Sicily, June 2018

Literary meeting in Palermo

 

I arrived to Palermo at night in the company of my daughter Ania and my parents. The house we stayed in was located on a hill, from where there was a stunning view of the city, bathed in sunlight during the day, and at night in the light of streetlights.

During the meeting, children, both Polish and Italian, sang the Fantasy together. From that afternoon I remembered the feeling of solemnity and great emotion. Yes, these were unforgettable moments.

 

Sicily, Salerno, Lago Patria, May 2019

Literary workshops supporting the bilingualism of Polish diaspora children

 

Less than a year later I come to Sicily again. This time I travel with Ania and my husband, Mariusz. Palermo greets us with a pristine blue sky, an intense aroma of coffee and the sweetness of wild strawberries that Ania sniffs whenever an opportunity arises. Every morning we pass a lively market in the city center.

Children from an Italian school devise a Sicilian menu of the house elf with commitment. There is a lot of fun, laughter and creative effort.

At the Polish community school, there is a surprise for us, a hand-made dwarf house and its inhabitant. Tiny furniture and a well-stocked pantry arouse my admiration.

After a few days, we move to the picturesque Amalfi Coast, whose beauty is even breathtaking. There, too, children are waiting who have eagerly prepared illustrations for the fairy tales.

Whereas the last stop is at Lago Patria, where a student from an Italian school was moved by a puppet theater depicting the tale of Siesta Eugene. At the Polish community school, we come to the Mother's Day celebration. Shortly after the workshops we join a joyful feast.

Naples says goodbye to us with a warm, heavy rain, as if to wash away the sadness of saying goodbye to fairytale time in Italy.