Dolemitesprint

When Bosnians really like you, they whack you with their cane Since I had 10 Bosnian marks that I needed to spend, I decided to buy fuel. I stopped in the town of Foca (40,000 people) to do so. But I couldn’t find a fuel station in Foca. I drove around and around, up and down looking everywhere, but I couldn’t find it; I knew it had to be there. I started heading down the highway, but stopped to check my map. While I was looking at the map, an old man who spoke no English snuck up behind me and slapped his hand on my shoulder. I was about to go on the defensive and tackle him when I saw he was trying to help me orient myself. This geezer, who spoke no English, ... read more

I ignored all the warnings. My host Matej had promised to be unaccommodating and even said her house was full of poison, but I decided to visit her anyway. It turned out to be a great decision, and in the tiny village of Vinska Gora, Matej and her boyfriend Zdrocco ended up being some of the kindest people I’d met on my trip. Matej First she served me a vegetable soup, and we shared a glass of wine together. Then, along with her independent-minded and friendly dog Don, we set out amongst the freshly blooming sprouts of spring plants, and up the slopes of the South-easternmost Slovenian Alps. The view of Matej’s valley was absolutely stunning, even from our starting point. As we passed through wooded areas, and climbed up into the sky on this sunny ... read more

Venice is the most expensive city in the world that I have seen, but it’s worth it. Whenever I’m locked somewhere and I feel like I’m forced to pay an exuberant amount for something/everything, I make the remark, “These bastards think they’re Disneyland.” In this case, Venice IS Disneyland. Venice is far betterthan Disneyland. Venice is a real freaking city, built in the last millennia, where all the buildings are fantastic, and the streets themselves are works of art. There is nothing that can possibly prepare the well-traveled voyager, who has seen hundreds of cities, for the miracle that is Venice. The idea of so much water in a city is simply unfathomable, to make a small pun. What struck me, as I rode the public water bus for two magnificent, sunset hours, was that the ... read more

Socialism: a family affair All I saw of Bologna as I motored on through its highways were the booted prostitutes on the street corner, wearing hot pants in the snow. When I reached Modena, my host Claudio told me they were mostly Romanians and Nigerians, who had settled into that particular market niche in Northern Italy. As he told me this, we watched hundreds of young and old Modenese parade through the streets in support of a communist agenda in the upcoming national elections. Swarms of impartial SWAT officers stood aloofly, observing the protest. Two beaming young girls rushed to a portable microphone, and led the chanting that accompanied the march. They smiled with great satisfaction as they venomously unleashed their harsh words of criticism against the sitting government. My host family Claudio and Cornelia are ... read more