When I prepared my Last Will and Testament some years ago, I included specific provisions that I wish to be cremated. I promised my sisters that if they put me in the cold, hard ground, I’d come back to haunt them. But a recent visit to the Monumental Cemetery in Milan, Italy, had me reconsidering … Read more
On March 17, 1805, Napoleon Bonaparte’s armies conquered northern Italy. Two months later, Napoleon had himself crowned at the Duomo di Milano, taking the title “Emperor of the French and King of Italy.” To commemorate his victory, Napoleon ordered a grand Arco delle Vittorie (Arch of Victory) to be built at the point on the … Read more
My guide for the day, Valery Brady, began my tour of Chisinau, Moldova, at the Pushkin Museum. Alexander Pushkin, considered to be Russia’s greatest poet and the founder of modern literature, angered Emperor Alexander I with his poem, “Ode to Liberty,” which was critical of the regime. As a result, in May of 1820 he … Read more
“When you think of Moldova, you must think of Moldovan wine,” my tour guide said. I’d come to this Eastern European country with no research and little knowledge; it was just one of four countries in Europe I’d not yet visited and I was curious. Whenever I mentioned the name of the country to anyone, … Read more
The volcano caldera in Santorini is a study in blue, and white, with the ominous black volcano cone squatting in the center of the lagoon. Since the beginning of the Christian Era, the volcano has had eight eruption episodes, in 46-47, 726, 1570-1573, 1707-1711, 1866-1870, 1925-1928, 1939-1941, and 1950. Though the average number of years … Read more
