A memento

I got to spend some time today with Lex, who is suffering from back pain and jet lag, and hear more about their trip.  In addition to seeing the usual sites, they had opportunities to meet with and work beside ordinary Sicilians, and to learn how to bake and cook Sicilian specialties.  Over dinners, they heard stories from people whose lives in Sicily were unusual, such as the innocent son of a high-up Mafioso, now jailed, who spent his childhood in hiding and now was unable to get work or a place to live as soon as people learned his name.  Of the companies they've taken tours with, Overseas Adventure Travel is certainly the most engaged with the people of the countries they visit.

Lex is not a shopper or souvenir hunter, so the only thing she brought home was this beautiful plaque  Since shipping it home would have cost $100, they wrapped it up carefully and Doug undertook to keep it protected through all the plane rides and moves from hotel to hotel.

It is good to have them home.