With the exception of Naples, our trip this year has focused around small towns – Forio, Ischia; Monteferrante, Abruzzo; Taormina, Sicily.  We also had our two-day road trip through rural Sicily which was nice and quiet.

And then we arrived in Palermo.  I had forgotten what city life was like.  Palermo is big and bustling and loud with lots of traffic and people.  Our first evening was a little bit of a shock after our pastoral road trip.

The evening passagiata on Via Maqueda near our apartment, shoulder-to-shoulder people in the street

San Domenico church

Each neighborhood in the old town has signs like this on its main street

A stately fountain in Piazza Pretoria

Now that we’ve been here for a few days, I’ve gotten used to being in a big city again.  I can jostle my way through a crowd and jay-walk a busy intersection like a local. 

We’ve got a great apartment in an ideal location.  It’s a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment with plenty of room.  When we first arrived, we took a tour of the apartment and said, “We should have the cats shipped here and live here permanently.”

The elevator in our apartment building – yes, it’s the size of a phone booth and about as ancient as landline technology

Our living room

Our kitchen

View of the building across the street

The car-free shopping street below

We’ve been exploring the city and checking out stately buildings in addition to smaller, out-of-the-way streets.

Teatro Massimo

Fascist architecture! The main post office

The Quattro Canti intersection has facades like this on all four cornes

A little side street

Graffiti of a cat that is looking at…

…this graffiti of fish across the street!

This “one way” sign caught my eye

A collection of pretty dresses hanging out to dry

There are a lot of churches in Palermo – this photo has a church in the foreground and another in the background

We’ve also been spending time with Chad’s parents who are renting an apartment nearby.  Fran’s birthday was earlier this week.  We spent that morning at one of the markets to pick up groceries, and then Chad made a delicious birthday lunch.

The market in the Capo neighborhood in the old town

Squash blossoms for sale

Tomatoes for sale

We stopped for a drink and a snack

Chad made a delicious appetizer for Fran’s birthday – focaccia, broccolo (giant broccoli), stuffed squash blossoms, tomato salad, fresh zucchini

One of the fun things about staying in a city for a few days is that you can catch some local activities that you might otherwise miss.  In 1993, a beloved local priest was assassinated by the mafia.  I don’t know why, and I really don’t understand it because you would think that priests are off-limits.  In any case, yesterday was the anniversary of his death, and last night there was a music celebration at the cathedral in his honor.

The priest’s tomb in the main cathdral

A poster for the music celebration

Hundreds of people attended.  There were young and old, locals and tourists, monks and nuns, boy and girl scouts, clowns and police.

The stage and audience on the main plaza in front of the cathedral

Another view of the plaza

During the celebration, a member of each music group recited one of the priest’s well-known sayings from backstage, and then the group came out on stage to perform. In addition to more traditional music, the performances included a drum circle, interpretive dance, spoken word, and a strange a capella version of Stairway to Heaven.  It was a weird mix of artistic styles, but it was a nice celebration with a diversity of talent.

A recitation of the priest’s words

Drum circle women

A capella group

Another group

When traveling in Italy, it’s easy to take the train from city to city, and the trip is generally predictable.  Sure, the train might be late.  It might leave the station, drive for 50 meters, stop for 20 minutes, and then reverse back into the station it just left.  (True experience.)  But you know that eventually the railroad will take you on a predetermined path to your next destination.

Driving a rental car through Sicily’s interior is a very different experience.  You’re on your own schedule.  You can act on impulse and pull over to check out an interesting site.  You can wake up in the morning and ask, “Which direction should we go today?” 

We left Taormina on Friday morning and drove west.  As we circled around Mt. Etna, the rural Sicily that we drove through had narrow mountain roads, rural farms, small vineyards, and hilltop towns.  While the speediest drive to Palermo would take three hours on the interstate, we spent the better part of two days making the journey.  As we drove, we made a few stops.

Stop one – Gole Alcantara.  This is a beautiful wild state park with a river gorge as its central feature.  There are interesting gardens and trails at the entry level of the park, but then you can descend into the gorge and go into the river (which is super-duper freezing ice cold, by the way). 

