Just a personal story, but I like it...

In 1969 two of my cousins and I traveled back to Italy to visit relatives. Relatives we had not seen, (no one in my family had seen them), since the 20's. We WERE in touch via mail.

We still owned two houses there. Or, I mean, my Dad and his siblings did.

We wanted to see those homes. Now MY family was gone from the area... but my cousin's still had family there. BTW... my cousins... 3 Gragnani brothers married 3 Marchini sisters. (Marchini = Me). So we're family.

The Gragnani's welcomed us with open arms... that's a WHOLE other story... loved us, fawned over us, fed us til we puked. While there they took me and my cousins to see the "Marchini House"... WHICH, just to remind you, we still owned. In fact, we owned two houses.

So we were outside taking photos of the houses to bring back home and show our elder relatives, (most of whom were still alive at that time). We were in AWE. But THEN:

A little old lady who lived in "OUR" house, somewhere between 110 and 150 years old), came out with a broom and began swinging at us, trying to drive us away. So the Gragnani's who lived there, and our tour guides, explained to the little old lady that we owned the house. This info amazed her... stopped her cold for nearly a minute... and then:

Started beating us with the broom again... she didn't give a @#$#. We had to retreat.. and call me a coward if you wish but you weren't there... that little old lady was obviously trained in martial arts.

Epilogue... the house belonged to my Dad and his siblings. My Dad's oldest sister, (30 years older than my Dad), controlled matters "Italy" related and in the mid 70's 'gifted' the house to whomever was currently residing in them. Meaning the old lady who beat me with a broom. This was 10 years, at most, after our visit. So you're saying to yourself:

"Well, poor old lady had passed on by then". Like hell... no one who could beat 3 20yr olds like she did had only a decade to live. In fact, it's my belief she's still there.. which is why I haven't returned... I'm going to give it another 15 years then try to go back to Italy and see the home we used to own. - JamesJM