Completly Clueless – living like a local in Piedmont
It starts with the locals, with their quality of life, their ability to be happy and their respect for the land they live in. Then the tourists will find a way!” – Carlo Petrini ~ Slow Food
Since moving to our Valley in Piedmont we’ve been up close and personal to the local livestock. Flocks of goats come past our door daily, the cows graze just above our house and we’ve even been diverted by a huge white sheep dog guarding his flock when we were out walking. I now dodge various types of pooh on the road, know it’s lunch time by the passing of tractors and returning of the locals for lunch.
I have to admit to initially being scared of the cows roaming the meadows here. Completely clueless I grew up in the suburbs of Australia and apart from the occasional visit to a dairy farm run by friends of my first boyfriend way back in my 20’s I’ve had nothing to do with rural animals apart from taking the kids to the petting zoo at the school fete.
Now I live in a community immersed in the rhythms of nature, in touch with where their food comes from, a lifestyle less reliant upon the latest device for entertainment. I actually still know very little about this lifestyle, about the role of livestock, the shepherds and their flocks and how it all fits into the Valley I have come to love.
My view of the Fiera is still one of a tourist, although I now know many of the faces and even get to go behind the scenes (this year we saw them putting the mammoth bells on the cows before leaving to join the parade) I still have a limited understanding of the significance of the celebrations held in May and October when the animals are paraded through our village of Bobbio Pellice.
Tradition is alive and well here in the Valley, I see it in the face of a grandfather carrying a young child on his shoulders, a tiny boy with curly hair and traditional shepherds hook (and yes he knows how to use it), the boys strapping on huge cow bells whilst finishing off their second bottle of vino, they happily pour some for us into plastic cups.
Although this way of life is one I may never truly understand it’s one I deeply admire, this community has a right to be proud and to celebrate the seasons. I am as always honored to be a small part of this community and to have been welcomed so beautifully.
Living in a medieval Borgata in the Alps means we have goats, sheep, and cows passing our front door, I can literally reach out and touch them. I love watching our neighbors two white dogs round up the straggling cows that feed on the long grass along the road. With a little nip they soon have the herd together and on the move.
Watching the old ladies here hand rake the pasture above our house ready for grazing, I am reminded of all we seem to have lost with large scale farming. They have an understanding of the seasons, the mountains and they can usually tell me what the weather is going to be like with a great degree of certainty. They continue to fascinate me.
We have a guest staying with us from California, her name is Marina and she is doing workaway which means she helps us with five hours of work and we provide meals and a place to sleep. We took her to see the Fair and she was a big hit with the locals as you can see.
She and Sam have redone the fencing, planted the ‘orto’ and we all spent a day in Turin eating gelato and wandering the city.
She is leaving on Sunday for Florence and I’ll be sorry to see her continue on her journey. As our neighbor Antonio told us, she has a gift from God and a beautiful heart (she is an artist and he asked her to do a painting of his house). She and Carina made apple cakes today, they have been walking the mountains, gathering wildflowers and she has done many sketches and paintings around the Borgata.
I can’t wait to hear how she falls in love with Florence, I spent a week visiting as a young backpacker myself many years ago.
Life here in the Valley is full of surprises, as an outsider looking in everything is new, the ancient traditions passed down through generations are a complete mystery to me, one I hope will remain within the Valley for many years to come.
Now I know the names of the men and women moving the animals from pasture to pasture and to be milked. I can even say I have had a try at milking, but only for a few minutes with no resulting milk.! Our friend made it look easy, he’s been doing it all his life. He invites us to sit down to a simple meal of pasta, cheese and home made vino, an absolutely incredible meal and one I’ll never forget.
A day at the Fair now means so much more to me, it’s a celebration of all the reasons we moved to Italy…..oh and don’t get me started on the local Piedmont food!
If you ever get to Piedmont come for a visit, we’ll show you a side of Italy even I didn’t know existed.
and the gang x
Lisa, it is so interesting reading your posts and seeing how you have changed during your time there — a year ago it seemed like you were an outsider looking in through the window describing something you were seeing and now you are in smack in the middle of it all experiencing it like one of the locals. I love your photos of the people at the fair with the animals, they are beautiful. How wonderful that you had Marina with you. She sounds like a lovely girl and from the drawing in the photo it looks like she is a talented painter too.
Oh I love the idea of having workaway students staying to help out, what a wonderful idea to connect with all walks of life.
