Francesco says we are in ‘limbo’ awaiting various cost estimates but that doesn’t mean we aren’t working hard. We are gardening like mad, taking advantage of the continuing cool but sunny weather. One problem is the growing mountain of clippings that we hope to burn at some point – perhaps as a grand bonfire for the festival of Saint John the Baptist on June 24 if we can get permission from the local commune and find a handy witch or two to throw into the flames. (And recommendations out there for who might qualify?)
With the property vacant for so many years almost all the trees and shrubs have been subsumed by terrifying brambles and vines. If you’ve ever attacked a bramble you know that they fight back and we are covered with welts and scars from the prickles and stickers. Two days ago we ‘saved’ a lovely old boxwood that had no less than a dozen thick-stemmed blackberries smothering it from the inside out. You could hear the box sighing contentedly as we hacked and chopped; now it is feeling free and open to the sky. Ditto for an ancient cherry tree that you could barely see for all the ivy hanging from its trunk and limbs.
Another small victory was finally uncovering the old well which also had been smothered in ivy and vines, with the added indignity of its top being used as a catchall for broken concrete blocks, old tubing, pieces of rusty tin, etc. With some grit and determination we cleared all the heavy stuff away and chopped back the underbrush to reveal an amazing carved circular stone – just one piece that forms the whole top. There are holes in which to place the iron rods and supports to form the bucket lift – now we need to find a good local ironmonger to return this handsome structure to its former glory. (And it will be useful for the garden as there is plenty of water down below to augment the city water we use in the house.)
Meanwhile, Arcadio continues his hunt for mice and has become entirely nocturnal, sleeping all day to restore himself prior to each night’s watchful foray. We have been finding his trophies outside the front door most every morning – proof that he is earning his keep by ridding this long-vacant property of its rodent tenants. For him La Placette Haute is bliss and we feel justified in searching for so long for just such a safe, isolated spot for him to roam. Arcadio’s arcadia.
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