"These emotions reawaken my childhood memories , an environment that has always inspired serenity in me. The slow pace, the smell of wood burning in my grandparents' fireplace, the scents of the countryside and those that permeated the village—these are all there today." Captain of the Vespucci, Rear Admiral Giuseppe Lai, after a 23-month and 10-day round-the-world voyage in which he commanded over 400 men aboard the oldest ship in the Italian Navy, has returned to Lula, the hometown of his parents and grandparents, where many of his relatives still live.
A simple ceremony at 11:00 this morning in the City Council Chamber saw him receive honorary citizenship from the City Council. Visibly moved, in the presence of his wife, mother, and relatives, he received the honorary certificate from Mayor Mario Calia in a packed hall.