Category: Travel

Lazy Palermo Kitty’s

Working the market

Energy costs here are high, as it seems to be through most of Europe. For instance, gas is about 8 US dollars per gallon. To reduce dependence on oil, Italy tried to get the country moving towards nuclear power. Unfortunately, the Chernobyl disaster occurred, and so much public fear ensued that they had to scrap the plan.

Time passed, the terror of a nuke plant accident subsided, and the leaders decided to float the idea of nuclear power one more time. As fate would have it, this also became the time of the Fukushima disaster occurred in Japan. Widespread fear once again prevailed, and the nukes lost. Again.

So, Italy, and especially coastal Sicily, has been exploring alternatives. Wind power is one. We passed many modern wind turbines on the drive from Palermo to Agrigento. We also saw more than a couple solar electric installations. Which is brilliant here, because Sicily averages 350 days of sunshine a year.

Preparing for the feast of Sans Giuseppe on March 19 this Main Street was ready to light it up at night.

The documents we provided Gianni could be read and he research and walked the streets looking for clues which he found.

Mia Familiga are Catholics. Every day like most 95% of Sicily they go to church. Faith was very important.

Looking thru the age and decay of the corner street sign reveals the street name. Some have been painted over or changed but the signs are there to support the street name according to the document we provided Gianni. We were walking on the very same street when my grandmother was born. Pinch me moments.

Zoom in and look at the small writing under the larger text. Basically it says Fish Street. My grandfather Carmelo Triolo was born on this street. Pinch me again. Small narrow streets in the home is where babies were born. No hospitals. Amazing. This is the same town where Francisco Crispi was born. He was nearly a facist and disliked and not trusted. His home below is represented here.

Gianni took us and bought this bread for us to try. A yellow golden hue this bread is the trophy of Sicily. The area is known and the bread basket of Roma.

I’m standing against the wall taking this picture. There is no room for more than a small elevators worth of people.

I have a thing for doors. This door above though is special.

Freshly prepared with a bottle of regional white wine we were stuffed.

All prepared fresh for us to experience Sicilian food in season. That’s how they ate. Seasonal ingredients that are available. And PASTA of course.

There’s a ridge along the hills in Agrigento where the Greeks built temples to their gods.

All but one lie in ruins, like this one, and some are no more than piles of (rather large) stones. The island has endured large earthquakes over the eons, but that’s not the cause of their collapse. The demolitions were at the hands of various conquering armies.

This is the only temple that was spared being razed. Built between 440 and 430 BC by the Greeks, and later taken over by the Romans, it was recommissioned into a Christian basilica in the 6th century, AD of course, when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire.

My Grandparents

Today is a big day for me. We are heading into Ribera the place where my familia are from. Gianni is our tour guide taking us in there this afternoon. He has things to show us he said. I don’t know what it is and I must admit I’m a little anxious about what we will see, if we meet anyone, all of it. It’s a once in a lifetime experience, one that I will be able to share with my own children and siblings. Even my own mother didn’t get here. It’s an honor to have this chance. Sleep last night was scarce. Lots of thoughts. Andiamo! Let’s go.

We are enjoying a beautiful landscape. The temperature is perfect about 75 degrees. It’s different than I imagined. Green, rocky, valleys dotted with sorrel yellow flowers, groves of oranges, olives, prickly pear cactus, some grape vines and new wheat fields. Quite beautiful. Windmills generating power on the hilltops because all of Italy is void of nuclear power they rely on wind and solar power. We are arriving in the middle of the “festival of the almonds” where the trees are blooming with light pink and white flowers buds.

Somewhere in transit to the USA the sir name took the “O” off and added an “A” to become Triola. This was my mother’s maiden name. Gianni our local tour guide we hired was a history major. Before we arrived (this has been in the plans for about a year) he did lots of research into the family name. Then he came here walked the streets, studied the documents we provided him and came up with a plan. WOW! We found the cemetery, the street both of my grandparents were born on, the church they were baptized at and surmised that because the region is known for oranges, almonds, wheat, ricotta, olive oil that they were farmers. Because he said the areas resources changed especially ample supplies of water and temperatures changed as well that jobs in the fields and poverty took over forcing them to leave. It was not uncommon either that both last names were the same before they married. Perhaps cousins in the same family. Young and looking for a better life, they left. The trek to a coastal town from here had to be hard. It’s an Appalachian topography with hills and valleys and loose lime stone on the hills. Farming rocky soil and trekking around to reach port had to be difficult. Their trek had to be funded somehow from family with a promise to probably send some back once they settled in a new country. A new thought that never entered my mind, maybe they left with the thought of returning but because life happens, babies come, situations change, they couldn’t afford to come back. Hmmmm..

Elizabeth NJ was intentional Gianni said. This blew my mind. The place of my birth in NJ had a large collection of Sicilians who also migrated to make a better life. It was intentional. How brilliant. Go where your people are. Makes sense right. And it was a stones throw from Ellis Island when immigrants landed.

Continued in next blog.