"Alpine Settler": November 2006

Monday, November 27, 2006

Another try at 'that' photo!

This SHOULD be the photo of the inside of the post office that just didn't want to appear in the story below!!!!

Blinking thing!

My 'titchy' Post Office....

I have to chuckle when reading on various sites and 'blogs' about the problems many have with their 'local' Uffici Postali (Post Offices) here in Italy....

I remember the nightmare queues at the post office in Milano- Baggio. Not a huge office but with enough differently numbered queues to ensure that I was always in the wrong one! That in itself wasn't quite such a problem as the attitude of the clerk when she 'discovered' that silly you should never have been in HER queue! Honest to god - their lack of customer care drives me up the blo*dy wall sometimes. I have often raised a chuckle on my side of the counter, and a glare on thiers when I have dared to suggest that the clerk returns to the charm school they attended and demands a FULL refund!!!!! (The significance of that comment usually takes a minute or so to sink in.... hahaha)

But all that is a thing of the past now. Why? Well here's why!

This is the impressive basement entrance to my 'village' Post Office. As you can see - not a glass or historical fronted edifice, but more like a 'cantina' (cellar) entrance.

Then once inside - well that is a surprise too....this picture** was taken leaning against the wall at the far end of the office!
This photo** can be seen in the post above.... it wouldn't publish here for some reason!

You can see how impressive it is! The staff total has recently increased by 33% to THREE. That's two clerk and the third who does the sorting and deliveries! But luckily, like so many villages in Italy we do at least STILL HAVE A POST OFFICE!

Well...life goes on!

This week I had a full medical control - the works in fact! I had awaited it with some trepidation I must admit as it did happen not too long ago that the 'expected' 2 day check-up turned into a three week stay in the hospital. But not this time! Everything was 'A-OK'! Well as 'A-OK' as it is ever going to be... and I don't have to have another check for a year - HOORAY! I'm rewsigned now to the fact that 'what I've got, I ain't gonna get rid of'; and to the fact that I will be supporting countless drug companies output levels for years to come. Perhaps that means I am a public spirited citizen???? Then again..... (hahahaha)
My next task to attaining the title of 'Hypochondriac in Chief' is to try and sort out this arthritis vs RSI vs Carpal Tunnel syndrome problem! All I've got to do is convince my doctor to take another look.

But you know, when all is said and done - we all bitch (at times) about the life we've been dealt, but I for one am thankful every (well almost every) day when I wake up. When you can wake up to this view from your bedroom when you throw open the shutters - what's to bitch about?

The mountain out front has got it's first 'smattering' of snow above the 2000m line and while there are still one or two clouds hovering around like a necklace... we are finally beginning to feel that autumn - and very soon - winter will be with us. It's strange to think that this time last year we had already had our first snow at the height where I live (approx 1010ft)...of course it was then with us without a break until mid March. Let's hope it won't last quite so long this year.

The neighbours new house out front now has it's roof in place. The crane is down (finally) and the scaffolding all around has gone too. It is going to be a really an impressive house as you can see from this latest update.

Friday, November 10, 2006

The 'Old Folks Circle'

Yesterday was the start of our fortnightly Old Folks Circle in the village for this coming winter. The meetings are 'shelved' during the summer months as many of the members (despite their advanced ages) work on the land and help with their men with the animals during the sumer months. But the 'old ones' - those over about 80 (!) - usually go up to their mountain 'baita' - which are little places that they own on some land they have in the local mountains, rather like the one here on the left. They will stay up ther usually from mid June to perhaps the end of September. In the cool and often acting as goatherds and shepherds to help out. They do also make cheeses while up there and often their families will collect these and come and sell them 'door to door'. Honestly - until you've tasted their fresh ricotta's and caprini's you really haven't tasted real cheese!

So yesterday we all (21 of us) met up again after the summer. There were home made cakes provided for us and Don Silvano the local priest said prayers for those lost during the two world wars.....

And then a real surprise - some of the ladies decided they wanted to sing..... my first thought was "Oh dear" (how uncharitable could I be?) But 'joy of joys' when they started singing - it was a selection of alpine songs. Now I adore the 'alpine choirs' that abound around this area - and despite their age that is exactly what they sounded like.... their harmonies were superb and instead of just the hour they did sing - I could have stayed there and listened all night!
They sung my favourite 'Alipini' hymn - 'La Montanara' this is normally sung by soldiers, but our senior citizens yesterday were just as good - if not better!!!!

