End of the month

End of the month. April has gone fast and after settling down and having establish some sort of new  daily routine in Locoe land, I am now back to Marazzino seaside house. Lesley is coming back tomorrow after a brief visit to Chris in Edinburgh and Drumnadrochit. We are planning to have our few days holidays. One day here then visiting the  picturesque   town of Bosa on the west side of the island. Just a couple of days before going back to Locoe. On Sunday the 6^th of May my brother has organised a day walk on the Goceano area where he lives. A mountainous location rich of native trees. The following Sunday  another walk is going to take place on the high peaks of the Oliena mountain. Hopefully it will not be too hot ( 1400 metres).

Our Kiwi plant

As for the weather, it has been very good in the last couple of weeks but tomorrow and up to Thursday rain is forecasted again. This will be good for the vegetables recently planted and to give an extra help to broad beans and peas in their final production. So far we have collected around 180 kg of broad beans!! Still more to be harvested.

Some harvest....

The potatoes we planted a month ago are already well out and the ones planted on the 4^th of April are out and getting stronger. For them too the rain will be a bonus. Water at the moment is not a problem as both wells have  abundant water in them. Soon the amount of water  we will be able to take out will be limited. At the moment we can take out water every 4 hours for  about 10 minutes. In dry season the minutes of water will be reduced to 4.

Potatoes on the way

Progress on the house roof is well on the way. We are recycling some aluminium gutters which need to be fixed at the end of the roof before we complete the tiling part of it. Generally we are happy with what we have achieved so far . As for my plans to live with around 300 euros per month , I am not there yet but very close. In the first month the total was 312 and so far this month is 274. This is referring to a calculation which includes our wine, our oil and our bread ( for a total of 86 ) as if we were buying them from a shop.  Also includes electricity ( 20 ), gas ( 9.50) Vodafone Hub ( 20 ). I am happy with the outcome so far, but there is still space for improvement.

In a month time we will be back and it will be interesting to see how I will feel leaving back the tranquillity, the colours, the fresh air, the outside work and the sunshine behind . It was a very long time since  I was here in Sardinia for so long. I can see more things happening ahead, but better stick to what we have planned so far.

Vines leaves  progressing well

A rare picture of my grand father ( my Dad's father)  found in the local Library. I was called Battistino ( little Battista) in his honour.

The very local food

23/04/2018

Another sunny hot day. The ground is drying very quickly but the early dew of the morning is keeping the vegetation and the flowers still in a good shape. Last night took me an hour and half to water  all the new plants plus the others which were planted previously. I am using a watering can as it is efficient and uses  less water. Pietro’s system with a variety of pipe work going in different directions, with taps to connect more pipes, allow us to water plant easily in different places. In addition the dripping system saves lots of water and time. You open the main tap from the pool and then the watering does not need you around. You came back 2 hours later and all is done efficiently and with no waste of water. This system is in place in a couple of areas, so we need to improve it investing more on it.

The pipe work where we planted some of new vegetables

We walk a lot during the day as different tasks are in different places but also, simple tasks as getting water from the well, require switching on and off connection and literary going to the pump to be operated then again do the same when everything is finished. Or switching the boiler for the shower means switching off water in the house, then going to the toilet to connect boiler and do the reverse when finish. There is only a 1.5 KW power so you can run one item at time. So, water from the well is priority in the morning. first thing to do after the coffee.

There will be courgettes

We are washing our clothes outside in the old fashion way. Line for drying them is between two olive trees. Sometimes ants travel on the washing line between trees so you need to shake them off. Washing machine would not operate anyway and tumble dryers here are a joke . As per television  we are happy without it. In fact we do not think about it at all. There is a radio but we switched on only a couple of times. The outside world is connected via internet, a couple of times a day.

Yesterday we collected the first broad beans. In the next few days there will many to be collected before they became too old and dry ( Good for keeping ). So, for lunch today I cooked some of them.

broad bean with pod

The beans without the pod

Analysing  the content of my lunch gives you an indication about sustainability when living here. Every single ingredient to make the meal  was from here. The water, the oil, the onions, the garlic, the wild fennel and the broad beans. The bread to accompany the meal  was made by us with flour from Sardinia grains. I had our wine but did not drink it as it is far too strong for lunch . I do drink the wine in the evening though. I had my lunch under the new veranda looking out towards the Oliena mountain ( Corrasi) and surrounded by the colour of  yellows, reds, purples orange wild flowers. On the higher  grounds the Mediterranean machia of  different tonalities of greens complete the picture.

cooking the beans

At the moment we have onions, lettuce, cauliflower, broad beans, peas, spinach, beat  all cultivated and  to be harvest. Some more wild herbs are still available. In a month time broad beans will be gone, but other types of beans will be ready alongside with the courgettes, aubergines, tomatoes , chicory, lettuces, cabbages, peppers and more. We will be back in Drum by then.

