The Persistent Pilgrim

Having tried and failed (twice) to locate the home of my maternal family near Genoa in Northern Italy, we embarked for the Old World on July 6 in hopes of finally finding my grandmother’s house -- and perhaps some family members -- in the town of Isolona in the Comune of Orero. This time, I was accompanied by daughter Gina.

In 2010, I researched various methods of transport to the village high in the hills of Liguria and found that only one bus a day made the journey into the mountains. The trip would require an overnight stay in a remote area with few accommodations. I quickly conceded that idea and simply enjoyed my time in Genoa (above).

In 2013, son Jory accompanied me on this increasingly perplexing search for family. This time, we had the good sense to hire a cab to locate Orero amongst the many serpentine roads north of Genoa. Our driver, Andrea, found what we thought was the spot. Unfortunately, we went to the wrong Orero. Yes, it turns out there are two.

It has now been over 100 years since my family set sail on a journey to America in April, 1912. Their boat, the Ancona, disembarked from the Port of Genoa (below) the same week that the Titanic left Southampton, England. My family made the three-week ocean cruise safely to America. Tragically, the Titanic did not.