Advertisement
Ciao!
Ah, where to start...I guess I'll just go in order. Please excuse typos- there isn't an english spell check. Also, the internet connection is very slow so I can only include a few pictures, if any. I have a lot to say- sorry in advance for the length.
Wednesday
Travel from West Palm Beach to Miami via tri-rail and them Miami to London via Britsih airways was uneventul. The flight was much shorter than I was expecting, only arounf 4 hours, which is nothin compared to flying yo and from New Zealand. The most exciting thing that happened was when they gave us free wine with dinner! I knew I was going to love Europe when that happened. I began reading Eat, Pray, Love (thank for the recommendation, David) and it was a perfect travel read because the first 3rd was about spending 4 months in Rome. It taught me more Italian, and got be even more excited! The London airport had recycling, and yes I took a picture of the bins
Thursday
I flew from London to Rome- also an uneventful flight. I studied up on the Italian I would need to find the right train, and promply forgot it when I stepped of the plane. Thank goodness all the signs had english translations and pictures. I fgot my bags, found the train station, and bought a ticket to Toree de Passeri, where my farm hosts would pick me up. I had writen down what to say at the ticked booth to get my ticket, but couldn't speak and just hadned the guy the piece of paper. I took the metro to another Rome station, and ended up missing my second train. No problem, I just called Elide and told her the new time. Waiting in the rail statin wasn't fun, there where the usually smelly and creepy people, but it was fine. The train ride was beautiful! The Abruzzo region is directly east of Rome and is rural and mountainous. I was kind of nervous that i would miss my stop , but it al worked out.
Elide picked me up. She speaks english fairly well (yay). Some bits of our conversation: L'Aperegina, thier farm and agrotourismo was 16 km away, up in the mountains. Her husband Marino bought the land 30 years ago and started the agrotourismo 10 years ago. L'Aperegina means queen bee. The coastal city, Pescara, i 50 km form the farm, and you can see all the way to the sea from the farm on a clear day. They have been to Australia and New Zealand together; as tourists in Australia and WWOOFers in NZ. There aren't nay guests here currently, but there will be a oga retreat next weekend, and another WWOOer will be coming, too.
The drive was amazing! There are little towns, ag land, forests, and old ruins on imposibly steep cliffs all nestled together. There are 3 national parks to the north and south of this area. We saw a fox on the road, and guess what, it's name in Italian is vulpes, which is alsothe genus name, so I already knew it thanks to mammalogy. The farm is also beautiful, with an incredible view of everyhing below, and the weather was perfect. I met Marino and a freidn they had over when I arrived. Marino is older, I'm guessing around 60, but I think Elide is probably less than 40. They are adorable. He forgot I was a vegetarian, so dinner was meat and potatoes with spelt and veggies and bread. I just ate everything but the mea, and it was yummy. There was local wine, of course. For dessert was some kind of cookie with raisins, and homemade dessert drink mde of alcohol, blackberries, and sugar. Mostly everything was produced on this land. I felt (and contiunue to feel) very stupid for how little Italian I know. Or speak, rather. I know some but can never get it out of my mouth. They knew enough english, though, and are very patient with me. We even had a conversation about local food, and how America's food system is terrible. Oh, and my room is huge with a huge bed and my own bathroom and more. It's even separate from the house. I went to bed a slept well.
Friday
I was told to sleep in however long I wanted, but got up around 8. breakast is breadwith a plethora of hamemade jams- blackberry, fig, wild apple, grape, and more. Also tea of coffee. The morning was beautiful, and the bird sing here 24/7. There's so much more wildife than I was expecting. lots of really cool insects and birds.
We spent the morning painting a house. It's a very old house that they bought recently because the owener dies and their family didn't want it. It has an incedible view! I was painting brown all around the base of the house and it's a pretty big house. It was quite a work out because it's bumpy stuck stuff to you have to poke at it to get everything painted. But I can't complain; I had a smile on my face the whole time because I could turn my head and see that amazing view any time I wanted. And Marino was like "you tired, you take a break, no problem." Lunch was pasta with butter and tuna. the pasta wasn't fresh, but it was better than any I've had in the states. very el dente. Bread with local olive oil and wine is served with every meal (except breakfast). the olive oil is the best I've every had. After lunch, it started raining, so I napped for 2 hours. I'm losing track of the days already, but I think we planted things after that. Potatoes, corn, chard, and garlic. I was surprized that the seeds were packets from australia. Marino and I talked a bit about the evil of Monsanto. The soil is crumbly and full of clay. Marino made a hole, i put in seeds, then Elide covered them up. then more painting (I think). Then dinner (which I helped prepare!) of onions, carrots, zucchini, and tomatoes, sauted with olive oil and salt, then eggs put on top. It was so simple, yet so delicous. The egg was the best I've had in my life (from their chickens). I actually do dishes now, and it's not so bad!
Saturday
I didn't sleep well- maybe I have jet lag. It rained most of the night. Apparently, it's been very rainy but they thought it had ended. After breakfast, I went back to my painting job. I was a little less happy this time because arm was bit sore, but it wasn't so bad. I accidentally painted a spider that looked like a scary version of a daddy long-legs and he punished me by running all over the whitepart of the wall and leaving a brown trail. Lunch left overs from last night plus pasta. The pasta brand is de cecco yumy. also, homemade sundried tomatoes, and a spread made of pig lard with peppers and salt (didn't touch that). Marino says "the taste is special"
Then they told me I could sleep until dinner, but i lounged on the deck, studies italian, napped, helped out at the house some more (but they really didn't need me) so then I went on a walk. life is so hard 😊
There are some pretty wildlfowers everywhere. My walk took me along some roads and then to a view of a mountain and grain fields. I broke into tears i was so beautiful. I wonder if they will adopt me? I think I may stay here until my study abraod rather than doing more travel, because these few days are the most wok I will do, and they say we can go hiking in the mountains, etc other days. i just wasnt to stay here forever and learn italian. I'm getting beter- and my hosts are helping my saying things in both italian and english and answering me all the time when ask how to ay something in italian. Marino says "bravo" when I speak italian and I feel like a little kid. Dinner is more from lnch plus mashed potatoes with olive oil. Then we painted bees on a post, and started on another painting project. On the side of the house, they projected an image this mother earth in a circle (you'll just have to see the picture) and oulined in- we'll be painting kind of a mural at some pont. it's huge! anyway, that's where I'm at. an't wait for tomorrow!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.268s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 16; qc: 75; dbt: 0.0679s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Chris C.
non-member comment
grande!
Wow Sara, that all sounds amazing. You are making me salivate with all that talk of Italian food. I'm really glad you're writing and I hope to hear more soon!