I realize everyone, everywhere celebrates Christmas differently so I have to keep reminding myself of where I am and with whom I am living with. I was the first one up this morning. It was 8 a.m. and there were 2 presents under the tree. There are 2 children here. No hype. No special breakfast. Nothing out of the ordinary from each and every other day.
Tunda (WWOOFer from Transylvania (Hungary)) said she is not going to noon-time dinner at Pia's parents house. And experiencing Pia's cooking first hand, am not inclined to rush to her parents house for a meal. The other WWOOFer (Ninni (Korean)) will go with them to dinner. She's leaving tomorrow (thank God) for a 2 week long vacation in Rome. Won't miss her around here. Too fake.
So I will go to the garden, pick a couple of small cabbages, cook them with some onion, add mascarpone and toss it all together into some egg noodles. This with some chunks of avocado and call it Christmas dinner in Sicily!
I'll do some laundry and enjoy a quiet house without screaming Giuseppe. Until they all leave, I'll sit here in the really warm sun, listen to the bombs going off here, next door and in the distance, Christmas music that plays intermittently over the church speakers and think of the snow falling back home.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Sicilian Sun
I'm sitting in a piazza in the center of the town of Santa Venerina just 5 km down the hill from the B+B. It's Sunday and there are about 8-10 men out in the piazza just gabbing. I think they all stare at me when I walked through because 1) I'm not someone they recognize. In these small towns I believe everyone knows everyone and they know I'm not one of them. And 2) there are no other women out. I guess all the women are either in church or at home cooking. And I'm sitting here with my laptop and I have never seen anyone outside with a laptop. So I'm probably a topic of their conversation.
The sun is SO hot on my right now, my legs are burning up under my pants. I tried to sit in the shade but was actually too cool. I can see the ocean off in the distance at eye level ahead of me and Etna behind me. I would like to walk the 11 Km. to the sea from here but wore boots that could not make the journey. They would be ok down but not back up. I tried to get a pair of walking sneakers (shoes) back when I was in Barletta. Being a good size city I figured that would be a place to look. But no one has big feet like me in Italy. I take a size 41 ( 10 U.S.) and most shoes that they carry here go up to 40 (9 U.S.) I've gotten by so far wearing my sandals but it was quite cold when I left this morning so wore boots. I made a few packing mistakes coming here. I should have packed my good walking sneakers instead of my biking shoes. I really believed I'd be biking everywhere but so far no one lets us take their bikes if they have them at all. Their websites all say they have them for WWOOFers to use.
Another mistake is I didn't bring enough reading material. I have been to numerous book stores and libraries looking for an English book to buy or borrow. NONE! I think of my stack of books on my wish stack back home wanting them all here. At least when I can't sleep at night I'd have something to read.
One thing I've learned is that Southern Italy is way different that the North. The people's attitude, work ethics and lack of friendliness just to name 3. People who are here now who have come from the North have all confirmed this to be true. I came to the South because it's Winter and I wanted to be warm. I emailed the next farm here in Sicily and asked if they have heat because here I have been cold at night sometimes because they don't want to turn on the heat. This next farm replied that they keep the 'very old Sicilian' farmhouse at about 13-15 deg. C. this is about 50-55 deg. Oh well. Maybe I can sit (or work) in the sun during the day while outside. I know I'll be warm then.
The sun is SO hot on my right now, my legs are burning up under my pants. I tried to sit in the shade but was actually too cool. I can see the ocean off in the distance at eye level ahead of me and Etna behind me. I would like to walk the 11 Km. to the sea from here but wore boots that could not make the journey. They would be ok down but not back up. I tried to get a pair of walking sneakers (shoes) back when I was in Barletta. Being a good size city I figured that would be a place to look. But no one has big feet like me in Italy. I take a size 41 ( 10 U.S.) and most shoes that they carry here go up to 40 (9 U.S.) I've gotten by so far wearing my sandals but it was quite cold when I left this morning so wore boots. I made a few packing mistakes coming here. I should have packed my good walking sneakers instead of my biking shoes. I really believed I'd be biking everywhere but so far no one lets us take their bikes if they have them at all. Their websites all say they have them for WWOOFers to use.
Another mistake is I didn't bring enough reading material. I have been to numerous book stores and libraries looking for an English book to buy or borrow. NONE! I think of my stack of books on my wish stack back home wanting them all here. At least when I can't sleep at night I'd have something to read.
One thing I've learned is that Southern Italy is way different that the North. The people's attitude, work ethics and lack of friendliness just to name 3. People who are here now who have come from the North have all confirmed this to be true. I came to the South because it's Winter and I wanted to be warm. I emailed the next farm here in Sicily and asked if they have heat because here I have been cold at night sometimes because they don't want to turn on the heat. This next farm replied that they keep the 'very old Sicilian' farmhouse at about 13-15 deg. C. this is about 50-55 deg. Oh well. Maybe I can sit (or work) in the sun during the day while outside. I know I'll be warm then.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Pia...The wife
Pia is Paolo's wife. She's about 43, short salt and pepper hair and glasses. She never smiles. And she doesn't do ANYTHING! They have a two year old, Guiseppe and a six year old Theresa. Guiseppe is a hand and a half full. He likes to hit and bite. And when Paolo gets in his face and says NO, Guiseppe says NO right back and spits. It's very uncomfortable being around when Guiseppe acts this way which is every day.
So maybe he is one reason Pia acts depressed. But aside from Guiseppe being difficult, Paolo doesn't work. If he's home, he's either on the computer or running out somewhere and Pia says she doesn't know when he'll be home. Usually it's a quick trip though and then back on the computer.
Pia is a terrible housekeeper and an even worse cook. The food she makes is almost intolerable at best. She says she wants me to cook but has NO ingredients. There's 3 boxes of whole wheat pasta (YUK!). Each box has like 12 bags. So there's a lot of pasta that I don't want to make. And then I found a few bags of white rice. So I think today I'll make Chinese fried rice. But I'll have to go next door to the little grocery store to get a couple of things. Paolo became vegetarian 6 months ago so it has to be meatless meals. But he does eat fish so that's a help.
Yesterday Pia had me take everything off of 2 shelves in one pantry, clean the shelves and put some of the food stuff back and she will go through the other stuff to see what she wants to keep. That box of stuff she needs to go through will probably remain on the floor next to the pantry for days. Since it's mostly empty glass containers and today is glass pick-up day, I think I'll volunteer to just get rid of most of it. Maybe she needs someone forceful to take over and clean up this place. It's got quite a lot of clutter and all I want to do is throw a lot of it away.
I'm supposed to be here to help with the garden but only spent 1 day picking avocados. Today is day 8 so I need to change my mindset and move in a different direction here so I don't go stir crazy. I do not want to get involved with doing her laundry. Since no one in Italy has a clothes dryer, the wet clothes has to be hung out to dry. Anytime I look at the washer, it's full of just washed clothes ready to be hung out. But the one clothes rack is inside and totally full of clothes from maybe 3 days ago.
Tuesday evening I was told I had to make a cake because Wednesday (yesterday) was Paolo's birthday. Not much notice to decide what kind, find a recipe and tell Pia what she needed to buy at the store for it. I also needed to make banana muffins for a kid party here today. But she doesn't have a muffin pan. So here I stay. Needing to cook and bake with no supplies or ingredients.
This place is challenging! But I know I can plan a day trip or 2 or 3 on the bus and they won't care. I will have to do some planning so I can see more of beautiful Sicily.
So maybe he is one reason Pia acts depressed. But aside from Guiseppe being difficult, Paolo doesn't work. If he's home, he's either on the computer or running out somewhere and Pia says she doesn't know when he'll be home. Usually it's a quick trip though and then back on the computer.
Pia is a terrible housekeeper and an even worse cook. The food she makes is almost intolerable at best. She says she wants me to cook but has NO ingredients. There's 3 boxes of whole wheat pasta (YUK!). Each box has like 12 bags. So there's a lot of pasta that I don't want to make. And then I found a few bags of white rice. So I think today I'll make Chinese fried rice. But I'll have to go next door to the little grocery store to get a couple of things. Paolo became vegetarian 6 months ago so it has to be meatless meals. But he does eat fish so that's a help.
Yesterday Pia had me take everything off of 2 shelves in one pantry, clean the shelves and put some of the food stuff back and she will go through the other stuff to see what she wants to keep. That box of stuff she needs to go through will probably remain on the floor next to the pantry for days. Since it's mostly empty glass containers and today is glass pick-up day, I think I'll volunteer to just get rid of most of it. Maybe she needs someone forceful to take over and clean up this place. It's got quite a lot of clutter and all I want to do is throw a lot of it away.
I'm supposed to be here to help with the garden but only spent 1 day picking avocados. Today is day 8 so I need to change my mindset and move in a different direction here so I don't go stir crazy. I do not want to get involved with doing her laundry. Since no one in Italy has a clothes dryer, the wet clothes has to be hung out to dry. Anytime I look at the washer, it's full of just washed clothes ready to be hung out. But the one clothes rack is inside and totally full of clothes from maybe 3 days ago.
Tuesday evening I was told I had to make a cake because Wednesday (yesterday) was Paolo's birthday. Not much notice to decide what kind, find a recipe and tell Pia what she needed to buy at the store for it. I also needed to make banana muffins for a kid party here today. But she doesn't have a muffin pan. So here I stay. Needing to cook and bake with no supplies or ingredients.
This place is challenging! But I know I can plan a day trip or 2 or 3 on the bus and they won't care. I will have to do some planning so I can see more of beautiful Sicily.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Mount Etna
Today was a day of walking. Without a map of this area, I just started walking down the hill from "Soto di Pini" the B+B where I am staying and working. It means "under the pines" which are all around the house. Any direction you go here is either up or down. We are located at the very rim of Mt. Etna Park which surrounds the active volcano. Zafferana Etnea is the name of the town and at this part of the mountain is the first town you get to when coming down from the peak. In 1992, which was the last time lava flowed down the mountain, the lava stopped just short of the towns' limits. They say it is active because it never stops smoking and could start flowing lava at any time. It's not an explosive volcano like Vesuvius in Naples but it is always a threat to the little towns around here.
My feet are killing me right now. I think I walked about 10-15 miles. I went up the mountain to the downtown area of Zafferana-Etnea after first going down to the town of Santa Venerina and accidentally met up with Tonda, a WWOOFer from our house from Hungary. It was a really good thing I met her because she was able to show me the way back. It was a very, very long walk back. I had walked from a town called Santa Venerina and wanted to find my way back a different way. I really got to get myself a map.
All the little towns around Mount Etna are kind of connected to each other and each town has townships with distinct names. Like Zafferana has Fleri, Sarro and Pisano townships but still in the town called Zafferana. We are in Pisano.
Most of the roads here are made of black, square blocks. All made of lava of course. And no matter how far you walk in any direction, just look up and you see Etna either smoking or in the clouds depending on the weather. It's all snow covered now. They even have a couple of places to go skiing with ski lifts at Etna. Who would think of going to Sicily to ski?
HARVESTING AVOCADOS
Yesterday we all (4) went to the land where Paolo (our host) owns 330 avocado trees. In and amongst all the avocado trees are orange, clementine and mandarin trees all loaded with ripe fruit. We were only there to pick up some of the avocados which had fallen. The ground under the trees is a blanket of ivy. Being that the ivy and the avocados are both green, it was sort of like going on an extended Easter egg hunt. Three hours and 18 crates (cassettes) later and we had enough avocados for Paolo to take to Palermo's market today. Of course eating mandarins throughout the day was mandatory. So 10-12 mandarins later.....Yes I ate that many. How could I not? There were just there for the picking and eating. And by the way Paolo does NOT harvest these citrus. He said he just can't make any money on them. I think there are just too many for sale at the markets. And they sell for about .50Cents/Kilo (2 lbs.)
More later...The sun went down and I am outside and it is cold!
My feet are killing me right now. I think I walked about 10-15 miles. I went up the mountain to the downtown area of Zafferana-Etnea after first going down to the town of Santa Venerina and accidentally met up with Tonda, a WWOOFer from our house from Hungary. It was a really good thing I met her because she was able to show me the way back. It was a very, very long walk back. I had walked from a town called Santa Venerina and wanted to find my way back a different way. I really got to get myself a map.
All the little towns around Mount Etna are kind of connected to each other and each town has townships with distinct names. Like Zafferana has Fleri, Sarro and Pisano townships but still in the town called Zafferana. We are in Pisano.
Most of the roads here are made of black, square blocks. All made of lava of course. And no matter how far you walk in any direction, just look up and you see Etna either smoking or in the clouds depending on the weather. It's all snow covered now. They even have a couple of places to go skiing with ski lifts at Etna. Who would think of going to Sicily to ski?
HARVESTING AVOCADOS
Yesterday we all (4) went to the land where Paolo (our host) owns 330 avocado trees. In and amongst all the avocado trees are orange, clementine and mandarin trees all loaded with ripe fruit. We were only there to pick up some of the avocados which had fallen. The ground under the trees is a blanket of ivy. Being that the ivy and the avocados are both green, it was sort of like going on an extended Easter egg hunt. Three hours and 18 crates (cassettes) later and we had enough avocados for Paolo to take to Palermo's market today. Of course eating mandarins throughout the day was mandatory. So 10-12 mandarins later.....Yes I ate that many. How could I not? There were just there for the picking and eating. And by the way Paolo does NOT harvest these citrus. He said he just can't make any money on them. I think there are just too many for sale at the markets. And they sell for about .50Cents/Kilo (2 lbs.)
More later...The sun went down and I am outside and it is cold!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
First Hours in Catania, Sicily
I arrived here in Catania in the middle of the night and was immediately awe-struck at what I saw. With many street lights still on, I could see some of the ancient architecture that makes this city so amazing. And now I've been walking around town, took a narrated bus tour (30 min.) of the city and had time to spend sitting in the Piazza Duomo just taking it all in. So far I can't really put in to words how amazing I think this city is. I walked through what is labeled on the map as "Fish Market". I took a few pictures of the fresh fish, fruit, meat and veggies that are for sale every day outside in the market but I know no amount of pictures could relay how amazing this place is. Tables and tables and tables of fresh seafood. Whole fish, filleted fish, everything but cooked fish any way you want it. Whole and halved skinned animals hanging (I avoided looking at these) right out there. Not on ice...not refrigerated. I just cannot imagine what it would be like to be a restaurant owner and be able to go to this market every day to shop for your business; much less to have this market available to shop for personal use.
Right outside my door here is a partially dug out portion of the second largest Roman amphitheater in Italy. Second only to the one in Rome. And of course looking down into it, what do I see? Cats with a litter of kittens living down there-playing in one of the rooms. All black and white. So much more to see. But what I have seen so far is so amazing.
I can't believe that within the first 5 minutes of being on the street I have not seen anyone get hit by a car or motorbike. Complete mayhem out there on the street with traffic and pedestrians.
Tomorrow I'm hoping to go to Mt. Etna with its' snow on top. And after, get dropped off at my next farm to start working on Friday. It is in the town of Zefferana Etnea which is noted on my map as a small organic farming community; still part of Catania and in full view of Etna.
Right outside my door here is a partially dug out portion of the second largest Roman amphitheater in Italy. Second only to the one in Rome. And of course looking down into it, what do I see? Cats with a litter of kittens living down there-playing in one of the rooms. All black and white. So much more to see. But what I have seen so far is so amazing.
I can't believe that within the first 5 minutes of being on the street I have not seen anyone get hit by a car or motorbike. Complete mayhem out there on the street with traffic and pedestrians.
Tomorrow I'm hoping to go to Mt. Etna with its' snow on top. And after, get dropped off at my next farm to start working on Friday. It is in the town of Zefferana Etnea which is noted on my map as a small organic farming community; still part of Catania and in full view of Etna.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Barletta
Today was a perfect day in Barletta, a nice-size port town about 20 min. North of Bari. This beautiful day followed 2 very cold, windy and rainy days. I just got back from walking for 4 hours around town. I tried to find a place open that served lunch. No success. There are plenty of places-just not open during the day. So I bought a burrata cheese, salumi and a roll and some olives. Since my hotel does not have a restaurant, I'm kind of on my own. I could always wait until 8p.m. tonight when things start to open but truthfully I still have not gotten used to the Italian way of eating late at night.
The town is very nice with many very old cathedrals in the historic section which is where I'm staying. The streets and sidewalks are cobblestone and like everywhere else I've been (it seems) they like to drive on what I would call a walkway. Too narrow with cars parked every which way. The more modern part of the city has many shops and like all the other places I've seen, have clothing stores with really, really beautiful clothes The style here, as it probably is in U.S. is LEGGINGS or pants that fit like leggings. And boots. Combat style boots mostly. But the winter coats are hideous! Down-filled or a similar look alike. But black, shiny, Hefty garbage bag like exterior. Very bad fashion in the coat dept.
Several places on every street are coffee shops that serve espresso, cappuccino and croissants and cookies. And alcohol. I don't know how any can stay in business. There are THAT many.
The park in the center of town is filled with little, old men standing around talking to each other.
