Fienile renovation...the old roof disappears

After the scaffolding was erected and the wood delivered (see posts dated 9 and 16 March) the focus was on dismantling the old roof.

Our muratore believes the roof was the original from when the fienile was first built. Given that the house is between 200 and 300 years old, that's an old roof!

Some of the roof beams were made of oak and castagne (chestnut). These are both hardwood trees that contain strong sour tannins which function as natural insect repellant. There was very little damage to these beams and they will be re-used as features above the window openings in the second level.

Other roof beams and most of the roof rafters were made of acacia, which grows profusely in our valley. Acacia is also a hardwood but it is sweet and therefore attractive to insects. Most of these beams and rafters had been eaten out quite substantially and will be our future firewood.

As the roof was slowly dismantled, copious amounts of old leaf matter fell from between the tiles and the wood. This was perfect mulch. I was very tempted to gather it for my garden and had visions of me grovelling around on the scaffolding with a bucket. Luckily I resisted the urge and still have the respect of our muratore.

It took just one day for the roof to be completely dismantled, the wood lowered to the ground via a lifting mechanism and the tiles stacked all around the scaffolding ready to be re-used.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Fienile renovation...

The last two weeks have been frantic, not because I've been particularly busy but because our muratore (Sandro) has been here progressing the renovation of the fienile...

Activity like this seems to render me useless. I'm too interested in keeping up with the various activities so I tend to wander around aimlessly with no purpose. I find myself turning in circles, staring at plants and spying on Sandro and his workers from various angles.

It's actually not that bad...but I do love discussing the job with Sandro and watching him bring our "dream" to life. He is incredibly enthusiastic and organised, arriving early every day with renewed energy.

Sandro "feels" old buildings and has an innate sense of what is right for them. I always defer to him for ideas. Today he told me he treats our place as if it's his own and indeed we have trusted him with access and concepts ever since he started working on our house a year or so ago.

Tomorrow is Sunday so he won't be here. It is also forecast to rain so I'll be inside all day and hopefully (with none of the usual distractions!) focused on writing a few posts about the work that has been done so far...

 

Posted with Blogsy

A sunny week well spent

We have been enjoying a wonderful week of sun and 15-20 degree temperatures. We've even had our cotton shirts and sunhats on!

Unfortunately rain has been forecast for the next week and it is already drizzling so we're glad to have made the most of the good weather.

We took the opportunity to clear another small area of our land together. Sadly, we had to cut down several trees that were growing horizontally. The forest is full of vines and blackberry which pull down and strangle the trees. We freed other more upright trees from the clutches of these vines and they now have space around them to stretch out and reach up to the sun.

Stu also cleaned about 40 old terracotta tiles with the grinder while I painted beams for the fienile. These were not the beams delivered yesterday but several old beams that we had lying around the place. Our muratore suggested we use them across the tops of the openings in the fienile, in the same way that wood is used above the windows and doors on the house.

He really "feels" historical buildings and is always on the lookout for ways to incorporate old materials into a renovation. His idea will not only utilise valuable aged wood but it will also add more authenticity to the building and bring the house and the fienile "together" more...

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

The truck with the wood

ggg

We live at the end of a two kilometre single lane gravel road. The house is connected to another house, both of which sit in our very private and isolated valley.

Some time ago, our neighbour installed a steel barrier across the driveway about 500 metres from our houses. This barrier has been very effective in keeping people away from the houses. A few years ago, we also installed a gate close to our house to provide extra protection for when the barrier was open but the barrier still remains the best way to ensure security.

Yesterday morning I was talking to my roses in the pergola garden (as I do!) when I heard a very loud noise approaching.

It promised something big, very big.

I fled into the house, fearful that unsavoury strangers had crashed the barrier and were approaching our peaceful home.

From the safety of the kitchen window I watched as a very large truck rumbled towards the house.

Then I noticed a man walking ahead of the truck. It was Sandro, our muratore, who is doing our fienile renovation. We hadn't seen him yesterday because he had gone to Torino to do some approval paperwork. He hadn't arrived by noon today either so we had assumed that he wouldn't be coming and locked the barrier.

However, here he was, walking up our driveway ahead of a this very large truck heavily laden with wooden beams.

I went outside to welcome him. Behind his slight figure the monster loomed. It was heaving and rocking, its breaths coming in short squeaky sighs as it struggled with its load on the final incline to the house. Sandro guided it through our gate and showed it where to park outside the fienile.

