Many firsts happened in 260 BC in Milazzo (Mylae). Here the Romans won their first naval victory after inventing the corvus. 
Gaus Duilius turned the tide in the First Punic War here, then raced to relieve the siege of Segesta by the Carthaginian general Hamilcar. My boyhood imagination woke up reading the Wikipedia account, its dry prose bringing back the excitement I felt reading my fifth-grade history book. Continue reading
On Friday (3 July 2015), we rolled 64 km through Basilicata and Calabria, but I thought that we were still heading for Reggio Calabria and around the toe. We would not spend too much of July in the far south. The days, while hot and sunny, had not really changed much from Rome. Continue reading
(Tuesday, 30 June 2015). The train took us from Salerno to the next bucket list stop: Paestum. 
Cheryl had toured the site, but I had not, though I had wanted to since my teen years. The marvel of these ancient Greek temples and towns stunned me. I could not even picture them with their decorative façades and liturgical accoutrements in place. The sheer size of the pieces made me wonder how the ancient Greeks could build so many massive structures in so many places. Before the tour was over, I would learn how. Continue reading
Gaeta
The first full day in Gaeta, Cheryl hiked through the historic center and up to the top of the Monte Orlando with her camera. There is a large park there, with the tomb of Lucius Mugnacius Planco (22 BCE) and Bourbon fortifications. The Montagna Spaccata, where St. Benedict was a hermit for three years, is reputed to have split when Christ died on the cross. I wasn’t there when it happened, but it is an impressive crack in the rock. Continue reading
Anzio
(Saturday, 21 June) Finding the port of Anzio from the train station was easy: just coast downhill. The shadows were getting long when we reached the ferry port in Anzio on our bicycles.The hydrofoil crew carried the bikes aboard, and we shoved off with about a ¾ passenger load. Continue reading
The road leads ever on…
If there is one lesson I have learned this summer, it is that extended bicycle touring does not lend itself to blogging the way I was doing it. I had to make a choice: either I could focus on writing and uploading my articles , or I could focus on the trip itself. Opting for the latter, I took notes and pictures like a traditional travel writer, with an eye to writing it up afterward. Not being able to work has been compensated by the incredible beauty and stunning impact of the places that we have seen. I hope to share some of that with you over the next few weeks. Continue reading
One should beware of promises that one cannot keep. In June, I meant to resume posting after the High School Reunion. Instead, I found that this year’s tour was not going to allow time to write. I took notes, and many pictures, which I will begin sharing in this year’s version of the school exercise, “What I did on my summer vacation.” The adventure took us all over Italy, Sicily, Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro. The vacation is over, and Europe 2015 will end when I move into my new apartment this week.
Until then,
Smooth roads and tailwinds,
Jonathan
Trip update: to those who checked in at 1400 last Saturday, I apologize. I hope to post an extensive trip update this weekend, but it may not go up until next week.
Europe 2015 has started with the 50th Reunion of my high school class: Notre Dame International. I spent the week before that checking into the Airbnb apartment in Trastevere and completing formalities for my sojourner’s permit. The Reunion ends this weekend. The activity level is intense and lasts long into each night. When my friend and I hit the road after it is over, my activity should stabilize. I will bring you up to date at that time.
Smooth roads and tailwinds,
Jonathan
When USS WH Standley (CG-32) moored at Naval Base Charleston, South Carolina, in the summer of 1975, there was a different thread of excitement running through the crew, in addition to the usual thrill of being back in homeport. We had received a challenge from the other Belknap-class cruiser in town to a “cruiser Olympics.” It was rare enough for both ships to be home at the same time, so some sort of celebration was in order. Continue reading
At the heart of this boundless life style of living and working on the road is the work. Obviously, there are many employment situations that involve constant travel, and that is a great way to test out whether you are cut out for this vagabond life. If you love your work, so much the better. You can keep it up until you retire, switch to being a consultant (a freelancing situation), or cash out. However, unless you are retired, freelancing is about the only way to bring in the money needed to live, whilst still deciding where you want to go. Continue reading
The Freewheeling Freelancer 