She smiled when ViolettaDiSalvo talked about Italy, knowing that she was probably remembering past events, and said, "Oh I can imagine that was a beautiful spot for your honeymoon! Maybe someday I'll plan a trip there and take you with me as my tour guide!"

She laughed and then said, "And, I guess I will also have to try an Italian Sunset Cocktail! I definitely love sweet drinks! This tart drink though is pretty surprising. I don't usually like tart, or bitter, or sour but I like this drink."

She paused to take another sip of the drink, then continued, "I can understand not wanting to overload on the sweets though. Sometimes sweets upset my stomach, especially before I do anything strenuous! And I agree. The icing rose on the dessert you spoke of is cute for sure. I didn't try one myself though but I just might now that you mentioned it!"

“Oh yes the hotel we stayed at was simply beautiful.  The Palermo Belle Epoque Grand Hotel et des Palermo was one of the most charming and amazing hotels we have ever been in.  We did visit several locals cafes, but the hotel had such an elegant dining restaurant.  We ate most of our evening meals there.”

Violetta would love the chance to show Morte_Rossa her favorite landmarks in Palermo.  She named off a few places that they had visited on their honeymoon.  

“I would highly recommend visiting the Palazzo dei Normanni e Cappella Palatina and the Cathedral of Palermo.  The architecture in both places is overwhelming to see.  We also visited a namesake in our family after his cousin Rose.  Her mother had named her Rosalie after the Saint Rosalia, so when Luca and I had the chance to visit the Santuario Santa Rosalia, we jumped at the chance.”

Violetta reminisced about the Old Country that was so close to her heart.  Her parents had raised their children well, and based on their heritage. They were proud of being a Sicilian, and it passed down a generation to their children.  Vi was extremely proud of being a Sicilian, and hopefully one day she could instill that in their children as well.

“Oh yes the caterers were very talented creating such beauty.  I was almost sad to eat the rose, but the taste won that battle.  The chefs have my gratitude for the wide selections available.”

Violetta glanced around the party as she took another bite of the food left on her plate.  She sliced into the Cheese & Spinach Cannelloni with her fork, and chewed slowly.  Vi dabbed her lips with the napkin, before taking another drink.

“Also I just remembered the Fontana della Vergogna ( Fontana Pretoria).  It has a beautiful fountain in the main gates.  We threw pennies in to make a wish, then I couldn’t stop laughing at the pout on Luca’s face because I wouldn’t tell him my wish.”

Finishing the cannelloni, Violetta took one of the Lemon Ricotta Cookies with lemon glaze from her plate, and took a quick bite before continuing her story telling.

“The foods here tonight remind me so much of my mother’s cooking.  We opened a Ristorante in Las Vegas recently, well we reopened it after acquiring it with a few other businesses.  Our cousins had very impeccable managers established everywhere that the businesses were doing quite well.  The menu there is Italian and authentic foods.”

Violetta looked at her plate of cookies then blushed at her rudeness.  She offered Morte the plate if she wanted a lemon cookie.

“My manners have failed me Signorina, when I daydream about our honeymoon I lose track of the present time.  Would you like a cookie?  The lemon glaze brings out the sweetness rather than the bitterness one expects from ‘lemons’.”

The stories ViolettaDiSalvo told her about Italy played out like little movies in her mind. She imagined a young couple running around Palermo, throwing pennies in fountains and eating and drinking and seeing the sights. She wished she could be there right now because she imagined it was spectacular. She may not even want to leave if she ever went!

"That sounds wonderful, all the stuff you just said," she told Vi. "I imagined you and Luca in my head, a young, in-love couple running around Palermo!"

Her thoughts wandered again when Vi started talking about her mother's cooking. Morte's mom made a lot of German food, and her Dad was really good at making Irish sweets, like Chocolate Potato Cake. She could just imagine the yummy taste of the cake. They ate it so often, and she actually had the recipe memorized. She told herself she should make some of it later for her crew members.

"Your mom sounds great, Vi!" She said to her, as Vi offered her a lemon cookie. "Yes please! Those cookies look amazing! Have you ever had Lemon Meringue Pie? It's pretty amazing! My mom makes a really good German version!"