A path in the park

The river headwaters before the water flows into the gorge

View of the gorge

Swimming at the bottom of the gorge

Looking downstream – that concrete tower is the elevator bank that goes from the park entrance down into the gorge

Stop two – Tenuta delle Terre Nere.  Our go-to wine guy in Inman Park told us to check out this winery if we had the chance, but we hadn’t planned to stop there.  We were just driving down a little country road when we came across the sign for the place.  Chad slammed on the brakes and then reversed back on the country road until we got to the driveway again and drove up.  Unfortunately, their tasting room was closed, but we were able to wander around a little bit.

Entry to the vineyard

Equipment in the production building

This truck drove in from the vineyards with those plastic crates full of just-picked grapes

Empty barrels and bottles are stored on the patio outside the production building

For most of the first day, we were on little country roads with no other cars. After the crazy tourist crowds of Taormina, it was heaven.  

Little country road

An old watchtower on the side of the road, out in the middle of nowhere

There’s a curve coming up and, by the way, watch for cows

Road trip vista

And then, after so many miles of small, windy mountain roads, we arrived at our agriturismo.  An agriturismo is kind of like a B&B (you can sleep there and have meals) but it also has to have a farm (agricultural – “agri”) function.  The place we stayed at has sheep, cows, geese, chickens, goats, horses, a donkey, and peacocks, plus dogs and cats of course.  Our agriturismo also had a restaurant and a pizzeria, and all ingredients were prepared on the property – bread, cheese, sausage, pasta, marmalade, wine.  The food was really good.

Driveway to the agriturismo

The barn and fields beyond

Sheep

Geese

Breakfast time for the goats

A curious pony

The next morning, the farm’s cheese guy made ricotta, and we were invited to watch and learn with tastings along the way.

Cooking the sheep’s milk in a giant kettle on a wood-burning stove

Ladling the cooked cheese into strainers where it will settle and drain

The finished product

When we left the agriturismo, the most direct route to Palermo was on the interstate, but how boring is that?  Instead, we headed back up into the hills and had another day of driving on country roads.

We stopped for lunch in the hilltop city of Gangi.  We wandered through little streets, popped into a couple of churches to have a look, and admired the views of the countryside down below.  We were only there for a couple of hours, but we could definitely go back for a few days and hang out.  It’s a cute town with interesting nooks and crannies, and the people were all very friendly.

View of Gangi – it’s a huge hilltop town!

A cute street

Steps going up under a short archway

A small piazza

City hall

A cute street just below city hall

At this filtered water dispenser on the side of the road, you can bring your own bottle and pay 5 cents for regular filtered water or 10 cents for sparkling water

View of the Sicilian countryside from Gangi

As we left Gangi, we drove down the mountain on a long cobblestone road.  Holy bumpiness, Batman!  My teeth were clattering in my skull.  It was at this point that Chad said, “Dear Hertz, you now need an alignment.”

Eventually, we drove down out of the hills and rejoined the interstate for our last part of the journey into Palermo.  But before that, we did have one last memorable moment on our country drive.

That “watch for cows” sign is the real deal.

Well, of course, Taormina has awesome churches as well.  Every one is different from the last.  Having given my discourse on the Naples churches, I will make this blog a photo essay.

A church in front of the Roman Odeon (old Roman temple)

The church’s interior

Christ on the cross

Part of the church’s floor has been cut away to reveal the foundations of the old Roman Odeon beneath

A church just outside the old city walls

The church’s interior

A different version of Christ on the cross

The pipe organ on the balcony above the door at the rear of the narthex

This church was on the main piazza

The church’s interior

The cross above the main alter had a cool shadow

A shrine along one of the interior walls

A side chapel

I always thought that August was the only crazy tourist season in Italy.  Even thought it is now September, Taormina is still “contaminated” with tourists (a phrase from one of the guidebooks).  When we arrived a week ago, we went for a stroll to check out the town of Taormina, and the main street was shoulder-to-shoulder with tourists.  Jamb packed.  My head almost exploded as I thought, “Oh, my, we shouldn’t have come here, this is too much.”  However, our stay in Taormina is Week 3 of our trip. It’s all good.