I saw a sign "MYSTIC PIZZA". Took a picture.
I saw something really funny on my way back to the hotel. I came upon a roundabout (rotary) with a lot of traffic going around. Inside the rotary on the grass was a barking dog. I think he wanted to cross but there wasn't a break in the traffic. And a chicken! As soon as there was a break in the traffic, the dog crossed into a parking lot and the chicken followed. There he laid down and the chicken stood close by. I stood by and watched and wished I could take the two home.
The town is very nice with many very old cathedrals in the historic section which is where I'm staying. The streets and sidewalks are cobblestone and like everywhere else I've been (it seems) they like to drive on what I would call a walkway. Too narrow with cars parked every which way. The more modern part of the city has many shops and like all the other places I've seen, have clothing stores with really, really beautiful clothes The style here, as it probably is in U.S. is LEGGINGS or pants that fit like leggings. And boots. Combat style boots mostly. But the winter coats are hideous! Down-filled or a similar look alike. But black, shiny, Hefty garbage bag like exterior. Very bad fashion in the coat dept.
Several places on every street are coffee shops that serve espresso, cappuccino and croissants and cookies. And alcohol. I don't know how any can stay in business. There are THAT many.
The park in the center of town is filled with little, old men standing around talking to each other.
I saw a sign "MYSTIC PIZZA". Took a picture.
I saw something really funny on my way back to the hotel. I came upon a roundabout (rotary) with a lot of traffic going around. Inside the rotary on the grass was a barking dog. I think he wanted to cross but there wasn't a break in the traffic. And a chicken! As soon as there was a break in the traffic, the dog crossed into a parking lot and the chicken followed. There he laid down and the chicken stood close by. I stood by and watched and wished I could take the two home.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Fun Facts on Carovigno
I live in a 2nd story apartment on one of the many little streets in Carovigno. As part of this building is another apartment around the corner. That's where Gianni and Grazziella live during the olive harvest. Grazziella was born and grew up in the cellar apartment here where her sister and husband now live. By the way Grazziella's sister is married to Gianni's brother. The street is only about 1/8 mi. long. The apartment down a little from my door I see the priest go in and out somedays. Apparently, as Gianni tells me, there have been several priests come and go in the church in the piazza here. There are 3 women who live here on the street. One likes men in uniforms. The priest always wears his long, black dress- like outfit. She apparently "hosts" the current priest but after a short time he disappears, goes to another church and a new one appears here. The whole time Gianni tells this he's chuckling.
Across the street and down the hill at the corner lives a young girl, maybe 20 or so. Several times a day (maybe 2 or 3) I hear her 2 little dogs barking like crazy. They bark when she puts them on their leashes to take them in the car for a short ride to do their business and then come home. All the while they are barking like crazy, they're wagging their tails madly. I think they are just so happy to get out and go for a ride. Really funny. I've tried to get friendly with her so maybe I could take her dogs for a walk (I miss my animals) but she is stone faced and won't even crack a smile my way. I've given up.
When Gianni first came to Carovigno with his new bride, Grazziella, he said it was a totally different world. NO autos or electronic anything. People had donkeys and the donkeys were kept in the house. I called Gianni on that but he insists they did. Grazziella and family had indoor plumbing but most did not. This was just 50 years ago! There was NO money. Every night the men would go to the piazza (much like they do now). But then it was to meet and discuss who would be going to "the land" the next day to work. There were no phones so they had to meet in person this way. There were no stores. If you needed something like a new dress, you went to the seamstress in town and had one made but traded maybe some vegetables for the dress. Grazziella's dad was a carpenter. There were times when he had a job to do out in "the land" and would move out there for a week or so until the job was done. He might trade for some food. Still NO money exchanged hands. It did not exist in these people's lives
People in town would come to Grazziella's door just to meet this 'man from the North'.
Sometimes a siren would go off alerting everyone of the presence of BANDITS in town. So everyone would go inside their homes and lock their door. If you were left outside, that's where you remained.
Most stores in town today lock their door even during business hours. You must ring the door bell to be let in.
I don't know how Gianni came in to town. He came from modern Milan. I'll have to ask. Get back on this later. I'll have to pick his brain before I leave.
Across the street and down the hill at the corner lives a young girl, maybe 20 or so. Several times a day (maybe 2 or 3) I hear her 2 little dogs barking like crazy. They bark when she puts them on their leashes to take them in the car for a short ride to do their business and then come home. All the while they are barking like crazy, they're wagging their tails madly. I think they are just so happy to get out and go for a ride. Really funny. I've tried to get friendly with her so maybe I could take her dogs for a walk (I miss my animals) but she is stone faced and won't even crack a smile my way. I've given up.
When Gianni first came to Carovigno with his new bride, Grazziella, he said it was a totally different world. NO autos or electronic anything. People had donkeys and the donkeys were kept in the house. I called Gianni on that but he insists they did. Grazziella and family had indoor plumbing but most did not. This was just 50 years ago! There was NO money. Every night the men would go to the piazza (much like they do now). But then it was to meet and discuss who would be going to "the land" the next day to work. There were no phones so they had to meet in person this way. There were no stores. If you needed something like a new dress, you went to the seamstress in town and had one made but traded maybe some vegetables for the dress. Grazziella's dad was a carpenter. There were times when he had a job to do out in "the land" and would move out there for a week or so until the job was done. He might trade for some food. Still NO money exchanged hands. It did not exist in these people's lives
People in town would come to Grazziella's door just to meet this 'man from the North'.
Sometimes a siren would go off alerting everyone of the presence of BANDITS in town. So everyone would go inside their homes and lock their door. If you were left outside, that's where you remained.
Most stores in town today lock their door even during business hours. You must ring the door bell to be let in.
I don't know how Gianni came in to town. He came from modern Milan. I'll have to ask. Get back on this later. I'll have to pick his brain before I leave.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Last lesson on growing olives
Because Gianni speaks very broken English, it's very difficult to understand what he's saying. In a previous writing, I said that if the olives were left in the tree too long they would rot. Which is why on a few occasions had to have the "mover and shaker" come and shake the trees loose of olives. Well apparently this method of harvesting his olives has only just been going on the past 2 years. Before that, he let the olives fall when they were ready to fall meaning they were ripe. But the weather has changed. Last year and this there has been too much sun and not enough water. Because of this weather change for this area, the olives stay on their branches too long and if not coaxed down, actually start to dry up and doesn't make the best oil. So there it is. Makes so much more sense because everyone knows that fruit drops when it is ready to be eaten. And so the olive does too but only if Mother Nature cooperates.
This is the last week to collect the olives. I survived it-7 weeks of grueling, agonizing work-6 days a week using my one day off most weeks to just rest.
We collected about 17 ton of olives from the 1220 trees. (actually some of these 1220 trees gave us no olives because they were pruned last year). They will grow many olives next year. So possibly 800-900 trees gave olives. It was the best year for quality Gianni has ever had. Almost 0 acidity. And about 3000 Liters of oil. He has been doing this for 22 years. He's had WWOOFers every year.
Also, inside each olive are many tiny "capsules" where the oil actually is. These capsules must be broken open to extract the oil. I'm done.
I need to get on to my new place and PICK SOME AVOCADOS!! But first, 4 days at the sea!
CIAO
Friday, November 30, 2012
CHIVALRY IS DEAD
NOV. 30TH FRI.
For all you women out there who struggled with a heavy box or grocery bag while a man stood by letting you struggle, this is the meaning of "chivalry is dead". Once upon a time men wouldn't let a woman struggle with a heavy item or would step up their pace to open a door for a lady. Some men still do this but it is non-existant here at the olive farm.
So here we have 3 people working at collecting the olives. 2 are men and me. The first person pulls up the nets and organizes the olives into one pile at a particular place in the net. The next person skims the surface of the pile to remove some of the leaves and sticks. A machine actually removes all of these at the factory. And then scoops olives into buckets or lifts the net when there is no more than a bucket-full to pour into it. Then carries 2 buckets at a time to the 'cassette' at the van to be loaded to bring to the factory. The third person looks to determine if there are still enough olives in the tree to warrant replacing the net for another round of collecting. Then puts in down, secured with rocks or rolls it up to be brought to an area for proper folding. Guess which person I am. I am the one who does the hardest bull work at getting the olives in the buckets and then carries them to the van. This hurts a lot!
These buckets are heavy and sometimes the distance to carry them is quite long.
A cassette is a plastic box about twice the size of a milk crate. I also have to carry these cassettes filled with firewood up a flight of stairs to my apartment so I can have a fire in the fireplace. It's been getting cold at night. There is no other heat.
Just when I thought I could not carry any more weight at one time, I get to fill these buckets with rocks and carry them to the wall for next years' net placement. Probably 50-60lbs. each. And carrying these rock filled buckets through a soft (mud-like) terrain adds to the difficulty.
Looking forward to the end of this olive harvest.
For all you women out there who struggled with a heavy box or grocery bag while a man stood by letting you struggle, this is the meaning of "chivalry is dead". Once upon a time men wouldn't let a woman struggle with a heavy item or would step up their pace to open a door for a lady. Some men still do this but it is non-existant here at the olive farm.
So here we have 3 people working at collecting the olives. 2 are men and me. The first person pulls up the nets and organizes the olives into one pile at a particular place in the net. The next person skims the surface of the pile to remove some of the leaves and sticks. A machine actually removes all of these at the factory. And then scoops olives into buckets or lifts the net when there is no more than a bucket-full to pour into it. Then carries 2 buckets at a time to the 'cassette' at the van to be loaded to bring to the factory. The third person looks to determine if there are still enough olives in the tree to warrant replacing the net for another round of collecting. Then puts in down, secured with rocks or rolls it up to be brought to an area for proper folding. Guess which person I am. I am the one who does the hardest bull work at getting the olives in the buckets and then carries them to the van. This hurts a lot!
These buckets are heavy and sometimes the distance to carry them is quite long.
A cassette is a plastic box about twice the size of a milk crate. I also have to carry these cassettes filled with firewood up a flight of stairs to my apartment so I can have a fire in the fireplace. It's been getting cold at night. There is no other heat.
Just when I thought I could not carry any more weight at one time, I get to fill these buckets with rocks and carry them to the wall for next years' net placement. Probably 50-60lbs. each. And carrying these rock filled buckets through a soft (mud-like) terrain adds to the difficulty.
Looking forward to the end of this olive harvest.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
A day to relax
Nov. 28th Wednesday
I started my day off with walking down to the bus stop at 6 a.m. with Andrea. She was taking the bus to the train station. I've always felt like she needed some mothering during most of her time here. She's only been here 2 weeks and worked all of I think 5 full 5 1/2 hr. shifts because of the weather. She really has no idea what really hard work is on an olive farm. Yet she complained A LOT!
I mentioned a while back about the "fly lures" hanging in each olive tree. They are plastic bottles, like liter size soda bottles half filled with sardine stuff. It smells really bad and if you're working on a tree and the wind is just right, the smell is almost unbearable. And they have dead flies floating in it. Well, Andrea liked to play word games. One was; If you had to either drink one of those bottles or work every day at this olive harvest for one year, what would you do? She actually chose to drink one of the sardine bottles.
So anyway, the bus to the train station was 10 min. late. It was supposed to be there at 6:25 and the train to Rome was leaving at 6:45. Don't know if she made it. She'll email me when she gets to Rome.
So I went to work with Gianni and Franco. It's just the 3 of us now. We got a real lot done in the 2 hours before it started to POUR!! And the wind got real strong and there was thunder. So we all high-tailed it out of there, soaked and very dirty. The wind hasn't stopped yet and it's almost 6 p.m.
I got a fire in the fireplace and music videos on the tv. Andrea found the station that plays music videos non-stop. No commercials. Up until she came I never turned the tv on. It's nice having music and I know all the songs. They're from the 60's, 70's and 80's.
I've started making a picture collection of PIAGGIOS. They're usually 3-wheeled little vehicles. Some bigger ones have 4 wheels. But they're actually just a scooter(Vespa) enclosed with a little pickup back. And they're everywhere. Gianni pronounces it as PEEKIO. Since I am in olive country here, all of our neighbors out towards the sea are just starting to sweep the olives. That is what conventional farmers do to get their olives up off the ground and to the oil factory. Up until this week, I never saw anyone else out there collecting olives from their trees. And PEEKIOS are a part of most every farm. So I see more of them now than ever. I saw one on the AutoStrada a few weeks ago going to Bari. It was in the very right hand lane going, I'm guessing about 40 m.p.h. or less.
For the first time since I've been here, Gianni said "tomorrow, you relax". I have a whole day off during the week! And busses are frequent to many little towns. I just have to pick one and explore.
Why do I hear gun shots almost every night?
The big orange and white Tom Cat came to see me today. Full of conversation-purring-kneading. Beautiful, beautiful cat. Definitely not wild and not hungry.
I started my day off with walking down to the bus stop at 6 a.m. with Andrea. She was taking the bus to the train station. I've always felt like she needed some mothering during most of her time here. She's only been here 2 weeks and worked all of I think 5 full 5 1/2 hr. shifts because of the weather. She really has no idea what really hard work is on an olive farm. Yet she complained A LOT!
I mentioned a while back about the "fly lures" hanging in each olive tree. They are plastic bottles, like liter size soda bottles half filled with sardine stuff. It smells really bad and if you're working on a tree and the wind is just right, the smell is almost unbearable. And they have dead flies floating in it. Well, Andrea liked to play word games. One was; If you had to either drink one of those bottles or work every day at this olive harvest for one year, what would you do? She actually chose to drink one of the sardine bottles.
So anyway, the bus to the train station was 10 min. late. It was supposed to be there at 6:25 and the train to Rome was leaving at 6:45. Don't know if she made it. She'll email me when she gets to Rome.
So I went to work with Gianni and Franco. It's just the 3 of us now. We got a real lot done in the 2 hours before it started to POUR!! And the wind got real strong and there was thunder. So we all high-tailed it out of there, soaked and very dirty. The wind hasn't stopped yet and it's almost 6 p.m.
I got a fire in the fireplace and music videos on the tv. Andrea found the station that plays music videos non-stop. No commercials. Up until she came I never turned the tv on. It's nice having music and I know all the songs. They're from the 60's, 70's and 80's.
I've started making a picture collection of PIAGGIOS. They're usually 3-wheeled little vehicles. Some bigger ones have 4 wheels. But they're actually just a scooter(Vespa) enclosed with a little pickup back. And they're everywhere. Gianni pronounces it as PEEKIO. Since I am in olive country here, all of our neighbors out towards the sea are just starting to sweep the olives. That is what conventional farmers do to get their olives up off the ground and to the oil factory. Up until this week, I never saw anyone else out there collecting olives from their trees. And PEEKIOS are a part of most every farm. So I see more of them now than ever. I saw one on the AutoStrada a few weeks ago going to Bari. It was in the very right hand lane going, I'm guessing about 40 m.p.h. or less.
For the first time since I've been here, Gianni said "tomorrow, you relax". I have a whole day off during the week! And busses are frequent to many little towns. I just have to pick one and explore.
Why do I hear gun shots almost every night?
The big orange and white Tom Cat came to see me today. Full of conversation-purring-kneading. Beautiful, beautiful cat. Definitely not wild and not hungry.
Friday, November 23, 2012
5 weeks today
Nov. 24th 2012 Saturday
5 weeks ago today I arrived at the Carovigno train station after spending 5 hours on a very lovely train ride from Telese. The countryside dramatically changed from rolling, green and brown (rich dirt) farmland to flatter, dryer, sparsely used farms. Perhaps they were in-between plantings; from their Summer crops to now Winter ones. I saw a few tractors skimming the ground perhaps getting ready to plant. As the train ride continued, especially from Foggia on to Carovigno, there were many, many windmills and some solar. Back at the other farm, I only saw one area on a mountaintop near San Salvatore where there were windmills. This was such a beautiful sight. As I got closer to Bari and the Puglia region, all I could see were olive trees. And that is all I've seen everyday since.
Heli arrived the same day as I at the apartment we both lived in, in the downtown of Carovigno. So starting to work at the olive farm, a 15 min. ride by car (Junior) found us both on equal ground; both not working an olive harvest till now. And we worked HARD. We both ached all day, every day.
Heli stayed for her scheduled 3 weeks during which time we got 2 mornings off because of rain. But we did work those afternoons for 3 hrs. which felt like a gift. All Saints day was an entire day off. It was a Thursday. Andrea was supposed to arrive the same day that Heli left so there would be no time when I would have to work alone. But she didn't arrive until 5 days later leaving Gianni wondering if she would ever show up or email. Today, Andrea has been here 11 days. With all the rain we have had, we only worked 3 full 5 1/2 hr. shifts in all of these 11 days! We had a few full days off and a few shifts where we worked 3 hrs. or less. On Andreas first day, we picked the olives from a baby tree that took all of 30 min. when we had to leave because the rain started. One day it started to rain but we continued to work, getting soaked, having to PEEL my clothes off. That was NOT a good day. And then of course as a result of all this rain, the start of the mud. (another page in this blog).
