Trying to set a new standard.

I've discoverd a park. In Carbonia in Sardinia. Yes, a genuine park. My kind of park. On a steep hillside. Oh, so green. With pine trees. With eucylyptus. With meandering paths. And rocks. A place to spend a day. Roaming. I see several people. Presumably Italians. Because we don't greet. Unlike in America. Where we at least wave and say 'Hi!' I'm tempted to say 'Ciao.' But I'm told that's a greeting reserved for people one knows quite well. A more appropriate greeting to a stranger might be, 'Salve.' But even that is discouraged. Guess we are supposed to ignore each other. I'm not sure I want to accept this Italian way. I'll put 'Salve' and a smile to the test. To anyone that looks at me. Maybe they'll know immediately that I'm a foreigner. Trying to establish a new standard. --Jim Broede