Author: Daryl

In Bologna

Aaron and I have wrapped up our travels in Firenze and Arezzo and have headed north to Bologna. Last night we met up with my long-time friend Marika and went out to a traditional Italian bar. Very cool!

By the way, we have a few more observations: Three, most of the people we have seen have only stopped smoking long enough to return a cell phone text message or to change the song on their iPods. Four, it doesn’t matter how much you know the language, you still feel like a small fish in a very large pond.

Our waistlines are expanding and our wallets are shrinking, but we’re having an incredible time. I believe tonight we’re going to try out a discothecca and then probably head to Venezia tomorrow, just to experience the canals and say that we saw where The Italian Job all went down. Ferrara is on our list, too.

For those who are awaiting our return, we’re never coming back to the States. :p

Roberto Benigni

Ciao, ancora!

Aaron and I just returned from a day in Arezzo, the birthplace of Roberto Benigni and the location for the filming of La Vita è Bella (Life is Beautiful). Gorgeous! It’s a very quiet city with a lot of charm and character.

Congratulations to those who graduated from the Simon School today. Buona fortuna e tanti auguri.

Off to browse Firenze a little more. Arriverderci!

Ciao Tutti!

Ciao! Greetings from Italy.

Aaron and I have successfully made it to Italy and are taking the country by storm. We started in Roma (after passing through Milano) and will now spend a week and a half trying to get back to Milano. 🙂

I’ll try to make posts here as much as possible, but I don’t know how many internet cafes we’ll run into in our travels.

Two observations so far: One, whatever stereotypes you may have about Italians riding around on scooters saying “ciao” are absolutely correct. Millions of them, traveling at 80km/hr down tiny streets. Two: I’m 5 for 7 for people approaching me and speaking Italian to me, expecting me to know how to respond. (Must be the pants.) The two who didn’t were quite accurate in their assessment.

We’re in Firenze now, and will be heading to Bologna in a couple of days.

As for the food – I’m going to return to the States a very fat man.

Keeping Up Memorial Day

Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery Not long ago I heard a young man ask why people still kept up Memorial Day, and it set me thinking of the answer. Not the answer that you and I should give to each other-not the expression of those feelings that, so long as you live, will make this day sacred to memories of love and grief and heroic youth–but an answer which should command the assent of those who do not share our memories …

[…snip…]

… So to the indifferent inquirer who asks why Memorial Day is still kept up we may answer, it celebrates and solemnly reaffirms from year to year a national act of enthusiasm and faith. It embodies in the most impressive form our belief that to act with enthusiam and faith is the condition of acting greatly. To fight out a war, you must believe something and want something with all your might. So must you do to carry anything else to an end worth reaching. More than that, you must be willing to commit yourself to a course, perhpas a long and hard one, without being able to foresee exactly where you will come out. All that is required of you is that you should go somewhither as hard as ever you can. The rest belongs to fate. One may fall-at the beginning of the charge or at the top of the earthworks; but in no other way can he reach the rewards of victory.

[An excerpt of a Memorial Day address delivered by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., May 30, 1884, at Keene, N.H., before John Sedgwick Post No. 4, Grand Army of the Republic.]