Dear friends,
I just want you to know how very much I enjoyed the trip and tour with you. This was such a special, special experience. I have never felt so at home and so connected to any place I have traveled and that is because you all kept us focused on our Abruzzese heritage. Escorted visit to the Basilica of Saint Francis I never knew that the Abruzzo was so beautiful, so filled with the beauty of nature and the depth of culture, history and religion that you showed us. I am so sad that my father and his family only knew Guardiagrele during a time when there was so little in their lives that limited their ability to travel from town to town or even to the sea. And I am sad he never returned to see the change in the countryside and in the prosperity of the Abruzzese people. I am so pleased to know these things for him and for my sisters. I will always treasure every moment of this trip with all my heart.
I have been telling my family here in New York about the care you took in planning each day for us. The magic began from the moment we all sat down together on the first day to discuss and amend the itinerary, to customize it to our needs. Each day was rich, full and different. The mountain towns of Scanno, Castelli, and Pescocostanzo were magnificent and the blessing of the sheep at Campo Imperatore is a memory I will never forget.
Wonderful as all these experience were-I will always treasure most my day in Guardiagrele with you, our time in the municipal records finding birth and death certificates, our time in the Costume Museum, our time at the cemetery finding my great-grandmother's grave, you reconstructing the family tree and her subsequent research in Chieti, finding the street where my father lived, and attending Mass in the Church where the family was baptized, married, and laid to rest. These are priceless moments that I never thought I would experience. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Throughout the two weeks I took some time to study the Abruzzese character. I learned that the Abruzzese favor a quiet and simple life, that family, culture, history and religion are very important, that hard work is a way of life, and good, simple food and wine that is fresh and well-made is a reward and a joy.
"Forte e gentile" is indeed the motto of the Abruzzese and I think this says a great deal about these strong and kind people from the mountain and the sea. It certainly characterizes my family and the way we have lived our lives. I hope to return to Abruzzi say some day. I feel I have a new home.