The whole point of this story is that since Andrea has been here, I have had so much time off. Good for me and my sore muscles but with Andrea leaving here next Wed., this does not leave her with a true representation of what working an olive harvest is really like. She's 29, graduated with a Masters degree in I don't know what and is not sure where she will be going or what she will be doing. All she knows is she wants to go to Rome for a week and see that wonderful city, staying at a youth hostel. She maintains a one-room studio apartment in downtown Berlin, Germany. She sublet it for 500Euro/ month until Dec. 31st. Her rent in 300Euro/month.
We had many laughs together. She has a great sense of humor. But she is an extremely messy roommate; leaving food out all night, dishes in the sink etc. After she leaves I will have to work alone again. Gianni did not plan on her staying only 2 weeks. She was supposed to stay until I left so we would work together as working with the really big nets (36x36 ft.) is difficult by yourself. I have met a few wonderful and interesting people. All different. Andrea is brutally honest which I admire. I believe we may keep in touch.
Although I have no written commitment to stay and I could always leave anytime, I will not. Finishing what I started is more important than the aches I feel. I don't mind. Sicily is near.
5 weeks ago today I arrived at the Carovigno train station after spending 5 hours on a very lovely train ride from Telese. The countryside dramatically changed from rolling, green and brown (rich dirt) farmland to flatter, dryer, sparsely used farms. Perhaps they were in-between plantings; from their Summer crops to now Winter ones. I saw a few tractors skimming the ground perhaps getting ready to plant. As the train ride continued, especially from Foggia on to Carovigno, there were many, many windmills and some solar. Back at the other farm, I only saw one area on a mountaintop near San Salvatore where there were windmills. This was such a beautiful sight. As I got closer to Bari and the Puglia region, all I could see were olive trees. And that is all I've seen everyday since.
Heli arrived the same day as I at the apartment we both lived in, in the downtown of Carovigno. So starting to work at the olive farm, a 15 min. ride by car (Junior) found us both on equal ground; both not working an olive harvest till now. And we worked HARD. We both ached all day, every day.
Heli stayed for her scheduled 3 weeks during which time we got 2 mornings off because of rain. But we did work those afternoons for 3 hrs. which felt like a gift. All Saints day was an entire day off. It was a Thursday. Andrea was supposed to arrive the same day that Heli left so there would be no time when I would have to work alone. But she didn't arrive until 5 days later leaving Gianni wondering if she would ever show up or email. Today, Andrea has been here 11 days. With all the rain we have had, we only worked 3 full 5 1/2 hr. shifts in all of these 11 days! We had a few full days off and a few shifts where we worked 3 hrs. or less. On Andreas first day, we picked the olives from a baby tree that took all of 30 min. when we had to leave because the rain started. One day it started to rain but we continued to work, getting soaked, having to PEEL my clothes off. That was NOT a good day. And then of course as a result of all this rain, the start of the mud. (another page in this blog).
The whole point of this story is that since Andrea has been here, I have had so much time off. Good for me and my sore muscles but with Andrea leaving here next Wed., this does not leave her with a true representation of what working an olive harvest is really like. She's 29, graduated with a Masters degree in I don't know what and is not sure where she will be going or what she will be doing. All she knows is she wants to go to Rome for a week and see that wonderful city, staying at a youth hostel. She maintains a one-room studio apartment in downtown Berlin, Germany. She sublet it for 500Euro/ month until Dec. 31st. Her rent in 300Euro/month.
We had many laughs together. She has a great sense of humor. But she is an extremely messy roommate; leaving food out all night, dishes in the sink etc. After she leaves I will have to work alone again. Gianni did not plan on her staying only 2 weeks. She was supposed to stay until I left so we would work together as working with the really big nets (36x36 ft.) is difficult by yourself. I have met a few wonderful and interesting people. All different. Andrea is brutally honest which I admire. I believe we may keep in touch.
Although I have no written commitment to stay and I could always leave anytime, I will not. Finishing what I started is more important than the aches I feel. I don't mind. Sicily is near.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
ANDREA
Nov. 19th 2012
Andrea is the new WWOOFer from Germany who arrived last Wed., 5 days late. Gianni wasn't sure if she was ever coming because she did not answer emails stating her plans. But she finally came last Wed. evening. Thursday we went to work, stripped one baby olive tree of its' olives which took all of 30 min. and it started to rain. We went home for the rest of the day. Friday am still raining, stayed home but went to work in the afternoon for 3 hrs. Easy day. Up till now, Andrea's only WWOOFing experience was at a farm near here in San Pietro where she might have worked casually for about 3 hrs./day with many days off. So basically she has NO hard work experience. Saturday we worked, in the mud made by all the rain, for a regular 5 1/2 hr. shift. A few times during that shift she, being already covered in mud, dropped to the ground like she was exhausted and did not want to get up. A little drama queen here. Complained a lot saying that the WWOOFing organization says WWOOFers cannot work more than 5 hrs./day (it does not). So she's not happy and wants to change everything about how we collect olives. I just shake my head and go on like I'm supposed to. She does not want to pick olives up off the ground. The ones that don't make the net end up in the dirt or grass and must be picked up one-by-one by hand. She says we should step on them and push them into the dirt and if Gianni says anything to tell him they were there yesterday. I don't listen. I just keep doing what I'm supposed to do. Picking up the olives by hand is the most painful part as I have said before. So now I have to do it by myself. Not good.
Sunday, our day off, was supposed to be, with careful planning, a good day to rent bicycles for the day. We planned to ride to the train station at 5:30 a.m. to get the 6 a.m. train to Monopoli and ride along the shore back down to Carovigno. On the way to the station, Andrea's chain got tangled and we could not fix it. She insisted that we keep going, get on the train with 1 good and 1 broken bike to Monopoli and somehow try to fix it there. So because she could still coast the bike, hung on to my sweater (it was cold) as I peddled and towed her along the now very dark, unlit road. When we figured out we were on the wrong road to the station, we pulled over at the Belvedere Sanctuary under a well-lit parking lot and she proceeded to throw a temper tantrum. She's 29 yrs. old. She started kicking the bike. It was very disturbing. I convinced her to call the guy (he gave us his phone #) who rented us the bikes and tell him he must come and take us back to town. She did. He came and said he only had room in his car for 1 bike. She rode with him back to town. I rode my bike. She was home before me and was lying on the couch, depressed or whatever, when I arrived. I insisted she take my good bike for the day so she could go to the beach while I stayed home and had a relaxing day and did a lot of reading.
She had a really horrible day. Rode to Monopoli, got lost, got rained on and waited at the Monoploi train station for 3 hrs. for the train back to Carovigno. Called Gianni to come get her with the bike at the Carovigno train station because it was still raining and she was already cold and wet. He came I guess reluctantly to get her, did not help her with getting the bike in the van and never asked her how her day was. He is VERY little help to us. Has NO interest in how or what we are doing.
After she got home, she said she wanted to take a hot bath, would I make her some pasta (that I bought) because she was hungry. She has never bought any food here. I made her pasta with pesto that I had bought that day and she ate and went to bed.
It's raining again today and forecast says it will rain for the next 3 days. Very strange weather for this area.
Afterthought: I asked her what she plans on doing when she returns to her apartment in Berlin. Her only aspiration is to marry a rich man, get a small house so she can have a garden.
Andrea is the new WWOOFer from Germany who arrived last Wed., 5 days late. Gianni wasn't sure if she was ever coming because she did not answer emails stating her plans. But she finally came last Wed. evening. Thursday we went to work, stripped one baby olive tree of its' olives which took all of 30 min. and it started to rain. We went home for the rest of the day. Friday am still raining, stayed home but went to work in the afternoon for 3 hrs. Easy day. Up till now, Andrea's only WWOOFing experience was at a farm near here in San Pietro where she might have worked casually for about 3 hrs./day with many days off. So basically she has NO hard work experience. Saturday we worked, in the mud made by all the rain, for a regular 5 1/2 hr. shift. A few times during that shift she, being already covered in mud, dropped to the ground like she was exhausted and did not want to get up. A little drama queen here. Complained a lot saying that the WWOOFing organization says WWOOFers cannot work more than 5 hrs./day (it does not). So she's not happy and wants to change everything about how we collect olives. I just shake my head and go on like I'm supposed to. She does not want to pick olives up off the ground. The ones that don't make the net end up in the dirt or grass and must be picked up one-by-one by hand. She says we should step on them and push them into the dirt and if Gianni says anything to tell him they were there yesterday. I don't listen. I just keep doing what I'm supposed to do. Picking up the olives by hand is the most painful part as I have said before. So now I have to do it by myself. Not good.
Sunday, our day off, was supposed to be, with careful planning, a good day to rent bicycles for the day. We planned to ride to the train station at 5:30 a.m. to get the 6 a.m. train to Monopoli and ride along the shore back down to Carovigno. On the way to the station, Andrea's chain got tangled and we could not fix it. She insisted that we keep going, get on the train with 1 good and 1 broken bike to Monopoli and somehow try to fix it there. So because she could still coast the bike, hung on to my sweater (it was cold) as I peddled and towed her along the now very dark, unlit road. When we figured out we were on the wrong road to the station, we pulled over at the Belvedere Sanctuary under a well-lit parking lot and she proceeded to throw a temper tantrum. She's 29 yrs. old. She started kicking the bike. It was very disturbing. I convinced her to call the guy (he gave us his phone #) who rented us the bikes and tell him he must come and take us back to town. She did. He came and said he only had room in his car for 1 bike. She rode with him back to town. I rode my bike. She was home before me and was lying on the couch, depressed or whatever, when I arrived. I insisted she take my good bike for the day so she could go to the beach while I stayed home and had a relaxing day and did a lot of reading.
She had a really horrible day. Rode to Monopoli, got lost, got rained on and waited at the Monoploi train station for 3 hrs. for the train back to Carovigno. Called Gianni to come get her with the bike at the Carovigno train station because it was still raining and she was already cold and wet. He came I guess reluctantly to get her, did not help her with getting the bike in the van and never asked her how her day was. He is VERY little help to us. Has NO interest in how or what we are doing.
After she got home, she said she wanted to take a hot bath, would I make her some pasta (that I bought) because she was hungry. She has never bought any food here. I made her pasta with pesto that I had bought that day and she ate and went to bed.
It's raining again today and forecast says it will rain for the next 3 days. Very strange weather for this area.
Afterthought: I asked her what she plans on doing when she returns to her apartment in Berlin. Her only aspiration is to marry a rich man, get a small house so she can have a garden.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
THE MUD
NOV. 18TH 2012
Just when I thought I have pushed my body to its' limits---it rains. Which makes mud. It rains about only 3 times per year here. The soil in the olive garden is rich and fluffy and soft. Add enough water to it and what you have is a heavy paste that clings to your shoes/boots and ultimately adds about 3-6 lbs. to each foot. So walking in it becomes very tough. Then add the weight of 2 buckets of olives, each weighing between 40 and 50 lbs and you've got a struggle. All of this is apart from getting this mud all over yourself; in your hair, on your face and all over your clothes- within the first 1/2 hr. The first day of this (after getting 1 1/2 days off to rest) I wore my garden shoes. After about 1/2 hr. the mud had started to come to the top of the shoe and up my leg. The second day I wore my rubber boots. It takes at least 1/2 hr. after coming home to rinse and rinse and rinse the mud out of my clothes. I hose my boots off at the farm. And it's kind of reddish in color so stains my pretty pink shirt. Next week should be better after having a couple of days to dry out.
Today I have off. Andrea and I rented really nice mountain bikes for the day. We will ride to the train station for Monopoli with the bikes and ride along the sea back down to Carovigno. I know it will not rain.
Just when I thought I have pushed my body to its' limits---it rains. Which makes mud. It rains about only 3 times per year here. The soil in the olive garden is rich and fluffy and soft. Add enough water to it and what you have is a heavy paste that clings to your shoes/boots and ultimately adds about 3-6 lbs. to each foot. So walking in it becomes very tough. Then add the weight of 2 buckets of olives, each weighing between 40 and 50 lbs and you've got a struggle. All of this is apart from getting this mud all over yourself; in your hair, on your face and all over your clothes- within the first 1/2 hr. The first day of this (after getting 1 1/2 days off to rest) I wore my garden shoes. After about 1/2 hr. the mud had started to come to the top of the shoe and up my leg. The second day I wore my rubber boots. It takes at least 1/2 hr. after coming home to rinse and rinse and rinse the mud out of my clothes. I hose my boots off at the farm. And it's kind of reddish in color so stains my pretty pink shirt. Next week should be better after having a couple of days to dry out.
Today I have off. Andrea and I rented really nice mountain bikes for the day. We will ride to the train station for Monopoli with the bikes and ride along the sea back down to Carovigno. I know it will not rain.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
The arrival of Andrea from Germany
Nov. 15th 2012
Andrea arrived as the new WWOOFer yesterday. She's about 6 ft. tall, skinny, with a strong German accent. She speaks very good English, Italian, Spanish and of course German.
On her first day at work, we arrived at the olive farm, stripped one baby olive tree which took us about 20 min. and it started to rain. It was time to leave. Somehow Gianni always seems to know exactly what is happening with the rain situation. That is why we left and not waited. All week he was saying "maybe rain on Thursday".
With a whole day off ahead of us we took 2 umbrellas and went downtown to the grocery store. I needed salad stuff for the week ahead. Since I do not go upstairs to Gianni's apartment for supper, I will need some lettuce etc. I got 2 very large Boston lettuces, a bag of mixed lettuces, a bag of mache(valeriana), a bag of arugula(rucola), a pkg. of tomatoes, a head of radicchio, 3 containers of yogurt, 3 bottles of yogurt drink, a loaf of sesame bread and a bottle of wine. It cost 13 Euro. Good deal.
Andrea is 29, single and already does not want to stay the 3 weeks she has committed to. She will tell Gianni today that she wants to leave after 2 weeks. It's not the place or the work. It's because she wants to spend a week in Rome before going back to her previous farm in San Pietro, just a short train ride from here. She left many of her things there with the intention of possibly spending Christmas with that family. Like many of the WWOOFers that I have met, they are unsure of going back home until they've done all they could, seen all they could see while WWOOFing. They are mostly all in their 20's and not sure what they want to be "when they grow up".
The first WWOOFing farm Andrea went to, she left after the first day. She had to stay in a caravan. It's a trailer that leaked very badly and was pretty gross to be in. You never know what the conditions will be like before going to these farms.
Heli made it home in Finland safely. She was surprised by her husband when he drove 300 miles to Helsinki to pick her up. She was planning on taking the 6hr. bus ride home.
Since it is still raining, I started a fire in the fireplace and have a pot of beans cooking for minestrone. All good things for a rainy day. I started playing chess online against the computer. Haven't won yet.
I understand they have the 4th Twilight book at the library in English. I'll have to go check it out.
3 weeks to go to Sicily
Andrea arrived as the new WWOOFer yesterday. She's about 6 ft. tall, skinny, with a strong German accent. She speaks very good English, Italian, Spanish and of course German.
On her first day at work, we arrived at the olive farm, stripped one baby olive tree which took us about 20 min. and it started to rain. It was time to leave. Somehow Gianni always seems to know exactly what is happening with the rain situation. That is why we left and not waited. All week he was saying "maybe rain on Thursday".
With a whole day off ahead of us we took 2 umbrellas and went downtown to the grocery store. I needed salad stuff for the week ahead. Since I do not go upstairs to Gianni's apartment for supper, I will need some lettuce etc. I got 2 very large Boston lettuces, a bag of mixed lettuces, a bag of mache(valeriana), a bag of arugula(rucola), a pkg. of tomatoes, a head of radicchio, 3 containers of yogurt, 3 bottles of yogurt drink, a loaf of sesame bread and a bottle of wine. It cost 13 Euro. Good deal.
Andrea is 29, single and already does not want to stay the 3 weeks she has committed to. She will tell Gianni today that she wants to leave after 2 weeks. It's not the place or the work. It's because she wants to spend a week in Rome before going back to her previous farm in San Pietro, just a short train ride from here. She left many of her things there with the intention of possibly spending Christmas with that family. Like many of the WWOOFers that I have met, they are unsure of going back home until they've done all they could, seen all they could see while WWOOFing. They are mostly all in their 20's and not sure what they want to be "when they grow up".
The first WWOOFing farm Andrea went to, she left after the first day. She had to stay in a caravan. It's a trailer that leaked very badly and was pretty gross to be in. You never know what the conditions will be like before going to these farms.
Heli made it home in Finland safely. She was surprised by her husband when he drove 300 miles to Helsinki to pick her up. She was planning on taking the 6hr. bus ride home.
Since it is still raining, I started a fire in the fireplace and have a pot of beans cooking for minestrone. All good things for a rainy day. I started playing chess online against the computer. Haven't won yet.
I understand they have the 4th Twilight book at the library in English. I'll have to go check it out.
