Second in a series

Re “Capo and Culver, A Love Story”

Vice Mayor Thomas Small continues to glow like a klieg light over the burgeoning relationship between potential Sister Cities Capo d’Orlando, Sicily, and Culver City.

Speaking slowly, equally emphasizing each syllable, the vice mayor raved.

“It is going to be such a treasure for every Culver citizen in the future to go to Capo d’Orlando,” he said, “and have that be the opening to Italy and Europe.”

Mr. Small, Mayor Jeff Cooper, former Mayor Jim Clarke and Culver City Sister City Committee officials made an 11-day excursion to Capo d’Orlando last month for a first-hand inspection of Culver City’s next Sister City partner.

Topographically known for its mountain range and seaside views, Capo is compact, a tourist destination with 12,000 residents. The romantic Aeolian Islands are visible from the scenic coastline.

Sounds like an ideal honeymoon landing place.

“Since Capo d’Orlando is a small city,” Mr. Small said, “it is as if they feel lucky to be in a relationship with Culver City.

“To them, we are a big and glamorous city, the Heart of Screenland, and then Los Angeles, too,” the vice mayor said.

Keep in mind that Mr. Small was a literature major at university, Yale.

Those studies sprang him across the world to Capo, around Sicily and throughout Italy for a full year abroad during his undergraduate days in 1981.

Mr. Small wanted to talk about the Aeolian Islands.

“The city is building a new port, a new harbor, that will be opening this summer,” he said. “They will have a direct connection to the Aeolian Islands.

“The Aeolians are some of the most fabled islands since the time of Homer. Odysseus may have stopped there stopped there in the Odyssey.”

(To be continued)