Straight from Our Travelers’ Hearts!

  • From Trip to Umbria

    “Unforeseen experiences: Medieval trades were introduced to us at an original textile shop, we experienced an olive oil mill tour with lunch served. Raffaella opened her kitchen for a class called Cook in Umbria! where we learned to make Umbricelli Pasta, eggplant appetizer, pear and chocolate cake surrounded by jazz music, family arts, old furniture and flowers. Never had cooking been so much fun for many of us, I assume!

    One cool night we went to a local agriturismo where dinner was

    outdoors on the top of a hill looking out into the valley, like in a movie!

    Unexpected encounters: friends from the CL communities visited us three times recounting their personal stories and most of all convinced us that God did a very good job in making each one of us the way we are. And now, when in the morning we look at ourselves in the mirror, we agree with this statement and with gratitude we start the day.

    (By the way this might be my best memory of this Trip to Umbria!)

    Another extraordinary event was visiting my parents’ home!

    My courtyard was full of friends and, of course, food! Lots of food.

    First course, followed by a second course, third course followed by a wide selection of cheeses from the Lombardy region.

    Music, singing, wine, young people mixed with older, English mixed with Italian, Spanish used as Italian, Swahili intertwined with local dialect!

    If you are one of those who has doubts about the power of the Holy Spirit sign up now for our next trip to Italy!

    What do I bring home from this trip?

    For sure a Deruta plate, some rosaries from Assisi, saffron liquor from Città della Pieve, magnets, chocolate, t-shirts, 875 photos on my cell phone.

    But, most of all, a tremendous Italian sun tan! Sign of my being physically part of a companionship of people eager to discover that Creator that makes everything so beautiful and that is so necessary at home!”

    From Trip to Sicily

    The personal touch and warmth of our tour leaders (and friends) made this a trip of a lifetime.THANK-YOU!

  • From Trip to Umbria

    “Hi Laura, We had an absolutely wonderful time in Italy. I am still readjusting to being back in the US! My mom had a great time and we really enjoyed the food and wine and company. We loved meeting and getting to know everyone on the trip, we loved the meals, we loved visiting the small towns in Umbria. We loved the Locanda Paradiso- the people who run it, the food, the rooms, the location. It is an ideal setting to see Umbria. We loved that we were in one place for the week rather than moving from place to place. We thought there was enough rest time balanced with tour time. We loved the tours of each town but would suggest more free time in some of the towns, especially Assisi. We especially appreciated the guides and their knowledge of history, art and religion. Rome was a tough day although we were very appreciative of being able to see Clare. It is tough as some people have never been to Rome and going to Rome and being in Rome for the day is so different from the days in Umbria. I think the key to travel is always to be able to be adaptable and fluid as situations or plans can change or be altered due to a variety of reasons and to just go with the flow and take in each moment as they come. That is my approach to travel and seeing new places and I think you and Barry were absolutely wonderful in helping everyone, adapting to changes such as weather, needs of the group, and even helping or making special trips for those who requested things. We are very grateful to Barry for taking us back to Assisi on Thursday morning. Without you and Barry and all the work that you put into the trip prior to even leaving the US as well as the work and driving that you all did during our time, the trip would never have been successful. The effort and work your family and friends did to prepare dinner last night was very special and the extra blessing of having your friends help drive us to different airports was really special. I would definitely recommend this trip and I actually want to go again next year and trying to convince my husband to go with me, but if he doesn’t, count me in again- I think I could spend a week in Umbria every year for many years to come.

    From Trip to Sicily

    “Laura is the one who made this adventure possible, with your knowledge and imagination. Seeing things I never dreamed of and making new friends I would never have encountered. I thank God for your kindness and generosity.”

  • From Trip to Umbria

    “Hi Laura, I liked everything. Strong points were: Assisi, Perugia, Toti, Vineyard and Saffron visits, Corciano and Da Maria; Madonna dei Bagni. And, of course, Casalmaggiore.

