Casa Cares

Quiet Easter, but ...

“April showers bring May flowers.” We shall see, and after months of drought certainly we have heard few complaints about the abundant rain of the past weeks.  Once the sun and warmth we enjoyed in March return, the “spring” of spring will be obvious around, us making this time of the year one of the most attractive for a Tuscan stay.

April brought the rain but not the guests that we have come to expect in an Easter month.  We are not sure why and we shall have to do some analyzing.  Inadequate contacts?  People feeling the financial crunch?  An exception?  One step we took was to offer discounts in April through mid-May.  As much as possible, and as usual, we are open to helping individuals and families with budget constraints.

But a positive point of our situation with the land and the historical buildings is that we can always find something to do, even without the guests to keep us busy.  Giordano loves the precipitation now, but the dry weeks permitted him an exceptional period to prepare the garden and prune the olive trees without losing time to rain days. 

Then, after the flurry of the final steps of the very first phase of chapel renovation, there was and is plenty of post-bricklayer cleaning to be done.  Now besides the new chestnut beam roof, the chapel has an unfinished floor.  We don’t know when the old terracotta tiles will return to finish the surface.  It will depend on the funding we find.  But in the meantime the space is available to guests.  Certainly one of the groups who will enjoy the renovations will be the German brass choir due at the end of May. 

Another factor in these weeks is the full house of volunteers, sometimes as many as eight.  Without guests this maybe was a mistake in planning, but in guest-free times our creativity emerges and we notice many jobs that have been neglected.  Often the volunteers themselves help with finding those jobs because these bring in new eyes and ideas.  For example, we still have the dry floral decorations in the eating room that a short-term volunteer, Heide, put together a few months back.

As May begins, therefore, the cellars and other storage areas are in rare order, administrative chores up-to-date, the villa in great shape, the chapel ready, and the land prepared for full production.  It is a good thing because now especially the groups start to come almost non-stop for three months.

A place that functions

The name Casa Cares always seemed a bit presumptuous, as if we are more caring than others.  Actually the name is an acronym that someone put together 50 years ago from five Italian words:  Comitato Assistenza Ragazzi e Studenti.  The name stuck when the Waldensians transformed the effort to hospitality in 1983. Whether in its first life as a children’s home or now as a guest house, it would be wrong to assume that we did or are doing a better job than others in these fields. 

However, with all the difficulties one hears of in Italy, we realize that we are fortunate to be in a place that functions.  The mid-February Waldensian festivities and a couple groups inaugurated our season.  The reservations of others as well as single guests assure us of activity in the months to come.  Unfortunately many others in Italy, including in the field of hospitality, are anxious about their jobs.  We hope that the measures of the Monti government are pointing the country in the right direction, but no one has illusions about it being easy.

This month I want to underline the fact that a big reason why Casa Cares functions is that, in the midst of crisis around us, we have an excellent group of employees and volunteers.  In an international staff one can easily see the differences, but there is a commonality of purpose in welcoming our guests and caring for our land and historical buildings.

None of us have roots in the Waldensian Church.  This confirms both the openness of the Waldensians and the fact that with only 30,000 church members in a country of 60 million they are not so easy to find!  But all appreciate the Waldensian experience and willingly pitch in.

Iris’s cooking has been a highlight of a stay with us for over 20 years.  Originally from Bolzano in the North of Italy, she has recently been joined in the kitchen by Antonia, now an Italian citizen but from Capo Verde.  Roman Beppe showed up a dozen years ago to help with the olive harvest and never left.  His capability as our maintenance man and contribution to the care of the property have grown without stop.  Elisa is from a Protestant background and actually was born at Casa Cares when her parents worked in the children’s home.  She returned with her two sons three years ago to take over the governance of the guest work.  Giordano on the land is our token Reggello native, enriched by several years of life abroad.

The volunteers at the moment include Nele from Estonia, Zsuzsanna from Hungary, Kenneth from the US, and Manuela (Ferrettino) and Paolo (Ferrara) from Italy. 

Thanks to them, and of course to our guests, Casa Cares is a place that functions.

Two notes:  the Casa Cares Children’s Home reunion scheduled for August has been postponed to a date to be determined.  And we are getting better at adding new photos to our sits Photo Album.

Going Forward

Off season? Was that an off season!? In January we noted that the “off” months were full of activity starting with the olive harvest, continuing with the usual repairs and improvements in the villa, accompanied by extraordinary projects such as the chapel and the restoration of our main meeting room ceiling. Several new beds and mattresses and the gentle pruning of the big basswood trees were also necessary investments. The staff worked hard and we were ready for the traditional mid-February Waldensian festivities.

The first study group has come and gone, and another is due in a few days. Our bookings as usual are dominated by church and school groups. The calendar is busy from now into the summer. The chapel work is moving along and the extra meeting space should be an attraction for groups in a matter of weeks. In September and October, a great time to retreat in the Tuscan hills, there is plenty of space available.

Friends have asked about the extreme cold and snow in February, but we had only the former, some flurries and lots of wind. What the -10° and below has done to the olive trees will be evident only in a couple months. Certainly some of us remember all too well the effect of the -25° during the first week of January 1985 when we lost all 500 of our olive trees and 18 million of the 25 million in Tuscany froze. Two weeks later and now spring is in the air. Many of our friends are convinced that climate change is to some degree due to human activity. Whatever the source, the change is there.

