Time is flying and Easter is already gone. Here in Locoe the work carries on and in spite of having finished weeding on the vineyards, we now have started to tie the new vines to the bamboo canes in order to protect the new shoots from windy conditions and make sure the new vines are straight. The new shoots are very fragile at this stage of growth and protecting them is essential. This job takes place after the pruning. Other jobs at this point involve the collection of stones from the vineyards, especially in Dule where stones are in abundance.
Andrea with tractor and special hand made stone collector!
In Dule we are aware of an old settlement, possibly Roman and we are finding hundreds of pieces of the historical testimony. There is not much information about it but our findings are of some interest.
Pottery findings
When Easter approaches, here in Oliena we get ready preparing some special cakes and as relatives came back for the occasion we make sure we have these specialities and the bread ready. So we have made some, which implies a long day of preparation and cooking involving quite a few people. This bread is a complex one as it is very thin and it is cooked twice in an oven fired with wood.
Aunty Cicita ( the expert hands) testing the bread. This part of the bread making requires a coordinated skill in loading the uncooked bread on the big flat wooden " Pala", sliding it into the oven then using the small metal flat " Paletta" to work on the bread inside the oven, turning it, twisting it, till it becomes a balloon and then taken it out to be split into two pieces.
Splitting the bread and the bread ready after been toasted into the oven the second time round.
We normally start working at 5 am as the fire needs started early in order to build up the heat inside the oven. Then it is time to prepare the dough which is processed by a mixer for around 45 minutes and when ready we cut the dough into small pieces of 130 grams approx. ( precision for the grams is due to the fact that the bread has to be same size and thickness once worked ) and lay them in a wooden rectangular container to start the raising process. When this part is finished we start the flattening of the bread to a circumference of around 40 cm. The bread is then laid into special square flat wooden supports, one by one separated by a special lining cloth and numbered from 1 to 6 or 8 depending on the amount of bread made. Every square contains 20 flatten bread which after cooking and splitting will became 40 pieces. The bread at this stage continue to rise. At this point bread is tested to see if it is ready to cook.
Easter cakes on the left. ( small one is sweet and big one savory. All made with fresh cheese) On the right our home made pasta on a rainy day.
Working for a roof water collector and picnic lunch time in Dule.
On the left a local...and a worthwhile walk collecting wild asparagus.
Spring brings to our land a wonder of wild flowers. The variety is incredibly vast and we should start collecting pictures and information for a record of a biodiversity richness.
The place becomes an open wild garden. This is due to the way agriculture is sustained and practice here. But this topic would need a separate entry.
Wild orchids, sweet peas and meadow on the olive growth.
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