Our first autumn in Merana

Waking up, walking through the garden with the dog and then looking up en admiring this view.
It feels like a dream but this is now my reality.

At the other hand we don't have a real bathroom, no central heating and only two rooms to live in at this moment. But that's all forgotten when I'm standing there realizing the beauty of it all.

Camminata di San Carlo - Dalla torre ai "murion"

Last week there was a big walk organised by our village.

17 km in a beautiful landscape and afterwarts we received a very nice lunch (for 10 euros).

The organisation was superb, even if there where almost 200 people walking (in a village with less than 200 persons)

Enjoying nature

Yesterday we made a great walk with the dog through the regional parc that starts just around the corner.
That's one of the things we love here: you don't need a car to see nature, you're living in the middle of it and it really is part of you life.

A few pictures we took (notice the blue sky, it's october !)

Stormy weather

Stormy weather on ferragosto (Assumption Day) in Piemonte, ... a tragedy for many Italians because they all want to do an outside activity that day.
For us just another beautiful moment, see it for yourself:

Cairo Medievale

Cairo Montenotte is a municipality in the province of Savona in the Italian region of Liguria, located about 50 km west of Genoa and about 20 km northwest of Savona.

Every year there are Medieval festivities in the historic centre of Cairo Montenotte.
We went to the last evening where they held very beautiful fire works.

Festa patronale di San Fermo

Once a year, on the 8th of August, my little village in Italy hosts the annual 'Festa patronale di San Fermo'.

people waiting to get a table

dancing starts at 9
me enjoying a very nice evening as new inhabitant of Merana
fire works

Tradizionale fiera bovina di San Desiderio

Every last sunday of july there's a cow market at the little village San Desiderio (Monastero Bormida). I believe there where more cows than people.

Afterwards we took the car to drive through the hills and saw beautiful landscapes and little villages.

Friends visiting us

A few days ago we went hiking with some friends from Belgium and a goat we found.
The goat and friends are now gone ... friends travelled further but goat broke loose and disappeared.
Some pictures:

A walk to the Santuario del Todocco

Today I went hiking with some people of my village.

It was a big, but very nice walk and I met some interesting people.

Moved to Italy

Since june 20 we're Italian residents and till now it's just great.
In a few weeks we turned into an animal farm :-)

The cat was a gift from a very friendly neighboor.

... but they came uninvited.

... and today we found a goat on our land. But hopefully we will find her owner soon...