Buon Natale!!!

The Casa Pace Team takes a winter break (which doesn't mean that you cannot book Casa Pace)!
We wish everybody merry christmas, a happy new year and in general all the best! But most of all, we wish you happy holidays!

Greetings from Cottanello, where at one of the small houses Santa Claus is hanging the whole year:

Swimming pool of Cottanello

Soon it is ready - the new swimming pool of Cottanello! Everybody is waiting for the summer season 2013 because then you can jump into the water of the new pool in this lovely village.

We keep you posted about the progress.

Work in the countryside

Even folks like us who grew up in a city, can become real country-lads and -gals! 

Mowing grass...

Birthdays!!

Birthday parties are always great in Cottanello. Especially because most birthdays celebrate a high age.

Last week it was Andrea, the husband of Liliana, who celebrated his 79th birthday.

Auguri Auguri!!

Foooood!

When we try to throw our garbage away, sometimes there is already a line of cats and dogs waiting in excitement. Usually it's just cats but this time a doggy surprised us (supervised by kitty)...

Sunday walks

Every here and then there are organised walking tour, like here by Carla and Michael Maggs around Montasola. The tours vary between easy and advanced and are always a good way to get in contact with new people, or to see old friends.

Olives Olives Olives!!

November is the month when no Italian in Sabina has time. The harvest of the olives starts, and takes days till weeks. It is much fun gathering together, either by hand or by machines.

So far we helped our dear friend Adele with her 40 trees. Which is just a start because we know people who have 3-400 trees and could use some help, so the work is not over yet.

But we enjoy it very much, and when you fall into bed at night after a long day of olive picking, and you close your eyes - all you see is olives :)

And sometimes you find some interesting friends along the way:

The oil of this region is very good. If you want to book a olive oil tasting tour with Johnny Madge (see here), the best time is during November when there is the harvest and a visit at the Frantoio, the olive press, is included.

High up on the mountain...

Yesterday I wanted to take just a little walk and explore new routes. I went to the woods in Cottanello and after a while I found myself on 1000 m height. A man who was collecting his cows up there was more than surprised to see me and couldn't understand what I was doing there. "Nobody comes here!" he said. It was priceless. He told me that a little more up that mountain you are at 1300 m, so of course I went further up. And had the most amazing view over Cottanello, Montasola and the surroundings.
The sight was not the best because an october storm was coming up but still it was beautiful to stand that high.

 Normally Cottanello lies in bright sunshine of course:

Walk in Tancia

A few days ago we had a lovely walk with our dear Friend Genevra from the Santa Maria Bar in Tancia, a region high up over Poggio Catino. Sunny, amazing views and beautiful nature.

Festival of the chestnuts in Soriano nel Cimino

In the middle of October they celebrate the traditional festival of the chestnuts in Soriano nel Cimino which is amazing.
The whole town is separated in four quarters, each with their own traditional kitchen where the people stand in long lines to get their food. And of course you can get lots of roasted chestnuts everywhere. But the highlight is the medioeval spectacle where the four quarters show up in costumes, on horses, with the lady and the lord, the knights, the slaves and lots of very good music.
Afterwards they play games against each other.
This festival has a very long tradition and is definitely a highlight whenever you are in the region of Viterbo during October!

Santa Messa in Castiglione

After 3 weeks in Tuscany we are back in Cottanello!! It feels good to be here again, we have missed the people and the surroundings.

Yesterday we brought our lovely neighbour Liliana who is almost 80 to the Santa Messa in Castiglione near Cottanello. Every here and there there are special messes besides the usual Sunday mess, and most of the time, lots of people are coming. Italy is still a highly religious country.

After the mess the procession started where the holy Maria was transported down the street, along with the music of the band of Cottanello. After she got back to the church, they celebrated with a huge firework, followed by live music, pasta and porchetta and dancing.

A beautiful evening where almost the whole village and the surroundings are united.

Pisa and The Fattoria della Pace

Of course a visit of Pisa should not be missing when you are in Tuscany. The tower has not become any straighter over the past years...

 Near Pisa you can find the Fattoria della Pace. This is an animal sanctuary full of happy saved animals. There are sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, chicken, pigs, and dogs, all saved from bad conditions or from their way to the slaughter. The people here run this place with much love and caring, and it is beautiful to see, how peaceful all these different animals live together and finally enjoy their life.
After years in small dark boxes finally sunlight and mud bathes:

 The pig Gorgo behaves like a dog and loves to be caressed...

 This cow has been tied up for 13 years inside. Those animals needed a long time to feel secure again and enjoy the human company now...

It is  a beautiful project, and it is certainly no coincidence that Casa Pace and Fattoria della Pace have their name in common. We have the same project: peace, for humans and animals.

You can get more information under Fattoria della Pace.

Pinocchio-Park

In Collodi you can find a jewelry of entertainment parks: The Pinocchio Park!

Well, to be honest, I would not suggest you to go there with a child. It is a strange and morbid park with lots of information about Pinocchio but in my childhood memory, the story of Pinocchio was a much happier one.

We saw lots of scary figures of the enemies of Pinocchio (the cat and the fox with masks and machine pistols), lots of freaked out Pinocchios, and everywhere bizarre things.

 You could climb into the mouth of the whale (or shark in some versions) and get swallowed like Pinocchio...

 But seeing pictures like these I really wondered about the quality of this park for little children and about the real Pinocchio story... At the end of the tour you could buy this hanging rope in the souvenir shop, by the way :)

So in the end we said goodbye to Pinocchio. If you are a hardcore fan or interested in absurd and bizarre theme parks, the Pinocchio Park near Collodi in Tuscany could be for you.

Impressions from Lucca

Che bella la Toscana

For a little while we are exploring another beautiful region of Italy: Tuscany!

Bellissima.....

....but of course we will always return to Cottanello :)