Venice Logistics
Planning a trip to Venice, Italy? My wife and I visited in early June and wanted to share what we learned to hopefully make your trip more successful. Note: Prices…
Keukenhof Street Organ
Keukenhof's street organ, The Adriaen, was built in 1978 from the remnants of a 1920 Belgium dancehall organ and has been at Keukenhof since 1990. The organ was built by…
Kleine Berlin
Kleine Berlin is the Italian pejorative for the area of Trieste where German soldiers were worked and lived during World War II. Kleine Berlin also refers to the air raid…
Hungarian Revolution Memorial
An unexpected find while walking through Boston's Financial District: a statue commemorating the failed 1956 Hungarian uprising against communist rule. Commissioned by the Hungarian Society of Massachusetts, the statue was…
Unique Restroom Signage
As seen at the Lipica Stud Farm in Slovenia. With 24 official European Union languages, originality is required to get patrons to the correct bathroom: Madame/Monsieur (French), Damen/Herren (German and…
Desperate Times For Britain?
Is this what it's come to? A fairly nondescript flyer poorly taped to a bulletin board in Bassano del Grappa, Italy, apparently begging continental Europeans that they are relevant ten…
Technology Run Amuck?
Next stop: Zürich Airport! Screen time for all, not a personal interaction in sight. Sigh.
Italy Rental Car Fiasco
I thought the logistics were straight-forward: land in Venice, pick up the rental car, and drive to Portorož, Slovenia to speak at tech conference. Then suddenly it wasn't, and our…
Executive Room With Balcony
My wife and I booked a room at the Grand Hotel Portorož for talks I was presenting at JCON Slovenia in Portorož, Slovenia. Very excited upon our arrival in Portorož,…
Free Territory of Tireste
After World War II, Trieste, Italy was de jure was an independent and diplomatically-recognized state, The Free Territory of Trieste, but, due to Soviet intransigence in agreeing to any civilian…