s there. We stayed there for 4 nights while Chuck was involved in business at the NATO Undersea Research Center (NURC) in nearby La Spezia. Our hotel, the Doria Park, overlooked the heart of the town and its harbor on the bay. We were joined there by Jim and Susan DeCorpo (Jim was Chuck's predecessor in his current job as Chief Scientist of the Office of Naval Research Gobal, and Jim is now head of the international office of the Department of Homeland Security). We also visited friends Jeff and Maxine Haun -- Jeff was a colleague of Chuck's and Jim's at ONR Global, leaving about a year ago to become a researcher at NURC.
In addition to the usual local explorations of the beautiful Italian coast and the town of Lerici, we enjoyed dinner on two evenings with the Hauns as well as the DeCorpos. We also had the chance to visit the Hauns at home on a steep hillside that overlooked the local mountains.
One of our dinners together was at a restaurant the Hauns recommended, located at the top of one of the local mountains overlooking the Bay -- a restaurant serving traditional Ligurian food, but without a menu. Diners declare their preference for fish or meat for each course and are served a variety of delicious dishes for each of the courses. Naturally, we all upheld the ancient tradition of eating more of this delicious food than we should have.
Our photos of Lerici are at: http://chuck.smugmug.com/gallery/2975155#160973528
Along with the DeCorpos, we spent two days driving in the local area. On one day we drove, with the DeCorpos into nearby Carrara, site of the quarries for the world-famo
us marble. (When driving past Carrara, it is not uncommon for travelers to think the mountains above the town are snow-covered when, in fact, what they are seeing is the large expanses of white marble.) With Chuck at the wheel (and with a bit of trepidation on his part) we found ouselves driving up very steep mountain roads, pulling aside to let enormous trucks, loaded with heavy loads of marble, pass by. There were quarries on all sides. One can't help but be impressed by the fact that Michaelangelo took the very marble for some of his masterpieces from the same quarries -- and that after centuries there is still marble to be quarried.
us marble. (When driving past Carrara, it is not uncommon for travelers to think the mountains above the town are snow-covered when, in fact, what they are seeing is the large expanses of white marble.) With Chuck at the wheel (and with a bit of trepidation on his part) we found ouselves driving up very steep mountain roads, pulling aside to let enormous trucks, loaded with heavy loads of marble, pass by. There were quarries on all sides. One can't help but be impressed by the fact that Michaelangelo took the very marble for some of his masterpieces from the same quarries -- and that after centuries there is still marble to be quarried. On the way back from Carrara we made a short stop to visit the Castle Potentiana, only to find that the castle was closed on that day -- and that it isn't even visible from the car park. So we contented ourselves with some pictures from the castle heights.
We also made a short stop in the town of Aulla as we passed through it -- having noticed that a street fair and market were in progress. We joined the locals for an interesting and entertaining hour, picking up some gadgets and snacks in the process. Then on to Lerici at dusk, another fine dinner (followed by a gelato, of course.)
For photos of the marble quarries of Carrara, as well as Potentiana Castle and Aulla, go to:
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