3 weeks to go to Sicily
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Heli leaves
NOV. 11TH 2012
After 3 weeks together, working our butts off, Heli is leaving. She will be staying in this area for 3 days vacationing until she flies home to Finland. She has been my roommate and workmate. She was only scheduled to stay the 3 weeks so will be replaced by another WWOOFER from Germany on Tuesday. This afternoon after working all day we took the train to Bari so she could rent a SMART car at the airport. We drove back to the apartment and tomorrow we will drive to Alberobello and maybe Locorotondo for a much needed day off from picking the olives.
Heli is a Swedish language teacher to high schoolers in Finland. When a teacher in Finland teaches for 5 years, they are entitled to take a full year off from teaching and still get paid a portion of their pay. This is what Heli did. She has been away from home for almost 3 months. But tomorrow we will be free to travel and NOT pick olives! We are very happy about this.
After 3 weeks together, working our butts off, Heli is leaving. She will be staying in this area for 3 days vacationing until she flies home to Finland. She has been my roommate and workmate. She was only scheduled to stay the 3 weeks so will be replaced by another WWOOFER from Germany on Tuesday. This afternoon after working all day we took the train to Bari so she could rent a SMART car at the airport. We drove back to the apartment and tomorrow we will drive to Alberobello and maybe Locorotondo for a much needed day off from picking the olives.
Heli is a Swedish language teacher to high schoolers in Finland. When a teacher in Finland teaches for 5 years, they are entitled to take a full year off from teaching and still get paid a portion of their pay. This is what Heli did. She has been away from home for almost 3 months. But tomorrow we will be free to travel and NOT pick olives! We are very happy about this.
Gianni 50 years ago
NOV. 10TH 2012
WHEN GIANNI FIRST STARTED COMING TO PUGLIA FROM THE NORTH, he was probably in his twenties. At that time, the farmers of olives went to work at their orchard from town (Carvigno) in a donkey-pulled cart. It took about 2-3 hours to get to their farm. The donkey was egged on by the farmers' dog. It was always a white dog barking all the way . The farmer slept the whole way because the donkey knew his way. And the little white dog kept the donkey going at a snails pace. But the farmer got to sleep.
Then the donkey and cart and dog got replaced with a car. And the farmer could not sleep.
But despite the farmer got to drive to work, he still traveled at a snails pace. It still took him 2-3 hours.
This is a true story.
WHEN GIANNI FIRST STARTED COMING TO PUGLIA FROM THE NORTH, he was probably in his twenties. At that time, the farmers of olives went to work at their orchard from town (Carvigno) in a donkey-pulled cart. It took about 2-3 hours to get to their farm. The donkey was egged on by the farmers' dog. It was always a white dog barking all the way . The farmer slept the whole way because the donkey knew his way. And the little white dog kept the donkey going at a snails pace. But the farmer got to sleep.
Then the donkey and cart and dog got replaced with a car. And the farmer could not sleep.
But despite the farmer got to drive to work, he still traveled at a snails pace. It still took him 2-3 hours.
This is a true story.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The big olive tree shaker and 3rd week at the olive farm
Nov. 7th 2012
On Monday a tractor came to the olive orchard with an even bigger mover and shaker than the one operated by Antonio (affectionately referred to as 'the little man'). Antonio is actually not little. He is though as wide as he is tall. This arm reached up into the very big olive trees and shook the whole tree like nothing else. One of the problems is that it also breaks branches and does permanent damage to the otherwise very sturdy trees. And if there is any gap between the nets; if some don't overlap, then the olives go flying everywhere, usually in the gaps. This means many hours bending over picking up each olive. This is the dreaded task that causes so much back pain. It's difficult getting up when you're crouched over for any length of time.
Whatever olives remain on the trees after such a shaking will remain a while longer to get more ripe. They are just not ready yet. Which is why sometimes the olive picking goes on until March of the following year.
It's raining just a bit outside today so work has been postponed until this afternoon. This is the second time rain has affected work. It really, really seldom rains here. And most times when it rains here in town, the orchard sees nothing.
LUNCHES WITH GRAZZIELA
Grazziela is a wonderful cook. She stays home every day (outside from going to the market) and plans the next meal for us and Gianni her husband. Most of what she makes is food that I have either made or seen made. This one dish though was different. It was meat stuffed meat. It was like you took a pot roast, flattened it and put a stuffing of meatballs (ground beef, veal, pork,eggs,cheese etc.) on it, rolled it up, tied it and baked it for a long time.
We had risotto made with beef stock (probably from the meat stuffed meat) and cheese. She did not use Arborio which kind of surprised me. Gianni made sure to tell us that there are hundreds of ways to make risotto. I thought Arborio was the only rice used.
Meatballs fried in olive oil. Don't know why she doesn't just bake them on high heat. Gianni cannot eat anything fried. I'd like to make meatballs MY way for her. So he can eat them.
She and Gianni have a cup of Orzoro and a muffin for supper. Orzoro is a barley drink, served hot.
I miss hot dogs and beans (don't have baked beans here).
I miss peanut butter
I miss dark bread
On Monday a tractor came to the olive orchard with an even bigger mover and shaker than the one operated by Antonio (affectionately referred to as 'the little man'). Antonio is actually not little. He is though as wide as he is tall. This arm reached up into the very big olive trees and shook the whole tree like nothing else. One of the problems is that it also breaks branches and does permanent damage to the otherwise very sturdy trees. And if there is any gap between the nets; if some don't overlap, then the olives go flying everywhere, usually in the gaps. This means many hours bending over picking up each olive. This is the dreaded task that causes so much back pain. It's difficult getting up when you're crouched over for any length of time.
Whatever olives remain on the trees after such a shaking will remain a while longer to get more ripe. They are just not ready yet. Which is why sometimes the olive picking goes on until March of the following year.
It's raining just a bit outside today so work has been postponed until this afternoon. This is the second time rain has affected work. It really, really seldom rains here. And most times when it rains here in town, the orchard sees nothing.
LUNCHES WITH GRAZZIELA
Grazziela is a wonderful cook. She stays home every day (outside from going to the market) and plans the next meal for us and Gianni her husband. Most of what she makes is food that I have either made or seen made. This one dish though was different. It was meat stuffed meat. It was like you took a pot roast, flattened it and put a stuffing of meatballs (ground beef, veal, pork,eggs,cheese etc.) on it, rolled it up, tied it and baked it for a long time.
We had risotto made with beef stock (probably from the meat stuffed meat) and cheese. She did not use Arborio which kind of surprised me. Gianni made sure to tell us that there are hundreds of ways to make risotto. I thought Arborio was the only rice used.
Meatballs fried in olive oil. Don't know why she doesn't just bake them on high heat. Gianni cannot eat anything fried. I'd like to make meatballs MY way for her. So he can eat them.
She and Gianni have a cup of Orzoro and a muffin for supper. Orzoro is a barley drink, served hot.
I miss hot dogs and beans (don't have baked beans here).
I miss peanut butter
I miss dark bread
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Old man piazza
Nov. 5th 2012
The piazza (plaza) up at the top of the street where I live is quite lovely with its' cobblestone streets and benches to sit and meet friends. But everyone there during the day, every day consists of old men. Old men who when I walk by just stare and say nothing. In the evening sometimes there are many teenagers meeting up with their friends. There are never any women just hanging around. There are a few businesses but mostly there are these little alcoves or rooms off to the side with sometimes the rubber strips hanging in the doorway (to keep out bugs of which there are usually none). Inside these little rooms are sometimes a table and a few folding chairs. It looks like a place where men meet to sit and play cards or read the newspaper with their friends. But just old men. It's been said that the women are all home cooking. Cooking and the prep associated with the daily cooking is a major event in every household. I don't think anyone just has a "sandwich" for lunch as we do. But lunch is the biggest meal of the day. And being the one to do all the dishes that Graziella makes to prepare our lunch each day, I see all the prep involved. When I think all we are getting for lunch is a bowl of pasta, then she brings out the meat and potato or veg. We don't eat cheese or bread most days as we did at the other 2 farms. Graziella cooks with good health in mind. We all appreciate that.
So the old men in the piazza hang around every day gossiping like old ladies waiting to go home and enjoy the hard labor given up by their wives for their wonderful lunches. Only to go back out to the piazza and meet again.
The piazza (plaza) up at the top of the street where I live is quite lovely with its' cobblestone streets and benches to sit and meet friends. But everyone there during the day, every day consists of old men. Old men who when I walk by just stare and say nothing. In the evening sometimes there are many teenagers meeting up with their friends. There are never any women just hanging around. There are a few businesses but mostly there are these little alcoves or rooms off to the side with sometimes the rubber strips hanging in the doorway (to keep out bugs of which there are usually none). Inside these little rooms are sometimes a table and a few folding chairs. It looks like a place where men meet to sit and play cards or read the newspaper with their friends. But just old men. It's been said that the women are all home cooking. Cooking and the prep associated with the daily cooking is a major event in every household. I don't think anyone just has a "sandwich" for lunch as we do. But lunch is the biggest meal of the day. And being the one to do all the dishes that Graziella makes to prepare our lunch each day, I see all the prep involved. When I think all we are getting for lunch is a bowl of pasta, then she brings out the meat and potato or veg. We don't eat cheese or bread most days as we did at the other 2 farms. Graziella cooks with good health in mind. We all appreciate that.
So the old men in the piazza hang around every day gossiping like old ladies waiting to go home and enjoy the hard labor given up by their wives for their wonderful lunches. Only to go back out to the piazza and meet again.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
9th day at working the olives
October 31st 2012
I can't believe I've survived 9 days with these olives! It is by far the most physically challenging job I've ever done--ever! And that includes tobacco when I was 14. It's a good thing I went to the gym every day for almost a year before coming here..If I didn't I don't think I'd be able to get out of bed and do this every day. I know 5 1/2 hours each day, 6/days a week doesn't sound like much. But when you are stretching and bending and lifting 40-45 lbs. in each hand carrying the buckets of olives non-stop for the entire 5 1/2 hours, no break even for a drink of water, it hurts!! By 1:30 we are READY not only for a break but to eat! Grazziola (Gianni's wife) makes us a gourmet lunch every day. Every day it is different and we never know what we will get. After we clean up the kitchen and go back (around the corner) to our apartment, it is about 3 o'clock. Nothing is open. Everything closes from 1 till 5. And my body is screaming to lay down! Every day I say to myself that I don't know how I can continue doing this but after a nights' sleep, I get up and don't feel too bad. So I go and do it again and again.
Heli will be going home in 1 1/2 weeks and then I'll get a new roommate from Germany to help with the olives.
Gianni and Franco work right alongside us and truly work as hard as we do. Gianni is 73 and works like he's a youngster. Picking up each olive off the ground that didn't make the net is the most painful part of this job. Well carrying the buckets of olives is hard too but not as painful as the bending and squatting that it takes to pick up the individual olives.
Hoping the next farm in Sicily will be a bit easier.
It's raining tonight for the first time....well.....I think ever.
I can't believe I've survived 9 days with these olives! It is by far the most physically challenging job I've ever done--ever! And that includes tobacco when I was 14. It's a good thing I went to the gym every day for almost a year before coming here..If I didn't I don't think I'd be able to get out of bed and do this every day. I know 5 1/2 hours each day, 6/days a week doesn't sound like much. But when you are stretching and bending and lifting 40-45 lbs. in each hand carrying the buckets of olives non-stop for the entire 5 1/2 hours, no break even for a drink of water, it hurts!! By 1:30 we are READY not only for a break but to eat! Grazziola (Gianni's wife) makes us a gourmet lunch every day. Every day it is different and we never know what we will get. After we clean up the kitchen and go back (around the corner) to our apartment, it is about 3 o'clock. Nothing is open. Everything closes from 1 till 5. And my body is screaming to lay down! Every day I say to myself that I don't know how I can continue doing this but after a nights' sleep, I get up and don't feel too bad. So I go and do it again and again.
Heli will be going home in 1 1/2 weeks and then I'll get a new roommate from Germany to help with the olives.
Gianni and Franco work right alongside us and truly work as hard as we do. Gianni is 73 and works like he's a youngster. Picking up each olive off the ground that didn't make the net is the most painful part of this job. Well carrying the buckets of olives is hard too but not as painful as the bending and squatting that it takes to pick up the individual olives.
Hoping the next farm in Sicily will be a bit easier.
It's raining tonight for the first time....well.....I think ever.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Walked to the sea today
Sunday Oct. 28th 2012
This being my only day off (always Sunday), I decided to walk to the ocean. But I was corrected on that is NOT the ocean. It is the SEA. It should have been about 8km (5 mi.) but as usual I took the wrong road and being that the street map I had stopped short of just outside the city, I just kept walking East. It was Belvedere Rd. Should have taken Foggia Rd. Well I was walking and walking and walking past these amazing olive farms with HUGE tree trunks all twisted and beautiful. Took way too many pictures because one was more beautiful than the previous one. And I saw the word "VENDESI" many, many times. "For Sale". So many olive farms for sale here. And when I asked why, I was told that the family (children) that these farms are left to after parents are too old or die just want quick money. The younger generation does not want to do the hard work of harvesting olives. I have noticed since I've been here that everyone I see at the farms or on the tractor are older men.
Back to the walk.
I started walking at 8:45 a.m. and 3 hours later saw the sea. I figured this was about 12 km or 8 miles. But I was much more south than I wanted to be. So I kept walking through areas along the sea that during the Summer months (June, July & August) are many, many people on holiday. Now the coast is ghost town after ghost town. Very few cars. No people. It was kind of eerie being all alone with beautiful beaches to my right and vegetable gardens to my left. So some people continue living here. Just didn't see anyone. Finally after walking for 5 1/2 hours, maybe 25 km or 20 miles and seeing a sign to Carovigno 7km I decided to hitch hike. Probably the first time in my life. My feet did not want to walk any more. 3 very nice guys picked me up and drove me home.
Never got to put my feet in the sea.
This being my only day off (always Sunday), I decided to walk to the ocean. But I was corrected on that is NOT the ocean. It is the SEA. It should have been about 8km (5 mi.) but as usual I took the wrong road and being that the street map I had stopped short of just outside the city, I just kept walking East. It was Belvedere Rd. Should have taken Foggia Rd. Well I was walking and walking and walking past these amazing olive farms with HUGE tree trunks all twisted and beautiful. Took way too many pictures because one was more beautiful than the previous one. And I saw the word "VENDESI" many, many times. "For Sale". So many olive farms for sale here. And when I asked why, I was told that the family (children) that these farms are left to after parents are too old or die just want quick money. The younger generation does not want to do the hard work of harvesting olives. I have noticed since I've been here that everyone I see at the farms or on the tractor are older men.
Back to the walk.
I started walking at 8:45 a.m. and 3 hours later saw the sea. I figured this was about 12 km or 8 miles. But I was much more south than I wanted to be. So I kept walking through areas along the sea that during the Summer months (June, July & August) are many, many people on holiday. Now the coast is ghost town after ghost town. Very few cars. No people. It was kind of eerie being all alone with beautiful beaches to my right and vegetable gardens to my left. So some people continue living here. Just didn't see anyone. Finally after walking for 5 1/2 hours, maybe 25 km or 20 miles and seeing a sign to Carovigno 7km I decided to hitch hike. Probably the first time in my life. My feet did not want to walk any more. 3 very nice guys picked me up and drove me home.
Never got to put my feet in the sea.
Friday, October 26, 2012
video cum grano solis (from farm in San Salvatore)
Please watch and listen with volume UP
www.youtube.com
cum grano solis
This is a farm I went to with these people to get the special grain for their bread.
Maria Pia is the woman with dark skin. I lived with her.
Maria Pia is the woman with dark skin. I lived with her.
Carovigno one-liners
I sit in a bar in downtown Carovigno to get free WiFi and listen to English Rock n Roll
Franco (43) who works for Gianni did not speak one word to Gianni for 3 years. He lives with his parents. He's the olive tree climber. He's been with Gianni now for 23 yrs.
One year here in Carovigno it did not rain at all from Feb. till Dec.
Cars here last 45-50 years. In Milan they last about 5. Huge difference in humidity
All teenage boys look the same.. Skinny legs, VERY tight jeans, 3-4 inch mohawk that comes down to about 2 inches above their ears, combed straight up to the middle. Rest is almost shaved (1/2 in. or so)
What I would call 'walk ways' in and around these villages are indeed roads. And if you are walking on these 'walkways' and a car is coming, you have to get up on this very narrow stone curb. Don't dare loose your balance-you'll get your foot run over (or worse).
Many kids go to school on tourist busses. No school busses as we know them.
No peanut butter or baked beans or canned soup----anywhere
or boxed cake mixes
Two WWOOFers came back from Sicily and said there was an unbelievable amount of people
with missing fingers.
From the outside looking in, I think most Italians seem pretty unhappy. Someone is always yelling
and it's usually a woman. I never see anyone with a smile.
In church today, The men sat on the left, women on the right.
45 seconds of hot water here----then wait 30 min. for more.
EVERYTHING is closed on Sunday. (my only day off)
All teenage boys look the same.. Skinny legs, VERY tight jeans, 3-4 inch mohawk that comes down to about 2 inches above their ears, combed straight up to the middle. Rest is almost shaved (1/2 in. or so)
What I would call 'walk ways' in and around these villages are indeed roads. And if you are walking on these 'walkways' and a car is coming, you have to get up on this very narrow stone curb. Don't dare loose your balance-you'll get your foot run over (or worse).