Whenever Chad and I take a long vacation, our rhythm follows a pattern.  Week 1 – Woo-hoo! We’re on vacation and so energized to do things and explore!  Week 2 – Wow, there’s still so much to see…What should we do today?  Week 3 – Meh, I’m not doing squat except for relaxing and maybe going for a walk…and if I’m feeling ambitious, I will take a morning nap AND an afternoon nap. 

We spent our Week 3 in Taormina.  Our apartment totally rocked.  Life is good.

First of all, here’s our apartment:

Seating area

Kitchen

Bedroom

Outdoor dining

Wrap-around deck

More deck

Now you know why we don’t feel bad about just being lazy or reading books or cooking dinner at home.  This apartment is a great place to chill.  It’s also a great place to spend the evening looking out at the town.

Sunset view from our deck

View of a church below and Mt Etna beyond (right side of the photo)

View up hill from our place – there was a popular bar/lounge right there in front of us, lit up with blue and purple lights at night

We’ve also spent time exploring the nooks and crannies of Taormina that tourists don’t usually see.  We’ve noticed that 99% of tourists do not venture more than a few feet off the main street of Corso Umberto.  For us, this means that there are many parts of the city that are quiet and quaint and worthy of our time, such as a cute little square, an out-of-the-way city park, or a narrow alley of steps going up the mountain.

A small city park nestled between two old buildings

We hiked up this mountain above the town

On the path up the mountain

At the top of the mountain

Taking a break at a little wine bar off the beaten path

We also ate at a restaurant called Maffei’s, recommended by Mario Batalli.

Maffei’s courtyard dining area

Our appetizer – marinated anchovies and tuna crudo served with citrus and tomato slices

We shared a pasta dish of squid ink ravioli stuffed with prawn and lobster meat

We also spent time just sitting and watching the activity in the town.  One of our favorite places was a bar called Daquiri with excellent cocktails.

Cocktails at Daquiri – Chad had a Negroni and I had a cucumber-hot pepper-ginger-gin drink which was surprisingly refreshing

View from Daquiri looking down the steps into the main piazza

Chad checking out the view

On the day I wrote this post, we made lunch at home, which turned out to be a good idea, because a storm rolled in and there was lightening and thunder and rain for a couple of hours.  Even though we were on vacation in a beach resort town, I was totally fine with an afternoon thunderstorm because it gave me time to relax and nap and catch up on the blog.

Working on the blog

Lunch at home

As I wrote this post, I looked out at the ancient Greek theater on the hill across from us, and the thunder was booming all around me, echoing off the mountains.  I wondered if the ancient Greeks thought the thunder was the sound of their gods rolling boulders around on the mountain tops, because it was so loud and mysterious and it seemed to come from every direction.  And then it dawned on me that this booming, echoing thunder sounded exactly like it did in that baseball scene in Twilight.  So if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to log into my Netflix account and watch New Moon because I see that it is currently available on streaming video.

View from our apartment with the Greek theater in the distance

After Naples, we traveled to Taormina on the east coast of Sicily.  When Chad told me that we would be taking a train from Naples (on the mainland) to Taormina (which is on an island), I didn’t understand how we were going to cross the sea to get there.  Is there a bridge to Sicily?  Why no, there is not.  Instead, the train drove onto a boat, and the boat carried us across the water.  What???  I didn’t even know that was possible.  I kind of felt like I was seeing a platypus in real life.

Our train loaded on a ferry, ready to sail to Sicily

Once the boat reached Sicily, the train drove off onto the tracks on land and took us to Taormina. 

View from the train as we traveled along the coast of Sicily – the Italian mainland is in the distance

Taormina was a resort town when it was occupied by the ancient Greeks and then the Roman empire, and it is still a resort town today.  The place is expensive and overcrowded with tourists in high season.  However, I succumbed to the allure of the place.

The town itself is nestled on the side of a mountain, high above the sea.  Buildings spill down the mountain with a variety of architectural styles, each vying for the perfect view of the water.  The main draw of Taormina is the many beaches in the vicinity, but the town itself has much to offer.

View of the town from the old Greek theater

The old town is the real draw.  Because the streets are so narrow, motorized traffic is severely limited which adds to the appeal of the place.  The main street, Corso Umberto, is loaded with tourist shops, expensive clothing stores, bars, restaurants, piazzas, churches, and cool little buildings.

