30 January to 14 February, 2021 - Bomba - (Italy)
The front door opens directly in to the kitchen and dining area. Snug is probably the fair word. Small is an undersell. Nobody would call it generous. In any case, we are not feeling cramped.
Cosy Evenings by the Fire
This setting deserves a little of the back-story. Sitting here as an active participant in the story, even I ask: How have Richard and Jo found there way in to self isolation in Bomba (pop 799)? Can we blame (or thank) the global pandemic for creating the perfect storm? Many of our readers will know that Jo has a penchant for using the internet to browse property listings. Generally, her searches are limited to Australia, if not Melbourne alone. However, Daniel Andrews, premier of Victoria, handed out some thinking and browsing time. Long days during school holidays, mid 2020, with nowhere to go, nothing to do, her searches crept wider and wider. By September, we somehow had a shortlist, and did a video tour of our favoured residence with the aid of WhatsApp.
Seriously, it really did come together over a period of weeks. It was all pushed along by our desire just to be elsewhere. 2021 was meant to be another year on the road for us. East Africa and Central Asia. However, like a few billion other people on the planet, our plans were abandoned when Covid threw a curve ball. We (accurately, as it turns out) suspected that risk-averse policies would continue to stifle the ambitions of intrepid Australians, long beyond initial predictions. If we were to hit the road in any form, we would face similar policies on a shifting basis, at practically every international crossing. Difficult visas would become impossible; straightforward border crossings would be weighed down with mountains of paperwork; rules would change daily; and we would likely spend more time in isolation and quarantine than actually travelling.
Hence, the decision to base ourselves somewhere suddenly seemed like a no-brainer. If summer and the various vaccines bring freedoms, then we will travel far and wide on short jaunts. If international travel has its drawbacks, we will discover much about Italy. Obviously, in a worst case scenario, we will know all the nooks and crannies of Abruzzo. This is still an exciting prospect.
Let’s roll forward a few short months. Skip over the scare of cancelled flights, switched airlines, and then rescheduled on our original timing. Brief mention of our Emirates flight to Dubai with 23 passengers in economy (a row each to stretch out and sleep). The leg to Rome flew almost over the top of our new home (little wave as we went past). Some minutes of angst at Rome arrivals where our circumstances caused an officious immigration officer to take exception to our motives; we had to sweat it out in a holding room of rejected arrivals.
Pre-Departure - Tullamarine sans Crowds
Thanks to Peter for bringing us to the airport and seeing us off. Tulla was practically abandoned. Normally, this area of departures is wall-to-wall crowds seeing off loved ones. Aside from the fact that we were pushing our luggage limits to the max, causing a longer check in than normal, we went from counter to lounge in minutes. A row each in economy.
Emirates Flight to Our Left
Heading in a similar direction, another Emirates flight partners us for a while.
Flight Tracking Confirms It
We are over Italy, and in fact, just about flying over our new home in Abruzzo. We gave a little wave from the window to the spot we thought could be Bomba. Some ours before we would be there, but still felt so close.
Approximately 30 hours after leaving our home, we were parking in the main piazza in Bomba, Chieti, in the east of Italy. Population, now 801.
It wasn’t particularly late, but it was dark. Winter nights begin quite early. Deserted streets. Maybe the curfew of sorts (finishing that night, incidentally) was a factor, but it was Sunday night in winter in a small village. A drizzling Sunday night. If it had been drier, we might have spent a few more minutes in the piazza taking it all in, we might have opened the car door a bit more carefully. Conditions dictated that we quickly grab a few things, find our house as quickly as possible, and leave admiration and absorption of atmosphere for a later date. Neither of us know who balanced the jar of pasta sauce we had purchased en-route with emergency supplies, but it was no longer stable. The silence of the village was momentarily interrupted by the shattering of glass and splattering of pureed tomatoes.
About 100 metres on foot, and there it was, the house we had fallen for, exactly as the pictures and video had made us imagine. We burst in to the aforementioned kitchen – a hasty exit from the light rain.
To describe the house in too much detail now would detract from future writings, suffice to say we cheersed each other with our evening tipple before climbing the spiral staircase and crashing for our first night in Via Forno.
It does not matter how ridiculous a rule is, there are times to push back, and times to be compliant. Given that we are new in this country, and want to remain here for an extended period, we will doubtlessly follow directions. Including the requirement for new arrivals from low Covid risk countries to self isolate for two weeks. Have they seen how many cases we have in Australia? On day 3, a trio of uniformed men came to check up on us. With a mixture of broken English, stumbling Italian, a few random Spanish words, and Google translate to back up, we were duly reminded of our stay home requirements, and they delivered reassurance that our vehicle would be fine where it was parked, regardless of signage to the contrary.
