The Italian Way

I recently returned from a vacation in Italy. The most enjoyable part of the trip was being with my daughter, who has been studying art history in Rome this spring. Standing in the middle of a piazza and listening to her tell me stories of ancient Rome and pointing out why we know what we do from the art and architecture of this ancient city, which was the cradle of democracy, is something I will never forget. I could relate some of what I learned to Loudoun County.

As we walked though the ruins of Pompeii, I noticed something that looked modern and familiar, and asked our guide if what I was seeing in the mist of the rubble and excavation could be conduit for fiber optic cable? He just smiled in reply. Maybe it was to connect the sensors recently installed in Vesuvius, one of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes, to warn the 800,000 living in the “red” zone of an impending eruption.

Italy seemed more connected than the US. During my two days in Rome, two days on the Amalfi coast in relatively small towns like Ravello, Positano, and the two days on the island of Capri, I never felt disconnected from the ROW (rest of the world). There seemed to always be 4 bars on my cell phone, and every one of our hotels had HSIA (high speed Internet access). This connectivity allowed me to beam images of the breathtaking beauty home to family and friends.

Italians drive like they speak, with great emotion and flair. In the city Smart Cars, picture a Mini Cooper cut in half, were everywhere. They park perpendicular to the curb, but intrude into the street no more than a normal car. It’s the darnedest Mercedes I have ever seen. Yes, the Smart Car is made by Mercedes-Benz.

We traveled south from Rome with a hired car and driver. (Do not think about doing this yourself.) Our driver held to the speed limit 130 km (about 81 mph) on the Autostrada, but cars flew past us with a whoosh. My guess was at well over 100 mph.

This round trip on the Autostrada was the closest connection I made to Loudoun County. The high speed highway from Rome to Naples rivaled our Dulles Greenway in design - a limited access 6 lane toll road. From Rome to Naples the toll amounted to $0.34 per mile. The Greenway’s $0.18 per mile toll would be a bargain to Italians. Doing a little research after I returned home, I discovered why this highway felt familiar. It is operated by Autostrade Group, the same company that operates the Dulles Greenway!