Today, Leslie and I leave for a 10-day trip to Italy and Sicily. I will be attempting to post daily travel blogs, but there will be fewer postings during this trip. We will start with three days in Rome followed by six days in Sicily and then one final day in Rome. I will be visiting the village of both of my grandparents Josephine and Dominick Piazza (I am half Irish and half Sicilian). The village of Cianciana is located about two hours from Palermo. We will also be staying at Syracuse and Catania in Sicily. Not since the likes of Hannibal and Garibaldi has a force in the field attempted such an ambitious campaign.
I hope to post every day but that depends on my connectivity and my sobriety. I have been to Italy before but this is the first time that I will be visiting Cianciana, which both of my grandparents told me about as a child.
I hope to have some good stories and good pictures to share. Keep in mind that there is a six hour difference so there may be a delay in posting. The weekend bloggers will be posting as usual on the weekend.
In my absence, I have asked Darren to keep an eye on the blog. He has graciously agreed and will have full authority to enforce our civility rule, including the ability to suspend commenters who continue to refuse to comply with the rule in my absence. I would appreciate our commenters making his voluntary stint as easy and uneventful as possible.
Until then, arrivederci!
I make a mean meatball sandwich, my hubby loves it when he gets the munches.
I just returned from a 12 night cruise around Italy. It was our 10 year anniversary cruise & my first trip abroad. I was a little nervous, but I will admit, it was the best vacation ever. Enjoy your vacation!
Meechee204 wrote: “I just returned from a 12 night cruise around Italy.”
Awesome. What ports did you stop at?
I took a Holland America cruise around Italy, but the stops were at Dubrovnik, Croatia, Athens, many of the Grecian islands (loved Santorini), Turkey (the ruins of Ephesus), Sicily, and back to Rome. It was the best cruise I ever experienced. Weather was perfect for all 12 days.
He’s Sparky to me.
“Not since the likes of Hannibal and Garibaldi has a force in the field attempted such an ambitious campaign.” One seems to have forgotten Clark Griswold.
It’s towhead. Not toe head.
Have a great trip. professor. I enjoy your blogs, even if you search for negative opinion on Dianetics etc. when the good stuff is right there. Big in Italy too.
Tom, It must have been very lonely for your family because I doubt there were many Italians in Walla Walla. Well, those Italian onion farmers in Walla Walla grow some GREAT onions. The vast majority of that wave from 1880-1920 stayed in the northeast. That’s when both my grandparents arrived through Ellis Island, and they ended up in Ct. Even to this day, if you look @ a demographic map the vast majority of Italians live in the northeast. I had a culture shock when I moved to KC. There are few Italians there. And, when I lived there the Italians everyone knew were on trial for the famous Teamsters Pension Fund, Las Vegas skim crimes. It would piss me off hearing all the “You must be in the Mafia” jokes. But, I came to realize they knew no better. It was just so foreign since where I grew up Italians were in the majority.
-Davidm2575
This massive wave of Italian and other European immigrants seemed to be at its peak from c.1880-1920. But there were also some post WW II immigrants in a second “mini-wave”.
My Mom’s maiden name was Rizzuti. Her parents, and many other Rizzutis, came over about 1911. I think at least one of the other Rizzutis sether Rizzutis immigrated to America as early as 1885.
Virtually all if them settled in the Walla Walla WA. valley, and most became farmers. To this day, the majority if the Walla Walla Sweet Onion groiwers are Italian-Americans, with some farms remaining in the same family for 4-5 generations.
S
Paul, For some reason most in the Italian Navy were from northern Italy. So, all these toe heads would come into a port and start speaking Italian! This was back in the earlier 1900’s up to WW2. I don’t know if it is still the case.
David, LOL! Some here will only travel if the govt. provides it. I’m guessing Milan is just a quick stop since you were there recently? And, this is the first I heard of your Italian blood!! I can see it.
david2575, you ruined the intrigue.
Here’s a story that will have you thinking.
“Pig in Australia Steals 18 Beers from Campers, Gets Drunk, Fights Cow”
http://gadling.com/2013/09/10/australian-pig-steals-beer/
Tom, The further south, the more animated. Hell, we spent time in Milan and it was like being w/ Germans! There is a Teutonic influence in Milan. They’re more about making money than making food. They help balance those southerners. Both my grandparents were from the south. As you know, Sicilians tend to call themselves “Sicilians” rather than Italians. That’s a holdover from when all Italian immigrants called themselves by their region. My grandfather would always say he was “Barese” from Bari. A city where you can find the best bread in the world. He passed on his love of bread to his entire family for generations.
Nick – during the Roman Empire the Emperors planted veterans in northern Italy, many of them Teutonic. Not sure how far south the plantations took place but that is the reason for a lot of blonde Italians. 🙂
-Nick and Paul…thanks for your info/comments. Nick, I’m glad you surviveddriving in Italy. And despite knowing three generations of my Italian relatives, I never knew Italians could lose their tempers like that. (I’m typing this with a straight face)
Tom Nash – you do know your nose is growing. 😉
The Chiefs SUCKED when we lived in KC. The only games that would sell out were the Raiders games. Sold a lotta beer those Sundays.
Groty, Wow! When I was a Jackson County juvenile probation officer my territory included Lincoln HS, Frank White’s alma mater. He is a good man. Very active in his old neighborhood, @ least during his playing days. We would go to 50 games a year. Many friends have fond memories of Memorial Stadium from A’s a Chief’s games. Some were @ the longest NFL game of all time, the heartbreaking Christmas Day loss to the Dolphins. I sold beer @ Royals Stadium and Arrowhead when I first got to town as a VISTA Volunteer.
Nick: Born in ’62. Grew up on a farm several miles from K.C., but close enough that my parents brought us to see games a couple of times a year. I even have a very, very faint memory of eating a frosted Chocolate frozen malt with a wooden spoon while sitting in the old Memorial Stadium for the last game the Athletics played in K.C. when I was about 5 or 6. We weren’t sure if K.C. would get another team and my dad wanted to make sure we saw at least one major league game – even if I was too small to really understand what it was all about and cared more about the frozen treat than the game.
Yes, loved those great teams from the ’70s and ’80s: I played 2B in Pee Wee and Little League so Cookie Rojas was a hero, then Frank White. We sorta took it for granted the Royals would make the playoffs most years because they did it so frequently – something like 6 or 7 times in ten years.
Then when I graduated high school I did a two year stint in the Army to qualify for GI Bill education benefits so I could pay for college. Then after college I got hired by IBM for a job on the east coast and it was hard to keep up with the Royals. Moved back to K.C. recently. I had already moved away when they won the series in ’85, so now I’m keeping my fingers crossed that magic will strike twice.
Enjoy your trip, Prof. Turley. I envy you…my maternal grandparents and many other relatives immigrated from Calabria over 100 years ago.
All of us look forward to a comprehensive summary of your experiences in Italy.
Tom Nash wrote: “… my maternal grandparents and many other relatives immigrated from Calabria over 100 years ago.”
Hey, my mom and relatives came from Calabria when she was 12 (some 67 years ago). She was born in Cutro, in Crotone, Calabria. The name on my mom’s side is Voce. Her mother had married Joseph Lombardi from the Naples area. He was a professor of art at the University of Naples. What was your mom’s maiden name?
Correction, I should have said my mother’s grandmother had married Joseph Lombardi. He was my grandmother’s father.
David, I took your advice and keep my eye out for deals and mistakes. I haven’t pounced yet, but plan to when it hits a destination I want. And, you obviously need to channel your inner predator and POUNCE on those fares.
Nick, I was eyeballing that fare to Catania, but I had already had purchased a $149 fare to Tokyo. The timing just didn’t work out. I can’t spend all my time traveling. 🙂 Yeah, so with points, I turned that Tokyo fare into an around the world trip for $149. Heading to Milan, Prague, Brno, Amsterdam, Tokyo, and Hong Kong for $149. Using points for hotels. Can’t beat that.
This is part of the trickle down effect we get from hanging onto the coattails of the wealthy. I am thankful. The liberals just don’t understand. They would rather rail in jealousy and envy against the wealthy.
Have a good trip, professor. Last month they had a mistake fare, New York to Catania for $197 round trip. Did you by any chance get in on that?