A Postcard from Pantelleria

Everyone knows of Capri and Ischia and Sardinia, and even Malta—all of those Italian islands that dot the Mediterranean with its postcard-ready coastlines and fishing villages that are now home to many ostentatious yachts and beachside resorts. But further south, smack dab in the straight between Sicily and Tunisia is the much lesser known island of Pantelleria. It is here that I spend the month of August, and it is a world away from my life in New York and my regular travels to other parts of Europe.

My family has owned a small, uncomplicated house on the 32-square-mile volcanic island since 19TK, and I am happy to say that it has remained largely unchanged since then. That, of course, also means that communication with the outside, modern world—with its faster pace and all of its technologies—can be a challenge. Strong winds that rise off the coast of North Africa often hinder both travel and phone calls to and from the island. For me, that can be a welcome change from the rest of my year; no emails, no phone calls, no daily travels (unless it's to market or to visit nearby friends). Each year it becomes more difficult to take the time to travel there—which makes my stay all the more rewarding.