So, as I suggested, maybe is not the time to describe the small quirks and foibles of our new home. A general introduction, though, can not be delayed any longer. On day 1, we entered at number 14. The kitchen and dining area has a working fireplace. A shout out, here, to Phillip for his thoughtfulness shown by leaving newspaper and kindling. A metal spiral staircase in the corner leads to a landing, from where access is gained to the bedroom, and the awkward bathroom.
Morning 1 - Our View
Waking up, we went to the window and smiled at the view that is now ours.
Later, that Same Day
Monday, day 2, and we spent the day becoming acquainted with the magnificent mountain vista from the bedroom, and looking at the rooftop and stone house view from the balcony.
Day 3, first explorations, of the rest of our property. Out the front door, next door down the street, number 16. Our first cellar. Cellar number 1 exists wholly under our house at number 14, and extends quite a way under the next house at number 12! Tiled, plastered, with lighting and electricity. Spare beds indicate the room has been used in the past for overflow occupants. Through the door on the other side, to cellar number 2, the room which evokes all sorts of potential. The ceiling might be low, but the exposed beams, the stone floor, the raw stone walls, the original fireplace. What could this room become? It is the largest space we own, and at the moment, it only houses some stacks of firewood, and a few tools.
Generally clear in week one, the weather variations enabled us to appreciate the changing vistas across the valley to Monte Amaro. Stunning sunrises, evocative clouds, and even late enveloping fogs. On our side of the valley, down the hill, we have view in to the Sanctuary of San Mauro Abate, with it’s colonnaded forecourt. Beautiful both day and night, when lights give it a slightly ethereal quality, even it disappeared once or twice in to the fog. This view was the sealer in our decision to buy this residence – occasional pinch thyself moments reassure us of our selection.
Activities for two weeks? Learning Italian; drinking coffee and wine; afternoon exercise sessions; Jo cooked some amazing meals; I did a fair amount of work; researching Italian bureaucracy; and sorting through everything left in the property cupboards and shelves.
A small amount of the abandoned items went straight in the bin. Antibiotics decades past their use-by dates. Wedding bomboniere, which may have been edible in 2003 when the unknown happy couple were united. Multiple tubes of shoe polish, and half bottles of shampoo. The television from 1978 may have to wait to be disposed, but the tube did not even come on – not that it would help, as I’m sure there is no analog broadcast signal to tap in to.
Stale Sweets, Anyone
I Tried
The large majority of what was in the house would be classified as useful, if not essential. Pots, pans, crockery, cutlery and implements. Furniture, including beds and cupboards, stove and fridge, dining table and chairs so uncomfortable they encourage standing. Near new pillows.
Abandoned objects are exciting to sort, by virtue of the little treasures that make you smile. Two bottles of wine from 2000, with serial numbers – (one subsequently consumed in a celebratory fashion). A half bottle of wine from 1992 – that will remain as a half bottle and has been elevated from under the sink to a shelf decoration. Cutest find by far - a vintage porcelain espresso maker, circa 1970. Out of circulation coins, including lire. An old hand cranked food mill with four attachments. And to highlight the randomness of these objects, a key hook letter holder on the back of the door is decorated with penguins, and hails from Phillip Island, just 75 km (as the crow flies) from our home in Melbourne.
Abandoned Part Bottle
Full Bottles
Randomness in the Form of a Key Rack
We have no idea of the story behind this. Truth be known, the story behind the whole house is rather vague.
Vintage Moka Pot
There has been a need to employ a number of tactics in order to keeping our pantry stocked these two weeks. Tactic one – bring a handful of essential dried goods from Australia in the luggage, to survive 1 or 2 days, just in case. Two – Pick up some essentials en route to home when stopping for the toilet between airport and home. Three – Contact the local shop on WhatsApp, and follow up twice. Add toilet paper to list to drop hint. Receive delivery of just toilet paper. Four – Contact another local shop on WhatsApp, and wonder if anything will happen. Five – Make new friends on Facebook who live in the same village, and accept their generous offer to pick up some groceries when they shop for themselves. Six – Meet a kind neighbour who offers to assist in whatever way he can, and he brings you some welcome cake.
Day 6, we felt like “Today’s the day” – we have enough groceries to get through, but not the variety we would like to make varied and interesting dishes. In the space of about 3 hours, a guy delivered groceries from shop 2, and the groceries from shop 1. Our new Facebook friends arrived with their delivery. And then Phillip arrived with a mobile device to finally connect us to the World Wide Web, commonly referred to as the internet. Oh, Friday night, we felt so warm, fuzzy, complete, and content!
Changing Vistas
Sunrise
