What is family? Well ask any Southerner and you’ll get quite an inclusive answer. Family is those people that love you the most – your immediate blood relatives (whether you get along or not), your 1-4th cousins (or farther on..), your in-laws, and of course, all the close friends of the family. Someone once said that “friends are the family that you choose.” I am doubly blessed to have the best blood relatives that a person could ever dream of, and the best adopted relatives that I could find throughout the world.
Someday, should I have the opportunity, I would choose to live near one particular set of relatives – my Sicilian family in Lascari, Sicily. I had the fortune of meeting the Librizzi-Butera family four years ago when I first began my European adventure, studying in Italy. I took a trip alone down to Cefalu and stayed in a perfect little bed and breakfast, La Vecchia Forgia, in a neighboring town, Lascari. (If you’d like, you can read of my adventure here). I spent one of the most memorable and special weekends of my life with the Librizzi-Butera family and have returned to my own personal haven of love, family, beautiful vistas, fun, and the most delicious food (Anna Heaven, here on Earth) for the third time.
I arrived a bit late, but not too tardy to be cradled by the many arms of the Butera family; we chatted, laughed, and shared a midnight meal at their home in the country along the beach. Our heads finally met our pillows around two, only to arise around seven or eight when the neighbors began their house improvement project. We awoke, happy to be in each other’s company once again to share a café latte, a bowl of cereal, and visits with all the grandparents. Afterward, we crossed the sand to the beach, surrounded by mountains, dotted with trees, and reclined on the sand, bejeweled with the brightest stones.
We chatted throughout the morning until it was time for a lunch of epic proportions. La Nonna made a meal that would have been a hit in any five Michelin star restaurant. We gorged on la pasta del forno, steak, fresh spinach salad, a heavenly eggplant dish (with a side of olives and basil), fresh fruit, Cassata Siciliana gelato, wine and coffee. My piccola pancia was in dire need of a passeggiata, so I took a walk down the beach, only to come upon all of my friends from my favorite private beach, Gorgo Lungo Beach. My two hours couldn’t have been better spent as I caught up with Vincenzo (solamente in Italiano :-p)
I made my way back to the house to get cleaned up for our second family meal of the day - La pizza Siciliana. Mamma Mia – this pizza has the most perfect crust you could ever imagine. Think of the best pizza crust you’ve ever had – this is now canned crap. Place yourself in a big Italian family, full of wine, love, and laughter – and you’ve got a sliver of an idea of my perfect evening. After eating this crusty confection, we took a few photos, went on a walk together, and then returned to end the night with a lively game of Spoons.
Life is slower - full of love, good food, and family.
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