One of my daily morning rituals is reading the digital NY Times. I seem to thrive on bits of wisdom and humour from the likes of Frank Bruni, Maureen Dowd and the other truth seekers and storytellers. On Wednesday, as I read an article about the restaurant Prune in NY City, I thought of those less fortunate, of the countless

After 5 days of glorious sunshine, riding through some of the most spectacular scenery in Europe, I was leaving the town of Kobarid, Slovenia, when the skies darkened and a downpour began. My luggage had been sent ahead to Cividale, where I had intended to reach late afternoon, but I thought to find some shelter to let the storm pass.