Susa is a lovely ancient town in the Piedmont, in Italy, at the foot of the Mont-Cenis pass that leads to Savoie in France, only a few miles away. Until they started building railroad tunnels in the 19th century, the Mont-Cenis was the only way from France into Italy; Hannibal, Constantine I, and Napoleon crossed there. So did I, at age nine or so, transported in the family Renault. I savored the intoxication of descending into the verdant plains of Northern Italy, next stop: Susa, and a guaranteed good dinner and peaceful night at the Albergo Napoleone. 

Yes, I'm succumbing to nostalgia, which means boring old codgerhood is just around the corner. And just around the corner from that....oh well.