Capitan’s Blog, Camogli, Italy —

I’m very happy to report that little has changed here in this charming fishing village just south of Genoa. There are no chain stores or luxury boutiques and the cafes and restaurants remain firmly in local hands.

In the late afternoons, I like to stroll down to the port cafes and read and watch life go by. Fishermen work on their boats or gather in groups to argue. Mothers faun over their children. Day visitors walk AAAAAAIMLESSLY by. Same as it ever was. Almost.

The 21st century has made its mark in the form of the personal digital assistant. All of the folks that I mentioned above now constantly fiddle with some type of electronic device. Cell phones, Blackberries, Gameboys. I’m a bit miffed. It wasn’t that long ago that Camogli seemed more rooted in the 19th century than the present one. Of course, I finally had to give in and get the cell phone but I try to use it sparingly in public and only check emails back in the hotel room. I don’t like to feel like I’m contributing to the digital buzz. Quite the Renaissance man.

But now I have a Kindle. Briefly, this is a small white tablet sold by Amazon that allows me to carry all of my summer reading in one tidy packet. No more shlepping books around. No more paying for international shipping and waiting for weeks to get my hands on the trendiest new novel. It’s way cool.

Unfortunately, it’s also drawing a lot of attention. Fisherman, mothers, kids and waiters; I’m getting “what the hell’s that?” stares from all of them and it’s a bit disconcerting. If I’m going to be complaining about everyone doodling about with their gizmos, should I also be upping the ante on them?

Perhaps not. I think I may head back to the hotel, grab whatever dog eared John Grisham novel is laying around the lobby and beam myself back to the last century.