Stresa

Joseph Leconte or Leconte.

He applies that perspective looking back at the 1935 Stresa conference in Italy as Austria appeared likely to descend into crisis, possibly even civil war amid Hitler's agitations and assassinations in Austria on his behalf.

It's a valuable history lesson and a metaphor, but he concludes by noting that our vacation from history is a luxury we can't afford.

And I rather think reading it that we're in a much more clear eyed place than we were then, even if our confrontations with the threats before us are imperfect and have their ups and downs.

There are walks you can take, and you can troll for trout in the lake.

It would have been better than Stresa because there are fewer people at Palanza.

Stresa is so easy to get to from Milan that there are always people you know.

There is a nice village at Palanza, and you can roll out to the islands where the fishermen live, and there is a restaurant on the biggest island, but we did not go.

One day while I was in bed with jaundice, Miss Van Kampen came in the room, opened the door into the armoire, and saw the empty bottles there.

My heart went down.

You are sure? I mean the tall blonde English young lady? I'm sure.

She has gone to Stresa.

I, I got a wedding for Alex Sarama with the Portland Fire.

He's getting married in Stresa, in just northeast of Milan.

And then I'm jumping over on a train, taking a midnight train over, night train to Berlin, and I'm gonna see the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals of the Women's World Cup.

And I just always love just to go and watch, and it'll be great to see, 'cause I know most of these players.

usually base my books on places I have been.

So everything I've written, like for Istanbul for the first book, and then for Stresa, Italy for this particular book, I've spent time there.

And I hope I don't get in trouble by naming real hotels and real bars.

But...