My Italian Family: Gira! Italian Vacation Rentals

Katie Broyles

My Italian Family

You have not truly experienced Italy until you have visited a small, rustic country town. While the big cities are abundant with people, restaurants, shops, churches, museums, cars and mopeds, a small tucked-away town holds all the culture and intimacy that you would want. Given the drastic cultural differences between America and Italy, you may feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable at first, but after just a few minutes of strolling the ancient cobblestone streets, smelling the aroma of home-cooked Italian food, and listening to the beautiful sounds and accents of the Italian language, all hesitancy and unfamiliarity will be replaced with love and fascination.

     As the locals gather in the town center to gossip and play bocce ball, don’t be put off by their stares of curiosity. Before you know it, they will be opening their arms and hearts to welcome you to join them in their game (and teach you if you don’t know how to play), to show you the town church, or to come taste the fresh foccacia that has been just baked at their home. There is something special about Italy; there is something addicting about it. Maybe it is the delicious food (and the fact that it never stops coming!), maybe it is the accommodating and welcoming presence of the native people, maybe it is the rolling green hills, fields of sunflowers, or glorious ancient castles and churches. Whatever it is, it draws you back year after year, calls you to come and deepen your experience and understanding of this amazing land, and leaves you with just a bit of mystery and intrigue to ensure your faithful return.

     I first visited Italy when I was six years old. Although I was too young to fully understand the culture and charms of the country, I knew that I was in the midst of something very special. And, on top of being my first visit to Europe, this was a very unique trip because I met my Italian relatives for the first time. My great-grandfather came from a small southern Italian town called Lenola, but times were not always easy in the countryside of Latina, so in the early years of the twentieth century he joined hundreds of his countrymen and made the long journey over to America to begin a new life.

     I can only imagine what kind of courage it must have taken to leave. His name was Onorato, which means ‘the honored one’. When he arrived at Ellis Island on May 14, 1909, he found himself immersed with thousands of other immigrants from all over the world, who had the similar dream of starting over and making it big in the exciting new world of America.

continue >


home \| vacation rentals \| italian luxury \| collections \| hotel finder \| auto rentals \| LOG IN