We’re now starting our second week in Umbria, but let’s talk about the first. We have to admit it wasn’t as easy as we imagined, and even before we set off for a weekend in Rome, we had to deal with a situation we didn’t anticipate at all…
On Monday, we were introduced to the demanding work we would face ahead: planting around 800 trees spread across 3 fields destined for truffle cultivation. Anyone who knows us is aware that we are not agriculture professionals. To be honest, our knowledge is practically non-existent. Truffle cultivation isn’t something you see being practiced in many places, and from what we understand, it’s something that has emerged only recently. Basically, the idea is to plant trees into which we inoculate truffle fungus into the roots.
What does this mean in terms of tasks for us? First, clearing a small area around the poles where the trees will be planted (because the ground is full of rocks, making it difficult to dig at all). Second, digging a hole about 20cm deep and loosening the soil around it. Then, planting the small trees without forgetting to pour “truffle infusion” over them. The final steps are setting up a shelter for the tree and then making a mound of soil to protect it.
None of these tasks can be considered easy physically: the terrain is steep, temperatures drop to negative during the night (and they do not get much higher in the early morning), the ground is covered in rocks, muddy, and frozen in parts. For people like us that were spending all days sitting in the office, this life turns out to be a shock, and the body quickly begins to feel the strain with backaches, calloused hands, and accumulated general fatigue. Furthermore, Monday turned out to be a full day of work (instead of the usual 4 hours per day), which was an even bigger shock for us. However, it also meant we would have Friday off, extending our weekend in Rome.
Now, even before Rome… When we envisioned this sabbatical, we already knew we would experience different and intense emotions, but going through a grieving process wasn’t on our list… Rocco, a dog who quickly won us over and was a promise of company and friendship for the next month, left us as quickly as he appeared in our lives.
It’s true that not even a week has passed since we met him, but it’s also true that during these few days, we’ve been living in this house as if we were family for longer than that. For that reason, this loss also affected us intensely. It was difficult not being able to do anything to help Rocco and not finding words to comfort Jordie and Jasmine. We want to believe that after a good life here on the estate, he now rests in peace. As cliché as this thought may be, let it serve as a reminder of how fragile life can be, how everything can change from one day to the next, and that it’s better to make the most of it while we’re here.
Riposino in pace, Rocco ❤️