Nancy and Peter in Sicily
Nancy Bellantoni & Peter Galipault
mid may update
A rainbow over the Merrimac River for Pamelalala
We had to go...
As you know, we had just moved to Pozzallo, Sicily at the end of January. We were finally hitting our stride, enjoying the light in the heart feeling confirming that this is our home now. The weather was starting to feel like early summer; the days getting longer and warmer, lots of flowering trees, fresh fruit and veggies at the markets. Nancy found us a really great Italian instructor. We see him several times a week and we're making real progress.
We had planned on traveling to Boston in August for some appointments, but we knew that if and when Nancy's dear Aunt Frances passed, we would be there for her and for our family.
April 22 found us on a plane from Catania to Boston for the funeral services. Frannie was 100 years old [and 5 months — because at that age one counts any and every fraction of a year]. We stayed overnight near the airport the night before to be there by 7:30. It was great because we parked the car at a garage for 6 Euro/Day and they provided transportation to and from the airport. Very convenient. Our landlord Franco gave us this insider tip.
The Grateful Dead Tour
Sad news comes in threes they say. Almost as soon as we landed in Boston, we heard the news that one of Nancy's senior yoga students in the North End had passed. Laura’s funeral mass was on Friday at Saint Leonard's, which we attended. It was wonderful to see so many of our North End yogis!
Then Frannie's wake was that evening. Her funeral mass was Saturday and internment at the National Cemetery in Bourne was Monday, April 27. Sheesh!
However, the timing worked out in such a way that we could make Nancy's childhood friend Pam's celebration of Life on May 2nd in Gloucester.
That's when we decided to call our visit the Grateful Dead Tour. Grateful to our loved ones who exist in a different dimension and to all our wonderful friends that bind us together in the present.
If you're fond of sand dunes and salty air...
As long as we were on Old Cape Cod, we went to see Rick and Mary-Ann [and Jack]. We had a great visit with them in Yarmouth. What a beautiful and quaint place!
We walked the beach. We also walked the grounds at the Edward Gorey Museum and admired the immense Southern Magnolia by the side of the house.
Our friends brought us to a really cool, very tiny restaurant in Dennis. And we “helped” Mary-Ann with her sculpture installation at the Cape Cod Art Museum.
The North Shore
It was a brief but delicious visit with Nicola, Carl and KK in Marblehead. We met the new pup, It was a brief but delicious visit with Nicola, Carl and KK in Marblehead. We met the new pup, Mungo, and had a nice long walk around town. Then crossed the tidal flats to Jeanne's Island to see her marker and send her some love. Also, a visit to the Peabody Essex Museum, which we highly recommend.
And then it was time to go to Cape Ann for Pamela's Celebration of life.
Pam and Nancy had been friends since the first day of first grade. Over time they stayed close and Pam became like the second daughter to Nancy's mom, Renie La Babe.
We were in luck because another of Nancy's early school chums put us up in her lovely home in Newburyport. Had a foot cruise around town with Gail on the rail trail then went to Plum Island and lunch on the beach. [I think we must have walked about 19 miles that day!] We went to the local brewery and saw a couple of old school musicians from the Pousette Dart Band. That was quite a treat.
Shower the people you love with love
Pam loved Gloucester and had a sweet little condo there near the Mariner's statue. Her kids, David,
Natale and Phillip, put on a beautiful event there, with a huge tent to keep everyone covered in the light sporadic drizzle. There were tons of food that everyone brought which covered almost every table. It was an extra special treat to connect with so many childhood friends (grateful to Pam).
Followed by a moving ceremony at the beach near the cut. Pam greeted us with a ray of sunshine while Natale spoke. And then, Shower the People You Love with Love by James Taylor, and a beach party which totally exemplifies Pam's essence of being in life.
It is great to have family, near and far
Meandering farther up the coast to Portsmouth we spent some time with Nancy’s brothers Steve and David, and favorite sister-in-law Robin. The Airfield Cafe in Hampton puts on a very entertaining breakfast. They have model airplanes of all sorts and sizes on a track flying above us and a real airfield out the windows. Motor Head Steve drove down from Kittery, Maine in his Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce with the top down.
Up in Portland, we spent some quality time with Croix, Lilly and Fenna. Fenna is four years old already, as of the beginning of May, and she is a bundle of energy! We went to several fun playgrounds and had lunch at Monte's in Westbrook. Sweet but altogether too brief.
Back in the ‘hood
Before we left, we had to visit our old haunts and our “wharf rat” friends who inhabit them. That included several stops at the Sail Loft [best chowda’ in Boston], our favorite Pan Asian restaurant, Billy Tse's and a hello to Commercial Wharf. It was so great to hang out with Billy, Cheryl, Betsy, Judie, Liz, Les, Scott, John, Roxane, David and Jesse. Sorry we couldn’t fit everyone in on this trip. Next time!
L'estate è arrivata! (Summer has arrived!)
We got home Sunday afternoon, very tired from no sleep on either leg of the trip. Other than that, we had a very smooth trip with no troubles from TSA or Passport control.
Meanwhile, back in Sicily, it is very busy on the beach. It feels like full-on summer, with the temperatures reaching the low eighties. Swallows are flying around all day. Only one lido is open so far, the Kraken, but people are swimming in the sea and there are more sailboat sightings every day.
Ciao for now!
Peter & Nancy in Sicily
