Escaping Rome has an amazing appeal

We do look forward to our annual holiday here in Sicily, but things have begun breaking up since today my brother and his family flew home, and this evening my cousins who live in Noto have left for the drive home. It’s a journey of just over three hours for them, over two hundred and fifty kilometres away.

On Friday we will return to Rome, as will my parents. It all seems so sad that it all should end for another year. My uncle doesn’t leave as he lives here now and helps grandpa with the farm. He is separated from his family, but on occasion his two daughters have come to join him. Not this year though.

My father is back at work for three weeks ( it’s his turn this year to be in the office to assist any of the ministers) before he has another two weeks off, during which time he will take Mama to her favourite music festival, and they will go to Milano and Firenze. They have friends from college who they keep in touch with.