Palermo

The remainder of our time in Sicily was spent in and around Palermo, the city where Giovanni and his mother live. Scott had first become acquainted with them nearly 30 years before, as a missionary serving in Palermo. We were overwhelmed by the sweet hospitality of Giovanni and his mother, Rosalie. We visited several beautiful art museums and churches, and enjoyed a delightful visit to the beach city of Cefalu. We toured much of Palermo and the surrounding area, including a brief stop at the apartment building where Scott had lived as a young missionary. Giovanni's family lives in a lovely, welcoming apartment on the 13th floor of an apt. building in Palermo and the view from all sides was spectacular. What a beautiful city! We so enjoyed the sights, but even more importantly, we enjoyed the company of dear friends. It was a blessing to have those three days together. Giovanni and his mom shared many remembrances from Scott's time as a missionary, and also shared many wonderful stories of their father and husband, who passed away last year. We will always remember the time spent in their home with fondness.

And boy, can Giovanni's mom cook! :) She spoiled us. The fresh food and fish markets around the city were beautiful. One of these pictures shows Giovanni selecting and purchasing the swordfish that his mom fixed for our meal. Yum!

Again, Giovanni and Rosalie, thanks SO much for the many kindnesses! We love you. We flew back to Rome from Sicily and repacked our belongings to prepare for our early morning departure for America. Many thanks to Rob and Becky, too, for making our stay in Italy so wonderful! Spending time with loved ones was a definite high point of our two weeks in Europe.