Monthly Archives: December 2025

Inspiring Travel Stories: Meet Lorelle Pacello

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What an unattractive tussle or brawl for an End of Year Prize; craved yet not deserved Prize for Peace. Individuals eligible for prestigious awards are generally nominated by an esteemed committee, and genuine efforts must be exhibited to win. 

My recent arduous ship Journey in Papua New Guinea, introduced me to a woman who should receive the Prize for Travel Stamina and Fitness. I am not a cruise person, however, one of the best methods of seeing the intriguing Tribes of New Guinea is by ship.

Lorelle Pacello

My first afternoon aboard the Ponant, le Jacques Cartier, all passengers participated in the Muster Drill… a mandatory emergency safety exercise. I spotted an exuberant fast-moving cane toting petite woman, lining up in her assigned group. Pert and at attention, in her bulky bright orange life jacket.

PNG is tropical, below the equator, translating to consistent hot and humid weather with sporadic downpours, many utterly drenching. This area is no walk in the park! Plus, the transport to little islands or atolls requires getting in and out of small Zodiacs to a wet landing on a beach or a dry landing onto a pier. Using a sailor’s grip, keep your weight low in a rocking boat, and move deliberately, critical for stability in a calm sea. Even more so when boarding after an expedition, bouncy waves cause the Zodiac to smash the pier, precise timing and balance are essential to step aboard the ship. Not for the timid or frail!

On our daily expeditions, I continued to spot this tiny force of nature scurry across a wide expanse of uneven ground, camera out, cane dangling from her wrist, backpack slung over her shoulder. Barely 5 feet tall, I was intrigued and enthralled by this adorable whippersnapper traveling alone exploring the atolls and their native tribes. End of day, we gathered for a summary and a presentation of tomorrow’s tribes and villages. There she was, notebook in hand, phone ready. Finally, I approached, marveled at her tenaciousness and enthusiasm, with I must know you! My inspiration! 

Lorelle Pacello, the diminutive traveler, is Australian and has traveled alone for years. In her professional life, she was a Chemistry teacher, her comprehensive knowledge of music, birds, cultures is extraordinarily impressive. Lorelle, in her 83rd year loves traveling by herself, following her passions. Her grown kids struggle to keep track of her Journeys! Her iPhone calendar was bursting with activities and trips for next year. Cruises, city visits, lectures.

A little interview: What words of advice would you give to a senior traveler? I try to research the places I intend to visit on a tour so know what to look for and be prepared.

Think back to when you were younger, is there one piece of advice or word of wisdom you would give your younger self?  I travelled a little when I was younger. Perhaps it would have been nice to have been able to do more then.

Do you travel with friends your age? No. I have my interests and am quite happy to travel by myself.

You shared that you learned how to download your phone photos to your laptop. In regard to technology, how has travel changed over your lifetime? Enormously. It is easy to obtain information via the internet, and now my photographs are taken on my phone rather than carrying a camera with interchange lens.

From an 83-year-old! I have friends who didn’t know Siri talks and takes instructions! Lorelle, of course, taught herself to download her photos to her tablet.

Lorelle Pacello, exploring the world!

Do you have a favorite gadget or essential item you always pack for a trip?  No. I try to pack lightly so I carry essentials.  I have a general packing list on my computer which I print and then use this and tick off as I pack.

This is a lesson to me, who always overpacks – for ‘just in case’ or I want options!

Never a complaint from her; many times, I heard her exclaim:  Why, wasn’t that interesting?

We had hours of swimming and snorkeling, which she declined saying she wasn’t as strong a swimmer as she once was. Know your strengths, is a good life lesson!

A typical landing on the banks of Lake Sentani in the Village of Pulau Ase

The first few days, I was stealthily taking snapshots of her and texting to friends: look at this amazing woman, we need to hold her as our example for aging well and enjoying life to the ultimate! I often felt like I was stalking her just to ask more questions or hear her observations. I was never disappointed when we bumped into each other after an outing or enjoyed lunch together. She, of course attended the stretching classes, lectures and napped every afternoon; she avoided evening karaoke!

My Prize for Travel Resilience and Unmatched Exuberance for Life is presented to Mrs. Lorelle Pacello!

