On Reflection...

Pork Tenderloin rapped in pancetta and a mushroom paste

 More than 18 years ago Nick and I married in a tiny Chapel just outside Rome. As some of you may remember, I met Nick in London eighteen and a half years ago.  I was his italian lodger ( I was renting a room in Nick’s apartment in Chalk Farm, London) at the time. I could only speak a very very little English but after 6 months of me living there,  my landlord proposed to me and I made use of my very limited English vocabulary and said yes, I have to say his Italian was almost none existent but his sign language was just so good. Now  I know what some of you may be thinking——“ goodness that`s a bit drastic just to get out of paying the rent “ Or “what if she miss understood the question “!!!

We began our married life living in Rome, my city ,and enjoyed ” la dolce vita romana” lifestyle for a while. Our first home was a rented 25mq illegally built apartment situated near the Vatican ( of course at the time,  we did not know it was illegal ). We were trying to live on 20 mila lire ( € 10 )  a day for both of us,  including breakfast, lunch and dinner, wine and cigarettes. Plus the cost of the scooter petrol of course.  Our tiny flat was on the other side of the Vatican Museum and lots of “turisti” kept knocking at our door for information. Every day we also had to climb 100 or more steps to get in to our little box we called home. I remember the time Nick had to carry me up those steps, because I had a broken leg after a scooter accident.  Yes , it’s very normal to have at least one scooter incident when you live in Rome !!! Anyway during our romantic roman experience,  we moved “home” 4 times,  the last 3 tiny places were around the Monteverde  area ( not far from Trastevere, if you know a bit about Rome)  During that time we also acquired two bicycles but unfortunately, as with our white Piaggio scooter, they were stolen  one evening while parked on the street. …again all normal when you live in Rome. Luckily just before that , we managed to use the bicycles for our honeymoon.  Yes, we sailed  from the Civitavecchia port to Sardigna island and with only a tiny tent we cycled around and camped for nearly 3 weeks for free on the beaches around the south of the island.  Unfortunately before leaving for the honeymoon I had told Nick  Sardegna island was pretty flat. ..but this time, boy was I wrong !!!

Anyway lets talk about the honeymoon another time !!! Ok after Rome , we decided to change our lifestyle and move to the countryside in beautiful  Umbria.We started by sleeping  in a tent with a machete next to Nick’s pillow ( remember that after all, we were both pretty much towns people….wild boar noises can be very scary in the middle of the night )not too far from the dilapidated farm house we had managed to buy.

15 years on, spent restoring our old farmhouse, we are very happy and content to have completed another year in Umbria and are so looking forward to the start of a new one together. So you are now thinking. ..”what is the point of her story” ????

Last views of Autumn , pictures by Nick Cornish

Well my point is that , I am still so amazed by it all ,here we are living in a big lovely comfortable farmhouse ( remember we started in 25mq so everything compared up to that is BIG to me) surrounded by beautiful countryside. We are both able to do what we love, Nick working as a photographer and me busy with my pots and pans. We have managed to create not just a happy life together but also have managed to build a little business together. Our linguistic communication is definitely better…….. ..or maybe not sometimes, but who cares! Sometimes a little bit of lost in translation is good.

The season here is nearly over and we are ready to face whatever comes next with energy and lots of positivity.
And so to finish my little story ………..I just want to say that Nick and I  WISH YOU A GREAT WINTER and keep warm xxx