Sicily

How to get there There are no direct flights from Boston to Palermo, Sicily's capital and a city of about 700,000. There are many car rental agencies operating out of Palermo Falcone-Borsellino Airport. The least expensive is Sicily by Car (www.sbc.it) through Auto Europa. The rate is about $39 per day, depending on the vehicle and the transmission (automatic is double the price of manual). The Ravidàs will provide directions to the villa. What to do Ravidà Azienda Agricola Srl 173, via Roma, Menfi 011-39-0925-71109 www.ravida.it, ravida@ravida.it The website...

My grandparents, as far as I know, made one long journey during their lives, from Fontegreca, Italy, to Lawrence, Mass. The weeks over land and then across the Atlantic by ship divided their world into before and after - had they returned to their village in Campania, they likely would have been known as "Americani," the sheer fact of their crossing having changed them forever. How much their journey was one from which they could never fully return, I only gleaned long after they both were gone, when I visited the Italian village where my great aunt - who'd never made the crossing - lived.

As more and more backpackers pop up near my adopted home in Ireland this summer, I'm reminded of my own freewheeling adventures as a budget traveler. One particular episode, though, stands out above all the others. In the spring of 1986, after several weeks' worth of trains and planes, I found myself sitting alone on an unfamiliar doorstep in Sicily. I also found myself questioning the wisdom of traveling 5,000 miles from my family home in Medford to revive my father's neglected lineage.

A boat crammed with nearly 1,000 illegal migrants, most of them from sub-Saharan Africa, has reached Sicily after sailing from Libya. Border police Cmdr. Francesco Fallica called the landing Tuesday near Ragusa “biblical.’’ The 963 migrants were crowded into a 20-meter (66-foot) long, barely seaworthy boat. He told Sky TG24 TV that some were so stressed by the voyage they fainted after police helped them ashore. A police motorboat came to their aid as they approached Sicily.

A boat crammed with nearly 1,000 illegal migrants, most of them from sub-Saharan Africa, has reached Sicily after sailing from Libya. Border police Cmdr. Francesco Fallica called the landing Tuesday near Ragusa “biblical.’’ The 963 migrants were crowded into a 20-meter (66-foot) long, barely seaworthy boat. He told Sky TG24 TV that some were so stressed by the voyage they fainted after police helped them ashore. A police motorboat came to their aid as they approached Sicily.

TRAPANI, Sicily -- Thousands of years ago, before Sicily became famous as the birthplace of the Mafia; before it retired the prize for the world's perfect oranges; before it was conquered by the Italians, or the Saracens, or even ancient Rome, this sprawling Mediterranean island was fiercely prized for its rich annual haul of salt. When no one could imagine such a thing as a refrigerator, salt was by far the best way to preserve food. It was shipped across the sea, used as money, mixed into paste, and sculpted into jewelry.

"Golden Door " is a movie about immigration that even Lou Dobbs can get behind. It's so hypnotically breathtaking, you don't realize you're not breathing. By the final shot, you don't realize you're crying either, but there go the tears. Written and directed by Emanuele Crialese , this is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen about anything. That it happens to be about the physical and emotional brutality of coming to this country a hundred years ago only enhances the achievement.

WHO: Carolyn Harder, 60, of Winchester WHERE: Sicily and the Puglia region of Italy WHEN: Four weeks in September WHY: "This trip combined all my favorites: art, Italy, family, and food. It was my 60th birthday gift to myself. This was a very special birthday for me and I wanted to mark it in a unique way. I went alone, planned the trip on my own, drove by myself. " THAT'S AMORE: "I've done a lot of traveling in Italy because I have relatives there, in Rome and Naples," Harder said.

My grandparents, as far as I know, made one long journey during their lives, from Fontegreca, Italy, to Lawrence, Mass. The weeks over land and then across the Atlantic by ship divided their world into before and after - had they returned to their village in Campania, they likely would have been known as "Americani," the sheer fact of their crossing having changed them forever. How much their journey was one from which they could never fully return, I only gleaned long after they both were gone, when I visited the Italian village where my great aunt - who'd never made...