Many kids go to school on tourist busses. No school busses as we know them.
No peanut butter or baked beans or canned soup----anywhere
or boxed cake mixes
Two WWOOFers came back from Sicily and said there was an unbelievable amount of people
with missing fingers.
From the outside looking in, I think most Italians seem pretty unhappy. Someone is always yelling
and it's usually a woman. I never see anyone with a smile.
In church today, The men sat on the left, women on the right.
45 seconds of hot water here----then wait 30 min. for more.
EVERYTHING is closed on Sunday. (my only day off)
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Day 3 at the olive farm
Wednesday Oct. 24th 2012
I hand picked olives today for 5 hours. It's a very pleasant way to spend a day. It's calming. The olives are very pretty to look at. We have 12 varieties. Some are all green. Others are half green fading into a violet hue. Some are dark red like cherries. Or purple like grapes. And of course there are the black. Today I learned one of the 4 ways to get the olives down from the trees. We do not wait till they fall and pick them off the ground. The way I learned today is to take a net, place it under the tree where you intend on getting the olives and use this comb to comb through the branches to pull the olives down on to the net. Then gather the net together and put them into the 14L bucket. #2: The baby trees I pick by hand because they are fragile and only have a few olives being it's their first harvest. A third way to get the olives is to get Franco to climb the really big trees and have him whack the olives free from their branches so they fall onto a net or have Gianni just goes around with this long stick and also whacks the branches freeing the olives to fall onto the net. The 4th way is to call Antonio. This is how you get Antonio to come and VIBRATE the olives free.
Gianni: "Hello Antonio. Can you come next Thursday to get the olives?"
Antonio: " But I have to put oil in my machine". "Call me tomorrow night".
__________ This conversation has been going on for 6 nights now._________________________
Antonio: "I'll be there after 8. (shows up at 10)
Italians do not like to work.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The reason you don't wait for the olives to fall and then pick them off the ground is: by the time they fall off the branches by themselves they are already probably too ripe(rotten). And this makes for a nasty tasting oil. And if by chance you puncture or slightly break an olive exposing the inside to air, you don't put it into the bucket. Oxidation occurs very quickly which also contributes to a bad tasting oil.
To attract a certain fly from eating the olives, a "sardine" bait is used very effectively in bottles hanging in every tree.
GROWING OLIVES IN A NON-ORGANIC WAY
Many olive farms around Gianni's have perfectly groomed grounds under the olive trees. There are NO weeds or plants of any kind. It looks pretty. Not as pretty as having fruit trees or veggies or flowers but the dirt looks very rich and clean. It is that way because the ground is treated with poison to dissuade any growth of any kind. There are no weeds. All there is, is poison in the ground that the olives eventually fall on to and get mixed in with making for a very chemical laden olive harvest. No nets to catch the olives. No person to take the olives from the branches. Just wait for the already too ripe olives to fall and get covered with the poisoned dirt. The next step of collecting the poisoned olives is something I will get to see but not until the upcoming weeks. But I was told that when they take these olives mixed with the dirt and process (press) them into oil, it is called "lamp oil". At this stage that is all it is good for---LAMPS. So they process (filter) the lamp oil to get it to look like the oil we buy in the supermarket and call it 'Extra Virgin Olive Oil". Pretty amazing. Hard to believe.
Gianni's olives are not pressed. There is a closed system the olives go through so no olives are exposed to oxygen.
I will get to see this process possibly as early as Saturday of this week.
An orange and white Tom Cat found me in the olive orchard today. He had a lot to say.
Gianni grows a specific olive that is only used for therapeutic purposes for babies. The pharmacy in town buys this olive oil from him. 2 drops in milk given to a baby for specific ailments is the cure.
I hand picked olives today for 5 hours. It's a very pleasant way to spend a day. It's calming. The olives are very pretty to look at. We have 12 varieties. Some are all green. Others are half green fading into a violet hue. Some are dark red like cherries. Or purple like grapes. And of course there are the black. Today I learned one of the 4 ways to get the olives down from the trees. We do not wait till they fall and pick them off the ground. The way I learned today is to take a net, place it under the tree where you intend on getting the olives and use this comb to comb through the branches to pull the olives down on to the net. Then gather the net together and put them into the 14L bucket. #2: The baby trees I pick by hand because they are fragile and only have a few olives being it's their first harvest. A third way to get the olives is to get Franco to climb the really big trees and have him whack the olives free from their branches so they fall onto a net or have Gianni just goes around with this long stick and also whacks the branches freeing the olives to fall onto the net. The 4th way is to call Antonio. This is how you get Antonio to come and VIBRATE the olives free.
Gianni: "Hello Antonio. Can you come next Thursday to get the olives?"
Antonio: " But I have to put oil in my machine". "Call me tomorrow night".
__________ This conversation has been going on for 6 nights now._________________________
Antonio: "I'll be there after 8. (shows up at 10)
Italians do not like to work.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The reason you don't wait for the olives to fall and then pick them off the ground is: by the time they fall off the branches by themselves they are already probably too ripe(rotten). And this makes for a nasty tasting oil. And if by chance you puncture or slightly break an olive exposing the inside to air, you don't put it into the bucket. Oxidation occurs very quickly which also contributes to a bad tasting oil.
To attract a certain fly from eating the olives, a "sardine" bait is used very effectively in bottles hanging in every tree.
GROWING OLIVES IN A NON-ORGANIC WAY
Many olive farms around Gianni's have perfectly groomed grounds under the olive trees. There are NO weeds or plants of any kind. It looks pretty. Not as pretty as having fruit trees or veggies or flowers but the dirt looks very rich and clean. It is that way because the ground is treated with poison to dissuade any growth of any kind. There are no weeds. All there is, is poison in the ground that the olives eventually fall on to and get mixed in with making for a very chemical laden olive harvest. No nets to catch the olives. No person to take the olives from the branches. Just wait for the already too ripe olives to fall and get covered with the poisoned dirt. The next step of collecting the poisoned olives is something I will get to see but not until the upcoming weeks. But I was told that when they take these olives mixed with the dirt and process (press) them into oil, it is called "lamp oil". At this stage that is all it is good for---LAMPS. So they process (filter) the lamp oil to get it to look like the oil we buy in the supermarket and call it 'Extra Virgin Olive Oil". Pretty amazing. Hard to believe.
Gianni's olives are not pressed. There is a closed system the olives go through so no olives are exposed to oxygen.
I will get to see this process possibly as early as Saturday of this week.
An orange and white Tom Cat found me in the olive orchard today. He had a lot to say.
Gianni grows a specific olive that is only used for therapeutic purposes for babies. The pharmacy in town buys this olive oil from him. 2 drops in milk given to a baby for specific ailments is the cure.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Olives
Tuesday Oct. 22 2012
I arrived by train to Puglia to the town of Carovigno on Sat. I was greeted by Gianni (73) who looked more like 60. I was introduced to my roommate, Heli from Finland (red hair, blue eyes) at the apartment I will call home for the next 7 weeks, It is right in town about 20 ride by car from the olive farm. The website there is www.ipoderidelsole.it During the Summer it is a popular vacation place with 7 individual houses for rent amidst the olive trees and many, many fruit trees and flowers.
Gianni and his wife, Grazziola are my hosts and live next door to us in town where we eat all our meals lovingly prepared by Grazziola. During the Summer months Gianni and Grazziola live in one of the houses at the farm. There are 1200+ olive trees, all grown organically and at the end of the olive oil season produce 2000-2500 liters of oil. I will never buy NON-organic olive oil again. I am learning so much about growing organically but more importantly how non-organic fruits and veggies are grown. Gianni says his neighbors with olive farms spread poison on the olives and in the ground to produce more oil from perfect olives. I started to pick the olives from the baby olive trees today and I can easily say there were next to no non-perfect olives from his trees. He has 12 varieties of olives. It is also important to have at least 100 different varieties of fruit trees and flowers amongst the olive trees to be truly organic. The good bugs eat the bad bugs and thus create a perfect organic farm. This I put very simply for a much more complex environment. I got to walk through some of the densely populated gardens to see huge sage, rosemary, morning glory, bougainvillas, roses, begonias, fig, grapefruit and on and on and on.
Yesterday, my first day of work, we laid 12Mx12M nets under the olive trees. It was physically very hard work. I started at 8 a.m. and stopped at 1:30 to be taken back to Gianni's apartment for lunch. After cleaning up the dishes we were off for the rest of the day. Today we washed the plastic bins for the olives and then started the 'picking of the olives' from the very young trees. Tomorrow we will continue picking olives. Some of the trees are 700+ years old and each have a distinctive look with their huge, twisted trunks, each unique and look like a piece of art. Beautiful.
The 5 liter can of organic extra virgin olive oil sells for $40 Euro and is shipped all over Europe-not U.S. because customs is too difficult. Gianni only puts up salted and cured olives for table use for himself only.
I arrived by train to Puglia to the town of Carovigno on Sat. I was greeted by Gianni (73) who looked more like 60. I was introduced to my roommate, Heli from Finland (red hair, blue eyes) at the apartment I will call home for the next 7 weeks, It is right in town about 20 ride by car from the olive farm. The website there is www.ipoderidelsole.it During the Summer it is a popular vacation place with 7 individual houses for rent amidst the olive trees and many, many fruit trees and flowers.
Gianni and his wife, Grazziola are my hosts and live next door to us in town where we eat all our meals lovingly prepared by Grazziola. During the Summer months Gianni and Grazziola live in one of the houses at the farm. There are 1200+ olive trees, all grown organically and at the end of the olive oil season produce 2000-2500 liters of oil. I will never buy NON-organic olive oil again. I am learning so much about growing organically but more importantly how non-organic fruits and veggies are grown. Gianni says his neighbors with olive farms spread poison on the olives and in the ground to produce more oil from perfect olives. I started to pick the olives from the baby olive trees today and I can easily say there were next to no non-perfect olives from his trees. He has 12 varieties of olives. It is also important to have at least 100 different varieties of fruit trees and flowers amongst the olive trees to be truly organic. The good bugs eat the bad bugs and thus create a perfect organic farm. This I put very simply for a much more complex environment. I got to walk through some of the densely populated gardens to see huge sage, rosemary, morning glory, bougainvillas, roses, begonias, fig, grapefruit and on and on and on.
Yesterday, my first day of work, we laid 12Mx12M nets under the olive trees. It was physically very hard work. I started at 8 a.m. and stopped at 1:30 to be taken back to Gianni's apartment for lunch. After cleaning up the dishes we were off for the rest of the day. Today we washed the plastic bins for the olives and then started the 'picking of the olives' from the very young trees. Tomorrow we will continue picking olives. Some of the trees are 700+ years old and each have a distinctive look with their huge, twisted trunks, each unique and look like a piece of art. Beautiful.
The 5 liter can of organic extra virgin olive oil sells for $40 Euro and is shipped all over Europe-not U.S. because customs is too difficult. Gianni only puts up salted and cured olives for table use for himself only.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
MY WILD KITTIES
MY LAST FULL DAY IN SAN SALVATORE
Yes, they are MY kitties. When I first got here that first day I heard the little gray kitty crying, crying, crying. So I asked about the cats that lived here. All 3 WWOOFers who were here then said "yes ,we have 3 cats, one is laying somewhere probably dead by now". I was so shocked. I had to find him and the other one. The cat they were talking about was almost completely white with a little black and he was lying down and would not let me come close. What I could see was two big spots in his fur that were raw from his near constant licking. And then there was the little girl. So petite and also mostly white with a little brown on her. I immediately started to refer to the gray kitten as 'screamer' because he talked so much. I named him that after my friend Val's 20+yr. old siamese (who's gone now). His name was screamer for the same reason; always talking.
So no one seemed to care about these cats. They do feed them dry food once a day. Well, from that first day here I took it upon myself to be the feeder of the animals. This included the chickens in the chicken house. They are not allowed to roam freely because they would probably eat everything in the garden because there is no fencing around it. Being the first one up in the morning, I would go to feed the chickens one dish of grain and the bucket of food scraps which was their favorite. Part of the feeding was looking inside a smaller dwelling inside the chicken house for eggs. Bingo! Fresh eggs for the cats. So there started the healing process for "Boy Boy" the cat with the horrible skin condition, "girly girl" the timid but eventually ever so loving little white/brown girl and "screamer". All 3 had that goopy eye condition coupled with occasional coughing and sneezing.
When I gave them their first egg, they acted like they hadn't eaten anything in a very long time. They devoured it and came to me looking for more. It's been 7 weeks of hiding eggs, stealing pieces of cheese, even once I took a can of tuna for them, and yes going to the store and buying them an occasional can of cat food which they all love. I even had to lie once to M.P. when she asked about the 3 eggs (now 2) on the counter. I said that I liked to mix one with milk and drink it. Anything for these sick, starving cats.
Screamer now lets me pick him up. He purrs and falls asleep in my arms. His eyes are clear. Girly girl loves to be petted as much as possible but does not like to be picked up. Boy Boy's skin is totally cleared up, fur grown back, eyes clear and runs and plays with the other 2. They are all getting big.
After I feed them in the morning I call them to come with me to the garden for play time.
They run and chase each other up and down the trees. Screamer likes to get on top of the chicken house and look over the edge at the chickens. They are all so sweet and they always come to me when I call them.
I know after I leave they will not get the care they need but for as long as I was here I did the right thing and took care of MY kitties the best I could.
Yes, they are MY kitties. When I first got here that first day I heard the little gray kitty crying, crying, crying. So I asked about the cats that lived here. All 3 WWOOFers who were here then said "yes ,we have 3 cats, one is laying somewhere probably dead by now". I was so shocked. I had to find him and the other one. The cat they were talking about was almost completely white with a little black and he was lying down and would not let me come close. What I could see was two big spots in his fur that were raw from his near constant licking. And then there was the little girl. So petite and also mostly white with a little brown on her. I immediately started to refer to the gray kitten as 'screamer' because he talked so much. I named him that after my friend Val's 20+yr. old siamese (who's gone now). His name was screamer for the same reason; always talking.
So no one seemed to care about these cats. They do feed them dry food once a day. Well, from that first day here I took it upon myself to be the feeder of the animals. This included the chickens in the chicken house. They are not allowed to roam freely because they would probably eat everything in the garden because there is no fencing around it. Being the first one up in the morning, I would go to feed the chickens one dish of grain and the bucket of food scraps which was their favorite. Part of the feeding was looking inside a smaller dwelling inside the chicken house for eggs. Bingo! Fresh eggs for the cats. So there started the healing process for "Boy Boy" the cat with the horrible skin condition, "girly girl" the timid but eventually ever so loving little white/brown girl and "screamer". All 3 had that goopy eye condition coupled with occasional coughing and sneezing.
When I gave them their first egg, they acted like they hadn't eaten anything in a very long time. They devoured it and came to me looking for more. It's been 7 weeks of hiding eggs, stealing pieces of cheese, even once I took a can of tuna for them, and yes going to the store and buying them an occasional can of cat food which they all love. I even had to lie once to M.P. when she asked about the 3 eggs (now 2) on the counter. I said that I liked to mix one with milk and drink it. Anything for these sick, starving cats.
Screamer now lets me pick him up. He purrs and falls asleep in my arms. His eyes are clear. Girly girl loves to be petted as much as possible but does not like to be picked up. Boy Boy's skin is totally cleared up, fur grown back, eyes clear and runs and plays with the other 2. They are all getting big.
After I feed them in the morning I call them to come with me to the garden for play time.
They run and chase each other up and down the trees. Screamer likes to get on top of the chicken house and look over the edge at the chickens. They are all so sweet and they always come to me when I call them.
I know after I leave they will not get the care they need but for as long as I was here I did the right thing and took care of MY kitties the best I could.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Telese market and whole grain wheat
Saturday Oct. 13th
Today I rode the "one speed" to the market in Telese for the first time. The market happens every Saturday but this is the first time I've gone. I received an email from my next farm saying I need to bring rubber boots. The market is the best place to find almost anything. So I rode in and was taken by surprise when I saw how enormous it was being that Telese is a relatively small town. There were 3 merchants just for fresh fish. Many for fruits and veggies. Several for cheese and salumi. But it's the tables of piles of clothes that amaze me. Each table has a price stating what each piece costs. It's either 1 Euro or 2 or 3 up to 10 Euro. But I had to find boots and disregard all this amazing stuff for very little cost. I did have to stop at one tables though and found a sweater, zip front, 80% wool with leather patches on elbows and a high neck. It would feel good on me when it gets a little chilly. But it was 4 Euro and I probably wouldn't have room for it. Most everything is new; some used.
A pizza truck would do really well here for the 5 hours of the market. They close off at least 2 roads completely for everyone to set up. Shoes! Lots of shoes and socks and underwear and kitchen wares and winter coats and leather bags. I found the perfect rubber boots-new- for 10Euro. But I had to have them and I really don't have time to shop around being I'm leaving next Saturday. I bought 2 really large golden delicious apples for .50cents. That was breakfast. Home I went on the one speed with my bag of boots hanging from the handle bar.
WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT GROWN FROM SEEDS THAT WERE NEVER MODIFIED
Maria Pia is a member of a small group of professionals who are constantly seeking out organic and NON genetically modified foods to either grow or just eat.
So 3 cars of these people met to go to a farm in Benevento owned by Rocco's parents who, on their land, grew this sought after grain which was just cut and the wheat kernels removed and put on plastic in the barn. We all got there and scooped the whole grain into sacks each weighing about 40-50Kg each (around 80+lb). The farm owned by Rocco's parents, Luigi (85) and Angela (75) was perfectly clean and very much in order with no clutter or anything out of place. Angela's newly planted garden (Winter garden) was very large. I'm guessing about 1/3 acre with an occasional olive tree here and there. There was not ONE single weed in that garden! It was amazing to see how this tiny little woman of 75 could manage such a place. Her husband, Luigi I'm sure was of no help being he walked with much difficulty and a cane. I wish I had my camera. He looks like a very typical old Italian man with a kind of constant smirk on his face. More like a grin. Very happy looking man with a hat.
The view from the house was spectacular looking out over the huge Benevento valley with all the farms in brown and green patchwork and the mountains all around.
After loading a total of about 750Kg (about 1700 lb.) of wheat into the cars we went into the house for beer and cookies.
Today I rode the "one speed" to the market in Telese for the first time. The market happens every Saturday but this is the first time I've gone. I received an email from my next farm saying I need to bring rubber boots. The market is the best place to find almost anything. So I rode in and was taken by surprise when I saw how enormous it was being that Telese is a relatively small town. There were 3 merchants just for fresh fish. Many for fruits and veggies. Several for cheese and salumi. But it's the tables of piles of clothes that amaze me. Each table has a price stating what each piece costs. It's either 1 Euro or 2 or 3 up to 10 Euro. But I had to find boots and disregard all this amazing stuff for very little cost. I did have to stop at one tables though and found a sweater, zip front, 80% wool with leather patches on elbows and a high neck. It would feel good on me when it gets a little chilly. But it was 4 Euro and I probably wouldn't have room for it. Most everything is new; some used.
A pizza truck would do really well here for the 5 hours of the market. They close off at least 2 roads completely for everyone to set up. Shoes! Lots of shoes and socks and underwear and kitchen wares and winter coats and leather bags. I found the perfect rubber boots-new- for 10Euro. But I had to have them and I really don't have time to shop around being I'm leaving next Saturday. I bought 2 really large golden delicious apples for .50cents. That was breakfast. Home I went on the one speed with my bag of boots hanging from the handle bar.
WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT GROWN FROM SEEDS THAT WERE NEVER MODIFIED
Maria Pia is a member of a small group of professionals who are constantly seeking out organic and NON genetically modified foods to either grow or just eat.
So 3 cars of these people met to go to a farm in Benevento owned by Rocco's parents who, on their land, grew this sought after grain which was just cut and the wheat kernels removed and put on plastic in the barn. We all got there and scooped the whole grain into sacks each weighing about 40-50Kg each (around 80+lb). The farm owned by Rocco's parents, Luigi (85) and Angela (75) was perfectly clean and very much in order with no clutter or anything out of place. Angela's newly planted garden (Winter garden) was very large. I'm guessing about 1/3 acre with an occasional olive tree here and there. There was not ONE single weed in that garden! It was amazing to see how this tiny little woman of 75 could manage such a place. Her husband, Luigi I'm sure was of no help being he walked with much difficulty and a cane. I wish I had my camera. He looks like a very typical old Italian man with a kind of constant smirk on his face. More like a grin. Very happy looking man with a hat.
The view from the house was spectacular looking out over the huge Benevento valley with all the farms in brown and green patchwork and the mountains all around.
After loading a total of about 750Kg (about 1700 lb.) of wheat into the cars we went into the house for beer and cookies.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
The New Zealanders and 10 days till the exodus
The New Zealanders left this morning. They've been here for 9 days. Kate (24) and Matt (26) arrived here from spending a week in Sicily on vacation. They've been gone from home for 6 months. And they will be returning home in another month after WWOOFing in Rome for a week, another farm for 2 weeks and one week in Bath England with Kate's grandmother. I think they spent almost 3 months vacationing all around Europe and 4 months WWOOFing.
When they arrived here last week, Kate said she wanted to leave the very next day. This place was just too rough for what she was used to. But they stuck it out until last night when Maria Pia had words with Matt about Kate and this morning they told her they were leaving right away. So for the next 10 days until I leave for Puglia I have to be alone and eat supper with Maria Pia. Italo doesn't eat supper. Things are very awkward here because the same day that I leave (Oct. 20th) she herself will be leaving. Just when I was having some fun. Listening to the New Zealanders talk was hilarious. We laughed so much. Maria Pia didn't like it. Tomorrow we will be planting strawberries to harvest in March. We've been very busy pulling up many plants and planting more. Right now we have sooo much lettuces and leek and peppers and broccoli and cabbage and the corn is just starting to be ripe. The gardens are very beautiful right now. The nights are getting cooler and the days are still quite hot. And now she's leaving without a plan of when she'll return. I don't know who will take care of the cats (My cats). Italo doesn't like pets. He'll feed the chickens only to get eggs and to eat them (the chickens) one day. The day I went to Naples, they killed 6 chickens to sell and put in their freezer. On Sat. they'll kill 2 more. I'll leave for the day. If this was the start of my 7 weeks here, I'm sure I'd be looking to transfer to another farm real soon. Many things I just don't like. It's a challenge every day to NOT piss her off. And it's a challenge to get Italo to smile. These 2 are pretty miserable people. Looking forward to going to Puglia and back to the coast. Hoping the next couple does not have issues.
After Puglia, it's Christmas in Sicily.
When they arrived here last week, Kate said she wanted to leave the very next day. This place was just too rough for what she was used to. But they stuck it out until last night when Maria Pia had words with Matt about Kate and this morning they told her they were leaving right away. So for the next 10 days until I leave for Puglia I have to be alone and eat supper with Maria Pia. Italo doesn't eat supper. Things are very awkward here because the same day that I leave (Oct. 20th) she herself will be leaving. Just when I was having some fun. Listening to the New Zealanders talk was hilarious. We laughed so much. Maria Pia didn't like it. Tomorrow we will be planting strawberries to harvest in March. We've been very busy pulling up many plants and planting more. Right now we have sooo much lettuces and leek and peppers and broccoli and cabbage and the corn is just starting to be ripe. The gardens are very beautiful right now. The nights are getting cooler and the days are still quite hot. And now she's leaving without a plan of when she'll return. I don't know who will take care of the cats (My cats). Italo doesn't like pets. He'll feed the chickens only to get eggs and to eat them (the chickens) one day. The day I went to Naples, they killed 6 chickens to sell and put in their freezer. On Sat. they'll kill 2 more. I'll leave for the day. If this was the start of my 7 weeks here, I'm sure I'd be looking to transfer to another farm real soon. Many things I just don't like. It's a challenge every day to NOT piss her off. And it's a challenge to get Italo to smile. These 2 are pretty miserable people. Looking forward to going to Puglia and back to the coast. Hoping the next couple does not have issues.
After Puglia, it's Christmas in Sicily.
NAPLES
MONDAY OCT. 8TH
I, with the New Zealanders, Matt and Kate got on an early train to Naples for a day of exploration. I knew Naples was an intimidating and very dirty city but I'd heard there were many nice parts too.
We decided after going through the guide book a few times that we wanted to go the the Royal Palace down by the waterfront. It was an 18th century palace with some beautiful artwork inside and an amazing architectural feat of marble and stone. The intricacies in the sculpturing was not unlike many others I have seen in Italy. We were almost the only ones visiting the palace that day. The architecture was so much like that of the castle I was at in Battaglia only this was of course on a much larger scale. I like seeing these kinds of places but find that I couldn't wait to get back outside to see more of the real city of Naples. The streets were narrow and the alleyways between the buildings were so narrow that a tiny car could barely fit. But still some did. The city (old part) was so full of scooters with their crazy drivers that it was very stressful trying to walk some of the streets while dodging the scooters flying by and getting so close, I don't know why I didn't witness at least one accident. We had to have a piece of pizza at one of the street venders. I mean Napolitan pizza is infamous. At least that's what I've read. It was by my taste the perfect pizza with the very thin crust. A popular flavor here is ham and peas or ham and mushroom. It was very, very good. After enjoying our 1st piece of pizza we headed to Dante's Plaza. It's a popular place for students probably because of the many, many used book shops there. The University of Naples has parts all over the city and the cost to go there remains quite affordable at about 1,500 Euro/yr. plus the cost of books. Maria Pia attended to get her PHD in Philosophy many years ago when the only cost was for books and a place to live-no dorms.
From the Dante Plaza we went to the DUOMO which like most of the churches I've seen is just over the top beautiful, huge and very ornately decorated with artwork being very exquisite.
By this time we had to find our way back to the train station to catch the 6 p.m. train back to Telese. I really liked the city of Naples and would return to see more. But it's not one of my top 10.
I, with the New Zealanders, Matt and Kate got on an early train to Naples for a day of exploration. I knew Naples was an intimidating and very dirty city but I'd heard there were many nice parts too.
We decided after going through the guide book a few times that we wanted to go the the Royal Palace down by the waterfront. It was an 18th century palace with some beautiful artwork inside and an amazing architectural feat of marble and stone. The intricacies in the sculpturing was not unlike many others I have seen in Italy. We were almost the only ones visiting the palace that day. The architecture was so much like that of the castle I was at in Battaglia only this was of course on a much larger scale. I like seeing these kinds of places but find that I couldn't wait to get back outside to see more of the real city of Naples. The streets were narrow and the alleyways between the buildings were so narrow that a tiny car could barely fit. But still some did. The city (old part) was so full of scooters with their crazy drivers that it was very stressful trying to walk some of the streets while dodging the scooters flying by and getting so close, I don't know why I didn't witness at least one accident. We had to have a piece of pizza at one of the street venders. I mean Napolitan pizza is infamous. At least that's what I've read. It was by my taste the perfect pizza with the very thin crust. A popular flavor here is ham and peas or ham and mushroom. It was very, very good. After enjoying our 1st piece of pizza we headed to Dante's Plaza. It's a popular place for students probably because of the many, many used book shops there. The University of Naples has parts all over the city and the cost to go there remains quite affordable at about 1,500 Euro/yr. plus the cost of books. Maria Pia attended to get her PHD in Philosophy many years ago when the only cost was for books and a place to live-no dorms.
From the Dante Plaza we went to the DUOMO which like most of the churches I've seen is just over the top beautiful, huge and very ornately decorated with artwork being very exquisite.
By this time we had to find our way back to the train station to catch the 6 p.m. train back to Telese. I really liked the city of Naples and would return to see more. But it's not one of my top 10.
Fungi Fest
October 6th Saturday
There were posters everywhere as far down as Naples for the infamous "Fungi Fest" or more specifically the Porcini Festival. Apparently many years ago there were so many porcini mushrooms growing in and around the mountainside village of Cusano that it warranted having an annual festival for the local people. But for the past 20 years or so the popularity of this festival grew so rapidly that (apparently) now they have to import porcinis from Yugoslavia selling them off to visitors who remain unaware of their origin. Maria Pia will never go to such a festival. But the 3 of us WWOOFers HAD to go. Being up into the mountains and about 25 Km away and having only a 'one' speed bike, riding there was out of the question. So we asked if we could take the car. The New Zealanders (Kate and Matt) were only familiar with driving on the left so I drove Maria Pia's car; a little opal 5 speed manual. As soon as we got in the car and drove away we had such a good feeling of freedom! We were out! And on our way to the very beautiful town of CUSANO. We had to drive through the town of Casserta first; also very nice. The New Zealanders are now at a very low budget time of their trip being away now for 6 months. So saving any money today was very important.
First we had to find the location of the fest so as to find a free parking spot. So here I was driving this little 5 speed after not driving at all for 12 weeks in an unfamiliar town in the mountains on narrow streets with the crazy Italian drivers.
I took a turn off the main road once in the town of Cusano thinking it would take us to the top of the old part of town. In getting there we passed a group of people sitting outside their home and they all shouted at us, waving their arms. We thought they were just partying but what we soon realized was I was driving up a one-way street going the wrong way of course. So back down and up another alleyway even narrower than the first. As we were climbing and climbing up the road continued to get more narrow and so steep I didn't think the little car could do it. So we asked some people standing there watching these crazy, unaware foreigners if we could drive up here. "NO, it's just a walkway". There was no way to turn around because the road had deep gullies on both sides for water drainage I think. So I had to back down all the way to the beginning. Quite hairy I must admit. But I did it!
In all this driving around we did see that the festival was being held in the old town on top of the mountain. So I parked for free at the base and hiked up to the top of the town.
It was only 4pm and not much was going on-very, very few people. I guess they were all home still napping.
But as time went on and things started to open, many, many more people came and we got lots of free samples of food. Fresh porcinis were for sale for about $10/lb. Not sure about the dried.
We split a cheese and porcini pizza and some arancini. (stuffed rice balls with porcini and cheese)
very good. By the time we walked as much as we could, seeing everything at least twice, it was about 9 p.m.-we're ready to leave and the place is really just started to get hopping. But I had to find my way home in the dark, Got lost once or twice but all in all was a real nice day-good food-and good friends.
There were posters everywhere as far down as Naples for the infamous "Fungi Fest" or more specifically the Porcini Festival. Apparently many years ago there were so many porcini mushrooms growing in and around the mountainside village of Cusano that it warranted having an annual festival for the local people. But for the past 20 years or so the popularity of this festival grew so rapidly that (apparently) now they have to import porcinis from Yugoslavia selling them off to visitors who remain unaware of their origin. Maria Pia will never go to such a festival. But the 3 of us WWOOFers HAD to go. Being up into the mountains and about 25 Km away and having only a 'one' speed bike, riding there was out of the question. So we asked if we could take the car. The New Zealanders (Kate and Matt) were only familiar with driving on the left so I drove Maria Pia's car; a little opal 5 speed manual. As soon as we got in the car and drove away we had such a good feeling of freedom! We were out! And on our way to the very beautiful town of CUSANO. We had to drive through the town of Casserta first; also very nice. The New Zealanders are now at a very low budget time of their trip being away now for 6 months. So saving any money today was very important.
First we had to find the location of the fest so as to find a free parking spot. So here I was driving this little 5 speed after not driving at all for 12 weeks in an unfamiliar town in the mountains on narrow streets with the crazy Italian drivers.
I took a turn off the main road once in the town of Cusano thinking it would take us to the top of the old part of town. In getting there we passed a group of people sitting outside their home and they all shouted at us, waving their arms. We thought they were just partying but what we soon realized was I was driving up a one-way street going the wrong way of course. So back down and up another alleyway even narrower than the first. As we were climbing and climbing up the road continued to get more narrow and so steep I didn't think the little car could do it. So we asked some people standing there watching these crazy, unaware foreigners if we could drive up here. "NO, it's just a walkway". There was no way to turn around because the road had deep gullies on both sides for water drainage I think. So I had to back down all the way to the beginning. Quite hairy I must admit. But I did it!
In all this driving around we did see that the festival was being held in the old town on top of the mountain. So I parked for free at the base and hiked up to the top of the town.
It was only 4pm and not much was going on-very, very few people. I guess they were all home still napping.
But as time went on and things started to open, many, many more people came and we got lots of free samples of food. Fresh porcinis were for sale for about $10/lb. Not sure about the dried.
We split a cheese and porcini pizza and some arancini. (stuffed rice balls with porcini and cheese)
very good. By the time we walked as much as we could, seeing everything at least twice, it was about 9 p.m.-we're ready to leave and the place is really just started to get hopping. But I had to find my way home in the dark, Got lost once or twice but all in all was a real nice day-good food-and good friends.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
ongoing cumulative one-liners of this and that
SOME FUNNY OBSERVATIONS SOME JUST OBSERVATIONS SAN SALVATORE
No one but no one-no matter the age, young or old, stops at a STOP SIGN.....anywhere...EVER
3 things I wish I brought: skin-so-soft (mosquitos) and oxy clean (to soak stains off clothes)
And a flashlight. With batteries. The one you wear around your forehead.
If the washing machine is not stuffed so full you can't even fit another sock in it-don't start the wash
Every evening the supper is centered around BREAD and what you can put on it
There are AT LEAST 7 recyclable containers at all times...each having a different purpose
We don't eat butter because we don't know what that cow ate that gave that milk
(but smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day is ok)
Only feed the cats once a day so they get hungry enough to catch and eat some geckos
You don't have to be hooked up to cable tv to have to pay for it. Just having a tv warrants paying
CACHI a fruit falling from trees everywhere. English name.....................PERSIMMON
Another fruit that people have a lot of and are giving too much to us of.................QUINCE
Quince butter: after cooking the inedible raw fruit for a long time-It's one of the best things I've
ever tasted.
