A Sicilian Reunion in San Vito lo Capo

San Vito Lo Capo, a coastline town located on a peninsula on the northwestern side of Sicily, offers its unique personality which reverberates of its Arab influence. It is famous for its Cous Cous festival, held each year in September, and which sees chefs from all over the Mediterranean competing in their preparation of Cous Cous recipes. A stroll down the main street of SanVito lo Capo provides the evidence of the Arab influence in both the architecture of the town as well as in the dishes served at the restaurants.

Over the last few years, as I have travelled around Sicily, I have visited San Vito lo Capo a few times.  Thinking back at the very first time  I visited this town I was a teenager and went to San Vito lo Capo  with my mother over an Easter holiday.  At that time, the town was  a  quaint fisherman’s town untouched by tourism. Mother and I stayed at a bed and breakfast that was not even marked as one, just a lady who was renting out rooms in her home.

Nowadays, San Vito lo Capo is full of hotels and restaurants and a very crowded beach resort over the summer months.  However, it still holds it beauty mixing the Arab influence in its architecture and cuisine with gorgeous emerald-green beaches.  Driving up the peninsula to reach the town of San Vito, one can enjoy the many vineyards scattered along the valleys and hills.

Vineyards on the way to San Vito lo Capo

Before arriving to the town itself with its own beautiful beeches, one travels up some hilly roads overlooking the glistening sea.

Last week, I drove to San Vito not just to revisit this beautiful location, but because a special person was there.  I had been contacted days earlier by a former student, Emma.  Back in 2011, when I was a teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages at Longfellow MS in Virginia, Emma was a Norvegian student of mine.  At the end of that school year, I left full time teaching to pursue other endeavors and Emma returned to her native country, Norway.  Emma had made quite an impression on me and over the years I had wondered how she was doing. Consequently, I was very happy last week when she contacted me asking if I were is Sicily and that she was planning a trip to Sicily with her mother.  I realized that due to my plans and hers the only way we could meet would be in San Vito, so I decided to drive out there and join Emma and her mother, Ellen.  Reuniting with Emma and catching up was a very enjoyable experience and we had a wonderful time together at the beach, swimming, talking, and enjoying the evening stroll down the streets of San Vito.

Emma in 2011 in our classroom at Longfellow MS, Virginia, USA

Reunited at the beach in San Vito lo Capo, Sicily

Emma and I in San Vito lo Capo – July 2014

Emma, Mother Ellen and I in San Vito lo Capo – July 2014