In the Vernacular

These houses were all ruins when we first moved here and all are in the traditional style. Now, they've all been done up although the exteriors, due to strict planning laws, look exactly as they always have.

The large house, centre, was once the "big house" of a fairly large estate. Our own house was a tenant farmer's house on the same estate. The big house is now owned and occupied by a wealthy divorcee and her all-too-handsome son.

To the left, although it looks large,is what was once a small barn. It was converted to a one room studio by a woman we called, for reasons lost in the mists of time, "The Widow Twankey." She is not a widow, she does not live in the house and she does not let it to tourists. She looks after it faithfully and spends the odd day there.

To the right is a house which belongs to the priest, Don Felice. He has allowed his nephew to restore it and it is now let to tourists. The area by the dumpster is sign- posted as safe in case of earthquakes.

Out of camera there is a cluster of "high rise" two to four-story buildings, all stuck together. These were once dwellings for farm workers. They are now, or are in the process of being made into, skinny houses. They are inhabited by former towns people who are willing to travel 20 minutes to live smack, next to a bunch of other people and to hear TV and family dust-ups through the walls.

I never understand this but many Italians feel a strong connection to the countryside and want to live in it as their parents and grandparents did but without the poverty. There are several places near us so small that they can only be called "doll's houses" because of their size. For all that, their owners are out almost every weekend to look after their few olive trees and just to be in the country.