My Papua New Guinea Journey was greatly enhanced by meeting Lorelle.

Remain Curious!

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
―― Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad / Roughing I

Rocco Forte Villa Igiea: Experience Sicily’s Majestic Heritage.

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Sicily’s history is long and complex, marked by its strategic location in the Mediterranean which made it a coveted prize for many empires. It was first colonized by Phoenicians and Greeks, then conquered by Rome, and later ruled by Vandals, Ostrogoths, the Byzantine Empire, and Arab caliphates. The Normans conquered the island in the 11th century, followed by Angevin, Aragonese, and Spanish rulers, and it was eventually incorporated into the unified Kingdom of Italy in 1860 following a revolt led by Giuseppe Garibaldi.  My attempts at staying at Rocco Forte Vila Igiea property has met with almost as much complexity!

If you’ve read The Leopard, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, you may remember the most famous quote “If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.” Over 2,500 years at the strategic crossroads of the western world have left Sicily with an unparalleled historical legacy.

Nowhere else have Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, French, Germans, Spanish, Italians and even the British left such an indelible impression. Whether you are more attracted by Greek temples, Roman villas and aqueducts, Norman cathedrals or Baroque churches, Sicily offers a range of historical sites that are not easily matched.

On my last visit to Sicily, it was the Summer of HEAT – the hottest on record, heat & fires..the airport catching fire was the last straw, I decided to escape the simmering Island after my sea sojourn on the lovely SeaDream yacht and pivot to Rabat – a minimum 20 degrees cooler! My dreamy cruise in the Tyrrhenian seas, included stopping on the tiny Aeolian islands, buying fresh oregano in a tiny vegetable grocery in Lipari, enjoying the nightly volcanic fireworks of Stromboli.

Many years ago, at a cooking class with David Tanis in Sicily at Anna Tasca Lanza cooking school, my goal was to stay at the Rocco Forte Sicilian gem, Villa Igiea, in Palermo, however it was closed for refurbishing. I am hoping Third Time is the Charm.

Rocco Forte Igiea, Palermo. A fabled 19th Century Palazzo in Palermo. Discover history, majesty and serenity at Villa Igiea: a turn-of-the-century palazzo at the perimeter of vivid Palermo, the foot of Mount Pellegrino and the Gulf of Palermo.

A long-loved seaside-meets-city sanctuary for royalty, dignitaries and Hollywood luminaries, trace their paths through tiered villa gardens that sweep down to the port and out to the Tyrrhenian Sea; on excursions to Palermo’s bustling markets, Baroque palaces and ancient sites, or yacht trips along its picturesque coast; and through Villa Igiea’s Italian restaurants, atmospheric bars and palatial Art Nouveau interior, revitalized as a Rocco Forte hotel. This grand, Liberty-style palazzo has enchanted high-profile guests since its commission by the Florio dynasty in the late 1800s. Trace their paths through tiered villa gardens that sweep down to the port and out to the Tyrrhenian Sea and explore Palermo’s bustling markets, Baroque palaces and ancient sites. 

A great place to start any adventure on this magical island is the regional capital, Palermo. Here, a honey-colored maze of grand buildings recalls a golden age of lavish operas, decadent parties and grand 19th-century palazzos. The particularly magnificent example of Villa Igiea, built for the influential Florio dynasty. Their powerful sense of glamour endures in this beloved idyll, which has welcomed royalty and Hollywood luminaries including Sophia Loren and Queen Victoria. 

An easy day trip from Palermo is Mondello, which is separated from the capital by the soaring Monte Pellegrino hill. A fishing village turned summer hotspot, Mondello is home to a stretch of white sandy beach and plenty of buzzing bars and restaurants to fuel a day’s sightseeing and sunbathing. Over on the south coast, sites of historical intrigue abound. There’s the impressive Villa Romana del Casale, an elaborate Roman villa near the town of Piazza Armerina. There’s also the striking Valley of the Temples, considered among the most important vestiges of ancient classical culture in Sicily, as well as the dazzling Scala dei Turchi cliff

Known as the ‘Pearl of the Mediterranean’, Sicily has lured travelers since antiquity. Next summer, after the usual summer travelers depart, I will make an attempt to stay again!

NOTO HOTEL 2026

Postcards From Palermo