Entities I met in my travel from USA to Sicily:
(on the outbound flight)
Dave, a fire scientist, lived in Montana and travels giving lectures on environmental conservation.
Sunita, which means sun, is a nuclear woman who travels the world for her work.
A crazy guy from the UK who thinks he created a famous TikTok song.
The Triad family.
Flight attendants, getting a behind-the-scenes look at airplanes—all young, gay, and amazing.
Swiss chocolates.
Airport drinks: my goal is to stay super hydrated the whole trip, even if I have to pee the whole time.
Light and comfortable suitcases.
A Frenchman from Barcelona and his daughter.
A Venezuelan-Spanish man, now Swiss.
Breathing constantly, releasing whatever needs to be released.
The German language felt so natural to me; I speak German everywhere.
Spanish flight attendants, a group of super cool Spanish flight attendants and pilots who invited me. to travel through his country and buy land in villages full of nature and uninhabited by people
Lady who helps me buy my train ticket
Amber, a French woman who speaks excellent Spanish and Italian, is 18 years old and has her own house made of mud. She was traveling to Italy to volunteer building alternative housing and also studies at the university.
Spanish man on the train, he gives me homemade Spanish apple bread, invites me to his country, and helps me find my stop
Happiness, open lungs
Men who look like they’re from a movie
Baldy on the train, lives in Campofelice, a village, and has an electric scooter
(in Sicily)
Franco
Patrizia
Pepino
Rosa
Giovanni Giambelluca, Butcher
Young butcher
Luca, the Cuban who lived in Mexico but is Italian, an artist, speaks good Spanish
Francesca, brave
Giovani
Pepe
Carpaci, Franco’s countryside: hens, sheep, 2 dogs that I eat like an Italian human, many cats, pecoles, chard, fenugreek, eggs, red garlic, olive trees, apples, figs, everything… 40 years of countryside for Franco. It was Santi’s, my great-grandfather Salvatore’s brother
Concertina, a relative like the rose
Anneta, Rosa’s relative, lives around the corner from the house, has a cart and a cane
Maria Rosa Mussotto
Pepina, a black woman, in mourning, lives facing the sea, hair as white as clouds
Marinella, owner of the café-restaurant across from the house
Maria Catena, I didn’t know her but I did know her house with the eagle, on the Vicolo del Viento (Victory)
Vicolo Rupe di Agostino
Municipal Council
Cemetery
Giuseppe Raimondo 1834
Francesco Paolo Raimondo 1883
Antonio Raimondo 1888
Giuseppa Raimondo 1889
Santi Raimondo 1900
Salvatore Raimondo 1903
San Francisco Village, peripheral annex to Rocca Pollina
Serradaino and Sunset Boulevard (special view of the cousin)
Dorotea, Laura’s cousin
Andrea, Laura’s cousin
Di Musotto Salvina Tiziana, brilliant barista DJ from Pollina
Homa, Iranian in Germany, wrote my name in Farsi; her name is that of a bird that brings good luck when it lands on your shoulder
Woman with the little dog in the square, we always greet each other warmly
Testa di moro
Pineapple
Sergio, who cuts the grass at the amphitheater, cousin of Rosa, born in Pollina, lives in Finalle
Francesco, 19 years old, was born and lives in Pollina; today he neither works nor studies
Hester and her little dog
Maria Casataro, the lady from the church, led the rosary
Maneskin Damiano
Manna
Giu and his Manatown
Panda 4×4
Cloudy fog
Uccelo Paradiso
San Marco Park
Castelo di Tusa
Gelsie
Sicilian granita, which I never ate because I didn’t feel like it
Ristretto
A girl from Indianapolis living in Cephalu, married there with a child, “traveling alone is how you get to know yourself”
“La Niña” boat
Greeks in New York
Spaniards
Ohio
French
Italian
Fasciolina
Pesaiolo (meat with sauce, artichokes, onions, oregano, olives, all cooked in a pan)
Cats
Garbage truck
Street sweepers
Lawnmowers
Mercceleria
Small markets
