Our Italian Life: We spent the afternoon chatting with our neighbor Antonio. He lives just up the road from us in the next Borgata. His nephew was busy planting potatoes one at a time now that the sun is here everyone is out and about.

Silvio helps Sam clear the trees for our orto, chopping the branches with his machette and laughs when I tell him he reminds me of Mel Gibson (yes he knows who that is). Marino takes the cuttings for the goats and we put up the fence to keep the chickens from the veggie garden to be. Anna wanders past with a machete hanging from her apron.

Antonio takes us on a tour of his Borgata, he gives me a stem of Lilly of the Valley and asks me the English name. His wife kept a beautiful garden but passed away last year, he talks of her as if she is about to appear at any moment. He has tiny cactus planted in an old pair of shoes and at last I find a wisteria so I intend to plant one at our house.

The children are minding the goats, two have tiny babies all wobbly legs and wagging tails pulling at their mothers for milk. Carina has a feather in her hair and Luca is carving away at a branch to make a walking stick it’s already smooth.

I feel as if a million small moments happened today, each an explosion of wonder, a tiny minute of joy x

‘I have more memories than if I were a thousand years old’

Charles Baudelaire

 Kindness comes in many forms, often unexpected. Anita was born here at Malpertus, she knows it’s many secrets, heartbreaks and joys. A sparkling eye and an easy laugh, thick brown stockings under worn out shoes she wanders the borgata. Always busy and most often with a machete hanging from her apron, she is in her mid eighties.

She tells us stories of the partisans during the war killing a German soldier and the resulting hardships for the borgata. The Germans returned burning the stores gathered for winter as retribution. The furthest she has been is the local town of Bobbio Pellice two kilometers away, oh and once to Pinerolo her son tells us so that takes the total to thirty kilometers.

She has offered to show me her collection of photographs and mementos, treasures she has kept for a lifetime .

From day one we have been adopted by our neighbors Tizziana and Silvio. Big hearts and weathered hands they have taken us under their wing. Earthy, practical, and generous they work the borgata keeping goats, sheep, chickens, and rabbits. Silvio is a bit of a joker and told Sam he walks the sheep to pasture down near the town and it takes him three hours. His wife let us in on the fact that he puts them in the car a few at a time and drives them down.

With five families here including ours I am often overwhelmed by the sense of living history. They have three children Stefano, Marino and Jenny who take the goats out to pasture and back in at lunch time. I know where they are by the tinkling of the heavy bells worn by the goats. Carina and Luca are not to be seen until lunch time when all the children automatically return for lunch. It’s like time stood still here, we are often to be found out chatting as a group soon forms and stories are shared.

Our children have transformed and run back and forth to tell me of the baby rabbits, the two goats just born, the kitten just spotted, a new puppy being trained to watch the goats, our house rings with the sound of laughter, the boys tell Sam all about the stables on the ground floor and how best to use them. Our house is the biggest in the borgata, originally owned by the ‘Bonjour’ family with multiple levels and huge areas for animals, wine and provisions.

Our gates open directly onto the old main road of the borgata which is busy with tractors, the local postman in a tiny car, goats going to pasture and soon we are told the cows will be bought out…from where I am yet to discover but I know at least five are in here somewhere. It’s all mind boggling, I spend every day amazed and more and more in love with this wild part of Italy.

The gang from left to right – Stefano, Ester, Marino, Paulo, Luca, Jenny and Carina x

‘The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten’

 Cesare Pavese

The heart of most homes is the kitchen, ours is starting to take shape after a bit of TLC and lots of work from Sam. Over the last few days he pulled out the old sink and tiles, mixed up multiple batches of white cement and coated the walls, then re cemented the slabs of rock on the floor. It’s been wonderful having the entire population of the borgata come for visits to see what we are doing and give advice. Most frequently the comments are ‘rip out the fireplace and pull up the stone floor’ arrrghhh!

Meanwhile I have been busy painting the first floor bedroom, bathroom ceiling, re varnishing the timber and best of all painting the main bedroom on the top floor. My favorite room is this bedroom, high ceiling with wooden beams and so much promise. A small balcony and a beautiful view, perfect. Sam being the chef in the family is besotted by the fireplace and already researching cooking methods to use. We leave early in the morning to work at the house and come home late so computer time is a rarity. I hope you’ll forgive us as we need to move into the house within the next two weeks. Lots to do as always, but I will show you the bedroom and introduce the neighbors who are priceless asap.

Idea’s and Inspiration

We both agree we want to keep the house as close to original as possible and Sam plans to put in the rack for the cooking pot to hang over the fire. Our neighbors are already donating some ancient relics and love that we want to keep the rustic heritage alive. The only problem we now find is that the floor slopes and is wildly uneven so a table and chairs will be tricky. We are gathering ideas and looking for the best way to overcome this. Any thoughts are most welcome, have you ever had a very crooked floor?

thanks to everyone for sticking with us through this transition, we are expecting friends in June and again in September so ‘molto lavore’ for us as usual x

ciao Lisa

‘She knocked and waited… because when the door was opened from within, it had the potential to lead someplace quite different’

~ Laini Taylor

Rounding the corner a perfect photo, as if the Italian gods were smiling on us. Each element aligned perfectly to capture that quintessential dream of Italy. Yet my eye was drawn to a rather shabby neighbor with her letter box crammed full of junk mail.

