INSPIRATION
Ciao from Italy, the internet is working!
By some strange miracle the blog has opened and given me an opportunity to let you all know we are alive and well here in Malpertus. As I wasn’t expecting this to happen I am caught off guard and am not even sure this will go through so here’s a quick update minus images as they won’t upload lol x
Our boxes arrived from Australia so we now have multiple towels, clothes, toys and books which we have managed without up till now. It is interesting to see how much we can do without. Although two towels all this time has been a bit of a stretch.
Carina has made new friends and so have I, last night I drank grappa with an outrageously happy German man at a dinner arranged by the commune for a visiting group from a sister city. I was talking in a mixture of school girl German, French, Italian and English and somehow making sense. It was a great night!
Earlier in the day we decided to walk to the Rifugio ‘Willy Jervis’ at the top of the mountain, a huge climb for me especially as I found out I have very low blood pressure. Along the way I found myself in tears, dizzy and thought I’d never make it yet I did, and it was stunning. Photos to follow.
I found it was possible to live without facebook, email and my beloved blog and all of you for a short while. I found myself focused instead on daily life here and now. Sam planted his orto, and has also been working on the stalls below the house making them ready for animals. A million things have happened since we last spoke here and my mind is in a whirl and I know I am making no sense as it’s late and I’m tired.
Oh yes Luca and I walked to Bobbio today and joined the Bibliotechia (library) without any help from Sam. I can see how I rely on him to do all the talking and today I had conversations in halting Italian and it felt fantastic to be independent for a short while.
Much to tell and share with you all but for now I am heading to bed, hot water bottle under my arm (it seems we’ve had the wettest coldest Spring since forever). Oh did I tell you the wildflowers are everywhere and it’s a glorious riot of beauty.
The valley is full of tourists and a huge group have arrived in campervans at the town, homes that have been closed up for the winter are opening and the road is busy with people on bikes, hikers, huge herds of cows, sheep, and goats moving from pasture to pasture! Because of the weather the farmers have no pasture to put the animals on to and the move up the mountains to open grazing isn’t happening as the pasture just isn’t ready. It’s a hard life for many here our neighbors included.
So I am really heading to bed now, we are both exhausted and I will try to update again when I get my next window of opportunity! Until then know I am thinking of you all and missing everyone, I am taking lots of photos to show you once the internet is up and running in the next few weeks. Now lets see if this will actually post ….fingers crossed!
and the gang x
Hello
Just found your blog and am looking forward to reading more of your interesting journey.
Carolyn
thanks so much for that Carolyn, I love Desire Empire x
OH thank goodness! I had just formed a scouting party to come looking for you. Welcome back!
Oh well bring the scouting party over anyway and we’ll celebrate together!! Internet is so frustrating but should be sorted soon. Until then….love lisa x
Lovely to hear you’re back and marching onward. This blogging business – sometimes it’s a mystery isn’t it? But I think a break doesn’t hurt. It must be so refreshing up there! I am missing the mountains already as in winter we are there all the time.. and here it’s so wet the cherries are flavourless. But my roses are something! Xxcat
Oh it’s a total mystery to me Catherine. I’m seeing how much time I spent on fb now that I’m not able to get on it. The break has been good and forced me to get off the computer and out and about instead. The mountains are just glorious and each morning I open the balcony doors to the view and hear the bells in the valley. It really is spectacular and hard to capture in words.
The roses take your breath away, trailing over anything they can find and full blown with perfume. Glorious I so want to plant some here, maybe next year when our finances are a little more stable. sending love xx
How wonderful Lisa! You and your hubby look so happy that just looking at you made ME smile.
