Preface: A Time of Tenderness and Pleasure

On 7 July 2007 (07/07/07, for those keeping track), my special lady friend Diane Farsetta and I were married in a fantastic ceremony at Warner Park in Madison, Wisconsin. It was a tremendous festival of love and family. The weather was perfect, we were surrounded by loved ones, and we truly could not have asked for a more perfect day. The reception — for which I supplied the music — was also a big success. (Thanks to Doug MacDonald for the pic at right.)

To celebrate what Samuel Johnson apparently referred to as a time "when there is nothing but tenderness and pleasure", we planned a trip to Italy. (The first-person plural is a bit generous here; Diane did 70% of the planning.) The choice of destination was made for several reasons:

  1. Diane's grandparents on her father's side emigrated to the US from Italy.
  2. It seemed to me like a nice place to visit.
  3. Italian food is scrumptuous.
  4. Italy is shaped like a boot.

(Actually, this last one was a minor consideration. There aren't many boot-shaped countries.)

So, three days after the wedding (once we had caught our breath and packed some clothes), we set out for two weeks of fun, culture, and love. It promised to be a tremendous experience in many ways.

A quick note about this website: Each word in bold is a link. If you hover over the word(s), you'll get a brief description — provided your browser supports such a thing. I've included some unusual websites, and each one loads in a separate window, so don't be afraid to click around. There's some good stuff in here.

Also, note that the colors of the Italian flag at the top and bottom of each page double as navigation tools.

Next: Transatlantic