More Destiny

I should begin at the beginning. But I didn't, so this will be at the beginning.

My dear friends Jane and Woody from Westchester, and Mike and Wendy from Maine, decided they wanted to tour Rome, Florence, and Sorrento, and invited me to tag along. I was to meet them in Rome, then we would go to Florence, return to Rome, and then Mike and Wendy and I would go on to Sorrento.

But this is not a story about them.

When I got to the hotel Mike had picked out in Rome, the Smerelda, near Camp di Fiori and Piazza Navona, I did my usual thing. I took a quick walk around the neighborhood, even though I was feeling really hungry, as I had not eaten breakfast, as I had to leave my house at 3:30 in the morning. Besides, I had missed my connection with Mike and Wendy at the airport, and was not sure when the other folks would be getting there, but knew that they would.

After walking over to Piazza Navona, and basically getting my bearings, I walked back to the hotel. As I was about to enter the door, I heard someone call my name. Sitting at a little restaurant across from the hotel door was Lloyd Portnow. I actually recognized him. He actually recognized me.

Lloyd had wanted to come to Sicily in the spring of 2004, and had made arrangements to live in Gaspare's house, which we had just left because we had bought our apartment. Lloyd knew about me because I had met his friend Dave in Erice one day, and then he showed up at Castelmare de Golfo later that day, and we shared some cold pizza.

Anyway, Lloyd and Fran and I wrote back and forth about making arrangements for them to come over, and to bring their dog Asa. In fact, Dave even drove from Burlington to Fort Ticonderoga one day when Fran and I were in the states, and were in Fort Ti to get some dental work done, and we had lunch together. We got to meet him face to face, and also to meet Asa, who is a beautiful and bright standard poodle.

Unfortunately, Lloyd'sw brother took ill, and Lloyd made himself completely available to his brother and his brother's family as he went through the cruel passage from life to death. He had to cancel his plans to come to Sicily. Since then, we have written back and forth a few times, and he offered to help out with the probate of Fran's will. He has also, apparently, been keeping up with this blog.

Finally, I got to meet his wonderful, bright, and charming wife Nancy. It was like the three of us had known each other for ages. It was old friends getting together, without losing a beat to time. We kept talking about the destiny entry in this blog, and how our meeting, and our staying at the same hotel in Rome, was indeed another form a destiny.

Here is to the two of you, Lloyd and Nancy, and to your super dog Asa. It was good to see you, and I look forward to our next reunion, as well as a trip to Sicily at some time in your future.