virginia

I promised a letter, words of encouragement and I haven’t done much except reading Agatha Christie’s novel and prepare the test that will soon be due, do you remember that? Not much more, except the enjoyment of the holidays which I tried to spend as well as possible.

I went to Sicily and was very pleasantly surprised. The island was green in the country with trees loaded with oranges and lemons a pleasure for the eye and for the smell. Mount Etna was covered with snow and I indulged the view from almost the top with the shiny sea at the bottom. The food was delicious. I was ready for a different pasta or pizza everyday, not to mention the cakes which are a real temptation!

The Greco-Roman ruins were neatly preserved and I was almost in heaven sitting at the theatre in Taormina where I would have spend hours and hours, just watching the extraordinary view. No words to describe the Valley of Temples in Agrigento where I spend the afternoon until the sunset. It was magic!

I thought how well these ancestors of ours shared their cultures, the different cultures in an interesting crossroads of the Mediterranean without making any fuss and accepting and taking advantage of each other. Sicilians are full of live, they shout, they move their hands when they talk and they are really expressive in their eyes. I wished I could have stayed longer but I had to return to understand that real pleasures exist!

I thought of all my students and your writings and asked the gods loads of creativity for all of you!