I don’t get why car racing is classified as a sport. I don’t get why Asian women with beautiful complexions want to lighten their skin. And I don’t get why people choose to wear conspicuous brand names. While these things puzzle me, I’m completely flummoxed on another modern phenomenon: why people …Read More
Bongiorno from Italia As we are about to leave Italia for the last time on this journey, it’s a good time to compose the 1st chapter of the new book on the Italians. We have both enjoyed Italia as much as we anticipated, and for predictable reasons. Possibly the most striking thing about Italia is the people. …Read More
Bongiorno from Venice, We are both enjoying the Mediterranean cruise, perhaps even more than anticipated. The cruise ship is a gigantic monument to nautical ingenuity. It is 294 metres long and 32 metres wide. We enjoy the view from our porthole which measures 1.3 m in diameter. some on their way up, some on …Read More
Bongiorno from Toscana, It’s May 24th (Bob Dylan’s 70th birthday anniversary), and we are moving northwards through Italy. Just in passing, it’s worth noting my brief experience today with the Italian health system. This was an unscheduled visit to the Pronto Seccorso (casualty) at l’ospedale (the hospital). I had been suffering from a lingering respiratory infection which had deteriorated. …Read More
Bongiorno from Liguria, Pisa is a large city spreadeagled on the floodplain of the Arno River (le fiume Arno). The Leaning Tower has a gravitational pull for the casual tourist. And, it’s quite a sight. Thousands of tourists apparently concur. In fact, the famous Leaning Tower forms part of a large complex of majestic marble buildings. The …Read More
Bongiorno da Montaione! Our stay in Tuscany is coming to an end. And we’ve enjoyed every minute. In the meantime, there are still things to see and do. Armed with the keen appreciation of the fact that visiting the birthplace of a famous person usually yields nothing more than tacky holiday snaps and the collective …Read More
Bongiorno from Toscana, Picture the scene dear readers: we’re in a tastefully (let’s say, decorously) renovated stable overlooking verdant valley and sylvan hills (including the 14 towers of San Gimignano in the middle distance). 40 odd well-dressed people are at Nicoletta’s 61st birthday party, playing bridge on felt-topped tables with Nino acting as congenial host …Read More
Bongiorno from Italia, We’re enjoying our own version of Fellini’s Dolce Vita here. Every day presents another delight to follow all of the previous ones. Yes, we took Hamlet’s advice to Ophelia and got ourselves to a nunnery. This is our accommodation for the next three weeks; converted from its previous use. The lodgings are in …Read More