There are white tops where the big yellow things are!

The work on the new septic system continued all day yesterday and this morning until our contractors were rained out at noon.

Yesterday they dug the exit trench, then prepared and positioned the inspection points and pipes before connecting all of the components. The exit trench took considerable time because they had to dig very carefully in order to avoid the main gas line. We knew it was there but not exactly where! When they found it, they chose to dig around it by hand to expose it properly.

Today, under threateningly dark and heavy clouds, the contractors cemented the top of the main tank for extra protection. They also took the opportunity to cement around the gas line and were able to bury most of the system before heavy rain started. Rainwear kept them dry while they buried the remainder of the system and hosed thick clay off the digger's tracks. At noon they loaded the clean digger onto the truck and wobbled their way down a partly underwater driveway through a dripping forest.

Since next week is Ferragosto they will recommence work the following week...

Above: Digging the exit trench

Above: All main parts in position

Above: Cementing the top of the main tank and covering the exit trench

Above: Washing the mud off the digger in the rain

Above: Our new septic system partially installed...and our new clay bog...

 

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Something wonderful always happens

Recently I read of a 93 year old woman who believes that "if you force yourself to go outside, something wonderful always happens".

These words had a strong impact on me. At 93, she must find it hard to tackle life. At that age, even forcing herself to go outside is probably an achievement.

Then I wondered about the accuracy of the words for people younger than 93. I thought about the best things that happen to me and they do more often than not happen outside. It might be a dark cloudy sky rolling into the valley, it might be scores of butterflies dancing on our wildflower field, it might be new buds on my roses or it might be lizards chasing each other in the sun.

I think this lady is right. When the rest of your world seems boring or sad or lonely, go outside, where "something wonderful always happens".

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The big yellow things have been buried!

We were very excited to hear from our geometra that the muratore would arrive this morning to start work on the installation of our new septic system.

They arrived at 9am as promised and two very tired people met them outside (we have had two sleepless nights due to meowing cats hunting dormice around the house!).

Their truck carried a small backhoe which they offloaded quickly then started to plan the days activities.

In no time at all the digger was underway and they were searching for the exit tube into which they had to connect the system.

This tube proved hard to find as it was deep underground but they eventually found it, puncturing it in the process.

They then started digging the large holes for the major components of the system. We had warned them beforehand that we had no idea where critical services were buried, including well water, electricity and gas. The digger operator picked away carefully ("delicato"). It wasn't long before he found a pipe which proved to be water from the old well and was dry. A little later he found an old orange septic pipe which was full of mud and even later still a red electricity tube that contained no wiring. Comfortable in a new confidence that enough had been found already he continued to pick away.

Suddenly we heard a twang then watched as a powerful fountain of water spouted from a newly uncovered tube in the hole. Realising immediately that our precious well water pipe had been severed, Stu ran to turn off the well pump while I dashed inside to call our plumber.

The plumber arrived a couple of hours later during siesta (!) to re-connect the tube.

In the afternoon the digger operator finished digging the large holes under the guidance of the muratore. To ensure that the holes were the correct depth to allow fall on the various incoming and outgoing pipes, the muratore set up a laser level. Once the holes were properly levelled and ready, the muratore drove away in his truck to get a load of sand while the digger operator "landscaped" our driveway and lawn area with the excess dirt.

On his return, the muratore shovelled a layer of sand into the holes and flattened it on the bottom before again checking levels then lifting the tanks into place using the bucket of the digger.

Once in place, the tanks were filled with water to prevent them from collapsing under the weight of sand which was then poured around them and hosed with water to help it to settle and provide maximum support.

It was at this point that I became concerned. I came out of the house to see both workers reading the instructions on the tanks! It seems that, while they had installed many IMOF systems in the past, they had never installed one so deep. The depth had been necessary because of the poor fall on pipes from the rustico. We had previously had a bad experience with the rustico pipes being blocked so we knew our options would be to have a deeper septic or install a completely separate septic for the rustico. Obviously a deeper septic is the cheaper option. The instructions stated that a protective cement top had to be put over the tanks if they were to be buried at a depth greater than 20cm. Our tanks qualify.

