Memorable Vacations

Do you have a favorite vacation memory? You may not have traveled far away but the experience will always stay with you. As a child, we always traveled to the beach. I remember getting sunburned and sand all over me! 

Several years ago, my daughter Mary Ann and I went on a girls' trip to Italy with my sister-in-law and her daughter. We felt comfortable traveling that far because Linda was fluent in Italian and has traveled to Italy and Sicily almost every year.

Our trip was so special and memorable because we not only had an opportunity to experience the historic sites of Italy and Sicily, we were able to stay with family who lived outside of Palermo. My husband is Sicilian and his grandparents immigrated when they were very young to New Orleans and then to the Houston area. Linda has connected with family over many years and they love having visitors from the US.

We visited places that are popular touristy sites but also small towns that are more popular for locals. We were also blessed to have a cousin from Houston who owned a vacation home in Sicily. We met Jerry in Sicily and stayed a few days with him.

By staying with our Italian family, we were totally immersed in the culture. Mary Ann had an opportunity to meet her relatives and learn more about her family heritage. We even walked through the ruins of my husband's grandfather's birthplace that had been destroyed by an earthquake. A distant cousin showed us the remains of his home, the opera house and other places of interest. 

Europeans' main meal is at noon. The families are always prepared for lots of relatives and friends showing up for an amazing meal. The food is so fresh and everything is purchased daily. I loved the simplicity of their lives, no clutter! The Lampasoni home is four stories high!

Look what is written on the glasses. They serve coke at every meal! (a little homemade wine, too!)

I noticed this beautiful basket of tomatoes that the relatives use for their pasta dishes.

Mary Ann had taken some photography courses in school, so she took some amazing photos.

Our trip focused on FOOD, FAMILY and CULTURE. 

Do you have a vacation memory? We would love for you to share in the comments.