The day we went looking for the caves, we had an appointment with the local publisher of the Pacentro magazine, a small, monthly publication. Giovanno, the man who had the photo of our family, set it up. He thought the publisher, Augusto, would be interested in doing a follow-up story on the photo since the… Continue reading The Hunt for Pulcinis Continues
Hunting Pulcinis
With how busy we knew Pacentro would be preparing for the race, my father found a local English school to help complete some genealogical legwork and research beforehand. On Saturday, we met the young lady and her mother at their English school in Sulmona. I was a little nervous. My genealogical research is close to… Continue reading Hunting Pulcinis
La Corsa Degli Zingari
Sunday brought past and present together in an emotional bundle of pride, love, and once-in-a-lifetime experience. Since learning of the Corsa Degli Zingari, my father researched and prepared, both physically and emotionally, for the race. But how do you really prepare for a barefoot race down a mountain living in Florida? I won’t go into… Continue reading La Corsa Degli Zingari
Chance or Fate
There’s so much happening that I haven’t had time to write them down. Plus, I have limited high-speed data and can’t upload blogs or photos very often. On the day of the Zingari Degli Corsa, Janice and I were concerned that we didn’t have the right information about where the runners’ registration would be. I… Continue reading Chance or Fate
Meet Pacentro
I woke with a sinus headache, and when I joined dad and Janice for breakfast, Janice said she wasn’t feeling good either. While my father went to pick up the rental car, Janice and I decided to visit the local Farmacia. Every shelf was lit a lot like high-end cosmetic counters are, but they were… Continue reading Meet Pacentro
Rome In A Day
They say you can’t see Rome in a day. Well, I gave it my best shot. When all was said and done, my Fitbit reported I had taken over 25,000 steps and walked 11.27 miles. I don’t know how I’m not sore today. My father and his wife, Janice, weren’t scheduled to arrive until the… Continue reading Rome In A Day
36 Hours Later – Arrivo a Roma
View from the airplane flying over Italy It’s been a trying, exhausting, and stressful 36 hours, but it’s already apparent this will all be worth it. I have never traveled alone nor have I ever been overseas. Even before I knew my husband couldn’t come, I wanted to have a few days or a week… Continue reading 36 Hours Later – Arrivo a Roma
Rough Start
Woke up early. Said my goodbyes to the kids and sent them off to school. James drove me to Ocala to catch my bus to Miami International Airport. We were there almost an hour early. I asked the lady in the Pilot station where the Red Coach pulled in. She told me that I'd see… Continue reading Rough Start
Where This All Started
After 32 years as a Florida resident, I am finally going international! For my entire life, I've dreamed of traveling to Italy, eating the food, seeing the ruins, speaking Italian and experiencing where my Italian ancestors sprung from. Since first writing this, I have become a travel affiliate. If you click some of the links… Continue reading Where This All Started