Monumental sadness. It doesn't go away. 100 years won't change that. The women are left to suffer the stupidity of men. Black cloth holds the sorrow. Color would overwhelm when surrounded by sun-blasted orange buildings. Water, trees and sky try their hardest. Grappa makes a time-out. Exchange one pain for another. A lifetime of striving just stops for a night. It takes a large mallet.
I just love your travel writing, Sharron. I like grapes, so Grappa sounds like something I might have to try. It must have been cool to walk around a place that bears your name. Did you get a refrigerator magnet? Supposedly there is a town in Southern Germany with my last name. Someday I’ll go there and bring back a t-shirt and I’ll wear it all the time.
Good plan. About drinking grappa - buy the expensive one. The cheap stuff will singe your ear drums, and scour your throat., and fill you with remorse. Fair warning.
Thank you, Jim. I no longer travel, but I have so many vivid reminders. And I am glad for it! I spent all my money on the road and do not repent it for a minute. I don't mind being broke now. It has been a life well-traveled.
I don't travel that much anymore either. But when I remember special places I've been fortunate enough to go to and the special people I've known because of those places, it's almost like an investment that still pays dividends - not monetarily but just as valuable, if not more. - Jim
One never knows what waits around the next corner. That is true anywhere, but Italy guarantees unpredictability -- heart-break one minute, exhilaration the next.. And all unforgettable. Thanks for reading, Sue.
Really enjoyed this travel writing, Sharron. Thank you for sharing.
I have a deep fond spot for Italy, though much of it remains unexplored for me.
Your words are the end were truly captivating, especially this: "It could have been the second dram of grappa. Or perhaps that lone 40-watt light bulb dangling at the end of a cord from the ceiling was just no match for the full moon over the dome of Santa Maria Formosa outside my window."
I would have loved to have been on that bench with you, enjoying the concert from the balcony. What a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The place, the joy, and the feeling of sorrow and pride, for the history. Thank you for sharing this beautiful memory, Sharron!
Do I love Italy! And those lovely Italian towns! Bassano must be one of them! Lucky you to feel part of it. The sadness of war does not go away. Thank you , Sharron for sharing.
Beautifully written. I enjoy the way you integrate your activities and reaction with historical and cultural information. It is intimate and educational.
Thank you for acknowledging this point, KC. I never offer advice about where to stay, what to eat, how to get there, but I do aim to give a sense of a place and the feelings it evoke.s I am glad you read it. Thanks.
Thanks for the second look, my friend. Happy Monday to you across there! How I wish I were taking a hike with you today. Wait. Me? Take a hike? More likely take a nap...
Lucky you, Sharron, to have such a lovely town named after you! (And pity all the poor guys named after Gary, Indiana.)
My family took on the title of their ancient and necessary trade in smuggling arms from France to Scotland, although we mostly refrained from that sort of custom for the last several generations.
Monumental sadness. It doesn't go away. 100 years won't change that. The women are left to suffer the stupidity of men. Black cloth holds the sorrow. Color would overwhelm when surrounded by sun-blasted orange buildings. Water, trees and sky try their hardest. Grappa makes a time-out. Exchange one pain for another. A lifetime of striving just stops for a night. It takes a large mallet.
You have an inner poet, Kate. I hear it sometimes. Thank you.
Such a sweet retelling of this small town and its wonder, how it touched your soul with its beauty and its sad memories still full of love.
Sort of a fusion of opposites in my memory now, this quintessential little Italian town. Thanks for reading it, Linda.
I just love your travel writing, Sharron. I like grapes, so Grappa sounds like something I might have to try. It must have been cool to walk around a place that bears your name. Did you get a refrigerator magnet? Supposedly there is a town in Southern Germany with my last name. Someday I’ll go there and bring back a t-shirt and I’ll wear it all the time.
Good plan. About drinking grappa - buy the expensive one. The cheap stuff will singe your ear drums, and scour your throat., and fill you with remorse. Fair warning.
Marvelous writing Sharron. Enjoyed reading this post very much. - Jim
Thank you, Jim. I no longer travel, but I have so many vivid reminders. And I am glad for it! I spent all my money on the road and do not repent it for a minute. I don't mind being broke now. It has been a life well-traveled.
I don't travel that much anymore either. But when I remember special places I've been fortunate enough to go to and the special people I've known because of those places, it's almost like an investment that still pays dividends - not monetarily but just as valuable, if not more. - Jim
Very, very cool, Sharron!!
Ready to buy your airline ticket yet? Life is short, my friend.
Sorry the delay in back to you, Sharron. It's not Italy, but I did get back here, to Louisiana. Be here for a few days - enjoying the rain!
How special your writing is..... thank you for taking us there.
So glad you came along on this short day trip., Wade. It is a lovely place - joy and pathos ten minutes apart.
this takes me from ecstasy to melancholy, from the magnificent balcony aria to the poignant memory of martyrs. Thank you, Sharron.
One never knows what waits around the next corner. That is true anywhere, but Italy guarantees unpredictability -- heart-break one minute, exhilaration the next.. And all unforgettable. Thanks for reading, Sue.
Really enjoyed this travel writing, Sharron. Thank you for sharing.
I have a deep fond spot for Italy, though much of it remains unexplored for me.
Your words are the end were truly captivating, especially this: "It could have been the second dram of grappa. Or perhaps that lone 40-watt light bulb dangling at the end of a cord from the ceiling was just no match for the full moon over the dome of Santa Maria Formosa outside my window."
Thanks, Nathan for taking the time to travel along with me on this Italian day trip. I hope it makes you want to travel there someday!
I would have loved to have been on that bench with you, enjoying the concert from the balcony. What a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The place, the joy, and the feeling of sorrow and pride, for the history. Thank you for sharing this beautiful memory, Sharron!
Wouldn't we have fun on the road together?! So much trouble to get into when there are two.
Do I love Italy! And those lovely Italian towns! Bassano must be one of them! Lucky you to feel part of it. The sadness of war does not go away. Thank you , Sharron for sharing.
So glad you are enjoying my travel stories, Yael! Thank you.
Beautifully written. I enjoy the way you integrate your activities and reaction with historical and cultural information. It is intimate and educational.
Thank you for acknowledging this point, KC. I never offer advice about where to stay, what to eat, how to get there, but I do aim to give a sense of a place and the feelings it evoke.s I am glad you read it. Thanks.
Lovely to revisit this very poignant piece, Sharron - a terrific read.
Thanks for the second look, my friend. Happy Monday to you across there! How I wish I were taking a hike with you today. Wait. Me? Take a hike? More likely take a nap...
LOL Sharron!!!
How cool to have a town named after you. 😉
You should have gotten free lunches.
Right on!
Lucky you, Sharron, to have such a lovely town named after you! (And pity all the poor guys named after Gary, Indiana.)
My family took on the title of their ancient and necessary trade in smuggling arms from France to Scotland, although we mostly refrained from that sort of custom for the last several generations.