Before they left at 8pm last night after a hard 11 hour day, the tanks were in place, filled with water and supported by sand.

Tomorrow they have another day of digging channels and laying and connecting the incoming and outgoing pipes...

Above: Before...

Above: During...

Above: After...

Above: Measuring the depth

Above: Watering the sand in

 

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To bidet or not to bidet?

Sometimes social media is very helpful.

I recently posted a question on a site which focuses on expats living in Italy: Should we consider a bidet in our bathroom renovation?

Responses were not as varied as I had expected. Instead it was an overwhelming "yes!"

Most of the respondees actually use bidets but some of them dont use them at all but still said that they were great for watering plants, cleaning feet and washing floors!

So this week we invested in a bidet for the first time.

We're actually quite looking forward to having one in our lives!

 

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Views, vines, wines

On Friday a wine tasting event gave us a welcome break from renovation activities.

Our group of 16 people from Albisola, Verrazza, Acqui Terme and Canelli met at Santo Stefano Belbo for a morning coffee before driving to the enoteca at Mango. The drive was spectacular. It climbs and twists around hills draped in vines with views in every direction. In the tasting room at the castle in Mango we sampled several glasses of Moscato and Passito as well as salamis, cheeses, grissini and hazelnuts. After a leisurely hour we set off again, driving back down the hills to Il Falchetto where we had a tour of the cantine and a tasting of whites and reds with yet more salami, cheeses and grissini.

After a long lunch in Santo Stefano Belbo we set off again, this time to Beppe Marino where we sampled several more exquisite wines as well as salami and focaccia.

Stu and I purchased our first magnums (1.5 litres each) and even a double magnum (3 litres) which will be opened for a certain "big" birthday which looms for yours truly next year...

 

 

 

 

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De-clutter and de-stress

While Stu has been chipping plaster and cement off the fienile and reinforcing the window openings, I have been tending tomatoes, cleaning bricks and de-cluttering.

I am cleaning bricks for two reasons: to move one of the piles of old building materials from behind the fienile and to prepare them to be laid as two wheel-tracks on the driveway. Regular readers will remember that I spent every day in November and December last year chiselling and scraping old bricks for re-use in our lounge room voltini. Well, the chisel and hammer are once again out and in use.

I am de-cluttering for two reasons: to clear out the rustico and fienile and to give to charity. A few hours buzzing around the house resulted in 8 book-boxes of donations. There is a lot written about the value of de-cluttering to our mental health. It apparently removes the distraction and worry of materialism and has a strangely freeing effect on the mind.

It does feel good to remove excess from my life and help others at the same time...

 

 

 

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First improvement job for a while

This week Stu finished the firewood moving exercise so he took the opportunity to do an improvement job.

He loves improving and this time he set his sights on fixing the window openings in the fienile. The wooden beams above the windows had disappeared after years of insect and weather abuse. A previous owner had also changed the openings from doors to windows by building half-walls out of bricks. Since the rest of the building is stone these bricks simply had to go. They were also in an advanced stated of disintegration after years of humidity and weather and needed only a slight touch to collapse.

Stu spent many happy but very tiring hours on this job which is the first we have done on the fienile. It feels good to finally be paying this beautiful old building some attention.

Above: Chipping out the rotten beams

Above: Fitting the new beams

Above: Jackhammering out the old bricks

Above: Removing the brick rubble

Above: Setting the stones for the new wall

Above: The new wall

 

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The new firewood stack

Here is the new firewood stack.

It's safe and sound and tucked up under a blanket (read tarp) and should be nice and dry when we need to start using it in a couple of months.

 

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More preparations for the fienile renovation

There are some jobs that we need to do before we can engage a contractor for the major renovation work on the fienile.

The most pressing jobs are associated with moving things. Our main stack of firewood is on one outside wall of the fienile, our overflow stack of firewood and heating pellets are inside the fienile and several piles of cleared vegetation, rubbish, bricks and stones are behind the fienile.

