JAUNTICLES

Dinner while watching people & planes.   Hello, again, Blogonauts! Like every fine-cut gem, we all have many facets, each catching and reflecting the light in its own way. So like everyone else, I have several varied interests. And the trip that begins today is designed to shine light on several of them. Currently I'm at Logan Airport, waiting to board a flight that will eventually take me in Manchester, England. This weekend in Manchester is the QED conference , a gathering of people and presenters focused on the advancement of science, and as such, reducing the influence of misinformation and pseudoscience. You may know that I enjoy podcasts...in fact, LOTS of podcasts. And among my favorites are those where trained, engaged experts explore current topics in science and medicine. Many of those podcasters are presenting at the QED conference. So rather than just letting them inhabit my ears while I do chores or walk the dog, this weekend will allow me to have face-to-face enco...

Hello again, Blogonauts! For two weeks we have ricocheted across northern Italy together. We have shared artistry & architecture, history & histrionics, foodery & tomfoolery. Yet, even as the customs of Venetto and Lombardy began to feel familiar and perhaps semi-comprehensible, they did little to prepare me for Milan. Imagine crowds akin to spring break at Disney World or New Year's Eve on Times Square. And then give to a significant percentage of that throng the fashion daring-do usually found only at places like the Oscars or the Met Gala. Now if you set your dial for such an event at 10, then Milan, on a spring Saturday or Sunday, warrants perhaps an 8 or 9...but no lower. We'll start, as everyone does, with the Piazza del Duomo . At least two reasons draw the droves to the expansive plaza outside the cathedral's front door: The first is the ornate gothic exterior of the Duomo itself. It is a psychedelic structure of statuary and stone like no other. It...

Hello again, Blogonauts. Bergamo is majestic, both inside and out. So let's take a look at this kaleidoscope! On Thursday, my itinerary took me away from Verona, and brought me an hour or so west, to the "duopolis" of Bergamo. I have dubbed it so, because two town centers exist in Bergamo, each less than a mile apart from the other (as the crow flies, and this time flying would be an advantage). Bergamo's more modern section, known as Città Bassa , is where my train arrived and my lodging is located. It is plopped flatly on the flatlands of Lombardy south of the Alps. And it has a nice urban center and sophisticated feel. Indeed, it has been an industrial and educational center for a couple of centuries. But on a steep, rocky hill towering above is the Città Alta (Upper City), where Bergamo's wealth and power first took root more than 2000 years ago . And surrounding that part of the city is an imposing wall, making the entire upper city seem like a fortress...wh...