Sicily's Ancient Landscapes & Timeless Traditions Day 11

Day 11- September 30, 2015 - Wednesday - Portopalo di Capopassero; A Day in the Life of a Sicilian Fishing Village; Immigrants; Home Lunch

Today we experienced the original "A Day in the Life", an OAT opportunity to really get to know a family in their home setting. At 8:00 we walked to the bridge again and met Pepé for our 90-minute ride to Portopalo di Capopassero.

Our route took us south and east to the very tip of the island and a fishing town located on Sicily's southern most spit of land. While we drove, Maurizio gave us more information about the fishing industry and the current controversy of human trafficking and immigrants arriving from Libya, the gateway out of Africa.

Showing us graphic photos and migration maps, Maurizio opened a discussion on this very controversial topic. The threat by ISIS on Italy and especially the Vatican is another troubling issue.

We arrived at Portopalo's about 9:30 and met Attillo Nardo, our host who created an association for the fishermen. We had a brief restroom stop and then went directly to the Marineria.

There are about 150 boats in the Marineria, or coop that regulates prices and helps the fishing industry. This was one of the most important organizations in Sicily and all of Italy. Because of the economic crisis and lack of fish in the Mediterranean Sea, it is no longer the primary coop.

Attillo took us to the docks to meet a few of the fishermen just coming in from the late night’s catch. Angie, one of the few transgender women in the industry who self-identified back in 1984, had treatment, and has been totally accepted by the other fishermen.

Angie showed us her catch of small, table size tuna. The other fishermen were very willing to explain the process of catching the fish and the care and preparation of the nets and the boats.

We walked to one of the beaches and saw the remnants of the African boats seized by the Sicilian Coast Guard. Instead of confiscating the boats and selling them to the local fishermen, the authorities just scuttle them and bring them aground to rot.

On the shore were at least 12 of the boats that had been captured since 2013. The locals burned several of the boats in protest of the waste. The less than seaworthy craft were reported to hold more than 250 people coming from Libya on the 2 - 4 day journey.

Hazardous seas, no food or water, or shade, and no sanitation facilities, guaranteed that many of the refugees never made it to the promise land. The cost per person for this journey to freedom could be anywhere between 2,000 and 4,000 dollars.

Everything we have seen and read about on the news came to life in vivid detail. Many of us came away from this Traffickers Graveyard with very somber thoughts of how lucky we were to live in the United States of America.

Our next stop was to a home of the local fishermen whose wives were cleaning and shelling shrimp. A cottage industry, this underground economy brings more income to the families.

Lucy Ferguson, born in Portopalo but lived her life in Australia, was our guide through the village. Lucy knew everyone and was an excellent ambassador for her hometown. She took us to a bakery as they were taking the bread from the oven. The best!

We walked to a Brazilian Café to see a video of the modern history of the community beginning with the Allies under the command of British General Bernard Montgomery landing on the beaches in June of 1943.

The story of Lucy’s family of fishermen and other influential relatives ended with the first wave of refugees in June of 2013. Sicily, especially the village of Portopalo, has done so much to welcome and treat these unfortunate people with respect.

We took a walk down to the beach to see the exact spot where the British and Canadian troops landed in "Operation Husky" for the liberation of Sicily in 1943. A simple statue commemorates site.

Lucy pointed out the connecting point of the blue Mediterranean Sea and the cobalt Ionian Sea. As we walked back to the village we could feel the increasing wind velocity and the clouds building in the distance.

Maurizio divided us into three groups to visit individual families in the village. We met our host, Franca who walked with us to her beautiful home. We met her daughter, Martina and her son, Gabriele. Franca prepared a seafarer’s platter for us with calamari, shrimp, tuna, cod, and vegetables and pasta. Dessert of tiramisu and fresh melon made for a perfect meal.

We all met back at another one of the homes and thanked Attillo and our host families and they gave us a taste of the famous Limoncello and coffee. It was after 4:00 when we left Portopalo.

During our trip back to Ragusa, we encountered a downpour. Rain was coming down in sheets and parts of the road were flooding. Pepé drove carefully around the tight curves and the steep overlooks. We reached the city at 6:00 and then walked from the bus to our hotel.

Dinner was on our own but after our substantial lunch, we decided to stay in and have our few snacks. Finishing the journal and the photos along with a video of Portopalo di Capopassero was our priority for the evening.

Thursday was a travel day so we packed and got ready for our early departure in the morning.

Accommodations: De Stefano Palace - - - Meal: B, L