15 February 2014

After my first story (in Dutch) I realised that it is not nice to write my stories only in a language that only a view people understand so I try to tell my further stories in English. Excuses if it is not grammar-proof but that is not important for now.

Day 4 to be exact. I am getting used to the environment here. The nature needs to get to know me and I need to get to know the nature and culture that takes time of course. Why do I not have any patience? Why do I need to have and do everything on the same moment? This is a big challenge for me here because I have allllllll the time of the days here, no duties no appointments (because they change all the time, Italian style I think). But the most important and remarkable of all, I have time with myself and I am not used to that I because I hated it the first 2 days. But now with a lovely weather I had even a nice day with myself. Also because I met a wonderful new friend, the neighbourhood-dog, she is not older than 1 year I think, a real outdoor sweetheart because she lives all day outside and I don't think that she belongs to somebody in particular, she belongs to the village. But she is not the only one I met. I met Whiskey today, another dog that lives in the centre of Caramanico. He is a famous animal because everybody greets him and everybody knows him. That is not the same for my little friend. I am not sure how to call her because she does not like labels I think, I tried many names but they all don't fit with her beautiful, sweet, nice, adventurous character. She also does not like to walk on roads, noooo. She loves to walk on the edge of cliffs in the woods or on steep elevations etc. She is definitely not an average dog J the most beautiful of all, she sleeps at the moment outside my door, how cool is that!!

These days I checked video traps with Antonio. This man is so busy and all over the place that I think he only sleeps 3 hours at night. But when he is busy he really is up tempo. If we walk to a place somewhere to find an innie minie camera in the middle of really nowhere I hardly manage to stay with him. He walks so fast and easy that I really am getting insecure about my walking-technique. I didn't know that I was such a slow walker… So my condition needs to be worked on! But what a good feeling if I did managed to stay with him till the end!! So I walk a lot on steep trails and try to discover animals. But also this combination is not so successful for me. I almost fall of the road 52 times or something because I was looking around me instead of under me. Unfortunately, I have seen only a view birds … Where are these wolves, bears, wild cats, foxes and other wild animals? Only on the videos they are visable. I tried to spot them in the morning (not that early because you know how that works if you can wake up at any time, so my boys from One-Direction woke me around 7.30) and after sunset. Okay, I can work on the time schedules, but really NO ANIMAL AT ALL?! Maybe, I look wrong; I need to work on my spot-skills I think…Besides my sight, I also need to work on my hearing. What are all these birds singing!! I would like to distinguish all these beautiful songs. Also now, I think some kind of owl is asking for attention outside but I don't know what kind it is, that is such a shame!

Tomorrow I am challenging myself again. More than 1000 meters high, snow, rackets, people and polenta with sausages. Yes, I am going to walk with Salvatore and a group of people on a hike on some kind of mountain in the snow. From 9 till 17 o'clock. He asked if I'm used to walking but I think I'm not, also not after the practise of the last view days. So here we go, I think I am excited but also a little afraid. Will I manage to climb this mountain, with a bunch of strangers? But this is the moment to meet some people. I love that I met Whiskey and outdoor-sweetheart but some people would be nice too. Wish me good luck!