I'm baaaack in SORA. Two days ago, I left Romania and made it back to Rome and it was glorious. Then, after a night in the hostel, I got on the bus and went back to Sora. It was so much easier than last time because I knew exactly how to get everywhere and what to do when I got there. When I got to Sora, I had to take the Taxi (which is just the guy from the Pizzeria) up to the Mogli because it was easier than calling to get a ride to the farmstay and then lugging my stuff to the Mogli later. The taxi dropped me off and I was the only person there, so I quickly put my stuff inside, grabbed my backpack, and pretty much ran to the farm. The first person I saw was Guiseppe and I don't think he even knew I was coming back. I was surprised at how well I understand him, especially since I didn't understand any Romanian over the past week. After talking to him, I ran up to the house and there was Gavin, about to go to work at the other house. THEN, I ran inside the house and in the kitchen was Benoit, Simon, Sandra, and Mariella. They all started screaming (Benoit and Simon had had a little wine with their lunch so they were screaming like little girls) and I got so many hugs. Antonello and Linda were in the other room with some new guests, but with all the screaming, I know the guests were all curious about what was happening and Linda and Vera both waved at me. It was a fabulous reunion.
I didn't work yesterday, so after about an hour at the farm, I returned to the Mogli where I spent time with Simon and Benoit since it was their last night. The past week it has only been 5 guys at the Mogli and Gavin, Simon, and Benoit all told me that at night, they pretty much eat and then go to sleep because there is nothing interesting enough in the world for five guys to talk about. When Michelle and I were there, we would all stay up playing cards and talking and lots of laughing. But last night, since one of the new boys, Pierre, has a car, we went into town to the sports bar and watched the Ac Milan game. It was a fun night, but a little sad because Benoit and Simon had to leave at 3am to go catch a flight to France, where they are starting the Camino de Santiago. We all got back to the Mogli and went to sleep, but at 230am, Simon, Benoit, Gavin, and I were all up saying goodbye. It was so cold and raining, but they had to hike back to the house to get a ride with Guiseppe to the bus station. Then I went back to sleep and woke up at 730am to start work. It felt so nice to actually have a schedule and to know exactly when I needed to start working and when I could stop and everything.
I got to the farm and at 830am I went down to find Guiseppe, but after waiting for a few minutes, I couldn't find him and I noticed all the animals still hadn't been fed, so I assumed he was off doing something else and I went ahead and started feed everyone. First were the horses and the sheep (and the donkey) and then I fed the rabbits and then I fed the chickens and then the pigs. Through this whole process, I realized several things. First, I know way too much about how to work at Italyfarmstay and second, I know my way around a farm. But both were soon forgotten as when I was done, Maria asked me to catch the chicken in the front yard and put it back by the barn. Well, I don't know about all chickens, but that chicken was not going to let me catch her, so I spent 20 minutes chasing her around the yard to try and make her go into the barn. I realized on my third lap around a tree that 3 guests were drinking their coffee and watching me. I must have been the pre-10am show or something, but I know they got a kick out of it. Eventually I got Mother Chicken and her babies back into the barn, but I then realized I needed to chase the pigs back into their pen. I had let them out to eat but several of them have a bad habit of roaming around the farm when they are full, so you have to lock them back up after mealtimes... Well, I started by chasing them all around the yard several times and eventually got the 3 grown pigs in the pen. Then I started chasing the 5 baby pigs around the yard and I ended up chasing four right out the gate (the gate was closed but they can fit under it). I slowly watched as two of them headed down the hill towards the Mogli and two headed up the hill towards the ruins and the street. Bad deal. I ran and got Mariella and Sandra to help me catch them and after twenty minutes looking for them all, we returned to find all 5 little piggies in the yard. So this time, I chased them around and Sandra and Mariella stood at the gate and I finally got all 8 pigs into the pen. At this point, I was over work, so Gavin, Sandra, Mariella, and I went to Sora to got to the Market, eat some pizza and gelato, and run to the store to get food (since the Mogli is pretty much out). The entire time it pretty much rained buckets on us and we all returned a very sad and wet bunch. It was not ideal conditions and Gavin and I have been joking ever since that we pretty much forged a river to get home.
