by Paolo Copparoni, translated into English by Ruth Stephens
Chapter – 1 The Travels of an Ex-Policeman
Vittorio Ricetti is a 75 year old from Bologna.
After 40 years working as a police officer in various parts of Italy he is now retired and has plenty of time to devote to his great passion, travelling.
He has never married, preferring a career in the enforcement of law and order, and has no children. “I was born for the police and I’ve no time for anything else,” he always told everyone.
He lives in a big house in the suburbs of Bologna with his two dogs, Rocky and Rambo.
As well as travelling, his other great passion is football, so every Sunday he goes to the stadium to watch his team, Bologna, play. Although this year Bologna is not a strong team and risks being relegated to serie B, the second division of the Italian championship league, Signor Ricetti doesn’t give up hope and continues to support them enthusiastically.
This summer, like every other, he plans to spend a month at his house in Syracusa, in Sicily, where the sea is spectacular and Vittorio loves to walk on the beach in the early morning while the air is still cool. He appreciates being able to get away from the unbearable humidity of Bologna in August.
He has decided to visit the eastern part of the island for a week this year, in particular the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento. He has heard that it is a marvellous place and he can’t wait to see it. But he has no idea of what awaits him there……
