WAR, what is it good for? Absolutely NOTHING!

What to post today? Luscious food photos of Caffe’ Macchiato alongside a Chocolate Hazelnut Cream tart? Or, War Memorials? Hmmm. We certainly have been enjoying the desserts here…but….but…I simply can’t ignore that there has been war and there IS a war going on now. Hitler’s Gothic Line in WW2 went right through this area and war raged right here in the places we’ve been visiting. In every place we visited, there is at least one war memorial to remember the lives lost in WW1 and WW2. Each memorial lists the names of the dead or missing. So, I’ve made the more somber choice. After enjoying the panoramic view from the hilltop Church San Querico, we walked along the Viale of Remembrance, thinking that was an odd name for a street. I noticed a cement post along side the road. It said “Sold” and someones name and a date. Hmm, ok, well this place was sold to this person on that date, thinking that this was another weird Italian thing. Then I noticed that there was another post, then another and another. The entire length of the street, for about a mile up to the church, was lined with these posts on both sides about 3 feet apart. Upon closer inspection, I realized that “Sold” actually an abbreviation for ‘soldato”, soldier in Italian. The first date was a birthdate, and the location either his place of birth or death, and the final date his death date. was followed with the man’s birthdate, a location - either birthplace or death site, and then the date of his death. These were young men, boys really, born around the same time as my Grampa Vincenzo. But they didn’t get to become grampas. The extra photo is the war memorial on the side of Chiesa San Querico. It lists the names “Morti” e “Dispersi” (Dead and Missing) for both wars. Four Artillery shells comprise part of the memorial fence.