Life in rural Italy is an idyll, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t hard work sometimes! This month we are very lucky to be joined by a lovely friend who has agreed to come and help us with whatever day to day work needs doing and also to help us with the continued restoration works – in return for scrumptious Italian food and a nice bed!
Work is coming on a-pace. We’re in a rush to finish cutting the wood that we, as members of a mountain community, are allocated each year. We have to fell and chop the trees ourselves but as this is our only source of heating and hot water in the winter it’s a small price to pay.
The garden is also growing growing growing – peas and beans shooting up, lettuces, spring cabbages and not to forget out main crop, the tomatoes, which are still loving the greenhouse but will need to go out in the open soon.
We are also very keen to get our little paddling/cocktail sipping pool in as soon as possible, then grass seed can be given a chance to make a nice lawn around it. Other building works include raking out between the stones of many, many walls and re-pointing the joints, clearing the way for diggers to come in and not to mention the small task of re-roofing the old hay barn and cow shed as well as putting in a kitchen and bathroom!
If you do fancy the idea of coming out and helping us with any or all of these ongoing tasks of country life, do get in touch! We’d welcome anyone, you don’t need to be skilled, just happy to work and enjoy food and good company – and, of course, great Italian wine!
