The past year has been yet another amazing rollercoaster of ups and downs and experiences I will never forget. Since the long move from Northern California to Berlin, Germany, Steve and I have had the privilege of traveling throughout Europe and visiting some beautiful cities. We have been embracing the moment and stockpiling our memories knowing that Steve’s ability to travel is going to end sooner than we ever imagined.
His recovery from the brain surgery was more grueling than we could have dreamed. And his Parkinson’s symptoms continue to create challenges that we are learning to overcome. But it hasn’t been all bad. For all of the negative, we have beautiful glimmers of good every day. And we have seen more of the world in the last 16 months than either of us had seen before his diagnosis.
Our most recent trip was to the ancient island of Sicily. We learned of two small mountain cities that were giving away abandoned homes for 1€! After reading the article, we had to learn more. So since neither of us speaks Italian, and the city was overwhelmed by people just like Steve and I requesting more information, we hopped on a plane and headed to Italy.
If you’ve never driven through Palermo, it is utter madness! It was also the first time that I have been behind the wheel since leaving the US in August 2018. What an experience! We only got to spend one night in the city but found it to be more vegan-friendly than I imagined. I was surprised to find that many of its traditional foods are accidentally vegan. The island is the largest in the Mediterranean Sea and because of its central location and natural resources, its was a strategic part of the Sea’s trade route. This, of course, led to many powers that wanted to rule Sicily. Greeks, Romans, Phoenicians, Islamic, Spanish, Normans, and many others ruled this island which led to many ethnic influences on the food they eat today.
We drove inland into the middle of Sicily and had the privilege to visit two fairytale cities, Cammarata and Mussomeli. We were given the royal treatment and saw many of the homes. What we learned is that while they are inexpensive to purchase, it will take tens of thousands of dollars to make them habitable and safe. But we are not going to let that stop us from opening the areas first vegan cafe & bakery.
Last night, we launched our GoFundMe campaign. We hope that you will help us make this vegan dream a reality. Please donate what you can and share our campaign with everyone you know!
And as always…eat, drink, and be vegan. Arrivederci!
