Milan, Italy 1903

I hadn't posted any postcards from my Grandfather's scrapbook in quite some time.   It's not an easy task to choose a postcard, as there are pages and pages of them sent by an Aunt somebody (possibly Laura?) from what must have been a grand voyage (accent on second syllable) throughout Europe in 1903-1905.

These are from Milan, July 26, 1903.  The first shows the Hall of Cariatidi, destroyed during WWII, in the Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace).   The sender writes, "Palace of the King - Ball room, 18 chandeliers, 3000 candles".  It must have been spectacular. 

The second shows Queen Margherita, who the writer appears to  have seen.  Queen Margherita was queen from 1878 until 1900 when her husband, King Umberto I, was assasinated.  The Pizza Margherita, whose "whose red tomatoes, green basil, and white cheese represent the Italian flag", was named after her.

Trevi Fountain, Rome

I've been to Rome once, when I was on my way to visit my friend Annie, who lives in Florence.

The hotel in which I was to stay had sent a car to the airport to pick me up, and on the way to the hotel, the cab driver drove to the Trevi Fountain. He parked the cab, and we got out and walked over to the fountain. It was a hot August night, probably 10 PM, and the steps around the fountain were packed with people.

It was a magical introduction to Rome - a friendly driver who obviously loved his city, a legendary fountain, and mobs of tourists and locals, young and old, happily eating ice cream on a summer eve.

Ceriana, Italy

My friend James has a friend with a house in Ceriana, Italy. James' friend spends summers in this village, and has been doing so for many (?) years.

When James got back, we talked a lot about living in a small town in Italy. or any where for that matter. Could we do it? Would we like it? While he loved the town, and had a great visit, he didn't think he could live there. Sometimes I think the fantasy is much better than the reality, and I would probably agree with him. Sounds intriguing, but not sure I wouldn't get bored after a while, or even pretty quickly.