MY IMPRESSIONS OF BERNALDA WHILE EXPLORING MY ROOTS:

THIRD TRIP (2008)

L.F. Dell’Osso

During my first two trips to Bernalda, I wrote down daily notes that facilitated putting together my impressions. Unfortunately, that was not the case during the 2008 trip so the following is based on Charlene’s and my recollections one year later.

Sunday, June 1 – Sunday, June 8, 2008:

It was hard to believe that after two genealogically fruitful and thoroughly enjoyable visits to Bernalda within 4 years (1992 and 1996), a full 12 years were to pass before I returned to the ancestral home of the Dell’Osso family. But first Charlene and I were to spend 6 beautiful days in Sardinia visiting and touring (including by boat) with my good friend Sebastiano Traccis, lecturing at a meeting on Parkinsonism that he organized, and attending the wedding of Alessandro and Kelly Serra. From there we traveled to Paola, Calabria to meet and spend three days with the family of Angela Dell’Osso.

Monday, June 9 – Wednesday, June 11, 2008:

We planned to fly to Calabria, rent a car and drive to Paola but when we arrived at Lamezia terme airport, we found that Angela, her mother Lisa, father Franco, and brother Roberto, had driven 1.5 hr to the airport to meet us and guide us back to Paola—love that Italian hospitality! While visiting with Angela and her family, we saw a mountain monestary, a small fishing village with murals painted on the walls of the houses (instead of addresses), and shared many good meals with them.

Thursday, June 12 – Wednesday, June 18, 2008:

We found some changes in Bernalda (i.e., American-style fast food places at the far end of Corso Umberto—ugh; fortunately, Italian-style bars and stores still occupied the greater part of the street). We saw Don Mariano and reconnected with my friend Maestro Antonio Salfi and with his help, spent a week of hard work on the genealogy books of Bernalda, both in the school library and the Commune. We visited and had lunch in the apartment of Guido’s parents in Bernalda and Guido also took us to Metaponto to see the family vacation home near the beach. We also toured Brandisi, Lecce, and Matera.

Thursday, June 19 – Sunday, June 22, 2008:

We drove to Bari and visited with Guido, his wife Rosalba, and son, Antonio. We enjoyed dinner at their house and watched the Italian soccer game. During the next three days we toured Bari, Castellana Groto, Alberobella, and Castel del Monte. We also visited Guido’s sister, Adriana and her husband, Carmello.

Monday, June 23, 2008:

We flew from Bari to Roma to New York to Cleveland on Monday.