Italy has many doors that speak to those who listen.

Even if she is saying a rather unladylike ‘shit’ in bold letters. I love each aspect, the dirty and the divine. And as I come to know her she is inviting me in to converse. Of course I will share these conversations with you, I know she won’t mind. x

‘I roamed the countryside searching for answers to things I did not understand’ 

~Leonardo da Vinci

Veravo is everything I dreamed it would be, wandering into the village I recognized the landmarks from Sams brief video made the day he bought the house. Curved staircases seemingly held up by air and luck, an large well tended orto in the centre, tiny doors, intricate alleyways, and finally the path up to our house.

After years of waiting finally we arrived, the house is still standing but needs a bit of work. I imagine the terraced gardens and lunches on the terrace….a long way to go yet. The first stage of our dream has been realised now we need to work out how to keep it alive and fund a renovation. We are looking at a community project, one in which visitors can experience the joys we are living daily. We’d love any thoughts on the idea.

We meet the locals, an old lady peered out at us from the window overhead. She turned out to be a real gem and had lived in the village her entire life. Another man told us most of the empty houses are selling, gas pipes are coming in and the area is just perfect for those looking for a house close to the Ligurian coast. I now look forward to exploring Liguria and falling in love with her as we have with Piedmont.

Next stop Colletta….

“A box without hinges, key, or lid, yet golden treasure inside is hid”

J.R.R Tolkien

Our home in Bobbio Pellice has a tiny circular window high up on the crest of the roof line. Although I searched I couldn’t find it inside. My husband being a little more inventive worked out that it must be over the second bedroom. Pushing the ceiling panels he soon found the hidden opening and a whole treasure trove of history. Using on old handmade wooden ladder Sam and Carina braved the loft and were soon passing down ancient baskets, round green bottles, an old stirrup, a partially made boot, a leather suitcase, old magazines from the 50′s, a hand drawn map with a child’s writing…..each one a window into the lives led here.

Running water inside the house straight from the sorgente is priceless we are told. Freezing cold and crystal clear it runs throughout the house and means we won’t need town water. The trough is deep and worn in places, a new generation to splash with icy delight.

We continue to discover glimpses of past lives, the house holds many secrets yet to unfold. x

“Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home”

~  Matsuo Basho

Our journey has taken an unexpected temporary detour, from the Italian Riviera to the wild mountains yet I am happy. We seem to be finding our rhythm, a closeness that was somehow missing before ~ time to tickle and read out loud, time to relearn each other. Precious time, quality time with many tiny moments of pure happiness. Soon I feel these tiny moments will start to merge and become our lives here in Italia.

The main bedroom is reached by climbing the tiniest staircase ever seen. Steep and worn with one rickety step to avoid, a child’s staircase, not built for me but one I will learn to love. The bed is high, the ancient springs give a solid feel to this crooked house. At last I have my balcony through a doorway and out onto a view of the entire village of Bobbio Pellice. I picture clean crisp bedlinen, lazy afternoons and the breeze gently blowing in from the valley.

interior images via ~ estate agent

It seems so surreal to be returning to Borga Nari after all these years, time stood still while we were away. Snow drifts gently onto worn rock and our children delight in the tiny flakes. Friends both old and new have welcomed us with warmth and kindness.  A place to stay, a temporary home for the Australians. The house in Veravo needs work before it can be lived in, the other house we just bought in Bobbio Pellice has no heating, furniture and needs a quick repaint inside before we move over. In the meantime our friends offered their holiday place at Borga Nari. So we are back where we began for the time being. The constant question is ‘why would you leave Australia for Italy?’

Our new courtyard, woven balcony and snow soft as powder. Snowballs fly and faces flush with pink. I know in my heart that we’ve done the right thing for our family. Wilma asks me what I think of the place and my beaming excited response convinces her that yes I love it!

Our wood delivery arrives and the rock walls absorb the warmth and radiate it back like a hug. Carina and I learn the fine art of wood stacking and the value of a roaring fire when the temperature is at zero. Sam and I walk about eying off the wood piles much like Homer Simpson with his donuts.

Rediscovering our old home is a sweet delight I hope you enjoyed. We made it, we fought hard and long for our dream and here we are. Now the adventures really begin, little money and a lot of heart….lets see where it leads us all. ciao lisa

My heart

my soul

my love

my family

… back where we belong

I’d love it if you could give me some feedback on the new image size….just writing my next post and would love your thoughts. x ciao ciao lisa

“All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them.”

~Walt Disney~

Oh so much to tell you where on earth to begin.

It feels as if we’ve never left Italy and in less than a week we’ve already done a million and one things. I am in a total whirl. Today we went to the Borgata up in the mountains here in Piedmont to find the land that goes with the house we just bought. Yes that’s right we bought a house today in Bobbio Pellice, why??? it’s a long story. In short the house in Veravo is a major project and won’t be liveable for some time, in the meantime we need somewhere to live hence the new place.

We are about to fully embrace a rustic life….. I can’t wait to see what she teaches us

It’s been an incredible day, crisp sharp cold and filled with the warmth of the local people. After such a long journey we seem to have found a home we never imagined yet already love. That’s the joy when following your dreams…you never know where they will lead.

The adventure begins…..now I’d love to hear about your dreams, x