WHO: Lisa Bryant, 70, of Lexington, and Mary Ellen Kiddle, 68, of Arlington. WHERE: Sicily. WHEN: Two weeks in September and October. WHY: "I went to language school there last year and wanted to go back. I mentioned it at bridge group and Mary Ellen wanted to go," Bryant said. "I was a Spanish professor at Boston College, and since I retired I've wanted to study Italian," Kiddle said. "I figured with the location, I couldn't go wrong. " The school, Solemar Sicilia [solemar-sicilia.it]

When opening a new restaurant in the restaurant-heavy North End, how do you make yourself stand out? By doing something different, or by doing something very well. Both at the same time works, too. That's the approach Ristorante Damiano takes. Owner Damien DiPaola, recognizing the growing popularity of small plates, decided to serve nothing but at the little, earth-toned restaurant in the space that was formerly Caffe Graffiti. These are piattini, though, not tapas - firmly rooted in the Italian idiom that brings people to the North End in the first place.

As more and more backpackers pop up near my adopted home in Ireland this summer, I'm reminded of my own freewheeling adventures as a budget traveler. One particular episode, though, stands out above all the others. In the spring of 1986, after several weeks' worth of trains and planes, I found myself sitting alone on an unfamiliar doorstep in Sicily. I also found myself questioning the wisdom of traveling 5,000 miles from my family home in Medford to revive my father's neglected lineage.

WHO: Lisa Bryant, 70, of Lexington, and Mary Ellen Kiddle, 68, of Arlington. WHERE: Sicily. WHEN: Two weeks in September and October. WHY: "I went to language school there last year and wanted to go back. I mentioned it at bridge group and Mary Ellen wanted to go," Bryant said. "I was a Spanish professor at Boston College, and since I retired I've wanted to study Italian," Kiddle said. "I figured with the location, I couldn't go wrong. " The school, Solemar Sicilia [solemar-sicilia.it]

There is a new twist to women's travel. According to a survey of American Express travel agents, not only is the trend of women vacationing together increasing, but the trips are becoming, longer, more luxurious, and more active. A sampling: The Women's Adventure Program at Country Walkers features several trips for 2008, including Morocco: From Fès to Marrakesh, April 19-30. Mosques, souks, mountains, valleys, and pink-sand dunes await walkers, who stay in accommodations ranging from a palace to a tented campsite.

The crush of holiday shopping and planning can get to you, sometimes making you only want to get away. So what better time to think about heading for some of those faraway places in 2008? Take a deep breath, put aside the quest for gifts, and consider these offers: Through April 9, travelers can make a Great Escape to the Tahitian islands with a lot included. There are two options, both featuring round-trip air on Air Tahiti Nui, inter-island connections, and breakfasts and dinners for two daily.

The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 By Rick AtkinsonHolt, 791 pp., illustrated, $35 In the spring of 1943, after a series of calamitous defeats in the mountain passes of Tunisia, a bloodied Allied Army routed Erwin Rommel's Afrika Corps and took control of North Africa. Still, it was hardly a knockout blow, and the Allies planned their next moves against the Axis. An invasion of Sicily was set for the summer, but a bullish Winston Churchill, hoping to siphon German troops away from France and the Eastern Front, cajoled Franklin D....

The Ruby in Her Navel By Barry Unsworth Set in the Kingdom of Sicily in the 12th century, this spacious novel undergoes magical shifts (Doubleday, $26). Thunderstruck By Erik Larson A suspense-filled ending makes this new work from the author of "The Devil in the White City" unforgettable (Crown, $25.95). The Light of Evening By Edna O'Brien In musical prose, the author explores the eternal bond between a mother and daughter (Houghton Mifflin, $25)

When opening a new restaurant in the restaurant-heavy North End, how do you make yourself stand out? By doing something different, or by doing something very well. Both at the same time works, too. That's the approach Ristorante Damiano takes. Owner Damien DiPaola, recognizing the growing popularity of small plates, decided to serve nothing but at the little, earth-toned restaurant in the space that was formerly Caffe Graffiti. These are piattini, though, not tapas - firmly rooted in the Italian idiom that brings people to the North End in the first place.

"Golden Door " is a movie about immigration that even Lou Dobbs can get behind. It's so hypnotically breathtaking, you don't realize you're not breathing. By the final shot, you don't realize you're crying either, but there go the tears. Written and directed by Emanuele Crialese , this is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen about anything. That it happens to be about the physical and emotional brutality of coming to this country a hundred years ago only enhances the achievement.

TRAPANI, Sicily -- Thousands of years ago, before Sicily became famous as the birthplace of the Mafia; before it retired the prize for the world's perfect oranges; before it was conquered by the Italians, or the Saracens, or even ancient Rome, this sprawling Mediterranean island was fiercely prized for its rich annual haul of salt. When no one could imagine such a thing as a refrigerator, salt was by far the best way to preserve food. It was shipped across the sea, used as money, mixed into paste, and sculpted into jewelry.