Tobacco shop
Ristetto
Birds
Inhabited and uninhabited churches
Etna and its mystique
Endless Cuginos
***
Personas que conocí:
(en el avión de ida)
Dave, científico de incendios, vivió en montana, viaja dando conferencias por el cuidado del medio ambiente
Sunita, significa sol, nuclear woman, viaja por todo el mundo con su trabajo
Loco de reino unido, considera que creó una canción famosa de tiktok
La familia triada
Azafatas, conociendo el detrás de escena de los aviones, todes jóvenes, gays, divines
Chocolates suizos
Las bebidas de los aeropuertos: mi gol es mantenerme ultrahidratada todo el viaje, aunque me den ganas de pipí todo el tiempo
Valijas livianas y cómodas
Un francés de Barcelona y su hija
Un venezolano español, ahora suizo
Respirar todo el tiempo, liberando lo que tenga que ser
El idioma alemán, se me hizo tan cotidiano, tedesko en todos lados
Españoles aéreos, un grupo de azafatos y aviadores españoles super buena onda que me invitaron a recorrer su país y comprar tierra en pueblos plenos de naturaleza y deshabitados de gente
Señora que me ayuda a comprar mi ticket del tren
Amber, francesa que habla genial español e italiano, tiene 18 años y su propia casa hecha de barro, viajaba a Italia por un voluntariado en construcciones de casas alternativas, estudia también en la universidad
Español del tren, me regala pan español hecho con manzana todo artesanal, me invita a su país, me ayuda a reconocer mi parada
Felicidad, pulmones abiertos
Hombres parecen atractivos de película
Pelado style del tren, vive en campofelice un pueblo, tiene un monopatín eléctrico
(en Sicilia)
Franco
Patrizia
Pepino
Rosa
Giovanni Giambelluca, Carnicero
Carnicero joven
Luca el cubano que vivió en mexico pero es italiano, artista, habla bien español
Francesca, brava
Giovani
Pepe
Carpaci, Campagna de franco: gallinas ovejas, 2 cane que mangiano como humano italiano, muchos gati, pecoles, acelga, fenogreco, uova, aglio rossa, olivos, manna, figos, de todo… 40 años de campagna para franco. Era de santi, hermano de mi bisnono Salvatore
Concertina, pariente como la rosa
Anneta, pariente de rosa, vive a la vuelta de la casa, tiene un carrito y bastón
María rosa Mussotto
Pepina, nera donna, luto, vive frente al mar, pelo blanco como las nubes
Marinella, doña del café resto frente a la casa
María catena, no la conocí pero sí a su casa del águila, del vícolo del viento
Vicolo rupe di agosstino
Comune municipale
Cementerio
Giuseppe Raimondo 1834
Francesco paolo Raimondo 1883
Antonio Raimondo 1888
Giuseppa Raimondo 1889
Santi Raimondo 1900
Salvatore Raimondo 1903
Pueblo San francisco, anexo periférico a la rocca pollina
Serradaino y sunset bullevard (vista especial del primo)
Dorotea, cugina de Laura
Andrea, cugino de Laura
Di Musotto Salvina Tiziana, genial barista dj de pollina
Homa, Iranì en Alemania, escribió mi nombre en farsi, su nombre es el de un pájaro que al pararse en tu hombro trae buena suerte
Mujer del perrito en la plaza, nos saludamos siempre afectuosamente
Testa di moro
Piña
Sergio, corta pasto del anfiteatro, cugino de rosa, nato en pollina, vive en finalle
Frascesco, 19 años, nació y vive en pollina, hoy no trabaja ni estudia
Hester y su perrito
María Casataro, la señora de la iglesia, guiaba el rosario
Maneskin Damiano
Manna
Giu y su Manatown
Panda 4×4
Neblina nuboloso
Uccelo Paradiso
Parque San Marco
Castelo di Tusa
Gelsie
Granite siciliane, que nunca comì porque no me dieron ganas
Ristreto
Piba de Indianapolis viviendo en cefalú, casada allí y con hije, “viajando sola te conocés”
“La niña” boat
Grecos en New York
Españoles
Ohio
Franceces
Italiano
Fasciolina
Pesaiolo (carne con salsa, alcauciles, cipolla, orégano, oliva todo cocinado en sartén)
Gatos
Camión basura
Barrenderos
Podadores
Mercceleria
Mercaditos
Tabaquería
Ristreto
Uccelli
Chiesas habitadas y deshabitadas
Etna y su mística
Cuginos infinitos