My maternal grandparents were born in the small village of Cesarò, located in the Messina province of Sicily. I sense a real emotional connection here and truly feel at home. I cannot describe this wonderful feeling except to say that I am in love with Sicily and its people. I feel a bit nostalgic. The connection to Sicily is strong for me. What would my Grandma Savoca think if she knew I would visit Sicily almost a hundred years after her lifetime? With a smile on my face I keep wandering these cobblestoned side streets with my brother and sister-in-law.
This is an excerpt from My Love Affair with Sicily, available in paperback and Kindle and now as an audiobook, on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes.
Have you been to Sicily? I’d love to hear about your experiences, so please leave a comment.
Grazie and Ciao
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Grazie and Ciao.
Greg Speck
In 2001 we made our first solo trip to Italy and Sicily. My wife Angela wanted to find her fathers relatives in the small town of Melilli near Siracusa. She said the best way to do this was to go to the park. The small park have views of the sea beyond and several men were sitting on benches. We approached them and in our English/Italian asked if anyone knew of anyone related to her father. Many people of Melilli migrated to Middletown CT and we eventually found one who spoke English and have lived in Connecticut. He put us in touch with the Girgenti family which is related to her dad. We have maintained contact with them for the last twenty years. Amazing, a small park five thousand miles from home.
margieinitaly
Greg, this is truly an amazing experience….how wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing.
Bonnie Davis
I wish that more people would recognize that they themselves are extensions of the many generations that went before them. This is truly the New World and perhaps more of us should visit the Old World to better understand ourselves,
margieinitaly
An excellent observation, Bonnie. Thank you