I have taken my time to calculate approximately the number of broad beans planted. There are about 3000 and 300 peas plants. if we have used 3000 litre of water the other day , that is 1 litre per plant which is pretty good. plants maybe  need more water for another time. The plants produce around 5 to 8 pod each which will be around 15,000 or 24,000 pods. This is around 750 kg .

My brother Tonino sells some but most  of them are divided between 4 families , presents to other people and kept in the freezer for later consumption. The other day our neighbour called Angheleddu ( little Angel. he is 82 and he was working with the strimmer cutting grass for about 2 hours non stop)    gave us some potatoes, then he asked if we had some parsley. I said yes, plenty of it, go and get it. We had a little chat as he was collecting the parsley. This is the way here. We exchange products and we have a chat...

First sign of the figs. They will be ready in June. Too late for us.

The Goji berry tree. One of the many  so called "superfood" grows well here

and the plant produces plenty of if fruit.

Blue skyes, flowers and pasta

19/04/2018

Lesley and Christopher departed and are now back to Drum. I am back to Locoe, sitting outside the veranda  and watching the sky getting darker and darker. I can still see the mountain of Oliena and in the background I can hear the sheep bells and in the distance a dog barking. The last few days have been good and very sunny. Spring has now arrived.

The Oliena mountain this afternoon. Spring is here and the wild flowers are crazy growing. Jut really beautiful

Yesterday I was in Oliena making more bread for the families. This time we made  over 27 kg of flour ( made with semola from Sardinia grains. My uncle ,next door to us, has a mill and he is proud of selecting only Sardinian grains) and we started at 7 am to finish around 4 pm. Four of us working all day for bread which will last probably a month and an half. We also made for the first time some different bread under my suggestion, and everyone was happy with the result.

 

The non Sardinian bread

As per today, we started working on the house roof to sort some infiltration problems.  Later on I carried on weeding then watering plants. I sat down about 6.30 pm to enjoy a glass of beer. It was very warm all day long and I think I am regaining my original skin colour of a Mediterranean person. The silhouette of the mountain is the only shape of some sort of form I can now see. It is dark. The only light comes from the laptop and the led bulb above me charged  with the solar panel earlier on. And the frogs have started chanting or….sort of making rhythmical sounds.

All the hard work now showing the rewards. broad beans

And peas….

Todays pasta with pesto.

The pasta

The pesto

The meal

It is peaceful but I think is better to share these moments rather been on my own.

Christopher here with us

15/04/2018

We are again in Marazzino with Christopher . He arrived on the 10^th  and after  spending a couple of days in Locoe and Oliena we travelled up here on the North east of the Island , hoping for a couple of days of sunshine and a visit to the local beach. The day we arrived it was warm and a quick visit to the beach in the afternoon gave us some hope for a potential swim the next day. It was not to happen. Yesterday was very windy and apart from a brief appearance of the sun in the morning, the whole day was grey with high clouds. We decided to tackle the “ chessa” tree to free the high part of the garden at the back of the house. We made some good wood to be used in the coming winter.

Chris and his construction

In Locoe, after Lesley and Christopher had started freeing some olive trees from  new sucker growth, we also started to work on the big rock, cutting lots of wood and nasty brambles to free an area which had been inaccessible for many years.

Clearing for access

Big space now made near the rock

Carrying cuttings to be burned

A big bonfire

 It is now looking very promising  and could be a place to go for a rest in high summer when the heat will be unpleasant. Maybe we need to put up some benches or some sort of seating arrangement to supplement the weird shaped rocks. As for the cultivated area, it is planned to complete the two parts of the land (ours and my aunty's) with tomatoes, aubergines, carrots, courgettes, French beans and lettuces. This will be done from next Thursday.

Lesley and Christopher are going back to Scotland on the 17^th whereas I will go back to Oliena  on Tuesday afternoon ready for making more bread the next day.

