yeah so we had cheese for lunch
5 mins from our wee mountain refugejon couldn't find anyone to play with (not quite the top of monte cerveza)
you can see our house from here (wee spot in the top right hand corner - the vallage of Roncat...)
alana likes it
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Hey Alana and Jon! Don't email me at Learning Media since I don't work there and they read your emails. You can send me postcards still though - I like those. Our new address is 1 Bell Street, Featherston. We FINALLY bought our own house (that's why it's far away from Wellington)!
1_August_2006
Every guide book you'll ever read on italy will tell you the same thing: if at all possible, avoid italy in august. i beg to differ. avoid the beaches. avoid the cities. but by all means run. run for the hills.
and so we did.
Enter: The Dolomites
we are living some 1500mtrs above the tourist ridden sea level in the home of Elena, Stefano, Samuale, 40 goats, 3 dogs, 11 cats, countless rabbits (and breeding), chickens, a pair of guard geese and no, i say no mosquitos. we all live in (and around) a castle on the side of a nearly vertical hillside which we climb every day with the goats (looking for the ellusive heidi). after living here for 7 yrs elena & stefano decided their castle was not big enough so they are in the process of building another one. when it is finished you can all come visit. i think you'd like it. especially in winter when you can sit around the stugga or lie in the sauna drinking ale and looking out over the snow covered mountains that tower above the misty valley that houses the little village with its quaint pointy spired church that peels a welcome morning song every day at 7am. sharp. after average daily temperatures in the high 30's its nice to be in a cooler climate (mid 20's/ cooler at night). and no mosquito's!
We are one hours walk from the nearest internet point coz we live on the other side of the valley from the nearest village. As a crow flies we are only throwing stones away but to walk there involves a 300 mtr descent and corresponding assent. Everyday we tip wheelbarrow loads of animal excrement into the valley. Its effectively organic landfill. At this rate we'll reach the other side in no time and will then be able to walk directly to the village.
2_August_2006 Miss Riley Hamlin was born today_ 30yrs after me!
19_August_06
King Tubby rocking the mic
to my right captured in their electric rette (carefully compartmentalized according to randyness) are the capri de Roncat (about 40 @ last count... but a couple of sneaky ones keep sneaking...) to my left is the finile, stables and la casa de stefano e elena (who have just departed for a week long vacation leaving solo alana and myself living the simple life - i am paris, she is nicole (of course)), behind is the valley of fodom (steep hills, pine forests, little vilages / hamlets sprinkled along the slopes, overlooked by col de lana (cold alana) and its little summit chapella), in front the deep, old pine forest that snow white got lost in (but then she found the dwarves so it was ok), beneath me is a tarpaulin and the moist green herbage (incl good ol' stingy nettle) and next to me is my lady alana.. enjoying the first sun in a wee while... contemplating a week of farm-sitting and a little more relaxation (minus the daily stresses of building a hotel / house and maintaining a 4 yo boy / earthquake... alana's mum kath is due to arrive on tue (i will collect in venice - 4 hrs there and 4 hrs back!)
and then the final 3 weeks in italy. maybe i will have figured out how to ask for sugar with my coffee by then. off to another wwwwwoooooffofofofofofofofo (still in the north, emilia romangnia province. just by parma (hammmmmmmm) staying in an old castle we are led to believe. more on this at later date.
Walking in the dolomites (many guide books take this title) is like opening up a childrens full colour picture book of 'Heidi' and stepping inside. The landscapes range from bright alpine fields dotted with wild flowers to deepest green forests of predominant pine, breaking up the verdent massive cliffs jut into the rapidly and forever changing skyline, now blue, now grey, now white, now blue, now notice the omnipotent Jesus. He is to be found positioned at every panoramic view point and mountain peak. Hanging in eternal agony though he is has at least he is not confined to the cold dark grotto's like the virginous Mary.
24_8_06
Met my mum in Treviso, fresh from the world equestrian games in Aarchen, Germany. Did the usual 'first day in italy tour' (walked quaint cobbled streets, had coffee standing at the bar, got locked out of everywhere between 12.30 & 3.30, had pizza...) Went to a supermarket and after reassuring my mother that italians don't eat horse and that I'd never seen horse meat for sale the first thing we saw was a sign advertising 'carne di cavalli'. Unimpressed italy.
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