Many trees full of them now-everywhere-free-so I make juice.........................POMEGRANATES
All children attend school Mon. thru Sat. (yes Saturday)
If you sell your house in the "Red Zone"; area around Vesuvius in Naples, the government will
give you about 40,000 Euro (about $60,000 U.S.) just to get out of there. Vesuvius is always
bubbling and ready to blow! So people sell their houses to their friends. Gov't never checks
Grassano Park about 1 km from here-beautiful-ice cold, crystal clear river from mountain-
always around 40 deg. even in 100 deg. of Summer-there lives many BEAVER RATS!
Look just like a beaver in water-with a rat tail-and bright reddish orange beaver teeth.
Cute
No one has a clothes dryer. Sometimes it takes 3 days for your clothes to dry outside.
Concetta (Francesco's wife) doesn't go out very much. She always says she has to wash her
baby-Fabio(5). "Francesco, where is Concetta?" "Washing the baby". Too funny
You order a prosciutto cotto panini, you get a very fresh roll with ONE slice of meat-that's it!
No mayo, no lettuce or cheese or pickle. I went to the store and got just enough meat, cheese,
rolls and olive mix to put together 2 paninis. Gave one to MAX (12 and always hungry)
All he could say was:
WOOOOOOWWWW!! THANKS!!! He'd never eaten or seen a grinder before.
When I, on the one speed, approach a certain house on the way to Telese, 4 little, tiny dogs
see me coming. They crouch down so I can hardly see them, then as I go by, come racing
out at me barking like crazy. I almost ran one over (by accident). It's right near the 2000 yr.
old Roman spa that is so overgrown with trees and plants you can hardly see what it used to be.
As soon as I empty the water dish in the chicken house each morning, the duck who lives with the chickens goes and drinks the very dirty, muddy water and the rooster stands in the clean water.
For more one-liners, go to the Carovigno One-liners
No one but no one-no matter the age, young or old, stops at a STOP SIGN.....anywhere...EVER
3 things I wish I brought: skin-so-soft (mosquitos) and oxy clean (to soak stains off clothes)
And a flashlight. With batteries. The one you wear around your forehead.
If the washing machine is not stuffed so full you can't even fit another sock in it-don't start the wash
Every evening the supper is centered around BREAD and what you can put on it
There are AT LEAST 7 recyclable containers at all times...each having a different purpose
We don't eat butter because we don't know what that cow ate that gave that milk
(but smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day is ok)
Only feed the cats once a day so they get hungry enough to catch and eat some geckos
You don't have to be hooked up to cable tv to have to pay for it. Just having a tv warrants paying
CACHI a fruit falling from trees everywhere. English name.....................PERSIMMON
Another fruit that people have a lot of and are giving too much to us of.................QUINCE
Quince butter: after cooking the inedible raw fruit for a long time-It's one of the best things I've
ever tasted.
Many trees full of them now-everywhere-free-so I make juice.........................POMEGRANATES
All children attend school Mon. thru Sat. (yes Saturday)
If you sell your house in the "Red Zone"; area around Vesuvius in Naples, the government will
give you about 40,000 Euro (about $60,000 U.S.) just to get out of there. Vesuvius is always
bubbling and ready to blow! So people sell their houses to their friends. Gov't never checks
Grassano Park about 1 km from here-beautiful-ice cold, crystal clear river from mountain-
always around 40 deg. even in 100 deg. of Summer-there lives many BEAVER RATS!
Look just like a beaver in water-with a rat tail-and bright reddish orange beaver teeth.
Cute
No one has a clothes dryer. Sometimes it takes 3 days for your clothes to dry outside.
Concetta (Francesco's wife) doesn't go out very much. She always says she has to wash her
baby-Fabio(5). "Francesco, where is Concetta?" "Washing the baby". Too funny
You order a prosciutto cotto panini, you get a very fresh roll with ONE slice of meat-that's it!
No mayo, no lettuce or cheese or pickle. I went to the store and got just enough meat, cheese,
rolls and olive mix to put together 2 paninis. Gave one to MAX (12 and always hungry)
All he could say was:
WOOOOOOWWWW!! THANKS!!! He'd never eaten or seen a grinder before.
When I, on the one speed, approach a certain house on the way to Telese, 4 little, tiny dogs
see me coming. They crouch down so I can hardly see them, then as I go by, come racing
out at me barking like crazy. I almost ran one over (by accident). It's right near the 2000 yr.
old Roman spa that is so overgrown with trees and plants you can hardly see what it used to be.
As soon as I empty the water dish in the chicken house each morning, the duck who lives with the chickens goes and drinks the very dirty, muddy water and the rooster stands in the clean water.
For more one-liners, go to the Carovigno One-liners
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Many, Many, Many jars of sugo
Sept. 26th 2012
We received 7 bins of Roma tomatoes the other day. I don't know if we traded stuff for them or what but they just appeared and I was told on Tuesday at 3 p.m. we would start making sauce (sugo) and peeled tomatoes. This is not something I would think to START in the afternoon as late as 3. So Maria Pia started cleaning the tomatoes after Italo sorted the "perfect for peeling" from the the not so perfect for sauce. What we do is after cutting up the tomatoes (in half) and cooking them, we put them through this machine that separates the pulp from the skin and seeds. Just exactly like the machine Dora used in Battaglia. Only this machine here was much newer with some plastic parts. The older one in Battaglia was all metal. The sauce comes out perfectly smooth in just the right consistency for pouring into the jars. Then we fill the 1 liter jars 1/4 full with sauce. Meanwhile Italo is putting a large amount of the 'perfect' tomatoes into the biggest pot of boiling water you could imagine. The pot covered the whole cooktop of our stove. Then after they boiled for a few minutes he scooped them out and put them into the two sinks filled with cold water. Then I had to removed the skins which came off quite easily. these peeled tomatoes is what went into the 1/4 filled jars. Caps were put on tightly and when done put into more really big pots to boil for about an hour with towels securing them in place so they couldn't move After many hours of back breaking work and wet from head to toe, we were done. This is not something I'd want to do again. At least not right away.
We ended up with 132 liters (quarts) of SUGO!! Many will be sold. Rest for the family.
Also a carefully measured amount of salt was added.
We received 7 bins of Roma tomatoes the other day. I don't know if we traded stuff for them or what but they just appeared and I was told on Tuesday at 3 p.m. we would start making sauce (sugo) and peeled tomatoes. This is not something I would think to START in the afternoon as late as 3. So Maria Pia started cleaning the tomatoes after Italo sorted the "perfect for peeling" from the the not so perfect for sauce. What we do is after cutting up the tomatoes (in half) and cooking them, we put them through this machine that separates the pulp from the skin and seeds. Just exactly like the machine Dora used in Battaglia. Only this machine here was much newer with some plastic parts. The older one in Battaglia was all metal. The sauce comes out perfectly smooth in just the right consistency for pouring into the jars. Then we fill the 1 liter jars 1/4 full with sauce. Meanwhile Italo is putting a large amount of the 'perfect' tomatoes into the biggest pot of boiling water you could imagine. The pot covered the whole cooktop of our stove. Then after they boiled for a few minutes he scooped them out and put them into the two sinks filled with cold water. Then I had to removed the skins which came off quite easily. these peeled tomatoes is what went into the 1/4 filled jars. Caps were put on tightly and when done put into more really big pots to boil for about an hour with towels securing them in place so they couldn't move After many hours of back breaking work and wet from head to toe, we were done. This is not something I'd want to do again. At least not right away.
We ended up with 132 liters (quarts) of SUGO!! Many will be sold. Rest for the family.
Also a carefully measured amount of salt was added.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Picking of the grapes
September 22nd 2012
Francesco and his wife (Concerta), son Fabio(5) and daughter Allisia(8) are friends of Maria Pia and live down the road a bit on a farm with grapes. Concerta's mom, Maria (72) lives with them and is from Sardinia. Francesco's parents live next door to them.
So I went to help with the grape harvest. They have about 1200 vines. Several friends and family showed up early to help. It was easy enough to use clippers and cut each bunch off the vine and put them in a blue colored plastic bin. Each bin ends up weighing about 75 lbs. (35 Kilo). Then when there were about 20 or so bins filled, I got to drive the tractor while Francesco and Jonathan lifted and emptied each bin into the trailer and brought back to the house for emptying into a larger trailer and driven to Solopaca to be made into wine.
Meanwhile back at the house the moms made lunch for everyone. And by 1 p.m. we were very ready to take a much needed break and to eat. We did get served espresso and an unsweetened little baked good from Concerta after about the first hour picking. The name of this very popular crunchy bread is TARALLI. It's shaped into a circle and tastea like nothing more than bread. Nice.
The first trip with grapes to Solopaca weighed in at about 3200Kilos or about 7000 lbs. of grapes.
We all sat down at one long table in Francesco's parents house and were served pasta with tuna and black olives in sauce. After looking around I thought that this was all we were having for lunch . Jonathan ate his normal DOUBLE helping also thinking that this was lunch. Then they brought out the casserole dishes of eggplant and peppers, broccoli rabe and fried peppers and baskets of bread (and wine of course). And then they took my bowl and filled it with fried potatoes and sausages. By the time I was done all I wanted to do was take a nap. It was all very tasty but way too much food for one meal. I laid down in the grass for about 20 minutes before heading back to cut more grapes. By the time we were all finished, I couldn't wait to get back on my bike, ride home, take a much needed shower and get a second wind.
But before finishing with the grapes, shortly after we started back after lunch, Francesco's uncle, Michael, started singing! I thought "This day just can't get any better!". He and I were partners in picking so he was right next to me singing in Italian with a voice that should be recorded. His singing made my aching back not matter so much.
And then to top it all off, Francesco announced that he was taking me and Jonathan out for pizza for supper. We went to another amazing town of Cerrato. Must go back in daylight hours. Really beautiful even in the dark. The pizza was made (of course) in a wood fired oven off to the side as part of the dining room. Place was packed. Pizza was awesome!
All together we picked about 7000 lbs. of grapes
Another wonderful day of hard work, charming people and delicious food.
Porcini festival in the town of Cusano all next week. Must find a way to get there.
Francesco and his wife (Concerta), son Fabio(5) and daughter Allisia(8) are friends of Maria Pia and live down the road a bit on a farm with grapes. Concerta's mom, Maria (72) lives with them and is from Sardinia. Francesco's parents live next door to them.
So I went to help with the grape harvest. They have about 1200 vines. Several friends and family showed up early to help. It was easy enough to use clippers and cut each bunch off the vine and put them in a blue colored plastic bin. Each bin ends up weighing about 75 lbs. (35 Kilo). Then when there were about 20 or so bins filled, I got to drive the tractor while Francesco and Jonathan lifted and emptied each bin into the trailer and brought back to the house for emptying into a larger trailer and driven to Solopaca to be made into wine.
Meanwhile back at the house the moms made lunch for everyone. And by 1 p.m. we were very ready to take a much needed break and to eat. We did get served espresso and an unsweetened little baked good from Concerta after about the first hour picking. The name of this very popular crunchy bread is TARALLI. It's shaped into a circle and tastea like nothing more than bread. Nice.
The first trip with grapes to Solopaca weighed in at about 3200Kilos or about 7000 lbs. of grapes.
We all sat down at one long table in Francesco's parents house and were served pasta with tuna and black olives in sauce. After looking around I thought that this was all we were having for lunch . Jonathan ate his normal DOUBLE helping also thinking that this was lunch. Then they brought out the casserole dishes of eggplant and peppers, broccoli rabe and fried peppers and baskets of bread (and wine of course). And then they took my bowl and filled it with fried potatoes and sausages. By the time I was done all I wanted to do was take a nap. It was all very tasty but way too much food for one meal. I laid down in the grass for about 20 minutes before heading back to cut more grapes. By the time we were all finished, I couldn't wait to get back on my bike, ride home, take a much needed shower and get a second wind.
But before finishing with the grapes, shortly after we started back after lunch, Francesco's uncle, Michael, started singing! I thought "This day just can't get any better!". He and I were partners in picking so he was right next to me singing in Italian with a voice that should be recorded. His singing made my aching back not matter so much.
And then to top it all off, Francesco announced that he was taking me and Jonathan out for pizza for supper. We went to another amazing town of Cerrato. Must go back in daylight hours. Really beautiful even in the dark. The pizza was made (of course) in a wood fired oven off to the side as part of the dining room. Place was packed. Pizza was awesome!
All together we picked about 7000 lbs. of grapes
Another wonderful day of hard work, charming people and delicious food.
Porcini festival in the town of Cusano all next week. Must find a way to get there.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Hair Salon Tuesday Sept. 18th
Nine weeks of hair growth, all white, and I just had to get back to being a brunette. Maria Pia took me to her favorite place in Telese. She was staying to have her hair done too. When her friend Sylvio heard we were going, he said he wanted to go too. We had an appointment. He just walked in, got right in and said he was staying to 'gossip'. We were there 2 1/2 hrs. and he stayed long after his minimal hair was washed and trimmed. He knew everyone and everyone was pleased to see him and talk.
I had a total of 4 guys work on my hair. First one put the color in and waited. The second one washed, messaged and messaged some more, conditioned and rinsed and messaged more. It was wonderful. The person washing your hair stands behind you as you lay back with head in sink. So much easier than standing over you and washing. Then the owner who was 1 of 2 who did all the hair cutting in the whole place came and cut my hair a few inches shorter than it was. Then the guy who does all the blow drying came and did that. 2 1/2 hrs. later I left with brown hair again and looking quite nice. It cost 1/3 the price for the same thing done in Ct. I was pleased.
I had a total of 4 guys work on my hair. First one put the color in and waited. The second one washed, messaged and messaged some more, conditioned and rinsed and messaged more. It was wonderful. The person washing your hair stands behind you as you lay back with head in sink. So much easier than standing over you and washing. Then the owner who was 1 of 2 who did all the hair cutting in the whole place came and cut my hair a few inches shorter than it was. Then the guy who does all the blow drying came and did that. 2 1/2 hrs. later I left with brown hair again and looking quite nice. It cost 1/3 the price for the same thing done in Ct. I was pleased.
Guardia
Sept. 16th Sunday
Whenever I would tell someone I wanted to go to Guardia by bike they would say "Oh Guardia is so beautiful but don't go by bike. It's all uphill". Well I still, for whatever reason I don't know, have to set these challenges up for myself. I guess it makes me feel good that I am not giving in to the age thing. So on my one speed bike me and Jonathan set out to Guardia after getting a lunch invitation from Maria Pia's friend, Marilina an English teacher from Guardia. We'll always accept an invitation to eat at someone's house.
There were hills and then there were bigger hills. I had to walk part of the way pulling the one speed through a few small towns and many vineyards. One town actually meant city of wine. I drank all the water I had brought. Found a stream, filled up my water bottle from it, drank some, then Jonathan said "I wouldn't drink any ground water in Italy". Oh well. I'm fine and it tasted good. But not as good as the cluster of grapes I snagged and ate to quench my thirst. All the grapes in the Benevento area are at their peak and ready to be picked. I'm just now seeing trucks and tractors pulling trailers overloaded with grapes going down the streets.
So as we got to Marilina's house I discovered I had a flat tire. She said she'd bring me home-no problem. It was about 10Km (13 miles) so walking was not what I wanted to have to do.
For lunch we had some kind of beef stew cooked in tomatoes, big flat pasta rings with sauce, rabbit cooked in tomato sauce, sausages and salad. The meats were cooked in tomato sauce that Marilina bought from Maria Pia. Sauce I probably helped to make. After lunch Marilina brought me and Jonathan a couple of miles up some more hills to the center of the town so we could walk around, take pictures and would pick us up in an hour to take ME back home. Jonathan wanted to go further on his bike to the next town.
The town of Guardia was built around this huge castle which now is at least half abandoned and the other half has been turned into apartments. The abandoned apartments were all open and looked like no one had been there for at least 50 years. And many had VENDISI on the door. FOR SALE. Guardia was on House Hunter International recently because of the amount of places for sale for around 10,000Euro.
As I had mentioned before, Clair bought one and was still in the process of finishing it when it was filmed and shown on tv. The castle was filled with really narrow alleyways, all stone and the few places that were lived in were nicely decorated with flower pots and window boxes filled with flowers. It took all of the hour we had to walk down to almost the bottom and around a few corners and then find our way back up to where we were getting picked up. I definitely want to go back and spend a whole day exploring more of Guardia.
P.S. Jonathan went on further, got a flat himself and walked home with his bike. It was about 25 miles and he got home about 1 a.m.
Whenever I would tell someone I wanted to go to Guardia by bike they would say "Oh Guardia is so beautiful but don't go by bike. It's all uphill". Well I still, for whatever reason I don't know, have to set these challenges up for myself. I guess it makes me feel good that I am not giving in to the age thing. So on my one speed bike me and Jonathan set out to Guardia after getting a lunch invitation from Maria Pia's friend, Marilina an English teacher from Guardia. We'll always accept an invitation to eat at someone's house.
