Comments on: Not sentimental, and no France

By: Mrs Tilton

Mrs Tilton — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 02:40:39 +0000

Sorry about that, David; the allusion was obscure even by my standards. It’s a reference to Sterne’s A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy (which, BTW, you may read online or download for free thanks to the good people at Project Gutenberg).

By: David Weman

David Weman — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 23:28:15 +0000

I don’t understand the title.

By: Edward

Edward — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 18:38:55 +0000

“His yard turned out many beautiful craft, including some fine racing boats, before it ceased operations in the 1980s.”

Consciously or unconsciously, this last section on Ambrogio Fogar seems like a metaphorical rendering of the ‘plight of contemporary Italy’.

Not only are the naval yards closing, so too are the maternity wards.

Also I am reminded of an old UK engineering adage: the Italians build the most beautiful ships, and sometimes they float.