Five hundred years from now, will someone gaze at your front door and whisper, "Look at the workmanship! The craftmanship! How old do you...

Arrivederci Italia! Two weeks pass in a chaotic rush of sights, sounds, scents, and color, but at last we say goodbye to Limoncello spritzes, eggplant parmigiana, and panelle, a deep-fried chickpea flour fritter. As for you, sword fish, unidentified fish fillets, and sardines, I never knew you. I was warned that Sicily and southern Italy are known for the abundance of fresh seafood in their menus. I wrote no fish on the diet preference sent to me by Approach tours.

White Chapel, London, England. Pretend it's 1888. Jack the Ripper is hunting, using White Chapel as a personal killing ground. The...