Norman Llamas

Aviano Middle High School, Italy, which has more than 430 students in grades 6-12, was shut down on Weds., Oct. 2, 2019 by the second power cut on the base in just over two weeks.<br>Norman Llamas/Stars and Stripes

Power cut at Aviano closes schools, impacts medical services – again

A second power outage in just over two weeks forced schools on Aviano Air Base to close and caused some medical services to be canceled for part of Wednesday.

Cellini, an inconspicuous restaurant in the heart of Sacile, offers surprisingly great dishes

It is no mystery that pasta and pizza are the staple foods of all great Italian restaurants. That’s certainly the case around the Friuli-Venezia Giulia area, where the challenge is in finding the one restaurant that does it best.

Boys from four Department of Defense Education Activity schools start a cross country race at the San Floriano Parco Rurale's running course in Polcenigo, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019. In total, 29 runners participated. <br>Norman Llamas/Stars and Stripes

Girls course record falls while Sigonella boys triumph

Ariana Coats of Naples ran the 5-kilometer course in 20 minutes and 38 seconds, shattering the former record of 21:50.

The Aviano Saints football team runs as part of a training session in preparation for their opening game of the 2019-20 school year. The Saints are the DODEA-Europe Division II defending champions.<br>Norman Llamas/Stars and Stripes

Smaller Saints still have big dreams of repeating

For the first time in more than two decades, the Aviano Saints are looking to defend a title in football.

U.S. Army Col. Erik Berdy, third from right, and Italian Col. Renato Vaira cut a ribbon at the opening of the new Camp Darby headquarters on Wednesday, July 17, 2019. Part of Camp Darby is scheduled to be returned to Italy by the end of October.<br>Norman Llamas/Stars and Stripes

New Army headquarters building signals US return of Camp Darby land to Italy

The Army took a step Wednesday toward returning a portion of Camp Darby to Italy as part of a Defense Department consolidation project expected to save the U.S. around $500 million annually.

An upper lake surrounded by waterfalls is seen in Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia. The mountainous park, which is about 200 miles north of Aviano Air Base in Italy, offers visitors eight different routes to tour the lake system. <br>Norman Llamas/Stars and Stripes

europe quick trips

Nature lovers will enjoy stunning lakes, waterfalls of Plitvice Lakes National Park

Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest and largest national park in Croatia. The park offers lake tour programs, mountain climbing, skiing, sledding and biking, but the majority of visitors go to Plitvice to tour the lakes and waterfalls.

A U.S. and Italian air force formation consisting of F-35 Lightning IIs, F-16 Fighting Falcons and a B-52 Stratofortress fly over the Adriatic Sea during the Astral Knight exercise, June 4, 2019.

<br>Joshua R. M. Dewberry/U.S. Air Force

US, allies test air and missile defense in Southern Europe

Dubbed Astral Knight 2019 and led by the U.S. Air Force, the drills involved airmen, soldiers and sailors from the United States and Croatia, Italy and Slovenia, both at Aviano Air Base and other locations.