Sunday Drive: Ave Maria

Il Volo performs the Schubert hymn at a Christmas concert in the Senate of Italy, 2014.

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Let's Go to Riva del Garda

It was 110 here in Texas yesterday.  It's nearly 110 again today.  And it will be 110 tomorrow.  In other words, we are living in a roasting pan.   Even with the a/c running 24/7 and all the fans going, it's about 85 degrees in the house - much better than being outside, but still, we just feel drained and torpid all the time.

I got to wondering, where in the world could a body go to get cool, if one had the dough and the energy to travel?  And somehow I chanced upon this delightful stroll through the pretty lake town of Riva del Garda, up in the Italian Alps, where the temperature is 75 degrees and there's always a refreshing breeze blowing off the lake.  It was filmed just a couple of weeks ago.  There's no annoying background music, and the narration is in the captions.  Check it out. 

You're welcome.

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Elder: A Gay Mormon Love Story

Not as boring as you think!  This is a poignant story of coming to terms with the truth you were taught and the truth you know inside.  I suppose all of us good little gay boys who grew up in a homophobic church (and they all were, in my day) has a story of the Love That Could Not Be like this one. And of finally daring to step outside the sacred circle - and finding not judgment, but peace.

 

A YouTube commenter has kindly supplied the rest of the story from the New York Times (behind a paywall): 

Though Tom left Gianni in Italy, their relationship continued in various forms over the years. Gianni still lives in Pescara, where he is an artist and cares for his elderly mother. Tom returned to the United States, where he remained closeted but eventually left the Mormon Church. (His marriage to a Mormon woman ended in divorce, after which he came out.) Tom now lives in Salt Lake City with his partner. Although their romance has ended, he and Gianni still consider themselves deeply connected and close friends. 

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Buff, Bearded, Bronzed

Take a moment to savor these magnificent nude dudes from Calabria:

Click to enlarge.

More info at Wikipedia.

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Weekend Getaway: The Amalfi Coast

 Rick Steves takes us on a leisurely tour of serene Sorrento, the Isle of Capri, and the famous Blue Grotto, among other charming spots along Italy's sunny Amalfi Coast.

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Paris to Milan by TGV

It's not the Orient Express, but Mark Smith, the Man in Seat 61, makes it look like a very nice ride - at 186 miles an hour!  A pity we have nothing to match this in the U. S. of A.

Classic Shacks: Palazzo Reale di Genova

I seem to be in an Italian mood today.  Surfing around, I just happened to come across this jewel of art and architecture, which you can read more about here if you have a mind to.