Fortification wall and entry portal to the old town

Corso Umberto early in the morning

Another view of Corso Umberto

A large piazza with a 12th-century clock tower

A pretty mosaic inside the clock tower passageway

Entrance to a cute side street – steps lead down the hill

This side street was only about 2 feet wide

The Passagiata in the evenings here is insane, with the Corso packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people taking a gentle stroll – some in flip-flops, some in high heels – window shopping, eating a gelato.

An evening in the main piazza

Evening passagiata on Corso Umberto

The same view in the morning before the tourists arrive

The biggest draw, however, is the old amphitheater.  Originally built by the Greeks, the Romans restored it in the 2nd century AD, and it continues to be a performance venue to this day.  And I must say, the setting is stunning as it is perched on a hilltop and looks over the town and the sea.  Those Greeks knew a thing or two about architecture and urban planning.

The old Greek theater with a view towards the sea

Sitting in the theater

Theater stage backdrop

Ancient columns just lying around because ancient columns are a dime a dozen

You can also visit the Odeon which was an ancient Roman temple.  The site itself is small, but I had three “a-ha” moments when we saw it.  1) I was looking at something that was 2,200 years old.  Yowza.  2) The modern town has built around it, taking its cues from the Odeon’s original layout.  3) The Odeon would have probably been obliterated by a strip mall if it were in the US.

The seating in the Odeon

A small passageway behind the seating

Finally, there are the beaches around Taormina.  The weather down here is usually sunny, the water is calm, and there is infinite coastline.  It’s a perennial draw for Greeks, Romans, and modern-day tourists.

You can take the aerial tram down the mountain to the beach

One of the beaches

Naples has a strong Catholic foundation, and, as such, there are beautiful churches all over the city.  There are big churches, little churches, and churches wedged between bigger buildings, but everywhere churches.  While in Naples, I continued to follow my personal rule of, “If the church door is open, go inside.”

A grand church

A neighborhood church sandwiched between two buildings

A neighborhood church in the evening

A neighborhood church with 21st century paraphernalia in front

My favorite thing about stepping inside a church is that every church is a new experience.  One is ornate.  One is simple.  One is austere.  One has real stone inlay.  The other has plaster paint that looks like stone.  They are all so interesting.

Chiesa del Gesu Nuovo

Interior of Chiesa del Gesu Nuovo

Another thing that I love is that you see beautiful architecture and beautiful artwork.  A lot of the citizens’ money went into these buildings, so there are wonderful things to see inside.  Even if the facade is rather plain, you can see astonishing paintings, sculpture and metalwork (silver and gold) inside.

The main basilica

Basilica central space

The sculpture above the alter in the basilica done in marble and gold

12th-century mosaics in a side chapel with gold mosaic tiles

Another side chapel of the basilica – all of the statues that you see are silverplated

A marble statue in the crypt of the basilica – notice how the fabric of the robes looks so light and loose, even though carved of stone

The other thing I love about visiting churches is that it gives you a respite from the city.  You won’t get a reprieve from the weather – if it’s hot outside, it’s usually hotter in the church.  However, you can get some peace and quiet from the busyness of the city.  As people walk into a church, they generally succumb to the sanctity of the space and acknowledge the calm and quiet of the interior by turning down the volume.  Regardless of your religious leanings, it’s a good place to sit and reflect and  think about your place in life.

Church at a convent – it’s pretty plain outside

Inside the convent church – notice that it’s relatively austere inside to match the nuns’ way of life

A nun’s tomb

Small monastery chapel (to the right of the larger yellow building)

Inside the monastery chapel

One final note on religious places in Naples – there are shrines all over the city.  They are built into retaining walls, apartment building walls, office building walls…

A shrine in a local neighborhood

Another wall shrine

A small shrine next to a produce shop

When we were planning this trip, we waffled about going to Naples.  There was a point when we didn’t even think we would go for a day trip, but we ultimately added it to our agenda and stayed there for four days.

I had envisioned a dirty port city with decrepit buildings, a hot and dusty environment, pickpockets, and street vendors hawking fake Gucci bags.  While I did experience those things to some degree (except the pickpockets), the city is so much more than the stereotype.

We stayed in a nice little hotel on Piazza Victoria on the water. 