    The Vatican is great and despite the crowded place it is always rewarding.

    Thank you and Barry again for organizing it. I saw that it requires a lot of work and love…”

    From Trip to Umbria

    “Laura, are the one who made this adventure possible, with your knowledge and imagination. Seeing things I never dreamed of and making new friends I would never have encountered. I thank God for your kindness and generosity.”

    From Trip to Umbria

    “Hi Laura! Trip very well organized. Accommodations were great. Laura the energy/force. Barry the shepherd (Anchor) Restaurants and meals were great. Destinations visited were great. Time with locals is fantastic. I would recommend it to anyone looking for inspiration, Spiritual uplift, Comradeship and learning history. Also the guides were awesome.”

    From Trip to Rome

    For me, the pilgrimage was a trip of a lifetime. You and your son did a phenomenal job in preparing and executing the pilgrimage. Thank you for taking such good care of us.

    From Trip to Rome

    “Michelangelo is triumphant over any crowds or long walks. He is the genius that captivates your eyes and forgetting that you are packed inside the Sistine Chapel, your eyes are fixed toward Heaven.”

  • From Trip to Assisi/Orvieto

    “Trip very well organized. Accommodations were great. Laura the energy and force. Barry the shepherd (anchor). Restaurants and meals were great. Destinations we visited were great. Time with locals was fantastic. I would recommend it to anyone looking for inspiration, spiritual uplift, comradeship and learning history. Also the guides were awesome.”

  • From Trip to Mount Etna

    “Laura we were very satisfied with your Trip to Rome, 2024. The quantity and quality of sites we saw and experiences we had were wonderful. The spiritual atmosphere enhanced the experience. The group leaders were excellent in creating a community from people who did not know each other well at the beginning. The lodging was appropriate for a pilgrimage; the food was good as well”

  • From Trip to Montemaggiore - Sicily

    "Our trip to Rome with Laura , was more than we ever dreamed of! She showed incredible things with interesting facts and personal stories . She kept a good pace and made everyone feel welcome and comfortable. She took time to get to know each of us and took care of any special needs or requests. We just loved her!!!!"

Dear friends, for the majority of the tourists The unexpected it’s not contemplated and, when it occurs, it constitutes a disappointment, a discomfort, a complaint.

This does not happen to our travel companions! The unexpected has always been a helpful surprise!

Our Trips ‘ purpose is to encounter Christ through the encounter with people and places that live by His love. It has happened twice already. We accompanied two groups of friends to Umbria in 2022/23, and they all had the experience that Jesus can be encountered. It is a beautiful experience that remains in everyone's heart as a sign of hope and possibility for a new life. It is a special opportunity for building meaningful relationships, long lasting experiences and a variety of very engaging visits to historical sites and local venues one would not typically see if not for our connections.

Bringing friends to my country has been a desire for a long time. After hosting dozens of Italian students in our home in the D.C. area and the Covid time, I felt the need to contribute to the Italian local economy by organizing trips to Bella Italia! It gives me the opportunity to visit meaningful sites with friends, and gather with old friends who share in our faith and the charism of CL. 

During our two trips to Umbria, getting along has been the first surprise, considering some extreme characters: some discrete vs some outgoing, some talkative and some quiet souls, few professional travelers and few slow mode walkers.

Unexpectedly, we were welcomed in Todi by local friends with a wide range of homemade Italian entrees, in an atmosphere of hospitality and joy where music, ages, languages and background mingled together in a total unexpected harmony.

The same harmony that I wish for every person I meet in my days.

Walking with the Corpus Christi through the town of Todi, listening to Jacopone da Todi laude sang for us, praying with the enchanting classic guitar performance in San Fortunato perfect acoustic Church, and closing the day with a terrazza view dinner…these are a few unexpected gifts too.

