We had such a great day! It began with a Thomaston connection. We went to the home of Rachel Villa, formerly Rachel Paterson. Her parents were Sharon Smith Foster and David Paterson of Thomaston. She attended Upson-Lee High School and her mother and Gail Thomas were sisters.
That’s a lot of information that Thomaston people will know, but here’s the best thing to know about Rachel. She is a wonderful hostess, a creative and talented woman, very funny and kind, brilliant and has a kind heart.
She and her husband Marco own a vineyard in Sicily and they also farm. Thanks to Gail, Rachel invited us to her home for a wine-tasting of their vintages. She served us such a nice lunch and allowed us to taste the wines. It was so much fun and really special. She taught us about the wine grapes here in Sicily, told us her personal story about how she came to Sicily and about her life with her husband and sons. They have a fabulous house, a vineyard, an orchard and, in addition to wine grapes, they grow olives, blood oranges, other fruits and vegetables.The wine they make, under the label Courage, is delicious.
We had a wonderful time. We talked about Thomaston, which she left before graduating high school. Her brother, Thomaston people will remember, is Ed Foster, who was the manager of the airport for a while. David, her father, was a retired Naval officer and a historian. Rachel was so welcoming and so was her six-year-old son Erik. Her husband was working and her younger son was with his grandmother, so we didn’t get a chance to meet them. I can’t say enough about her hospitality. Being in her home in Sicily and hearing about her life and their business provided a great glimpse into Sicilian life and was such a treat.
As we left, the sun was shining and we wanted to go to find a view of the ocean. This is an island with mountains in the middle (where we are currently staying) and beautiful shoreline all around. We drove toward the sea, but it turned out more difficult to find a place than we imagined. Cyclone Harry, just a few weeks ago, did a lot of damage along the shore and the beach towns we found were mostly shut down due to damage. It was sad to see the small businesses so wrecked.
We drove on roads that were torn up from the storm, with sand piled up in mounds and lots of debris. It was clear some structures were just gone, nothing left but the foundations. We stopped at the only restaurant we found that was open. It was empty except for us, which we’ve had happen often in these restaurants. I think as Americans, we eat and drink on a different schedule.
The woman who greeted us, Daniella, spoke almost perfect English, and she was so kind and welcoming. Because of the cyclone damage, we couldn’t sit outside, plus it was windy, so she seated us near a window. The view was obstructed by the damage to their patio area, but we could see the water, a gorgeous blue today. We felt badly for them. It was obvious the storm had caused thousands of dollars of damage to their business. We shared a bottle of wine. The kitchen was closed. I’m not sure the restaurant was even open to be honest. I think they were just being nice and invited us inside. She brought us some potato chips — a common snack with drinks here — and some pretzels.
We talked and laughed and had such a good time. Her uncle sat down to a keyboard and sang for us, just us. Sheri sang a little with him and it was so much fun.
Today was special for the same reason other days have been special — the kindness of strangers, the generosity of spirit we’ve encountered and the welcoming hospitality we’ve been shown. That’s what travel is really about. Connecting with people, trying to understand one another, appreciating each other and being courteous and open-hearted. Those moments are among the best in life.
Tonight, we cooked some pasta, added some sauce made by Rachel’s mother-in-law, and relived every moment of today with joy.
Tomorrow, Sheri leaves us to return to Nashville. We are going to miss her so much. She has been the cherry on top of this experience and has made it even more fabulous. Betsy and I move to our next stop: Ortigia.
We have full hearts.
Kim & Betsy 
love this! And y’all!!!
I loved seeing Rachel living her beautiful life.
Chips and wine – I’m down with that.