There were hills and then there were bigger hills. I had to walk part of the way pulling the one speed through a few small towns and many vineyards. One town actually meant city of wine. I drank all the water I had brought. Found a stream, filled up my water bottle from it, drank some, then Jonathan said "I wouldn't drink any ground water in Italy". Oh well. I'm fine and it tasted good. But not as good as the cluster of grapes I snagged and ate to quench my thirst. All the grapes in the Benevento area are at their peak and ready to be picked. I'm just now seeing trucks and tractors pulling trailers overloaded with grapes going down the streets.
So as we got to Marilina's house I discovered I had a flat tire. She said she'd bring me home-no problem. It was about 10Km (13 miles) so walking was not what I wanted to have to do.
For lunch we had some kind of beef stew cooked in tomatoes, big flat pasta rings with sauce, rabbit cooked in tomato sauce, sausages and salad. The meats were cooked in tomato sauce that Marilina bought from Maria Pia. Sauce I probably helped to make. After lunch Marilina brought me and Jonathan a couple of miles up some more hills to the center of the town so we could walk around, take pictures and would pick us up in an hour to take ME back home. Jonathan wanted to go further on his bike to the next town.
The town of Guardia was built around this huge castle which now is at least half abandoned and the other half has been turned into apartments. The abandoned apartments were all open and looked like no one had been there for at least 50 years. And many had VENDISI on the door. FOR SALE. Guardia was on House Hunter International recently because of the amount of places for sale for around 10,000Euro.
As I had mentioned before, Clair bought one and was still in the process of finishing it when it was filmed and shown on tv. The castle was filled with really narrow alleyways, all stone and the few places that were lived in were nicely decorated with flower pots and window boxes filled with flowers. It took all of the hour we had to walk down to almost the bottom and around a few corners and then find our way back up to where we were getting picked up. I definitely want to go back and spend a whole day exploring more of Guardia.
P.S. Jonathan went on further, got a flat himself and walked home with his bike. It was about 25 miles and he got home about 1 a.m.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Farm Work
Tuesday September 11, 2012
About 90% of what we eat, we grow. We hardly ever buy anything from the grocery store. We do
buy cheese, milk, flour, sugar, coffee but not much else. Tonight for supper we had bread, roasted cherry tomatoes, fried peppers, hummus and salad. Maria Pia traded raw chick peas for use in the hummus and sesame seeds to make the tahini. The lemons we got from her moms tree in town. We usually don't have cheese every day. Actually, not too often at all.
Because today was bread making day and there was no bread for breakfast, we picked figs to eat. Italo's friend always manages to bring a gallon of his wine just in time when the previous gallon is running low. For lunch (our biggest meal) we had linguini with broccoli rabe, tomato flatbread, homemade seitan,(wheat gluten) and tomato salad.
Just when I think we've almost depleted the veggies from the garden, we plant for the next season. Now we are planting a lot of broccoli, onion, fennel and salad greens.
We are constructing a type of greenhouse using bamboo walls for people to go in to read or whatever to get away from the flies. They are horrible right now. Last month mosquitoes were horrible. I wasn't here for that.
I have 2 roommates now. Jonathan (24) from Belgium and Markus (23) from Germany.
Markus is a world traveler. He's working on his civil engineering degree from a university in Germany where college is free. He has been at this farm before but just returned for a week until he flies home to help his uncle build a new house. Then he'll return to college. He wants to build straw houses or ones made from clay. He left here the first time to go to Sicily for a month WWOOFing. He spent a year in Australia working and living in his car that he bought after he got there. He said he really likes sleeping in his car because he always has all his STUFF with him. Interesting person. Speaks English with a heavy German accent.
I went to the market by bike this morning in San Salvatore. They sell everything from used clothes for 1/2 Euro to olives, cheese, fruit and most anything in the line of food even live chicks and quail.
Tomorrow school starts here. Max will be going by bike. Every child has a choice but once you make the decision of how you're getting to school, I think you have to stick to it. If you choose the bus, the parents have to pay. If you choose bike, you can't ride the bus. Max worked many hours today finishing his summer homework.
Almost everything we make to eat caters to Jonathans inability to eat dairy (cow), nuts and chocolate.
I've baked a few things substituting sunflower oil for butter. Not as good but that's what we have to do. Tomorrow I think I will cook with Italo's permission and make potato, chick pea curry with rice.
I'm missing baking every day but I just saw a big basket of green apples in the back room. So maybe I can make an apple cake too. It's very nice of Maria Pia to say we shouldn't have food that Jonathan can't eat. I know he appreciates it.
About 90% of what we eat, we grow. We hardly ever buy anything from the grocery store. We do
buy cheese, milk, flour, sugar, coffee but not much else. Tonight for supper we had bread, roasted cherry tomatoes, fried peppers, hummus and salad. Maria Pia traded raw chick peas for use in the hummus and sesame seeds to make the tahini. The lemons we got from her moms tree in town. We usually don't have cheese every day. Actually, not too often at all.
Because today was bread making day and there was no bread for breakfast, we picked figs to eat. Italo's friend always manages to bring a gallon of his wine just in time when the previous gallon is running low. For lunch (our biggest meal) we had linguini with broccoli rabe, tomato flatbread, homemade seitan,(wheat gluten) and tomato salad.
Just when I think we've almost depleted the veggies from the garden, we plant for the next season. Now we are planting a lot of broccoli, onion, fennel and salad greens.
We are constructing a type of greenhouse using bamboo walls for people to go in to read or whatever to get away from the flies. They are horrible right now. Last month mosquitoes were horrible. I wasn't here for that.
I have 2 roommates now. Jonathan (24) from Belgium and Markus (23) from Germany.
Markus is a world traveler. He's working on his civil engineering degree from a university in Germany where college is free. He has been at this farm before but just returned for a week until he flies home to help his uncle build a new house. Then he'll return to college. He wants to build straw houses or ones made from clay. He left here the first time to go to Sicily for a month WWOOFing. He spent a year in Australia working and living in his car that he bought after he got there. He said he really likes sleeping in his car because he always has all his STUFF with him. Interesting person. Speaks English with a heavy German accent.
I went to the market by bike this morning in San Salvatore. They sell everything from used clothes for 1/2 Euro to olives, cheese, fruit and most anything in the line of food even live chicks and quail.
Tomorrow school starts here. Max will be going by bike. Every child has a choice but once you make the decision of how you're getting to school, I think you have to stick to it. If you choose the bus, the parents have to pay. If you choose bike, you can't ride the bus. Max worked many hours today finishing his summer homework.
Almost everything we make to eat caters to Jonathans inability to eat dairy (cow), nuts and chocolate.
I've baked a few things substituting sunflower oil for butter. Not as good but that's what we have to do. Tomorrow I think I will cook with Italo's permission and make potato, chick pea curry with rice.
I'm missing baking every day but I just saw a big basket of green apples in the back room. So maybe I can make an apple cake too. It's very nice of Maria Pia to say we shouldn't have food that Jonathan can't eat. I know he appreciates it.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
CELEBRATING THE BEGINNING OF THE GRAPE HARVEST
JACO
A friend of Maria Pia's is staying with us for just 2 nights. He is Jaco (18) gorgeous, from Rome and here with his parents whose father is from Solopaca, a neighboring town. Jaco just returned from spending a month with relatives in New Jersey working at a restaurant. His face belongs on the cover of GQ. He went to New Jersey to learn English but when he got to the restaurant, the kitchen was full of Mexicans. So learned a little Spanish instead.
Let's eat
We all went to Solopaca last night at the house where Jaco's father grew up. All the neighbors on the street get together to celebrate the beginning of the grape harvest. Today there will be a parade complete with music and floats.
We all walked in to this house in town, through really big wooden doors into what is now a garage. Many years ago it housed the cow and huge vats of wine. The house is what we would call a condo. There are several attached so not a free standing structure. After going through the garage and up very wide marble stairs we enter the long hallway that leads to the backyard where there are about 26 people all seated at one long table just getting served the appetizer. So we all sat down and ate melon, prosciutto and 4 fried fritters all a little different from each other. 2nd course was fresh fettuccini with white beans in a light tomato broth with a very hot pepper alongside. In case you weren't full enough we then got served baked chicken with roasted potatoes. More melon slices after that with white table grapes and cactus fruit. Then came BABA, cake soaked in rum with gelato and a peach slice. The gelato was vanilla with shaved chocolate. And all through this was sangria, water and white wine. At the very end a champagne toast. Now it was midnight and Jaco's mom asked if I wanted to go to the concert in town. But it was midnight! I wasn't going to be the stick in the mud so said SURE! We all walked up to the main street in Solopaca which is quite long and lined with shops, restaurants and businesses on the street level and apartments on the second. There were many, many people; afterall it was a festival to celebrate the grapes. There was a live band playing a kind of hip hop/pop music and many people dancing everywhere.
It was a very enjoyable evening. Good food, music and very friendly people. It was 2 a.m. and I was still up. But "When in Rome"......
Saturday, September 8, 2012
One week in San Salvatore
September 8th Saturday Random thoughts
I've been here at my second farm with Maria Pia now for 1 week. I'm getting adjusted to new people with different ways of doing almost everything. I am 1 of 2 WWOOFers here so some tasks get done
together and I always have someone to do things with.
Everywhere I go (almost) has to be by bicycle which I don't mind until it gets dark. There are no street lights and not being able to see the holes in the road or the road ending altogether is a little scary. But there are many little villages doable by bike in this area that I will definitely take a day to go to.
Jonathan the other WWOOFer is almost constantly fixing at least one of the 5 bicycles we have here. They're old but if working, work real well. San Salvatore is just about 1 mile from here and if it's not between the hours of 1 and 5 in the afternoon has many shops and places of interest to see.
Last night I went with Maria Pia and Jonathan to Benevento. Very lovely, very big compared to the towns around here. Many, many parts of the city are 2000-3000 yrs. old. The streets are made of these huge stones and the alleyways between the buildings are a little wider than a small car. So walking and avoiding fast moving cars can be very tricky. Jonathan and I went walking around town while Maria Pia sold or traded stuff at the market (which is why we all came in the first place). It's extremely helpful going anywhere with someone who speaks fluent Italian. (Jonathan)
We just got invited to go to a friends house tomorrow to have gnocchi. They live right down the road. So I guess my bike trip to Guardia will be postponed. Guardia is about 18km (15 miles) and was just on House Hunters International. Claire from Scotland was here and is the owner of the property they featured because she bought her house (in need of a lot of work) for 10,000Euro ($13,500). She invited me out there to see her house of which work is not all done. Claire came here because she buys veggies from Maria Pia once a week. She's dating a married man. Enough said about that.
Yesterday was tomato day. All the tomatoes were picked, sorted, washed and the ones that needed to be used right away (bruised or not quite perfect-of which there were many) were cut up and cooked for sauce. That was a back-breaking job; leaning over a sink and cleaning thousands (it seemed like) of little pear shaped 1-1 1/2 " long tomatoes. But it's done and my back still hurts.
For anyone who might think I'm on a vacation-I'M NOT!! I work very hard and my bed is hard and I have only one pillow. I'm used to 3. Showers are short. Hot water is heated by 1 solar panel so runs out quickly.
Hot water is scarce. Because it is heated by solar and can only be used for showers. I have to wash dishes by hand using cold water only. After a couple nights of that, I started heating a large pot of water on the stove and that is ever so much better. The WWOOFers before me didn't do that. I don't know why.
We have a girls and a boys bathroom. Right now the one upstairs (girls) is used by just me and Maria Pia. The guys bathroom is kind of gross.
Every single day we have visitors.
Lunch every day is many hours of preparation by Italo and is treated like a celebration. We usually eat around 1 p.m. Today we had rosemary foccacha, buffalo mozzarella, pizza with just sauce, fried potatoes with peppers and zucchini greens cooked with peppers and potatoes. Kind of a mixed bag but was all very tasty. No one bakes so guess what? I made apricot/peach muffins. Fruit from our orchard. Bottles of water (our own) and wine at each lunch. And sliced tomatoes.
Wherever we go, Maria Pia knows many people. Grocery store, post office, book store, on the street etc. She greets each with the traditional double kiss.
The post office deserves a separate entry. Everywhere in Italy it is used as a bank/post office. Anyone on Social Security, unemployment or any other social assistance gets their money from the post office. They have to show up in person to get it. There's no direct deposit or mailing of the check. You have to always take a number when entering the post office and it is a dreaded trip like going to the DMV in the U.S..
Grocery stores are interesting. Prices seem for many products cheaper than at home. But the minimum wage here is 4Euro (approx. $6). Maria Pia won't buy cheese or meat unless she knows which village it comes from. She say there are some she just won't buy from-not pure or good enough.
But she smokes probably 2 packs of cigarettes a day. I'm definitely getting a lot of second hand smoke
so my short stay for that reason isn't short enough. Everyone smokes. Maria Pia fills her empty already put together with filter cigarettes. Most of the time she smokes part of the filter.
But recycling is done so precisely. I never am exactly sure which bin things should go in. So people care about the environment so, so much but smoke cigarettes like crazy.
I've been here at my second farm with Maria Pia now for 1 week. I'm getting adjusted to new people with different ways of doing almost everything. I am 1 of 2 WWOOFers here so some tasks get done
together and I always have someone to do things with.
Everywhere I go (almost) has to be by bicycle which I don't mind until it gets dark. There are no street lights and not being able to see the holes in the road or the road ending altogether is a little scary. But there are many little villages doable by bike in this area that I will definitely take a day to go to.
Jonathan the other WWOOFer is almost constantly fixing at least one of the 5 bicycles we have here. They're old but if working, work real well. San Salvatore is just about 1 mile from here and if it's not between the hours of 1 and 5 in the afternoon has many shops and places of interest to see.
Last night I went with Maria Pia and Jonathan to Benevento. Very lovely, very big compared to the towns around here. Many, many parts of the city are 2000-3000 yrs. old. The streets are made of these huge stones and the alleyways between the buildings are a little wider than a small car. So walking and avoiding fast moving cars can be very tricky. Jonathan and I went walking around town while Maria Pia sold or traded stuff at the market (which is why we all came in the first place). It's extremely helpful going anywhere with someone who speaks fluent Italian. (Jonathan)
We just got invited to go to a friends house tomorrow to have gnocchi. They live right down the road. So I guess my bike trip to Guardia will be postponed. Guardia is about 18km (15 miles) and was just on House Hunters International. Claire from Scotland was here and is the owner of the property they featured because she bought her house (in need of a lot of work) for 10,000Euro ($13,500). She invited me out there to see her house of which work is not all done. Claire came here because she buys veggies from Maria Pia once a week. She's dating a married man. Enough said about that.
Yesterday was tomato day. All the tomatoes were picked, sorted, washed and the ones that needed to be used right away (bruised or not quite perfect-of which there were many) were cut up and cooked for sauce. That was a back-breaking job; leaning over a sink and cleaning thousands (it seemed like) of little pear shaped 1-1 1/2 " long tomatoes. But it's done and my back still hurts.
For anyone who might think I'm on a vacation-I'M NOT!! I work very hard and my bed is hard and I have only one pillow. I'm used to 3. Showers are short. Hot water is heated by 1 solar panel so runs out quickly.
Hot water is scarce. Because it is heated by solar and can only be used for showers. I have to wash dishes by hand using cold water only. After a couple nights of that, I started heating a large pot of water on the stove and that is ever so much better. The WWOOFers before me didn't do that. I don't know why.
We have a girls and a boys bathroom. Right now the one upstairs (girls) is used by just me and Maria Pia. The guys bathroom is kind of gross.
Every single day we have visitors.
Lunch every day is many hours of preparation by Italo and is treated like a celebration. We usually eat around 1 p.m. Today we had rosemary foccacha, buffalo mozzarella, pizza with just sauce, fried potatoes with peppers and zucchini greens cooked with peppers and potatoes. Kind of a mixed bag but was all very tasty. No one bakes so guess what? I made apricot/peach muffins. Fruit from our orchard. Bottles of water (our own) and wine at each lunch. And sliced tomatoes.
Wherever we go, Maria Pia knows many people. Grocery store, post office, book store, on the street etc. She greets each with the traditional double kiss.
The post office deserves a separate entry. Everywhere in Italy it is used as a bank/post office. Anyone on Social Security, unemployment or any other social assistance gets their money from the post office. They have to show up in person to get it. There's no direct deposit or mailing of the check. You have to always take a number when entering the post office and it is a dreaded trip like going to the DMV in the U.S..
Grocery stores are interesting. Prices seem for many products cheaper than at home. But the minimum wage here is 4Euro (approx. $6). Maria Pia won't buy cheese or meat unless she knows which village it comes from. She say there are some she just won't buy from-not pure or good enough.
But she smokes probably 2 packs of cigarettes a day. I'm definitely getting a lot of second hand smoke
so my short stay for that reason isn't short enough. Everyone smokes. Maria Pia fills her empty already put together with filter cigarettes. Most of the time she smokes part of the filter.
But recycling is done so precisely. I never am exactly sure which bin things should go in. So people care about the environment so, so much but smoke cigarettes like crazy.
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