Thursday, May 29, 2008

Launch!

Soon to come...read about....my 2nd summer trip to Sicily & Rome. It will be the 1st time overseas with Anne, Emilia, and Joseph.

Last year's trip was wonderful. My sister, Janice, and I toured Sicily, reunited with Occhipinti cuginos(cousins) in Trabia and Ragusa, and tasted the most wonderful Sicilian dishes and pastries.

We stood in the house where our grandfather, Giuseppe Occhipinti, was born in 1876. Ragusa, Sicilia. The house is still in the family. It was built in the early 1700's, in the great reconstruction period following the devastating Sicilian earthquake in the late 1690's. Grandpa immigrated to the USA around 1900.

This year, I will show my children where their great-grandfather(bisnonno) was born.

1 comment:

janikraser said...

Hello Thomas! I accidentally found your blog site and had to respond. My name is Janice Occhipinti Kraser. I am 37 years old and live in Scranton, Pa. I'm originally form Dunmore, pa. My family is from San Cataldo, Sicily. I noticed your sisters name and thought it was neat to see another Janice, as it's not a common name for Italian's. It's wonderful that you were able to travel to Sicily and research your family. Enjoy yourself and I hope you can return as often as you like.

Janice Occhipinti Kraser