No matter where I have lived, I have never been a big fan of winter. Not enough sunlight hours, temps that make me shiver even with 5 or 6 layers on, house never seeming warm enough unless I’m directly in front of a fire, and so on. There are many of us out there that just make it through the Christmas season and are ready for spring, forget January, February & March. So I’m getting my grumbling out of the way and how can I possibly have room to grumble! I’m living a dream here in Italy.
So it’s our first winter here and this one is actually a mild one. Been averaging around mid 50’s when back on the east coast of the US it’s been bitter cold. I’m sure we’ll get some winter in the next few weeks. I’m able to get some treks in around the farm but I’m keeping to the roads as the fields are gummy with the mud. Taking the dogs out of the courtyard is a guaranteed hosing down upon returning. Notwithstanding, the views are stellar of fields greening up with winter wheat and the snow-covered Gran Sasso mountains are formidable with 4 meters of snow to-date.
A shepherd just moved his sheep onto a large pasture across the way from us. We’re not sure where he came from with his flock but we are thrilled. Maybe a neighboring farm or perhaps he has moved his flock up the valley from the east. John and I are like children, with the excitement of sampling something pure and simple of life here. We can see their collective form change fluidity as the dogs work, like a large white amoeba on the green hillside….. John was a sport and got up at sunrise today to head over to the ridge-line to see the flock and the working dogs. The sheep had arrived at sundown yesterday and stayed the night grouped together in temporary fencing. This morning, when John arrived, there were 4 men milking right there in the middle of the flock with another working the sheep into place. After each ewe was milked, she was allowed into a large fenced area, while the head shepherd and his German Shepherd moved the next batch up to the milkers. As John approached, two guardian dogs (Cane da pastore Maremmano-Abruzzese) made it very clear to him to keep his distance from their flock. Once the milk was all collected, it was transported away in a van with the milkers. The cheese, that will be made from this milk, (most often Pecorino) is amazing and all four of us have gotten hooked. Romeo and Orso suck down any pieces we’re willing to dole out.
When I got up this morning, the flock was still there with the milkers most likely to return before moving the sheep on to their next pasture.
Photos by John R. Dodge
Winter, I’ve decided, is also a good time to look for a house to buy. Yes, we need to make that decision eventually, as houses here in Italy aren’t usually rented indefinitely. They tend to go up for sale or to a family member in need. Such is the case with the house we’re renting now. The owner hopes to put it on the market in about a year. We are loving it here, but even though it is home now and it’s in such a stunning location, is a true bear to heat in the winter. So we’re going to look for something a bit smaller and take our time before we jump to buy. It may take us a year or so until we find what will work for us. I figure winter is a good time to look as you can see a house at its worst and then decide if you can live in it through the cold winter months. Does it make us feel warm and cozy, do we want to take a trek out into the weather, or just be at peace in our own place. So off we go this week to start looking. And where? We’d like to stay in the Abruzzo region within 45 minutes of the Adriatic. Maybe find a cottage in walking distance of a village with a bit of land for the dogs. Be situated in the hills between the sea and the mountains. The amazing thing about Abruzzo is that you can be swimming in the sea as you gaze at the mountains, they are that close. I’ll update you down the road how the house hunting is going.
Something new that you will find on this site is the page, John’s recipes. Folks on Facebook have been asking for his recipes as I post the yummy soups he has been making for us this winter. As I add more recipes to the page, I may end up categorizing them as we go along. Enjoy and if you have any questions about them, leave a comment on the recipe page and John will get back to you.
As always, I’ll leave you with today’s view of the Gran Sasso at dawn. Ciao for now.
First time seeing waves. And he really wanted to test the waters, but the exercise was to teach the dogs, at this point, to remain on shore while the handlers approached the water. Lots of fun and we’re invited back as either a guest or a member.
It’s one thing to chat with our new Italian friends in our basic Italian and to have them take the time to make us understand or even speak a little English back to us. But when you need to get some official paperwork completed, such as a visa, you better be up on your Italian, have a friend come to interpret and pitch hit for you, or you’ll be using Google translate and still be misunderstood and also not understand. All in a day becoming a new resident of this country.
A few weeks back, I mentioned us signing up for our Italian classes. Twice a week, we meet at a school, for our class. Our teacher, Cristina, is a lovely young lady, that speaks rapid fire Italian with just a smidge of English. And I mean a really small smidge! Sink or swim as John and I see it. It’s a good review for me, as I have had weekly Skype with Stef for over a year, and definitely a great start for John. The other students are all from Africa, progressing toward their work documents. Brave young men that risked all coming to Italy on a boat with many others. Last night we chatted with two young men from Nigeria, who both have high hopes of making it to the United States for jobs. They are all drawn to New York City, Chicago and LA. John and I admire their courage and determination, and wish them all the best. We will all be together in this class for the next 6 months, as 100 hours are required to complete.
But first a bit of a summary of the trip over, then I’ll share the good stuff about our first week here. Checking the dogs in for the flight was my biggest concern, and it was for naught. Nate with Capital Pet Movers met us at United Cargo about 3 hours prior to takeoff. The boys loaded well into their crates and just settled in for their part of the trip. When we landed, Annamaria from Bliss Pet Services took over and had the boys through their vet checks and customs. They were loaded, crates and all, into their van and met us at the house about 4 hours after our arrival. They were smiling and feeling fine. So all four of us are smiling now.
The need to be able to converse! Yes, you all have heard, just like us, the importance of learning the language of your new country. But it doesn’t hit you until you meet someone like Hugo, who cannot speak a lick of English, what you’ll be missing out on. Thankfully, my lessons with my teacher/friend, Stef, and my conversation friend, Giuliana, have given me basic conversational skills. Hugo and I can communicate. Unfortunately, John is at a loss right now and it has really hit home with him that he needs to get up to speed on a basic level. John had been swamped finishing up our house to sell over the past year and that took up the lion’s share of his time and energy along with working a part-time job. But now, John is ready to learn and I think it will happen faster than he expected. 😉
The dogs had their health certificate exams this week. These are needed to fly. Our local vet clinic, which happens to be excellent, have vets certified to complete these exams for international travel. The certificates are then sent FedEx overnight to USDA office in Albany, NY, approved and sent to our pet mover. Hopefully that will all be completed by end of this week. As I said in an early post, a bit nerve-wracking but under control.
Navigating Life in Abruzzo 