It’s been twenty years since I last saw my Sicilian cousins, so when Cousin Franco invited me up from Palermo to their mountainside village, I jumped at the chance to see Polizzi Generosa.

Sicily boasts some big mountains around the island, and the one just outside of town even has a small ski area, Piano Battaglia. Franco and his girlfriend Simone took me on a tour of the hills during this incredible sunset.

On Sunday, I participated in the ancient custom of slowly wandering the main street from one end of the village to the other and back again, each time stopping for an espresso or a light snack. Franco knew just about everyone we passed, including his Uncle Pino, who I hadn’t seen since 1998, and my cousin Lorena, who I had never met. Polizzi Generosa seems to have a church on every corner. We saw all of them.

Making trouble around town with my crew

Tour guide and lifelong Cleveland Cavaliers fan, Cousin Franco

Having worked up an appetite, Franco’s mother, Lucia, cooked up a massive Sunday dinner, and his father Salvatore filled me up with homemade wine. My other cousin maria stopped by for dessert with a gigantic tray of cannoli — pretty much the perfect Sunday, and for someone who’s been on the road for the better part of the year, one of the highlights of my trip.