En Sicile et en Calabre

A lifelong fascination with the sun‑kissed islands of the Mediterranean finally drives the narrator from the French Riviera across Italy, weaving through the bustling coastlines of Genoa, Pisa and Naples. While the journey is recounted with gentle humor—a stubborn Renault, a stolen suitcase, and the ordinary chaos of road travel—the text never pretends to be a guidebook, instead offering a personal meditation on how longing shapes the places we imagine.

When the ferry finally drops them ashore in Sicily, the first impressions are strikingly unvarnished. Palermo, billed “la Felice,” appears gray‑washed and noisy beneath the fierce southern sun, its grandeur muted by everyday grime and an ever‑present crowd of eager petitioners. The narrator’s honest, day‑by‑day notes capture the contrast between mythic idylls and the lived reality of a land still echoing with history, trade and the restless spirit of its people.