So Stu has been spending his days moving things. It's heavy and boring work. It's also deeply frustrating because we have created these piles in the last 5 years so moving them is double-handling. Now is not the time to talk about the triple-handling which will need to occur once the renovation is finished!

This week Stu moved all of the firewood to a new firewood stack which he erected on the potato patch. Hence why we dug up our potatoes recently!

Sadly, he also had to cut down a plum tree to provide access to the rear of the fienile. I abhor cutting down trees and experience all sorts of guilt about it. The only way I'm coping with the removal of this one is knowing that we have been nurturing several young plum groves on the property which are now fruiting...

 

Above: The old firewood stack half emptied

Above: Going...

Above: Going...

Above: Gone!

 

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More tatties!

Since we need the potato patch area for firewood storage, we have been forced to dig up our crop.

We have dried and stored 2 batches in cane baskets with newspaper separating each layer.

Hopefully they will store well and we will be able to enjoy our potatoes throughout winter.

 

 

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A house garden overhaul

The plants around the house have been looking straggly and woody. I have been trimming, pruning and nursing them for months but they are still...well, ugly.

So after 5 years I decided it was time for an overhaul. This week, I dug out the ugly plants. Then Stu prepared deeper holes for new plants. In the holes I placed richer earth and mulch and will now wait for this earth to enrich before planting in Autumn.

I'm thinking "roses and lavender" which do well on that corner of the house and compliment each other. I am now in the throes of researching types of roses (do you realise just how many there are!?) to ensure that I get the right height, bloom and hardiness for the location.

I have fallen in love with a rose called Joseph's Coat which is a climbing floribunda with a multi-coloured bloom. Unfortunately it is susceptible to leaf rust but I simply must give it a chance in my garden!

 

 

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Sugo pomodoro!

Today I ventured out to the tomato patch and again found the crop out of control. So i returned to the house, collected my little picking basket and returned to attack it. Half an hour and several trips later, 8 kilograms of tomatoes were waiting for some action in the kitchen.

I decided the time was right for "sugo pomodoro", the pure tomato sauce that can be used in almost all Italian meals.

An hour later, 12 large jars full of a rich red sauce were cooling on the bench.

I will have a break tomorrow but will have to repeat the exercise the next day because today's 8 kilograms of tomatoes came off a third of the plants only...so the other plants are still waiting!

 

 

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Fienile renovation

I have been talking about our plans and preparations for the renovation of our fienile so I thought it was about time I shared our "before" (now) and "after" (dream) with you.

We are waiting for a few quotes for two main projects:

1. The shoring up of the walls, reconstruction of the roof and laying of a smooth concrete floor.

2. The excavation of earth behind the building, erection of a retaining wall and laying of a concrete slab.

If prices are extreme, then our dream may have to stay a dream...but we have our fingers crossed...tightly...

 

Source: unknown (apologies to the publisher)

 

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Two little walnut trees

These two little walnut trees seeded themselves amongst my roses in early spring. Ever since then I have been nurturing them with a view to eventually planting them in our walnut tree paddock.

Yesterday I decided they were strong enough to survive an initial replant into pots. Once they get a bit bigger I'll plant them in their permanent location.

 

 

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Production update

It is with mixed feelings that I announce my temporary retirement from plum jam production. We have more than enough but the real reason is that the plum season is almost over, with many of the remaining fruit now splitting and falling. I picked the last of the best fruit off the trees today and made several batches of stewed fruit which I will freeze so that we can enjoy a taste of summer when our cold winter is upon us.

My relish production is also over. We have more than enough of 3 types of relish in our stock. However the tomatoes are still hanging thick and heavy on the tomato plants so I will make tomato sauce out of the remaining crops, which is useful for almost everything I cook!

Stu dug up a quarter of the potato patch today and was very pleased with his bounty. The healthy red tatties are now drying in the cantine before he stacks them in a cane basket for longterm keeping.

 

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Another idea!

In my continuing quest to bottle all of our ripening fruit, I have made red plum coulis, which will be used at some later date as a tangy sauce over a creamy cheesecake.

Today I will stew as much as I can to freeze for winter.

 

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