Sunday, 10.06.2012

Domenica 10.6.2012

When I got up in the morning (and it wasn’t even late) everyone was already working again. Even though Arturo, Didi the pilot, Romano the talented table-builder and others played the guitar and sang until at least two in the morning. They were finishing the new table and that is a lot of work. 

I am really impressed by what these people can do and so should Ikea be too, no screws, nothing, just the handicraft, creativity and logic. Within a few hours the men had crafted, transported and put together the new table while others were doing other work like installing a new sun protection system on the other side of the hut towards Campo Tencia peak.

 This is a sworn in team, they know each other well, rely on each other and know that there will always be someone to help out. The kids, some of them teenagers, were not at all bored or complicated, they went fishing or worked on the table or took care of the smaller children. While the men were working away (and you all know I do not improve of classical role models) the women were preparing food. But not just food, first-class food, served in a first-class way. The antipasti were served on the new table, it was inaugurated with Swiss Prosecco and white wine.

A group of Italians had planned to come today, but they had not confirmed. We were having the antipasti to celebrate the new table when they actually arrived, the Italians, and not only ten or twenty, no, 46 of them! I, the limping old woman, washed up for about four hours, but it didn’t harm my foot. Meanwhile the Italians were served polenta made as it should be on the open fire by Corrado and polenta specialist Claudio, see for yourself:

Polenta by Claudio and Corrado

I can hardly believe I am here. This is such a beautiful place. I am so happy to go to sleep hearing nothing, no airplanes, no cars, no other city noises. Absolute silence. Only the water that flows down from the mountains. It is difficult to explain the feelings that I have just being here. It is extremely intense. Part of it is memory, beautiful memories of being here with a man I loved, with new, wonderful experiences, but most of all the bond with this landscape, this atmosphere, these mountains, I am completely in love with Ticino and its people even though I do not belong. 

Everyone has left now and I am alone here at the Soveltra hut. There are no reservations, the weather is bad, just now it is raining, raining, raining… But it is so good to be here, going out and breathing this pure air, looking up at Campo Tencia, feeling one with nature. This incredibly beautiful nature.