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.