When we heard that the newly elected Pope Leo IV was saying mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, all of our plans shifted.  After months of planning, a few days in Rome, and then a week in Sicily, my husband, Rich, my middle daughter, Jenna, and my mother, Patricia McMorrow, quickly pivoted our plans to be at the Vatican on the morning of the Feast of St. Peter and Paul, the namesake apostles who brought Christianity to Italy.  The Mass was beautiful, and we were ushered in to share a celebratory feast under the famed dome of St. Peter, through the then-open Holy Doors, and catch a glimpse of the new Pope's homily.  It was a memory I will cherish for a lifetime and one that I know my mother will also treasure.

From that height, we took buses and long walks down side streets and mainstreams of Rome in the summer to peruse smaller, beautiful churches, more Holy Doors open during the year of Jubilee, standing room only sandwich shops, the Coliseum, the Parthenon, Spanish steps at midnight, and fountains galore while enjoying Rose´s homemade pastas and decadent Gelato.  

We were then off to Sicily, where the traveling really began.  We flew into Catania and planned to circle the eastern portion of the Island over the next 7 days prior to departing from Palermo.  From the moment we landed, the tropical heat was with us.  We traveled inland and south to a cozy little resort in Agrigento with breathtaking views of the Valley of the Temples, akin to the massive Greek architecture on the Acropolis in Athens, but older!  Here we wandered centuries into the past, examining and experiencing the vantage that these structures provided and how they still attract sea-faring travelers to their shores.  

We then traveled back westward through olive groves and fields toward Catania, where we had accommodations at a renovated castle turned Airbnb from which we explored the famed fish markets, beachside towns, including Aci Castello, where legend holds the Cyclops created stony structures just off shore, and far into the sky to the black, ashy Mt. Etna.  This very active volcano reaches 3,403 ft above the sea level we had just left, into the clouds where the temperatures dropped from the 90s below to the 30s above.  Hiking on this terrain, where an eruption had occurred just 2 weeks prior to our arrival, felt otherworldly, and the massive Mercedes big-wheel buses seemed tiny when peered at from one of their peaks.   The welcome cafe and cannoli at the end were well worth the hike!

Traveling north, we found the medieval streets of Taormina, lovely to walk through but anxiety-provoking to drive.  We experienced an enchanting evening concert by Italian pianist Giovanni Allevi in the open-air Greek theatre overlooking the sea, before continuing north and west along the coast.  We stopped at the seaside village of Cefalu for fresh seafood and a beach full of colorful umbrellas, at a monastery/vineyard converted into a hotel, and at Monreale Cathedral looming over the Mediterranean Sea with its amazing icon collection.  Finally, we arrived in Palermo to experience the phenomena of the famous morning markets, where heads of swordfish were balanced on ice, octopus, arancini, limoncello, and tropical fruits were for sale to the host who could lure you in and provide some shade and a seat at his table, while his brother bartended at the neighboring stall.  Wandering the streets of Palermo and experiencing the hospitality, culture, history, and maritime flavors was truly exquisite.

The unique experiences we were afforded and the time spent together as a family inspired us to savor this trip and dream of our next adventure!