I panicked. There was nowhere for this monster to turn, especially once he'd dropped his massive cargo off in the courtyard. I asked Sandro how he would turn but I needn't have worried. Country Italians are a capable lot. They can turn anything anywhere. Sandro simply smiled and said 'in dietro!' meaning that it would reverse out, something I hadn't considered.

The driver of the monster got out of the truck and lit a cigarette. He looked like he needed it.

Sandro asked me why the barrier had been closed. He looked slightly annoyed. I guess the driver might have panicked when faced with a dead end after struggling up the narrow gravel road with an incredibly large and heavy load on.

Happily satiated with nicotine, the driver got back into the cab while Sandro placed wooden planks under each of the truck tray stabilisers. Then the driver played with the hydraulics so that the weight of the truck tray was on the stabilisers and the cab was more or less off the ground. While Sandro jumped onto the truck tray in readiness to attach the first package of wood to the crane, the driver prepared the crane remote control. The first package of wooden beams was not overly heavy and the crane lifted it easily and swung it onto the ground smoothly. The second package was very heavy. The truck cab and body shook with tension as the crane lifted it slowly off the tray and very carefully placed it onto the ground.

With the beams offloaded, Sandro smiled widely, shouted goodbye and helped the truck reverse out through our gate.

I dared not look until I was satisfied that they'd made it around the first bend and past the barrier. I listened for sounds that might suggest they had made it, then I sneaked up to the bend from where I could see the barrier.

The truck had turned in our front paddock but deep grooves in the dirt told me that it had almost been bogged.

I returned to resume conversing with my roses...

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Spring is springing!

Spring is creeping up on us, waiting to "spring"!

The bulbs are coming up. It's early days but the crocus and violets are already up, along with the jonquils and chionodoxa.

It's so beautiful to watch the world come alive again after the sleepiness of winter...

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

The Carnevale continues...

After a wonderful Carnevale experience in Asti recently, we ventured out again for another one, this time in Acqui Terme!

The difference between the two Carnevales was considerable. The Asti one was smaller and quieter. It had fewer onlookers and a conservative, reserved feel about it. The Acqui Terme one was huge and loud. It was crowded and had a real community feel to it.

The Asti parade had a few small floats while the Acqui Terme parade had many large floats. You know you live in a rural area when the floats are pulled by some serious farm equipment. There were tractors everywhere!

Many of the floats played loud dance music. One played doof doof while another played the macarena. There's something wonderfully liberating about dancing in the street!

People on the floats were smiling, laughing, singing and dancing. On one float, they were using straw brooms to ruffle the heads of passersby. This was such a simple, fun thing to do but it was very effective: it brought happy smiles to the faces of both victims and observers. I was one of the happily ruffled.

It seemed that everyone, both on and off the floats, was throwing confetti. After the parade had passed, people everywhere were spotted with colour and the streets were feet deep in the tiny coloured paper pieces. They settled on me, making their way into my hair, finding the folds in my scarf and attaching to my coat. I dropped some of them on the floor of the bar where we enjoyed a post-parade aperitivi but it took a good 15 minutes to brush the rest of them off before I could get into our car to drive home...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Polentissimo at Monastero Bormida

Italy is well known for its festivals. Our region of Piemonte has many of them, most of which celebrate history, food or wine.

One of Piemonte's staple foods throughout the centuries has been polenta and March is the traditional time to celebrate this wonder corn food.

Last year we went to a Polenta festival in Bubbio, a small town about 20 minutes away. This year we celebrated the wonders of corn at Monastero Bormida, another small town about 20 minutes away in a different direction.

Unlike last year, when the skies assaulted us with rain, this year we were basked in sunshine.

We arrived mid morning and were guided by a volunteer from the festival into a car park along the riverbank. Parking on the river was a great way to enter the town because it required us to walk across an old Roman bridge from which we enjoyed a wide view of the stone village and it's impressive castle. An extra bonus was an elderly man with an easel and paintbrush who was halfway through a painting of the town. A couple of hours later we found this painting for sale in the market and I had to be dragged away in case I spent more money than I had!

Once in the village, we wandered around the narrow streets of stone houses where modern day street signage had been covered by hessian to ensure an authentic experience. Local artisans dressed in period costume were displaying medieval crafts and skills. There were spinners, weavers and knitters, along with basket-makers, stone-carvers, rope-makers and farm tool sharpeners.

With noon looming we headed towards the castle to take part in the local promotion group's EUR 10 lunch. For this small price, we enjoyed bean and tuna salad, polenta and salsiccia, chocolate bunet, bread, water and wine. We were also treated to the happy folk music of a walking piano accordion player.

