Vilminore Di Scalve – 4-24-09 – 4-26-09
What a beautiful little village. Tucked away deep in the mountains above Bergamo is a small Italian village. High mountains and snow capped crags that ring the horizon. We’ve arrived after a little over an hour in the car from Milan. The night drive along the switchbacks and inclines was a harrowing test of mind and body. For my part I snored myself through the worst of it. It’s near 11pm and time to get inside. We climb to the third floor of a small home and prepare for the evening. Breaking open the supplies we nibble on chips and get some music going. The beds made and the house warmed by our arrival we celebrate the evening with hours passed staring up through our breath at the stars brilliantly shining above. The cold penetrates our blankets and shivering we file back inside. With a rush and a tumble we crawl deep under the thick blankets of our beds and see the last moments of Friday slip away.
Saturday morning we awake to the quiet sounds of birds and the silence of a mountain village. With a tumble and a start we open the windows and let in the warmth of spring morning. The hot sun beats warmth into the house as we heat hot water and prepare breakfast Italian style – Coffee. After coffee we take a few moments to enjoy the heat of the sun, bundle up and head out to explore the Town. We walk through ancient streets retro-fitted for cars. This town is picturesque down to the moss growing under the fountains. Colorful houses, an ornate and startling church and tower, and the mixture of collapsing houses with renovated and newer structures. What an adventure.
We marvel for a while and then head back toward the apartment, after all it’s almost time for lunch. Welcomed by the sun warmed room Giacomo heads into the kitchen to prepare our lunch. Frutta di mare an assembly of fish and seafood with a thick red pasta sauce, linguini type spaghetti and a fresh salad. As he goes to turn on the first burner on our stove it sputters and then puts out a steady low flame. Not nearly enough for cooking. We decide to try the other room’s stove and find its high flames suitable. We eat and then decide we’ve got to head out and explore the little valley. We start down a steep path and descend into the valley from our hilltop fortress. A small creek rushes its way pulled by gravity and we cross and head into the rolling grass covered meadows. Finding suitable area to rest we enjoy the sun and the beautiful views.
We then pack ourselves back up to the apartment. Head inside and start a fire in the iron wood stove tucked into the living room. Enjoying the heat and the sound of wood popping and burning Giacomo’s sister and her boyfriend arrive. We spend a few hours together and then take a drive out to the other small villages. Our drive ends and we head back to the house to get ready for our evening.
Back in the house we change and put on a few extra layers to prepare for the cold mountain night. We head out to a pizzeria and gobble some fresh Italian pizza. Then we head down to a local pub before heading back in for the night.
A good nights rest and we awoke early to head back to Milan,
Refreshed in mind and body for the weeks ahead.
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