Candid with Candido

While workingaway in Montefegatesi I had the opportunity to meet whom I like to consider my soul-mate. That might be taking it a little to far. Whatever. There were so many "best" things about living in the village and working for such an amazing family, but mainly I enjoyed all the free time available to me while I wasn't watching the kids. The girls who were here before me made it a priority to take me over to some mysterious Italian man's home to play some card game. When we finally made it over there, I fell in love as soon as I walked through the door. His house was adorned in photographs, memories, old records, and classical books. I took a look around and realized this place looks like I could be living here.

Candido was an elderly man, in his 70s or 80s, who clearly enjoyed the company of the American visitors that frequented the village. He was as grumpy as he was sweet, which I loved about him. We opened a bottle of wine, cut up some cheese and I took a seat in his comfortable living room facing a set of sliding doors with a view of the green, lush Tuscan mountains. He shared his photography with me, most of which made up the decor in his home. We looked through old records and I shared my obsession with the sixties, to which Candido boasted about his presence at Woodstock in 69. He played The Beatles for me, and from that point on it was pretty obvious this was the coolest man ever.

I don't remember how many times I hung out with Candido, but throughout that time I learned not only a load of things about him but many things about the history of the village as well. He taught photography at a school in NY and claims to know several famous film makers and actors, including Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese. Robert was the one who convinced Candido to move to NY, and I've heard stories of the pair of them practicing for De Niro's role in Taxi Driver.

His father was born in Montefegatesi, and his father before that. During WWII his father was a partisan in the Italian resistance to the war. In the midst of the war his father returned to their family home in the village to hide. Nazi soldiers came knocking on their door, telling them that unless their father surrendered - they would all be killed. Hiding in the basement, his father heard the threats and gave him self up, later to be shot in the village square in front of family and friends. His friend, Christopher King, liked the story and decided to shoot a short film in the village based off it. One night we settled down with our standard glass of wine and assortment of cheese and watched it. I've been racking my brain for the last 5 minutes and can not remember what the name of it was. It was fun to watch because it was filmed throughout the village and in Candido's current home.

I learned that the root word of Montefegatesi - fegato, means "liver".  and how Montefegatesi was named after the deep red color of the rocks in the area.

I almost didn't see Candido before I left. I had attempted visiting him a few times and he was never home. The morning of my departure I somehow found 5 minutes to walk to his humble abode prepared to burst into tears if he wasn't there. I didn't even have enough time to sit down, but I made sure to give him the biggest hug I could manage. I thanked him so much for letting me hang out with him, I wanted to make sure he knew how big of an impacted he made on me. Before I left he thanked me for, "being alive, and being myself."

Sometimes the people you'll meet make up a lot of the experiences you have, especially while traveling the world. When you make connections that are undeniably deep and beyond explanation it makes you feel like a bigger part of the world. Making an impact on someone is a way of putting your footprint in the sand. 

In the film he showed us, they are casually rolling gnocci in the kitchen. I begged Candido to teach me how and arranged for a few of us workawayers to make dinner together. Definitely one of my favorite memories, and something free to take home :) I was well drunk by the time the serious gnocci production started, so that part I have had some trouble recreating. I am making progress though. The sauce on the other hand... oh I make a mean sauce. 

Simple Exchanges

Montefegatesi, Bagni di Lucca - Italy

When I found out my working opportunity over the summer fell through knew I had to get creative. Nothing would stop me from getting on that plane, especially not having enough money.

Workaway.info is a database of people and families around the world who are willing to exchange work for accommodation. There is something for everyone on workaway... from gardening to teaching English, nannying or helping with a bed and breakfast. 

I spent a good few weeks sending out inquiry emails, all very short notice considering my circumstances. It was hard for me to set something in stone for my first few weeks in Italy, but shortly before I left it all came together. It definitely helps to start planning in advance if this is the type of thing you are interested in. A lot of the ideal hosts book up their workawayers quickly. Most tend to prefer long term stays, at least a few weeks at a time. 

An Italian-English family hosted me in their Tuscan village with a total of 143 permanent residents. Montefegatesi, as the highest village in Bagni do Lucca, is situated at the top of a hill and overlooks magnificent Tuscan mountains. I watched over two kids (six & eight), 5 hours a day 5 days a week. In exchange they set me up in an small apartment they owned in the village and stocked my fridge. It was the exact thing I needed. My own, beautiful space. 

There were two other workawayers being hosted while I was there. A girl from New Zealand and one from Germany. It was fun being able to connect with people all around the world for those few weeks. They definitely made lasting impacts on me.

In the evenings the other workawayers and I would make dinner together, drink wine at the Dante monument at the tippity top of the mountain, and play games and share stories with old locals. I learned so much about the history of the village by talking to people. Hearing personal stories. One of my favorites comes from my soulmate Candido. I'll write him his own separate post soon. He is that special. 

We were able to travel on the days we weren't working and planned a trip to Florence! Also deserving of it's own blog post. 

I loved this experience. It gives me the warmest feeling when I think back to the time that I spent there. I felt so comfortable and at home from the beginning. I was able to really submerge myself into what I was doing, not thinking about things back home. No stress. I loved waking up in the morning to tend the garden in the crisp, mountainous air. 

Above is the view from the top floor or my apartment, which was at the very top of the village. You can see the surrounding villages tucked away into the hills if you look close enough. The other picture is from a community camping even that family took me too. It was quite cold outside, despite it being summer - so we indulged in mulled wine (my first time, ever!) and watched the daring walk across fire. 

DIG DEEPER AND GET DIRTIER

If you have the time to do plan something  like this into your adventure. DO IT. Whether you do it for a week or for six. Don't pull a Tiffany the Tourist. Don't follow your free city map to all the main attractions. Don't eat at that restaurant right on the beach. Dig a little deeper and get a little dirtier. It is much more meaningful and exhilarating to be challenged while outside of your comfort zone, trust me. You'll get more out of your experience.

This extends beyond just traveling. In all aspects of your life, don't settle. Don't graze over the surface effortlessly, letting life pass you by. Life happens in the challenges, when you try a little harder and put more of yourself out there. 

With that being said, sometimes the "leave it all at home" approach to traveling doesn't suit everyone. If you have been dying to visit the Eiffel Tower, you wait in that line for a few hours to get to the top. I was just as happy to sit underneath it and drink a bottle of wine to myself ;) My advice to you touristy types: don't try to do it all. You can't, and you will wear yourself out trying. Prioritize and mix things up! Leave space in your plans to be flexible, it will make your trip a lot more enjoyable.