Today we arrived in Malta. The first thing we did after lunch was go the The Malta Experience to learn about the history of these interesting islands. Malta has a remarkably rich history spanning over 7,000 years, shaped by its strategic position in the central Mediterranean. In the prehistoric period (5900-700 ), the earliest inhabitants arrived around 5900 BC, likely from Sicily. These early Maltese people created some of the world’s oldest free-standing stone structures,…
When I am traveling like this, I find that I usually write more than normal because there is lots of down-time in getting from here to there. I’ve also become more comfortable using my iPhone to compose stories. That and waiting around while Kim shops all give me rime for reflection and composition. Yesterday was such a day. We had very little to do other than cover the distance from Orvieto to the Hilton Fiumicino…
Way back in the last Millennium, I had the good fortune to get introduced to an opportunity to invest in a young start-up company that was raising money. The introducer was my long-time banking partner, Bruce, who may be one of the smartest finance professionals I ever met. The 1990s for me were the years of banking wine and roses. I was a partner and member of the management committee of one of the most…
It’s Memorial Day and we are waking up in Cortona after a wonderful stay at the Monastero di Cortona, high up the top of this hill town that looks out over the Tiberian plains of central Italy in Umbria. I have to say for the record that his boutique hotel and its level of amenities, fine dining, room quality and overall service is unmatched by any place I have stayed recently. It’s half the price…
Yes, I lived in Italy for three years from 1968 – 1971, but I lived in Rome, which is only one of the many atmospheres that Italy offers. It’s a wonderful ambiance in Rome, with ruins at every turn and antiquity spilling over into modern Roman life with the hustle and bustle of Vespas and Cinquecentos roaring around the sights across cobblestone streets that never seem to show wear. My life in Rome was the…
Even if I hadn’t lived in Rome for three years, I probably would have still heard that all roads lead to Rome. That fascinating phrase has both literal and metaphorical meanings. Literally, it refers to the extensive Roman road network that connected the vast empire to its capital. The Romans were master engineers who built over 250,000 miles of roads, with major routes like the Via Appia genuinely converging on Rome. This infrastructure was crucial…
Back in the day, when I traveled almost every week, usually flying off to some place in Latin America or Europe, I remember the feeling on a Sunday night as I headed off to the airport. I hated leaving home before the weekend had ended, and I hated not having the comfort of being able to go into the office like a regular person, but what I never disliked or dreaded was the flights themselves.…