Oh thanks for that Andreana, you made my day xxx
Lisa– how wonderful to hear you bursting with excitement and enthusiasm. Everything sounds so fantastic. A small piece of advice — do what you did when you went to the library — just jump in and speak to everyone you can in Italian, it is the only way to learn. Do not rely on your husband. Italians are really nice about it too, they always try to understand and enjoy the effort, they laugh with you instead of laughing at you. And I think I need to take a lesson from you on disconnecting from social media….it sounds like turning off for a while is good for one’s health. Hugs, Trisha
Trisha I’m just getting the hang of it all and shaking off the doldrums which I fell into head first a while ago. Moving country is not as easy as it seems even when it’s the dream destination of half the planet LOL x
The lady at the library laughed at my ‘pictionary’ style drawings but they got the message across. Turning off from fb has been a big shock to the system and I think I was in withdrawl and just horrible to be around, so I am determined to use it wisely once we get connected. Out to enjoy life from now on!!!
sending lots of love dear friend!!
xxx
Ciao Lisa, it’s always so much fun to get your updates! I love the picture of you pushing the greens (what are they?) in the wheelbarrow and Sam with his load of dirt. You’re working hard, that I can tell, but it sounds like you’re having lots of fun along the way. Un bacione. xxxxxxx
HI Jann, not our greens just helping out the kids next door. The family go in their car and gather grass which they then dry in one of the sheds to feed to the animals (rabbits, goats etc). Many of the locals do this (although not by car lol) and they are waiting for the weather to fine up as they need three good days to dry it all out then bale it up.
We are going to do our land as soon as the rain stops. Lots of work but it never seems that way, Sam is out in his veggie garden right now and two neighbors have come over to give him a hand clearing another section of the garden ( now donated by our friend Antonio who said he won’t be using it). Sam is “molto sympatico” and everybody loves him!! Lots of fun, although he just came in with a bucket of snails and intends to try to cook them YUK! I think I’ll give that a miss xx ciao for now xx
You sound so full!
Full to the brim with life!!
Livin’ large.
oh yes full to the brim that’s me!!
Vino and Chocolate, mountain air and LIfe….I’m working on it xxx
sending love
Lovely to hear from you Lisa! I feel so inspired every time I read your posts. I hope the weather improves for you all.
Hi Belinda, each day here is a surprise re the weather, it’s worse than Melbourne. I feel so sorry for the locals trying to sort out crops and livestock. I am rediscovering my inspiration after a little trip into the doldrums. Improving each day and finding my way! sending love x
I love to imagine your “borgata” as I sit here in my yard at my little farm in Colorado.
Your friends and neighbors (really they are the same thing, no?) are very interesting.
I imagine that you could learn a lot of Italian by conversing with Anna! And…I bet your kids already speak lots. Kids learn another language really fast.
About the name, “Malpertus.” Is that like a “suburb” of Bobbio Pellice? I must Google that.
Yes totally the same thing and luckily we have always had great neighbors (apart from one lot) out of so many renovations. I can imagine your farm in Colorado whilst you imagine us in Italy x
Funnily enough I find Anita the easiest to understand she doesn’t give up on me and just gets cranky if I don’t really try to understand. Carina is picking up the language very quickly, Malpertus is out of the village of Bobbio Pellice about 2kms up the mountain and apparently translates to ‘Bad Hole’ lol xxx
You both look so happy!! Take care with walking those steep hills.
Amazing how much you don’t need to live with, but yeah more than two towels would be handy. I love it when we don’t have internet connection – we are connected to real life and it feels so good.
Incredible how you are able to talk so many languages, and to be understood. Language is an universal world.
Good to hear from you, you are all in my thoughts all of the time xxx
Happy and getting happier, now just need a reliable income and we will be set. I knew you’d groan at the two towels having all those boys, and yes I know how connected you are to life and all its simple joys. I vividly remember our day together and have a forever connection with you all now xxx sending love
Woohoo! News from the other side of the world. Glad everything is going well…. we’ll be waiting for the next instalment 🙂
Yay at last I am able to get on the net, all well here and just trying to catch up with everyone. So much has happened that I haven’t had a chance to blog about, maybe for the ‘book’ instead x
I’m SO happy to hear from you at last, dear Lisa!!! I wasn’t worried a smidge because I know you are safe and sound in your beloved home, but I’m delighted to see a few images and hear about some of your adventures. It’s winter here now and feelings like your Spring sounds. Shiver!!! 🙂 We’re off to medieval camping this weekend and it made me think of you guys. 🙂 Much love! XO
It’s been so frustrating not being able to connect with anyone online. I feel awful not having been able to visit any blogs or say hi to anybody. I totally love this medieval life in the mountains and I often think of you when I’m out in the veggie garden or just taking in the incredible view each morning, you always inspire me to be more and live each moment xxx sending love x