Louis Armstrong and the Music of New Orleans

Music historian Tad Jones is famous for tracking down Louis Armstrong's New Orleans baptismal certificate and establishing the jazz legend's true birth day - August 4 1901. Armstrong himself always claimed July 4 1900 as his date of birth, probably preferring the fireworks of the Fourth. The confusion has caused some hard feelings in the jazz world, especially as 2000 is being celebrated as Armstrong's 100th birthday. Historian Jones will speak to that controversy and other parts of Armstrong's legacy in a talk sponsored by the New Orleans National Park Service.

Parco Demidoff

Any excuse to get out of town when it's steaming hot is a good one, and there are plenty of places for a cool retreat near Florence. Villa Demidoff at Pratolino, a half-hour bus ride north of the city, is such a spot. The villa itself - dating from the 16th-century - is a bit of a mess, but the enormous gardens are a rural delight. One marvels that has survived is Buontalenti's massive statue of the Appennino, a stone giant rising from a fountain. It's a great place for a picnic, and concerts are held in the summer months.

Gardelito