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Well it says "Quince Jam"....

Well I finally got around to trying my hand at jam making. The last time was 38 years ago and that was a total disaster - Hahahaha...... and that's another story).

But this time I had some recipes from friends on "Amici over the Ocean" and a couple from the 'net'.... So without further ado it was all systems go.

I knew there wouldn't be too many quince (cotogna) this year and that any I did manage to harvest would probably be of poor quality. This was because the trees (2) hadn't been pruned for a number of years (indeed, if ever....).

Well those that were 'useable' after cleaning and preparing totalled just over a kilo. So it was a case of 'jam making here I come'!I don't know quite how I did it - but I did manage to ruin a (cheap) stainless steel saucepan in the process..... but after what 'seemed' to be hours fraught with tension (mine).... the jam was ready to put into the special jars I had bought for the occasion. Well it WAS a sort of milestone after all!

There was only enough for five jars, and by the time I took this photo showing my (somewhat dubious) jam making skills, my niece - Daniela - had arrived and 'filched' one of the five. So I could only photograph four jars for posterity!!!!

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Gone - But Never Forgotten!

Today would have been my dear Bruno's Birthday. Until 2003 I always went and laid some of his favourite crysanthemums on his grave and sat quietly with him for a while. But now I'm over here that is no longer possible. But out of sight will never mean out of mind. We would have celebrated our 40th anniversary this year.....

They say time heals the pain - well yes it does - but it can never heal the sense of loss when you no longer have a loved one to talk to. Those quiet moments at the end of perhaps a busy day when you can finally relax together and talk about not only what you have done. But what you wished you hadn't done. Or how you may have done things differently if given the chance again. It was also the time when dreams could be shared - dreams for your child, or for your loved one.... or even dreams for a better world. The important thing was always that 'my loved one' was with me!

That is no longer the case, and hasn't been for over 21 years. The void that is left is, on days like today, excruciatingly painful. But it will pass - I know that..... But the mind's picture of him will remain with me forever. Our love was too strong to have it any other way!

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Now for the 'second' roof......

Well the work continues - slowly, but very surely!

Now it's the turn of the second roof which protrudes enough to cover/protect the terrace around the house on the ground floor.

We (Eros and I) have agreed that when the 'hole' surrounding their house is filled in - up to the height of the 'ground floor terrace' - they will continue at the same height accross my garden. This will ensure that water will not drain off their terrace and garden and into mine. Of course it will mean that some of my shrubs will be 'semi buried' for a season...but they are all good mature shrubs and should survive with no trouble. The added height will also allow easier access to my 'lower garden' as the slope that was there before was wide enought to drive a car down....but I lost more than half that width when the patio and driveway were laid. I'm not too sure how the remaining five fruit trees will cope with suddenly having their trunks almost covered with earth. But the locals assure me they will be OK. Well if nothing else that will make collecting the fruit sooooooo easy!!! HOORAY!

Friday, November 03, 2006

So....Autumn is finally here!

Yes the weather is finally on the change. The temperatures are starting to drop during the day as well as at night. Thought we're not yet down to 0°c, I'm sure that's not too far off. I think this cold 'snap' has arrived from Scandinavia where they have already had their first blizzard of the winter....mind you it was pretty cold in the south of Italy yesterday in Abruzzo and Molise (these are like English counties) and on the 'Grand Sasso' whichmeans 'Big Stone' and is the name of a mountain (see the picture) in the province of Teramo in the Appenine Mountains.

I guess our own Alpine weather won't be too far behind. The locals are predicting another long, snowy winter. They say, as we do in England "Look at the fruit and berries on the trees - they are weighed down with the amount - and that is to ensure that there is sufficient to get the birds through the bad winter that is coming". I've nearly always found that nature is a good indicator of what's to come...and some of the old sayings still have a 'ring of truth' about them. Sayings like:
"If the crows nests are high up in the trees then it will be a good summer. But if they are low - then wind and rain will be with us"!
OR
"The moon's on her back to catch rain in her lap". This one refers to a crescent moon like this:

Of coourse many of these old sayings can, nowadays, be prooved to have little or no foundation in 'fact'....but even so I still like to remember them and after all they DO come true occasionally - don't they!