The cows…they would scare me so very much!!! They way the can walk anywhere anytime – but I guess you get used to it.
Love your lifestyle, simple but so much soul….love it xxx
Marina sounds like such a lovely person. 🙂 I resonate with so much of what you wrote here. XO I find myself observing a lot but not understanding all of it. I’m still confused by Australian customs and traditions, especially in our small town, but I’m finding my feet, bit by bit, and it feels good. 🙂
Very informative post, Lisa! I wonder if the good people of Bobbio Pellice are totally aware that they are the teachers of people who need to know and learn how to live sustainably? I know, that is such a catchword these days, but it’s the truth. We raise chickens and pigs and have a garden here in Colorado, but it’s just the first step on the road to self sufficiency. We have a long way to go.
I am going to look up “Workaway.” It would be lovely to have a little help here on the farm.
Ciao Caterina, workaway has been great and we have had three different people now. We are still a long way from being self sufficient but we are learning and more importantly so are our kids xx
Another beautiful post. It is such a pleasure to read about your life and see the photos . It always gives me hope.
Thanks so much for that Kerry, I sometimes worry I am boring everyone with my stories of life here, you just reminded me that I’m not. xx
Great great post, Lisa & wonderful photos. Love the cows and the little cherub with curly hair. xxxxx Buona domenica!
Oh Buona Domenica to you Jann, the little boy with the curls is such a character and he is a real mountain man already xx
Great post Lisa and I like the idea of a Workaway helper – might try in August when I have to paint the house! I also used to feel like I was on the outside looking in but I’ve been here too long now! And understanding dialect means that sometimes you understand too much and you wish you could be ‘innocent’ again. I mean local politics!! Xxcat
LOL that’s what Sam tells me, he gets all the undercurrents and I just happily go along in my innocent daydreams. Workaway has been fantastic and we’ve had three wonderful people now, Sean, Ice and Marina. Such a rich and rewarding experience for all of us. She’s only just now headed out the door on her way to Florence and I feel like a mother hen letting a chick go out into the world. Wait till its Carina heading off I’ll be a total wreck.
sending love xxx
You take me right into the heart of your world every time Lisa! I feel as if I’m almost there with you!
Oh thanks Mel, that is just a wonderful thing to say, I’m going to be here sharing far more often xx
As always, when I read your wonderful posts, I just want to move to Italy and have a real life!
Thanks Lisa I so love your life style choices
Kaye it really is about choosing daily to be here and to keep building our family……husbands HA I could happily wring the neck of mine xxx
Yes Lisa, I’d be intrigued to. I AM intrigued…why do the cows have such huge bells? And why do the old ladies rake the pasture? So many questions! But it’s a privilege for you and your family to grow in this direction, for this element of life to be so real to you and the kids. I loved this story Lisa, the realness of living so close to nature and you appreciation of it really comes through. And what a blessing, and it’s what is special about our little spot, is that you can be immersed in yesteryear and such a pared back life, and be in a modern European city an hour later. But sshh don’t tell anyone.
I know it’s so obvious to the locals and I have so many questions that are still unanswered. The longer we are here the more mysterious and amazing the traditions seem to me.
Our kids are lucky and resilient, they have had so many changes and still bounce right back.Shhhhh I won’t tell if you won’t LOL
much love xxx
Dear Lisa
And it amazes me yet to realize how much love of that community still resides within me. It was indeed a privilege to be welcomed into their homes and their lives. I hope we get to visit in your home again…won’t be this year, sadly, but we live with the dream of returning. Please greet Antonio for us. Seems just yesterday we were sitting in church and walking the hills with him. We continue to thank the Father for the two years we lived in Bobbio Pellice.
Ciao Marj, we all miss you so much and think of you often. Come back when you can and things will just as you left them. I’ll say hi to Antonio for you both. Our workaway girl Marina did some beautiful drawings and watercolors so I’m hoping we can arrange with her to buy some prints for the house. xxx
Hi Lisa , I will own up to still being scared of cows but have to be careful when grandchildren are around ..have to be BRAVE 🙂 I am not surprised you feel honoured to be amongst you community , they are amazing, Just look how proud Antonio looks with Marina .. a lovely girl and a fab painting. You have immersed yourself into this wonderful community , well done ♥ ♥
Oh I’m that way around spiders and my Mum is the same she is terrified of them. Antonio is such a gentleman, and Mario the man with the child on his shoulders is such hard worker and I admire everyone here so much. xxx