Our hotel room

The view of Piazza Victoria from our room

As it turns out, this is THE hip neighborhood for shopping during the day and for dinner/drinks at night.  Gucci, Ferragamo, and other high-end stores were right around the corner from our hotel, and it was fun to window-shop.  In the evening, the bars and restaurants would put tables and chairs out in the narrow streets, turning the whole neighborhood into one big social zone.

Anticipating a seafood lunch

An interesting planet window display at the Louis Vuitton store with old buildings in the reflection

A sculpture in our neighborhood

Ba-bar – we went here 3 times in 4 days, very cool restaurant/bar with mind-blowing cocktails

Our neighborhood was also an easy walk or cab ride to other interesting parts of the city.  We saw a couple of castles. 

The old castle, view from the boardwalk

Chad looking at the sea

An archway inside the old castle

The new castle up on a hill

A beautifully sculpted archway of the new castle

A detail of the main door on the new castle

We explored a huge park on top of a mountain in the middle of the city. 

One of the trails in the park at the top of the city

We visited the main shopping street, Via Toledo, where I popped into one of my favorite stores, Desigual, and hit the jackpot of shopping.  We also rode one of those red “hop on, hop off” tourist buses which was a great way to get an overview of the city. 

My fave store outside of the US

Tourist bus

Even as I wrote this blog post and was searching through my photos, I was trying to figure out how the capture the feel of the city.  Naples is a mix of stately old buildings, little alleys, views of the water, afternoon heat, evening breezes, and bustling action. 

A quaint little street

Stately steps

Scooters (also known as motorini)

This square off the beaten path had interesting graffiti

But it’s also a city of little details – a row of umbrella pine trees flanking a boardwalk, teenage boys practicing skateboard tricks, tiny octopuses scooting around in a pan of water at a seafood shop, the scent of lunch from a basement apartment.  If you can get beyond the city’s brash stereotype, you will find its quiet secrets.

Seafood displayed on the sidewalk outside a shop

A guy selling produce on the street

Little boats anchored in one of the harbors

We found a 3D map of the city made for blind visitors

In fact, we specifically didn’t go to Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii, because we didn’t want to short-change ourselves on Naples.  I’m glad we decided to focus on the city as I now have a greater appreciation for everything it has to offer.  Plus, Pompeii now gives us an excuse to come back for another visit.

While we spent most of our time visiting with family in Monteferrante, we also got in some local sightseeing in southern Abruzzo.  We stayed at a little B&B, Tenuta Villa Rosato, down in the valley below Monteferrante.  The place is run by a young guy, Rosario, who took his grandparents farmhouse and renovated it into a great place to stay for a few days.  In addition to being great accommodations, it is in a perfect location to do some exploring around the region.  One of the cool things about Abruzzo is that is is not heavily touristed.  This means that you will get more of a local experience whether seeing an old castle, eating in a small restaurant, or just driving through the countryside.

Tenuta Villa Rosato, our B&B

Our room

The view from our room

The breakfast terrace for the B&B

We went to visit the nearby town of Roccascalegna.  It’s one of those cute Italian mountain towns with little streets and breathtaking views.  Plus, it has a castle. 

View of the castle

The little church at the base of the castle

An ancient flamethrower on display in the castle – I had no idea there were flamethrowers back in the day!

Some artsy-fartsy on display in the old chapel of the castle

Leaving the castle – so many steps…

A cute street in Roccascalegna

An old house in Roccascalegna

Street address on a house – the current address is #29 but you can faintly see the old address as well #308

We also went to Tornareccio which is another cute mountain town.  What sets this one apart, however, is its annual mosaic art festival.  The town has around 70 mosaic pieces that have been donated by various organizations, and they are put on display for a month every summer.  The mosaic pieces are all the same size, approximately 1.5 meters x 1.5 meters.

Tornareccio is known for its honey.  In fact, it won a national competition for best honey.  Naturally, a lot of the mosaics include honey bees as part of the art.  When we first got to the town, I was trying to take photos of every single mosaic.  Then I got tired, so I decided to only take photos of mosaics with bees.  And then I was still tired.  So many bees.  The mosaics are all mounted high on building walls, so it was hard to get good photos, but here are some of my favorite mosaics:

I liked the gold detail of the earring on this mosaic

This mosaic was mounted on the facade of a church, fitting…

A mosaic piece by a Japanese artist

An abstract of the typical fishing piers down on the coast

Bees!

