I enjoy the farm staying, I will probably send wwoolf an email at the conclusion "liking" the farm (it is customary on the Internet to like things) and the program in general. We get to experience Italian life, including family drama, the successes and failures of the farm, and a slice of life in rural italy. Also, I haven't broken any bones yet, and only minor sunburns, so double success there. Wine. Wine is great.
That's basically what is happening as best as I can describe right now. There are chickens, pigs, and dogs, and vines and olives and tomatoes and cheese and fresh everything, and it's all in an Italian language, so pretty much I'm an Italian farmer now.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Welcome to San Fantino
We arrived in San Giovanni a Piro a week ago. What a week it has been.
The town is in the middle of a national park, called Cilento. We are 10 km from the Tyrhennian Sea, up at the base of mount Bulgheria. It is beautiful - sunny and warm, surrounded by hills and water. Everything seems to grow here, the people are very healthy from all ofthr fresh food and walking everywhere.
So far we had eaten a fresh pasta with Wild Boar, fresh buffalo mozzerella, veggies from the garden, fish from the sea, and delicious olive oil and wine from the property. We are tending to some vines and helping to build a fence, among other projects. We work about 4 hours in the morning, then rest and work again from 4-6 in the afternoon. Every nigh our host, Sebastiano, makes a delicious dinner of local food.
This is an incredible experience. Im writing today from the bar (cafe) in town. I'll bring my journal next time and write more.
The town is in the middle of a national park, called Cilento. We are 10 km from the Tyrhennian Sea, up at the base of mount Bulgheria. It is beautiful - sunny and warm, surrounded by hills and water. Everything seems to grow here, the people are very healthy from all ofthr fresh food and walking everywhere.
So far we had eaten a fresh pasta with Wild Boar, fresh buffalo mozzerella, veggies from the garden, fish from the sea, and delicious olive oil and wine from the property. We are tending to some vines and helping to build a fence, among other projects. We work about 4 hours in the morning, then rest and work again from 4-6 in the afternoon. Every nigh our host, Sebastiano, makes a delicious dinner of local food.
This is an incredible experience. Im writing today from the bar (cafe) in town. I'll bring my journal next time and write more.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Ciao di Vernazza!!
Ciao tutti!
We have been in Vernazza for 3 or 4 days, honestly I barely know what day or time it is because it doesnàt matter. We sleep, we hike, we swim, and we eat. Eat a lot. We have something close to 500 photos and unfortunately the internet is too expensive for us to figure out how to put them on the computer, so we will figure that ot later. Also, the keyboards are different! I promise I am a better speller. Everything is awesme.
Our next stop is Pisa, then Naples, then Policastro at our first farm. Mat is learing some Italian, every time the church bells ring we count them, so now he can count to twelve! This is, actually, the only way we ever know what time it is. Well Iàll let him write a bit too:
I do apologize about the lack of photos. When I sent out this blog, many people expressed doubt that it would be updated, and they were all correct. Blogging is a much lower priority when there is cheese and wine to consider, not to mention pasta and seafood. And salumi. And gelato. And bread. Quite frankly, this update is a bit too much to expect. Anyway, eventually we will figure out how to use a connection and upload photos from my camera to our flikr account. Until then, I will be eating.
-Matt and Rachel
We have been in Vernazza for 3 or 4 days, honestly I barely know what day or time it is because it doesnàt matter. We sleep, we hike, we swim, and we eat. Eat a lot. We have something close to 500 photos and unfortunately the internet is too expensive for us to figure out how to put them on the computer, so we will figure that ot later. Also, the keyboards are different! I promise I am a better speller. Everything is awesme.
Our next stop is Pisa, then Naples, then Policastro at our first farm. Mat is learing some Italian, every time the church bells ring we count them, so now he can count to twelve! This is, actually, the only way we ever know what time it is. Well Iàll let him write a bit too:
I do apologize about the lack of photos. When I sent out this blog, many people expressed doubt that it would be updated, and they were all correct. Blogging is a much lower priority when there is cheese and wine to consider, not to mention pasta and seafood. And salumi. And gelato. And bread. Quite frankly, this update is a bit too much to expect. Anyway, eventually we will figure out how to use a connection and upload photos from my camera to our flikr account. Until then, I will be eating.
