L’angolino

This corner of our policies was the dumping ground for previous works and before that a pond with a porphyry surround. Yesterday I moved tonnes of rock and the red granite from the Trentino. The day before I split and carted and stacked the wood here.

All to find the place to plant a sterile mulberry tree for shade - known here as a ‘more ’ - a blackberry . That were planted in the time of the hunger to make a little cash raising silk worms - bacchi.

I carted earth uphill so that it will reach the sea slower than it might have done.

It’s good to feel part of the team even if I am also the client.

64 today. They pass, the years.

Corneglio, from Brasov in Romania, said as they left for the weekend, how he loved to watch the shadows from the open fire on the ceiling as a child in bed. Later he left peasant life for a huge tractor factory and later Italy.

Pig Earth, as John Berger irritatingly wrote, a spade in the soil and an eye on the mountain weather. To be recognised as a man amongst men is no little thing.

It later came on to rain. The first time since the guys have been here. A small miracle in itself.