Camping in Jesolo Italy Circa 1967 - On The Beach 30 Minutes From Venice

I was very fortunate as a kid to grow up in Europe courtesy of the U.S. Air Force. My father was a career USAF man and other than a short 10 month stay in Louisiana, I spent the first 10 years of my life living in Germany and Italy. One of my favorite memories was when I was about 8 years old and our family decided to take 30 days and drive from the Adriatic coast of Italy near Venice across Italy to the Italian Riviera and onto the French Riviera to Nice, San Tropez, Cannes and then back home to Germany. And we were going to camp the whole time. In the 60's the Europeans had some excellent campgrounds.

Well, we made it to Jesolo Italy which is about a 30 mintue drive up the coast from Venice. We set up our tent at the Motel-Camping Adriatico Campsite and proceeded to start our month long journey. It was great. Nice and warm.... and we wound up staying there for 3 and a half weeks.... haha, so much for our great journey. I can't remember a better summer as a kid though. All the time the ocean breeze sounded through the pine trees in the campground and in the background the ever present sound of the surf hitting the beach.

At that time I was fluent in German and Italian as well as American (too bad I am no longer like that). I remember playing Bocce Balls with other kids and flying kites on the beach. At night the smell of little food cooking from campsites as well as the deli at the campground wafted through the air. It was alway very cool at night and I would snuggle down in my sleeping back for a great nights sleep. In the morning it was up and a mad dash to the beach. I had a flat top haircut at the time and I remember after the first couple of days telling my mom I had a headache. She looked through my thin white hair and noticed I had sunburned the top of my head so it was a floppy hat and Nivea skin cream on my nose for the rest of the time we were there.

We did make a couple trips down to Venice for some site seeing and we were only about 40 miles from Vicenzia where where we lived befor moving to Germany and we visited with old neighbors and friends.

All in all it was a really great summer vacation. My mom and dad now have an entire wall in their family room with things from their travels around the world hanging including the original brochure from the campground in Jesolo Italy. Opening that brochure brought back a flood of memories........enough to write for days. Over the coming weeks I am going to scan in things from that wall and write about them. They also have 2 footlockers full of stuff like that....... going to be some fun times coming up.

Here are a couple photos of that beat up brochure from the summer of 1967







































































For current information on Jesolo Italy click here

If you are a military brat click here and here

Navy Boot Camp - 28 Years Ago Today

28 years ago today I spent my first full day at RTC Great Lakes, on the shores of the great lakes in Chicago, better known as U.S. Navy Bootcamp. What a shock that was.....haha. Arrived about 2.00 in the morning and no matter what we did it was wrong. The first 48 hours were mind blowing but once you figured out it was a mind game it was a lot easier to handle. My company commander was Petty Officer Willet who after my dad is probably the most influential man in my life. Boot camp was a life changer and a confidence builder. I learned I could do what I thought was impossible. I learned how to fold my clothes and say yes sir. I learned how to fight fires and how to fight the enemy. I learned how to be a team player and how to be a strong individual. I learned respect, honor, courage and commitment.

I am proud to say I served in the U.S. Navy and 28 years ago today that time of my life began. What a great time it was. I saw the world from Alaska to Australia, from Africa to Europe, from Asia to America and everywhere in between.

Moonlight by Starbuck

Listening to a 70's station on Winamp and and old classic that brought back some great summertime high school memories comes on. Remember the song "Moonlight" by Starbuck?

What a great song that wraps up what it was like to be alive and enjoying the free spirit of the summer of 1975. Unfortunately they aren't around anymore but the song Moonlight will be around forever.

For those who remember and those that have never heard, here are the lyrics to that great anthem of the 70's

The wind blew some luck in my direction
I caught it in my hands today
I finally made a tricky frech connection
You winked and gave me your ok
I'll take you on a trip beside the ocean
And drop the top at Chesapeake Bay
Ain't nothing like the sky to dose a potion
The moon'll send you on your way, ha, ha
Moonlight feels right, moonlight feels right

We'll lay back and observe the constellations
And watch the moon smiling bright
I'll play the radio on southern stations
'Cause southern belles are hell at night
You say you came to Baltimore from Ole Miss
A class of '74 gold ring
The eastern moon looks ready for a wet kiss
To make the tide rise again, ha, ha
Moonlight feels right, moonlight feels right

We'll see the sun come up on sunday mornin'
And watch it fade the moon away
I guess you know I'm givin' you a warnin'
'Cause me and moon are itchin' to play
I'll take you on a trip beside the ocean
And drop the top at Chesapeake Bay
Ain't nothing like the sky to dose a potion
The moon'll send you on your way
Moonlight feels right, moonlight feels right

Scarlett Johansson Is The Most Beautiful Woman On Earth

Short and to the point. Scarlett Johansson is the most beautiful woman on earth (after my wife)