What I’ll surely remember the most about arriving in Italy is the sight of snow on the Alps as the plane descended out of a cloudy morning sky into Milan. But right after that comes the two hang gliders that soared past an alpine peak as the van that was taking me to Aosta moved north toward the town, the landscape becoming a series of valleys cutting through the steep clefts. The second of the two hang gliders looked for all the world as if it were going to land right on the highway, a daunting thought given how the traffic was moving, but as we rounded a turn I saw that it had caught an updraft and was angling out and away. What a view the pilot must have had.

Image: The view from my room at the Hotel Europe in Aosta. It was hot and humid when I took this, but cooled off dramatically during the night. If the air conditioner worked, all would be perfect. Below is a photo from the street in front of the hotel. As you can tell, this is the place to be for a guy who loves mountains the way I do.

The day after, it’s a glorious morning in northern Italy, the humidity and heat of yesterday afternoon giving way to cool, dry air, although space scientist Giovanni Vulpetti told me last night at the welcome party that the weather in these parts changes by the hour. Indeed, a brief rain had blown in as he was speaking, cooling and freshening the night. The party was a welcome chance to renew acquaintances, but I was so tired from the flight that I retired early. This morning, in a few minutes, we head to the Aosta town hall for the opening session of the conference. I’ll report on matters when possible, but I may have to hold most of my remarks until I get back. The Net connection here is tricky and usable only from the hotel lobby, and time may become a factor as well. Meetings and hallway conversations are burning ninety-nine percent of my time (well, not to mention the chance to have some fabulous food — the vegetable risotto last night was unforgettable).