We ate lunch in an amazing lunch in the basement of a little (locals-only) restaurant in the town.  The waiter asked each of us if we wanted the meat lunch or the seafood lunch and then brought out each course according to our order.

Chad, Michele, Fran, Jim, Connie, and Simon

My appetizer – local meats and cheeses

Chad’s appetizer – seafood crudite

Pasta with clams

We had more food than this, but the photos weren’t very good so I’m not going to share them.  There’s nothing worse than a food photo where the food looks gross.

On our last afternoon in Abruzzo, Chad’s cousin Marco took me, Chad’s dad Jim, and our friend Simon to see an ancient wall that was built 2,500 years ago.  I know, it sounds lame, “Look at this old stone wall!” and maybe it’s just the archidork in me, but it was pretty cool.  Just knowing that the wall had been there for so long and had been built by a different civilization was a little mind-blowing.  Plus, it was way up on a hill and far away from other tourists which made it feel very special. 

Part of the wall

An old passageway through the wall

A close-up of rocks and lichen

The wall stretches on…

We’re currently in the Sicilian resort town of Taormina which is jam-packed with tourists, so I’m having a bit of nostalgia for the isolated setting of that old wall.  But more on Taormina later.  Next stop, Naples!

I won’t lie.  We’ve been eating a LOT while in Italy.  I can tell that I’ve been gaining weight, and you know what?  I don’t care one iota.  Zero.  Zilch.  Goose egg.  The food here has been delicious.  And while we’ve had some memorable meals in some great restaurants, nothing beats a home-cooked meal in someone’s home.

Our week in Monteferrante centered around food – eating a meal, recovering from having eaten too much at that meal, and then preparing for the next meal.  We had prosciutto.  We had cheese.  We had pasta.  We had salad.  We had soup.  We had bread.  We had veggies.  We had fruit.  We had pastries.  We had wine.  We had grappa.  And that was just on the first day.

Family lunch – Achile, Alice, Fran, Gabriela, Adolfo, Jim, me

We had meals with family every day, and lunch and dinner each lasted a couple of hours.  In addition to filling our bellies, this was a social gathering as well.  We shared stories and got to know each other.  This was the first time Chad and I had met the Italian relatives, so it was really nice to be able to spend time with them over several meals and over several days.  Everyone was so nice and welcoming that we felt right at home from the time we arrived.  And never mind that it was non-stop Italian language.  We made it all work.

A family lunch at Adolfo’s house – Jim, Gabriela, Fran, Michele, Marco, Adolfo, Simon, Connie

Another family lunch at Maria’s house – Connie, Gabriela, Chad, Angela, Silvana, Vincenzo, Simone, me, Fran

Same lunch, different view – Vincenzo, Simone, me, Fran, Marco, Simon, Jim, Chad, Maria

When not eating, we would sit on the benches in the square and watch people go by, or we would stroll through the small streets of the village.  We also went to the little bar a couple of times to have a Campari spritz and watch the old men play cards.  And I am also guilty of taking a nap or two in the afternoon, sleeping off lunch and getting ready for dinner.  What a relaxing week!

Socializing in front of Adolfo’s house

The village bar

Visiting Vincenzo’s wine cellar – he’s an accomplished chef and sommelier

A typical meal would start with a simple appetizer – cured meat, cheese, local salami, maybe some olives.  Then the first course which was usually pasta.  The second course might be cooked veggies or a hearty salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, and cooked potatoes.  Red table wine accompanied all of this.  Then came the fruit – watermelon, peaches, and figs are all in season right now.  Then dessert with a mix of pastries and cookies.  Then a ‘digestivo’ (a liqueur to help with digestion) such as grappa.  And then an espresso.  Now does the afternoon nap make sense?