Unexpected roses, jasmine, crocus, capers, figs, indoor limonaia, American wine roots that      saved our Italian wineries, crops, Umbrian arrosticini and umbricelli pasta, ceramic ex voto in a local Shrine. Surprising tour guides, personal concerts, passionate youth, jesters, waiters, nuns, Vicus Belligeranti ( friends from my village of Vicobellignano, Cremona)

All the beauty and goodness we sow can’t withstand the humble power of Saint Francis who by spending a night talking with his best friend Bernardone, unexpectedly started the adventure that we called Fraciscan movement.

VaticanCity! Quite an extremely unexpected trip too! 

Michelangelo is triumphant over any possible crowds, long walks and noisy tourists. He is the genius that captivates your eyes and forgetting that you are packed inside the Sistine Chapel, your eyes are fixed only toward Heaven.

For me, our Trip to Umbria is a journey where the eternal and the ephemeral walk together, where my limit is mercifully embraced. The Beauty we see is not a parenthesis from a tedious life or only a trip carefully studied. 

The Beauty we sow is a fountain of hope because we come back different, changed, better and in constant anticipation for the current unexpected surprise! Laura Umbria 2022

 Dear friends, I like to write a simple reflection after my Trips. It starts with a poem from Eugenio Montale.

Before the trip the timetable was checked,
the connections, the stops, the layovers
and the bookings (of rooms with bath
or shower, with one bed or two or even a suite);
the Hachette guides were consulted and those of the museums,
currency was exchanged, divided
francs from escudos, roubles from kopeks;

Before the trip some friend
or relative was informed, the suitcases
and passports were checked, the kit
was completed, a supply of
razor blades were acquired, possibly
the testament was gone over, purely
for good luck, because the percentage
of airplane disasters is zero;
before
The trip one is calm but one suspects that
the wise one doesn’t move and that the pleasure
of coming back costs a packet.
And then one leaves and all is OK, and all
is for the best and pointless.
………………………………………….
And now, what will become
of my trip?
I studied it too carefully
without knowing anything about it. The unexpected
is the only hope. But they tell me
it is stupid to tell oneself that.

It is strange to say a priori that the unexpected is our hope.
Yet, looking back on our trip to Sicily, we can certainly say that the unexpected was the true protagonist of each day.
It was the given Event of the day.

The unexpected friendship that formed soon after our timid beginnings at Hotel Borsa.
Familiar, comfortable faces gave way to new encounters, all wrapped in the same unspoken trepidation: What’s the schedule tomorrow… and the day after? What exactly did we sign up for?

Have you ever gone on a vacation where you just trust?

The unexpected was the welcoming committee at Montemaggiore Belsito—their anticipation of the Americans, their eagerness to share their stories, their Facebook videos. I still hold with such tenderness the image of the church ladies, participating in an English Mass, guiding us in a song to Mary. Angelo, leading us through the museum with the enthusiasm of a child. Giovanni, the heart of the welcoming committee, sharing his witness. Massimo and his cake!

The unexpected is the beauty of the sea, the mountains, the lemons, the animals in the wild landscape.
The unexpected is beauty versus the peripheries of Palermo and Catania—a striking reminder of our responsibility to help those less fortunate than us.
The unexpected is the words of Fr. Phil’s homilies, a clear daily reminder that all is given.

The unexpected is a bed that’s too hard… or too soft. A tiny shower. A "short" 3-hour-and-45-minute walk. Sleepy times. An incomprehensible tour guide. TV shows in Italian. Too many carbs. The long line outside the restrooms. Am I complaining? No!

Because our friendship has the power to turn discomfort into laughter, misunderstanding into opportunity, and a full stomach into… that’s amore!

So...The unexpected is the only hope. But they tell me it is it is stupid to tell oneself that. It is not stupid it is the truth.

From the bottom of my heart—thank you, my travel companions. Arrivederci! Laura Sicily 2024

My personal reflections after a Trip