Italy, please, you're killing me. I've posted one newsletter after a five year break, and I'm already behind schedule. Those nice photos I took at Herculaneum, near Pompeii - when am I supposed to post those!

I recognize that I get a little overzealous when all my attention is on one topic. Right now, I'm ready to study archaeology and move to Italy.

Love, Dave

I spent a night in Vietri sul Mare after driving along the famous/infamous Amalfi coast. The view from my balcony.


A tiny section of the elaborate Nativity scene at the base of a church.


The winter that wasn't. The only reason that I'm still in Europe, being a wimpy California Boy, is because the weather has been SO pleasant. Bad weather: I'm outta here! Stiill waiting.


Endless farms with hothouse covers. And apparently more labor intensive farming methods. Then why is food so much cheaper here??


I spotted this ruin of a house and ended up driving back to look inside. I cannot get enough of these places!


The massive windmills just down the hill were a hint. It blows like crazy here.


I was so tempted to climb these crumbling stairs. The potential "Stupid Tourist" headlines kept me downstairs.


Today's destination: UNESCO World Heritage Site, Matera.


This area has been settled since about 10,000 B.C. Impressive as that is, I realize that Americans aren't normally impressed that American Indians lived in North America for longer than that. Yeah, but these are Italians!


Did you know that tomatoes weren't introduced to Europe until the 17th century? What the hell did they put on their pasta? For the first 100 years they didn't even like tomatoes.


Dinner, in a vaulted old dwelling.


Ravioli! About $6.50, FYI.


Oh, the Italians and their cool blue bottles.


Wait, wut? The Culligan man, in Italy? I have to rethink everything.


But I digress. There is so much to see here, and so much history, I'm shaking. Seriously, I love this stuff. I didn't choose to love this stuff. I just do.


How can I see it all? As usual, it's painfully fascinating to me. It makes me ache. But I guess it's the kind of ache that I'm happy to suffer for.


Hey look! My trusty green 29 year-old steed, blending in with the locals like he belongs here. Do you know what happened this week? It was 10 YEARS ago, January 25, 2010, that I flew from San Francisco to Delhi, starting this little homeless travel experiment. As I said then, and now: the experiment continues!


(The End)