The table set for lunch

Homemade pasta made by Chad and Maria

A typical second course – cheese bread fritters, pickled vegetables, cucumber

Another typical second course – egglant, tomato/potato salad, local prosciutto

Fruit course

Dessert

Homemade noccino – liqueur made from walnuts – accompanied by cookies

Throughout the week, everyone contributed to the meal prep.  84-year-old Maria made pizzas for us one evening, and she taught Chad her way of making pasta on another occasion.  84-year-old Adolfo made his special ‘sugo’ (tomato sauce) for one of our pasta lunches, and it was so good.  Adolfo’s daughter, Gabriela, prepared several meals for us in Adolfo’s house, and her cousin Vincenzo, who is a chef and sommelier, was the maestro for Jim’s birthday luncheon. 

Maria in her kitchen

Vincenzo preparing Jim’s birthday lunch for 25 people

Jim’s birthday lunch

Jim’s birthday lunch – Jim, Adolfo, Marco, Mario, Carlo

Birthday cake – Jim and Vincenzo

Birthday party music – Marco, Mario, Francesco, Adolfo, Cinzia, Gabriela

Birthday party dancing

On our last evening we went down into the valley to Cinzia’s pizza restaurant, and I ate the best pizza of my entire life.  (My fave was the bacalao and zucchini.)  After that dinner, Chad and I would head back to our B&B and then would leave the following morning for Naples.  As we said good-bye to our Italian relatives, we gave hugs and kisses and made promises to see each other again. 

Pizza dinner at Cinzia’s restaurant – Connie, Jim, Simon, Antonino, Cristiano, Cinzia, Vincenzo, Chad, Gabriela, me, Fran

The best pizza in the universe

I was doing just fine until I hugged Gabriela, and then I lost it.  And I mean I totally lost it and started crying big crocodile tears.  I was sobbing so much that I couldn’t even talk.  My emotions surprised me at the time, but, as I think back on it, over just a few short days, I had developed new friendships and broadened my familial ties.  It wasn’t just that I had met new people.  It was that I had discovered a new part of my family tree.

Simon, Adolfo, Gabriela, Chad, Marco

We spent our second week in Italy in and around the small mountain village of Monteferrante in Abruzzo, a couple of hours east of Rome. 

Monteferrante city limits

View of the town

Two of Chad’s great-grandparents emigrated from Monteferrante to Cranford, New Jersey back in the day.  Apparently, a lot of other people emigrated from Monteferrante to Cranford as well, because, when we were there, it was a veritable New Jersey reunion.  The local priest joked that, in addition to Monteferrante, he has parishes in Cranford, Westfield, and Scotch Plains, NJ.

Today, Monteferrante has a year-round population of 70 people.  In August, the population swells as children and grandchildren come to visit older relatives in the town.  Plus, there is the US contingent that comes as well.

Walking through the town

Another small street in the town

Anyway, Monteferrante had special meaning to me as I visited it with Chad and his family.  Some older relatives still live there – Adolfo and Maria, Chad’s mom’s mom’s cousins (you do the math) and extended relatives.  

I want to fix up this cute little house and live here

As we walked the small streets on the first day with Chad’s mom, Fran, and her Italian cousin, Gabriella, we saw the house that the ancestors lived in as children.  Great-grandpa lived in the front with his family and great-grandma lived in the back with her family, and then they got married.  How cute is that!

Walking through the town with Chad, Jim, Gabriella, and Fran

Great-grandparents’ childhood home

The front door of great-grandfather’s home

We also saw the fountain where they got their water every day.  

Public fountain where Chad’s great-grandparents got their water

This probably doesn’t sound like a big deal as you read this post, but I stood there imagining the previous generations going about their daily business on these small streets with the church at the top of the hill.  Monteferrante is a magical place.  You can still get a feel for the old way of life as you walk through the town.

Tomatoes being cooked in someone’s side yard so they can be canned for the winter

On our last day, the village celebrated a festival of St. John the Baptist.  Catholic Mass in the morning included a procession through the streets with a statue of Jesus.  I followed the procession up the hill and back into the church and watched the end of Mass.  

Procession on St John the Baptist day

Procession on St John the Baptist day – notice the statue of Jesus being carried through the streets

Residents of Cranford, New Jersey paid to have the church restored several years ago and it is an unexpected beauty for such a small town.  It leaves me wondering what will happen to this church and the rest of the town when the older generation is gone.

The church

Another view of the church interior

The beautifully restored church ceiling