Category Archives: Italy

One Hundred Years Ago, Germany and Russia laid the Foundation for World War II – April 1922: Rapallo

Zur deutschen Fassung. Did you ever notice that the term “discovery” is only used when a white guy first steps onto some territory, where non-white folks have been living for a long time? And that fake explorer fame is even … Continue reading

Posted in Germany, History, Italy, Military, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, World War I, World War II | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Living in a Bunker

Zur deutschsprachigen Fassung. Italy has seen a lot of wars. Illyrian wars. Eritrean War. World War I. War of Independence. Samnite Wars. World War II. Italian-Turkish War. First Battle of the Isonzo. Alexandrian War. Second Battle of the Isonzo. Italian-Libyan … Continue reading

Posted in Italy, Military, Photography, South Tyrol, Travel, World War II | Tagged | 4 Comments

A Birthday without Lake Garda

Zur deutschen Fassung dieses kleinen Ausflugs. Lake Garda is only 50 km from Trento. I don’t really want to go where all the other tourists go. But at Lake Garda, there are not only hordes of tourists, there is also … Continue reading

Posted in Italy, Photography, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Austrian Border Control

When you’re smuggling Italian cigars while hitchhiking across the Alps, the imposing Austrian customs checkpoint near Nauders will give you a brief scare. But it was Sunday morning and the soldiers were apparently attending church. Or they didn’t want to … Continue reading

Posted in Austria, Italy, Travel | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

International Women’s Day

Zur deutschen Fassung. Today is International Women’s Day, but many of you don’t seem to know how to properly celebrate or commemorate it. It’s NOT a day for those who forgot Valentine’s Day, NOR is is a second chance for … Continue reading

Posted in Bolivia, Italy, Travel | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

One Hundred Years Ago, Christmas was still Exciting – December 1920: Bloody Christmas

Zur deutschen Fassung. I find it perfectly fitting that some states have declared a state of emergency for Christmas. Because for me, Christmas has always been a disaster to be avoided. Usually, I escaped by traveling to countries as devoid … Continue reading

Posted in Croatia, History, Italy, Politics, World War I | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Santa Claus in May

Diesen Bericht gibt es auch auf Deutsch. Everywhere in the world, Santa Claus shows up on 6 December. Not so in Bari, a city in the south of Italy. Here, he comes in May and he stays for a whole week. 7:40 … Continue reading

Posted in Apulia, Italy, Photography, Religion, Travel | Tagged , | 13 Comments

The Smoking Snakes

Zur deutschen Fassung dieses Artikels. These days, eurocentric Europeans are celebrating the end of World War II, although in Asia, that show didn’t get cancelled until a few months later. The surviving US-American, British, French, Belgian, New Zealand, Australian, Indian, … Continue reading

Posted in Brazil, History, Italy, Military, Politics, World War II | Tagged | 34 Comments

“The Dark Valley”, a Western from Austria

Yes, Austria. Not Australia. That cute country with castles and Kaiserschmarrn, waltz and Waltz, Mozart and marzipan? But Austria has winters, too. Tough winters, like in Wyoming. And mountains like in Montana. Valleys like in Yosemite. And reclusive communities deep … Continue reading

Posted in Austria, Cinema, Germany, Italy, Language | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Random Thoughts (20)

If you care neither about the deficit, nor about providing public services, it’s actually quite easy to cut taxes. When I saw books by Džon Grišam at the bookshop in Montenegro, I was happy that my name wouldn’t have to be … Continue reading

Posted in Austria, Books, Economics, Germany, Italy, Language, Montenegro, Politics, Romania, USA | Tagged , , , , , , | 17 Comments