Anti-fascists in a Swiss Cemetery

Aging on the Run, long term travel, Nationalism, war and peace

When Donald Trump met Xi Jinping, it was raining in Ronca Sopra Ascona, Switzerland.  In my friend’s Swiss apartment on the Italian border, we baked bread for the Sabbath and watched Latin American TV. I wanted to see how the high-power meeting was playing out...

May Day in Milan. Bella Ciao!

Aging on the Run, Europe, long term travel, Social Movements

  Milan has long been the center of finance, fashion, and Ferraris.  It is also both the birthplace of Italian fascism and a center of anti-fascist resistance. On April 29, 2026, 107 years after Mussolini formed his fascist party in Milan and anti-fascist...

The Geography of Emotions: Montevideo, Uruguay.

Latin America

A Dutch travel writer came to Sri Lanka at a moment of personal crisis. He capitalized on his grief to write a bestseller that depicted the tropical island as a demonic place.  The work was artful but distorted by both internal angst and Eurocentrism. I thought about...

Minnesota. Joy and Sorrow In One Cup.

Radical Hospitality

The minister said joy and sorrow come in one cup. Somehow, at age 67,  this was a new concept to me.  It is confusing when strong emotions swim together. Sometimes the mixture is too powerful for us to handle. Like when a loved one dies. Especially a young one....

Punta Arenas, Chile: Hope Lies in the Long View

Aging on the Run, Latin America, Nationalism, Public History, Racism, Social Movements

From the Río Bravo to the Straits of Magellan, the Great Cemi, riding high astride a condor, has scattered the seeds of the new América across the romantic nations of the continent and the suffering islands of the sea! José Martí, Nuestra América  The Straits of...