After lunch we set off to see what goodies awaited us at the farmers market. We tasted a lot and bought a lot too...gorgonzola crema, aged goats cheese, salami and several hazelnut products...before being distracted by brass bands and flag wavers!

We left mid afternoon, stomachs full of food, arms loaded with goodies and ears bursting to the sounds of trumpets and drums.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

I have been dancing!

I took the plunge this week and went dancing!

For those who know me, this was a first in many years.

Twenty years ago I was a Queensland state champion in New Vogue and an Australian finalist in Modern.

This week I was a learner.

I learned the Mazurka, a traditional dance of Poland that is popular at weddings and events in Piemonte.

The dance is a little like a walk and not quite what I'm used to...but it was joyous to be moving to music again!

Posted with Blogsy

The lacework is up

The builder arrived early yesterday morning in a truck heavily laden with scaffolding.

He spent the entire morning erecting the scaffold around the front and one side of the fienile, before setting off to gather a second load for the back and other side. Erecting the scaffold was not an easy job because the land is limited and uneven around the building.

Tomorrow he needs to erect scaffolding on the upper inside of the building.

Unfortunately we've been using this area to store all of the domestic and industrial rubbish that we've inherited or been collecting since we purchased the property.

The concept of living as a minimalist and leaving a small footprint is important to me. I pride myself on composting and recycling everything possible and it has been frustrating that I haven't been able to do anything with The Pile.

Just before leaving tonight, the builder raised the subject of the rubbish. Luckily he also mentioned "porta via" (take away) I latched onto the "porta via" immediately. He said he was happy to take it away as Canelli is well set up for recycling and he would ensure that it goes to the proper recycling location.

He loaded the plastic onto his truck late yesterday and will take a load of steel tomorrow.

Then we will be rubbish free...and the fienile will be completely covered by scaffolding...inside and out!

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

The septic stories are over (hopefully)

Our builder has delayed commencement of work on the fienile roof; he will now arrive early tomorrow morning.

So I'll take the opportunity to update you on the final activity related to our septic system...

In July/August 2014, our new septic system was installed. To save money, we asked the contractor to connect it to our old soakaway; we planned to divert it to the creek ourselves at a later date.

The later date was December 2014. With 4 guests booked to stay with us for 4 weeks in January 2015, we decided to make the diversion a priority.

So on a damp and foggy morning in December, Stu donned an old pair of fleecy tracksuit pants and a holey woollen jumper and set off down the ramp with an ungainly armload of orange pipe.

First he had to dig a 20 metre trench into which he would lay the pipe. The earth was wet and boggy which made for heavy slow digging. He also had to tackle rocks and tree roots.

But by the end of the day the pipe was laid and joined and I was asked to flush the toilet. Shortly after I flushed I heard the whoops of a happy man when he saw a quantity of clear but smelly water dribble out of the pipe.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

The last major renovation looms!

After many months of demolition with very little construction activity, we've finally progressed our major project to replace the fienile roof.

The old roof is many years old.

The wooden beams have been badly damaged by termites and borer. Huge holes can be seen in the wood where insects have feasted. A gentle tap emits a weak hollow sound and dust. They have been shored up over the years by other pieces of timber that have been forced under the beams and against the walls in a desperate and low cost attempt to maintain the roof.

The walls are thick stone and strong but the peaks on which the roof sits (which would have been made of stone originally) must have fallen at some stage because the roof is now held up by bricks at the very top. Since we have owned the property these bricks have been balancing precariously on top of one another but I noticed today that they have now started to crumble and fall!

There are gaps between the terracotta tiles where they have slipped and separated. We can see blue sky on a clear day and feel rain on a wet one. If they haven't slipped down the roof, they've fallen through the curved and twisted rafters. The dull reverberating sound of falling tiles is becoming more frequent as the building ages. At the moment we can't risk anyone venturing onto the second story lest the entire roof cave in. We avoid going up there ourselves and tread carefully when we have to.

This building is precious. It is the only 'out building' on the property. It is historical, of stone construction like the house and deserves to be preserved. When it's finished, the lower storey will be our garage and shed, while the upper storey will be our outdoor entertainment area.

In anticipation of the builder arriving tomorrow, Stu has been moving cement blocks, bricks, tiles, stones and wood from against the walls so that scaffolding can be erected around the entire building. I have been pruning the wisteria back to bare bones so that we can gently coax it elsewhere without damaging it when the builder needs to access the walls.

It will be an extended job. The builder will need to strengthen the walls, dismantle the roof, earthquake-proof the walls and re-build the roof.

It will change daily over the next few weeks so here are a few photos of the "before"...

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy