THE PLAY’S THE THING (XII of ‘A Tale of 2 Continents’ by R.J.Fensterman
XII
THE PLAY’S THE THING
In the early decades of the 17th Century, another outbreak of the nefarious bubonic plague occurred in Central Europe; this was not as virulent a strain nor as wide-spread as the plague known as the Black Death that killed a third of Europe’s entire population in the 14th Century. But it was a gruesome way to die, and sanitary conditions of the time made it virtually untreatable. This particular pandemic… Read More…
WILLKOMMEN AUF DEUTSCHLAND (XI of ‘A Tale of 2 Continents’) By R.J.Fensterman
XI
WILLKOMMEN AUF DEUTSCHLAND
The German border was not far away, and there was almost nothing there to identify the separation between the two countries: just two blue-and-yellow Eurosigns facing in opposite directions. Like Italy, Austria and Germany are also relatively new nation-states, even though their historical existence is much, much older. Germany became a modern nation in 1871 under Bismarck and the Kaiser; Austria in 1919 with the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire following… Read More…
SOUNDS LIKE GERMAN TO ME (X of ‘A Tale of 2 Continents’) By R.J.Fensterman
X
SOUNDS LIKE GERMAN TO ME
As we headed back across the Lagoon, we saw several enormous Cruise Ships heading toward Venice; these were those multi-tiered vessels that carry thousands of passengers, and threaten to take-over the entire Vacation/ Tourism industry. The “floating condominiums” bring not only a lot of tourists to Venice’s narrow streets and canals, but also noise and pollution; and it is widely believed that the vibrations they… Read More…
LIFE IN VENICE (IX of ‘A Tale of 2 Continents’) By R.J.Fensterman
IX
LIFE IN VENICE
Venice is one of the more unique cities in the world – of all the cities famous for canals (Amsterdam, St Petersburg, Bangkok, Fort Lauderdale, L.A.’s Venice), it is easily the oldest and most famous. The city is named for the Veneti people, who first settled the area several centuries before Christ. In Roman times, it became a sanctuary for people seeking shelter from marauding… Read More…
A LEANING TOWER AND A ROMANTIC BALCONY (VIII of ‘A Tale of 2 Continents’) By R.J.Fensterman
VIII
A LEANING TOWER AND A ROMANTIC BALCONY
In the morning we said good-bye to Montecatini Terme, and its hilly locust-tree-lined streets. And headed west, back toward the Mediterranean and Ligurian Sea. Our first destination was Pisa; we had been there many years ago – 46 to be exact –-coming from a different direction then-– south from Switzerland and the Alps. Then we took the newly-opened coastal Autostrada directly to… Read More…
