Life's been fairly busy for the last few weeks. We've finished up our first experience WWOOFing in Portacomaro and have since spent Kevin's birthday in Cinque Terre, camped in Venice, and now are farming again near a small town in Tuscany. We're learning quite a bit about apiculture, permaculture, and fruit trees. Pictures of the farm will be posted shortly.

But for now, here's a few of my favorite pictures from Kev's birthday.

Not really. Portocomaro has been absolutely wonderful, but it is time to get moving again. I will forever remember and cherish the memories and the people...good times.

Liz is all better. Here’s to antibiotics they are extremely cheap ($5) here, and you don’t even need a prescription.

We’ve built a great shelf and bird house out of scrap wood using substandard tools and a lot of gumption. It should hold up for years to come. If it's not used as firewood. 

We’ve taken a couple winery tours and tastings where we have gotten the contact information for the American importers. In the Piedmont region, the three most prominent grape species are Barbera, Ruche, and Griniolino; which most of the wine of the region comes from.

Had a typical Peidmontese meal; complete with four plates of antipasta, one plate of pasta, and one meat plate. We still had at least two plates to go before dessert, but we couldn’t eat any more.

We’ve met our replacements. Rob and Polly…a couple Brits who have just begun a two year trip of vagabonding, hitchhiking, and Wwoofing with no real plan to speak of. Sounds like us...but with a British accent. Cherio!

So, now we are back on the train again. En route to Corniglia, one of the five villages which make up Cinque Terre. We are going to spend a couple of days there, one of which Is my 33rd birthday. Hopefully the weather will be as hot/nice as it has been in Portacomaro these past couple weeks and we can go swimming in the Mediterranean.

After a much deserved vacation of hiking and swimming in Cinque Terre we are off to explore the timelessness of Venetian canals, followed shortly by Florence, then to Tuscany to do another Wwoofing site. We’ll be sure to let you know how it went and have loads of pictures to share.

As you may have figured out, this post is a little dated. Due to time and internet access constraints, we cannot always update when we want. By the time that I send this I have already had an astounding birthday in paradise and we are just getting ready to leave Venice. We will update again as soon as we can. Our plan is to camp one night outside Venice then go to our next Wwoofing site. Talk at ya soon.

I think WWOOFing might be the only way I travel from now on, for multiple reasons actually. The most important to me though, were the relationships built over the last month.

It’s been wonderful getting to know Chiara and David, spending 2-3 hours every night sharing stories and learning about Italian culture, all while eating delicious food prepared by Chiara. I would never have had the chance to learn about how difficult it can be to have a small business in Italy, how the mafia is still a huge problem, how to cook traditional Piemontese food, or ride a horse! Sure, it wasn’t always easy. There were times when things got a little frustrating, but we worked through it together and learned a bit about ourselves in the process.

I was talking with Rob, one of the new WWOOFers that will be working at Asti Sport, and we started to discuss how difficult but rewarding it can be talking with someone who doesn’t speak the same language. Let me explain… When we first met Chiara, she kept apologizing for her “poor English” and she warned us that her husband’s vocabulary was even worse. But after a few days, we really got into a rhythm of what David’s phrases meant, and eventually were able to communicate rather easily. My favorite was when he’d say something like, “Contrary to fast,” when he wanted to say “slow”. Or when describing anything that he didn’t like, he’d say, “A bastard inside,” with a fantastic Italian accent. Kevin and I were trying to learn a bit of Italian, but let’s face it, learning a language is really hard. And the progress that both of them made with their English while we were there was remarkable.

This morning I felt like I was saying goodbye to family, not just a few people that we worked for. Just like when I say goodbye to my mom, both Chiara and I teared up a bit as we parted ways. A huge thank you Chiara, David, Samir and Oliver for sharing your life with us and giving us the opportunity to learn so many new things. Keep in touch, and we’ll do the same.

I could get used to farm life. It’s a slower pace, a lot of manual labor, and the rewards although not always immediate are tangible.  David and Chiara are relatively new to the farming game. They have only had their farm for about 4 years. And I think that what they have accomplished in four short years is remarkable.They have constructed a small house, a stable with 20 stalls, a riding arena and paddock. two storage barns, and have fenced most of their property so that the animals can remain "free" outside.    On the other hoof…they still have a long way to go.

One of the main tasks that we have on this farm is to organize the clutter to make way for new animals and a vegetable garden. Luckily, we are both exceedingly good at organization. We have helped to consolidate a large majority of the various implements and building materials. We burned a lot of excess wood and debris, and in the process have been firing some of Liz’s pottery. We have also started construction on various shelving and bird houses with the left over wood (of which there is a lot), at Chiara's request.

It seems that about 90% of the soil around here is 100% clay. Which is good for experimenting with pinch pots and what not, but not too good for agriculture. Liz is excited because she can practice with the yellow. ocre-colored clay...she actually taught a class for the local elementary school about clay and how to make clay pendants, bowls, etc. for a unit on prehistoric cultures (But that is another post).  Anyway, the soil sucks here for growing anything. Fortunately, we have a ready supply of horse and cow manure with which to ameliorate the soil. Unfortunately, we are waiting on a neighbor's rototiller (in the shop) before we can mix the soil.