Some pictures

Lesley getting friendly with the donkeys in Marazzino

Sheep grazing  just behind the house

The natural flower garden here offer more than you can think of

making  Sardinian bread

something new to learn

The very thin pane carasau

The beginning of the extension

Putting the post  at right level

The olive tree on the left side of the house

On the big rock on the river side

The interior of the extension. partially closed for windproof

View from north west

View from east. tiles roof on.

Looking towards the back of the extension

Peach tree

Home made Linguine with parsley pesto

March summary

Summary 5th March - 5th April

It is   a month since we arrived in Sardinia. Expectations were high , especially for good sunny days and work to be carried out. The unknown was part of this experience / experiment and certainly the days here  have given us many surprises, mostly on the weather patterns and also for the way the work was carried out. Indeed, here you cannot plan things and expect the plan to be followed precisely.  Many things can intervene from one day to the other or even in the same day,

Our shorts-t-shirt experience has had to wait for a while. We did have some  moments of very good weather but there we have not had a couple of days in a row without clouds. The welcomed rain was a blessing for the locals and Sardinia in general, but temperatures were more like winter and snow appeared on the high peaks a couple of times

As for the work on the vineyards and vegetable plots, we managed to do many different tasks, we think to a satisfactory level. Pruning vines and olive trees (admittedly not the ones here as yet), weeding  and planting new vegetable crops has taken up most of the time, There is so much to do that every time a job is completed another one awaits you.

The satisfaction will be in the fruits of the work done. We move about constantly and the most pleasant thing is being outside all the time. Here it  is mostly peaceful as cars are only arriving and going early morning and late evening . People coming to work the land. Whereas back home calling in at a shop for odds and ends, putting the TV on to see the odd programme or ‘news’, is part of our daily life, they play no part at all here, any more than hoovering, putting on the washing machine or looking to see if any letters have come for us.  No plastic-wrapped vegetables, no pre-packed foods, except for the UHT milk, the sugar and the coffee that the family keep us supplied with. Life is basic somehow, and as Lesley described it - like long-term camping. There are comforts though: good food, good wine, a cosy warm room and the feeling that you are at moments back in time in these surroundings.

Our front of the house display of floweres

Easter day was spent in Oliena at my aunties’ house. In Oliena,  On Easter Day there is a big celebration called “ s’Incontru” or “ the meeting”, where two groups, one carrying the Holy Mary, and the other an effigy of Jesus, meet in Saint Mary’s square. Following a noisy build-up of sporadic firing, he event culminates in a deafening crescendo of fire arms from numerous balconies around the piazza and beyond the town. Fire arms start to fire bullets from as early as 9.00 am. The climax of the procession is at 11.00 am. After that everybody goes back home for their Easter banquet.

Home made prosciutto, pancetta and capocollo.

The " Antipasti"

Ravioli

Roasted pig

 

In our case the starter consisted of  7 or 8 items  (small amounts of different things like artichokes, peppers, small onions, sliced cured ham and salami, olives – nearly all home-produced) , ravioli, pig and lamb roasted, salads, sevadas ( a Sardinia dessert), torrone (nougat – named after the town that is most famous for it here) and coffee. Of course, our own wine to wash everything down. We managed to escape the table at about 3.45 pm..and returned to Locoe. It was a good day and at the table, in true Italian style, discussion fills up the gaps between courses.

The " sevada", a Sardinia cake made with fresh cheese, lemon rind and topped with honey

Tiramisu'

Torrone

Next day is “ Pasquetta”, Easter Monday. Here in Italy, Pasquetta is the most important day of family reunion and is generally spent in the countryside. For the people who own a piece of land, that is where they go. For other city dwellers, sea side or a trip to the parks or nearby mountains is their option. We, lucky ones, we have our land and as far as the history of the family is concerned we always come to Locoe for Easter Monday.

Easter Monday roast

Preparations started early in the morning making the fire to roast …guess what? ….the pig and the lamb (donated by a friend of the family). Tables were prepared next door and as everybody arrived one by one, it was about 11.00 a.m. when the first drink was suggested.The party was made up of 14 of us. More food arrived with the “ zie” (Maria and Cicitta) in the form of home made lasagne, different vegetables, cakes and more starters. It was a very sunny day and after lunch  some of the company went out for a walk and for food foraging, namely wild asparagus and wild fennel. By 8 pm everyone had left for home.
So, on the whole our first month has passed as expected - adjusting, making some progress - some slower, some faster than predicted, surprising weather (but considering where we came from, no problem!), establishing working relationships and becoming involved in the day-to-day concerns of our relatives here.  Time is flying!

Next post will be a series of Pictures.