-Matt and Rachel
Monday, October 10, 2011
We Made It!
Rachel and I have successfully journeyed to Italy, via the largest airports in the world. We do not have much time to use the Internet right now, because of the impending sleep we will experience. But we will post photos soon from our New York, London and Milan adventures!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
My Hat
I just want to talk about my hat for this trip.
It's pretty styling, as you can see. When we do get to Italy on October 10th, 2011, we will fly into Milan, the fashion capital of the world. So I'll want to be styling, and what better way than this sweet cap from REI? It's beige-y, which accentuates my eyes, and the brim belies a fashion statement that reads: "things are going well."
It is functional - that fashionable brim also blocks the sun to the tune of SPF 45, dude. The mesh on top allows for easy scalp-breathing, and an adjustable string keeps the hat on my head in cases of windiness. But the BEST part is definitely the Back-Of-The-Neck Protector. The B-O-T-N P can be deployed while working the farmlands to protect against the elements. And bees. "What about the front of the neck?" you ask. To which I say: the B-O-T-N P has snaps so you can pull up the back corners around your collar! It is truly the answer to all prayers.
This hat is easygoing. It dries fast and packs flat. It can be folded for a while without losing its structure. This is a hat for the guy on the go.
I have selected this hat as the subject of my first travel post, because this is how I am approaching this adventure. Right now it's my last day of work at my easy desk job where I've been for four years. I am scared out of my mind to leave my income, my home and my friends to go to a country I've never seen before with nothing but a carry-on bag.
But, guess what, here we go - and I will be styling, functional, and easygoing.
Thinking Outside of the Box
Everything I own is in a 7-foot square box.
The last week before changing your entire life is really nerve-wracking. Packing things, moving things, getting food poisoning, making sure all of the tiny bottles fit into the appropriate size zipper bag. But once it's all done and all of the checklists are finished, the feeling is pretty great. Who wouldn't want to ditch everything and run away to a foreign country with only minimal knowledge of the language?
Ok, so maybe a lot of people want to. Part of the impetus to do this was the looking-down-the-barrel-at-30 feeling that started creeping up last year. I spent most of my 20's getting settled in Seattle and making friends, finding a career, changing careers, starting a business, and basically playing it safe. But I didn't spend it getting 'settled' in the way a lot of my friends have, by getting married or buying a house or starting a family. By comparison, it sometimes felt like I hadn't actually done anything. I've also never been abroad, only speak English, and started getting a little tired of the routine.
I'm very excited, with only a tinge of nervous, because I know in the back of my mind that tomorrow will be the first day of a new chapter - where your life becomes defined by what happened before this great big adventure and what will happen after it begins. So yes, what happened before is in that box, and what lies ahead, well, I can't wait to see how big it will be.
The last week before changing your entire life is really nerve-wracking. Packing things, moving things, getting food poisoning, making sure all of the tiny bottles fit into the appropriate size zipper bag. But once it's all done and all of the checklists are finished, the feeling is pretty great. Who wouldn't want to ditch everything and run away to a foreign country with only minimal knowledge of the language?
Ok, so maybe a lot of people want to. Part of the impetus to do this was the looking-down-the-barrel-at-30 feeling that started creeping up last year. I spent most of my 20's getting settled in Seattle and making friends, finding a career, changing careers, starting a business, and basically playing it safe. But I didn't spend it getting 'settled' in the way a lot of my friends have, by getting married or buying a house or starting a family. By comparison, it sometimes felt like I hadn't actually done anything. I've also never been abroad, only speak English, and started getting a little tired of the routine.
I'm very excited, with only a tinge of nervous, because I know in the back of my mind that tomorrow will be the first day of a new chapter - where your life becomes defined by what happened before this great big adventure and what will happen after it begins. So yes, what happened before is in that box, and what lies ahead, well, I can't wait to see how big it will be.
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