Once we get the soil mixed, the plan is to plant dozens of trees around the property and start a vegetable/herb garden. Hopefully we will get to see this happen before we leave. Until then we still have plenty to do, clearing space for the proposed pigs, chickens, and sheep that they want to start raising.

David knows everything about raising horses, and within the past 2 years has taken an interest in raising cows…with good results. But as far as anything having to do with cultivation or small animal husbandry, Chiara wants to be in charge of that. And sometimes there are heated Italian debates between the two as to what the future of the farm will be.  As most of these debates are during meals, we are usually present for most…which can be awkward. But it’s necessary, I guess, if they want to grow this farm. We will leave in a short while, and really have no vested interest in this land; but they are in it for the long haul. I just hope that we can help with whatever we can while we are here.

This has been an invaluable experience. One day I hope that we can use what we’ve learned here on our own hobby farm. And with Chiara’s cooking and the family’s jovial and welcoming nature, it will be hard to leave. Farm-life from Portacomaro!

What else have we been doing?

That's all for now...stay tuned for more. See ya!

Hi All,

We have come to where the proverbial rubber meets the road. I am writing this to ask for assistance from our family and friends back home.

As most of you know, Cosmo, Liz’s dog was left under the care and supervision of my Aunt (Lu) and Uncle (Mike). For this we offer eternal gratitude. Unfortunately, Cos has recently started vying for dominance with the eldest dog, Buddy. Well, Buddy is a bit older and is having trouble defending his alpha dog status. This is where the problem arises. Cosmo can no longer stay at Mike and Lu’s due to his growing aggressiveness toward poor Buddy. Thankfully, they have given us a little time.

We have until the end of June, sooner if possible, to find a new temporary home for the Cos for the remainder of the summer.  We realize that this is a LOT to ask. And it would be easier to coordinate if we were not travelling and had our phones. However, as they say, it is what it is.

We appreciate the offers that some have given. But at this point we need something more concrete and need to think about what is best for all parties.  We also understand if you cannot commit to something like this. It would be a significant shift in lifestyle for most people. Although it is summer, and it’s easier to be outside and active with a furry companion, it is also this reason that people summer schedules fill up.

 Cosmo is a high energy dog. He will need exercise. This means taking him to the park/lake and throwing his ball (he can do this forever), taking him on walks (at least an hour),  running or biking with him, or really any kind of physical activity for a couple hours every other day. A big yard might suffice.  I know that this seems a lot, but this way he is much calmer at home. He is a very loving and affectionate dog once he gets to know you, and will probably become your second shadow once you play with him a couple times.  Because of the dominance issues that we have been seeing at my Mike and Lu’s, I would not suggest bringing him into a home with another alpha male, as there might be some aggressiveness after a while. Other than that he is a wonderful dog to have around…it will be hard to let him go by the end.

So, if you think that you could possibly help, or know someone who might be interested and able please contact us using our email addresses (under contact us). Do not respond via the blog…we will update the blog when/if we find a new home.

 We will entertain any ideas or assistance that you may have. And again, we are under some time constraints so contact us as soon as possible if you may be able to help for all or part of the summer. We may even be able to have a trial basis, since if we can’t find a place we are coming home anyways…so if you think that you could help prolong our trip by giving Cos a good home, we may actually get to a place where we use mosquito nets and filter water. So, I guess if we don’t hear from people soon, this blog is going to get pretty boring.

I'm not trying to guilt trip anybody, we are just not ready to stop yet. I'm tired...I will put a happy, or at least entertaining post up tomorrow.

Hello friends and family,

This is one of those posts that I hoped I would never have to write.

Some of you may have met my wonderful puppy Cosmo. If you haven’t, I’m sure you’ve heard me talking about him… nonstop. While planning this trip, the only problem I really ran into was trying to find a place for him to stay while I was away. Fortunately, Kevin’s Aunt and Uncle were gracious enough to bring him into their lives and allow him to join their family for the summer. Unfortunately, the situation isn’t working out.

Cosmo is having a hard time learning how to “share”. When I was back at home, he had 100% of my attention. Now, he has to share between two kids, two dogs, and three cats. This has caused some tension between he and the eldest alpha male, Buddy. He has shown no aggression towards any of the humans, but he and Buddy do not get along. Hence, we need to find someplace else for him to stay for the rest of the summer.

If I’m being perfectly honest about my baby Cosmo – he can be a handful. He’s part Black Lab and part Whippet, so he’s got a lot of energy and loves to run (not run away, just run around). I would say he needs to run around for at least 30-45 minutes every day, the more the better. He loves to play with the Chuck-It, so you don’t actually have to run with him... just be willing to throw a ball for a bit of time. Other than his high-energy, he is a wonderful dog. He loves to cuddle, prances around like a deer, and will make you laugh on a daily basis.

So, here’s the deal. We’re looking for someone to watch Cos until September when we return. It would really be helping us out a lot, and essentially allow us to continue this blog. If need be, I (we) will end the trip early and come home for Cos.

Any interested parties can comment or contact us in an email.

Thanks,

Liz

We've been woofing for a little less than two weeks now and here's what we've been up to...

Our evenings are spent playing in the sand and learning Italian words with the boys.