Earthquakes of 1976
No one living in Friuli will ever forget the evening of May 6, 1976. Just before 9:00pm, a magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck the Alto Friuli area, shaking the ground for…
The Winged Lion of Saint Mark
The original winged lion was an ancient bronze sculpture brought to Venice in the 12th century. Sitting atop one of two columns in Piazza San Marco, the lion eventually came…
Food Festivals of Friuli (Part 5): Festa della Zucca
The Festa della Zucca is held annually on the fourth weekend of October in the town of Venzone, nestled in the foothills of Friuli's Alps. On this autumn trip, I…
Venzone: Festa della Zucca
On the day of Venzone’s Festa della Zucca, I made my way to the train station in Trieste with some degree of trepidation. The last time I had visited Venzone,…
Venzone and Bordano
After three weeks in Carnia, it was a shock to be back in the stifling summer heat of Udine. The night was a restless one, what with my tossing and…
Intermission
It was June 2004 when Mike and I returned to San Francisco. I had over a year to prepare for my next trip, which would take me once again throughout…
New Travel Highlights on Afar
Check out my new travel "Highlights" on Afar.com: a pumpkin festival and my favorite village in Carnia.
Gemona del Friuli and Venzone
The next day, I took another early train from Udine to Gemona del Friuli. After passing endless, barren fields in varying shades of brown, we reached the Alto Friuli—the gateway…