Coincidently during the cold stretch a local artist was restoring the meeting room’s painted ceiling, undoing the damage done during the ’85 freeze when villa tubes burst and no one was present. You can bet we kept our fingers crossed! Now the work is done. With the costs involved these things take us some time but those who remember how it was are very pleased with the result.

Now the garden is getting the attention it needs. After months of volunteering, Giordano has been hired to care for the land which means veggie garden, olive and fruit trees and park. He is the only young local person we know who is interested in working the land. We hope he is not the only one, but we know we have a gem with his combination of energy, skill, willingness, experience and personal warmth.

In the kitchen for a second season we are fortunate to have Antonia. Originally from Capo Verde, she has been in Italy for years.

More news of events at Casa Cares is available in our annual newsletter also available on this site.

This month, please check out the annual newsletter that just came out.

The Other Phase

If we had the house full also in the winter months, we would solve one problem and have another. The solved problem would be, of course, that we could hire other persons for the between season maintenance. But then we would have to find the moment to do it! Many things cannot easily be done with a houseful of guests.

But we do have the person power already on the staff for the basic care of our historical buildings and the endless list of outside jobs. With the guidance of Beppe and Elisa in the villa and Giordano on the land we enter the winter phase of our work. Thankfully we have good volunteers in January (Kenneth, Drew, James and Melissa plus boys from the USA and Nele from Estonia) and others in the wings (Zsuzanna from Hungary and Franca from Germany). We certainly look forward to having Franca back, not only because she is a great worker and group member but because it would confirm that she is doing well after having left us abruptly due to health problems back in September.

These months are also busy with reservations, bookkeeping, and other administration, so we shall have enough to do. Bookings are good, mid-May through mid-July is particularly full. Anyone interested should not wait too long to check on other periods either.

Fortunately, we now can catch our breath and renew ourselves to welcome the first guests and to prepare the annual Waldensian celebration in mid-February.

Perhaps living in a rural setting helps us especially appreciate the need for rest and renewal. Obviously not in every job does one have the privilege to step back, reflect, and organize for the future! Looking back, we see a very positive year: good and enough guests and volunteers (as always!), progress on chapel renovation, no particular difficulties. Oops, another task! It is time for the annual newsletter, which should be available here on the site as the February up-date.

We wish you also the time for retreat, reflection, and renewal.

Which cabbage do you make!?

Che cavolo fai!? Not all phrases translate well. Che cavolo fai literally means “which cabbage do you make” but, when used by Italians, it rarely has to do with eating. It typically is an exclamation meaning “What are you doing!?” and is usually a heartfelt challenge. But the question is quite applicable at the moment for our kitchen as we have seven types of cabbage in our veggie garden (documentation of some varieties on “Photo Album”). Nature seems to stop on the land but obviously autumn is just the beginning of some necessary rest and in reality life goes on. Because of unseasonably warm weather, besides the cabbage for some weeks we still shall have six types of salad, leek and fennel. Too bad our guest season slows down because not many guests get to appreciate the fall production.

Each year presents itself differently on the land. Last year we harvested almost 6500 kg of olives, about 50% more than the previous highs of the last 20 years. This year? 1900 kg. The dry, sunny weather since March that the guests appreciated took its toll on the olives. But we are happy with our 350 liters of oil in the cellar. Also, with the harvest in by 20 November, time and energy are spared for work on the chapel renovations and the many winter chores on the land and in the villa that need to be dealt with before the 2012 guest season begins. This is the time each year when we sit together to see what income is available to apply to acquisitions and improvements. The list is always longer than the income in this historical villa, but some things will get done.

Having touched the subject of food, the current events in Italy could make one think of minestrone, the “big soup”. What a fascinating country Italy is to live in, to visit, to study and to try to understand. After 17 years as a huge presence in Italian political life, Silvio Berlusconi might be out of the picture. It will take years of analysis and argument to clarify just how huge a presence his has been. No doubt many persons are distraught by his departure, but most of those we know are relieved if not overjoyed. Maybe it’s a skewed opinion from life in Tuscany and with the Waldensians, both known for their skepticism and distrust of the powerful wealthy.

Minestrone can be rich, thick, and nourishing, but each batch is unique and you can never be really sure what the cook threw in. It is a fun challenge to try to figure out just what you are consuming. And Italy? — a fun challenge to try to figure out just what you are consuming!

Now that Berlusconi is out, what lies ahead? No one can tell, in part because of the whole new course of government by economists and technicians. Will they be successful? How long will this last? Certainly the basic resources and the basic problems remain. They were there before Silvio and continue on. The resources (please excuse the clichés) include the natural beauty, the creative and industrious people, the rich variety of deep sub-cultures, the immense historical and artistic heritage, the climate, and the geographical position. The problems include mistrust among regions, organized crime, the underdeveloped South, youth unemployment, and poor civic management. Just what is in this “soup” sitting on our table!?

Then there are elements that are too complex to list clearly as resources or problems. We can put them under the heading “Extra ingredients to consider”: the position in the middle of the Mediterranean and consequent relationship to Europe and the Arab world; the centuries-long complicity/antagonism between the State and the Catholic church; immigration and internal migration for work; the situations of employment, research, and education.

Many persons who visit have the chance to taste the Italian minestrone both in a literal and in a figurative sense.

A good place to be

Of course there is a multitude of great places to live around the globe.  We are among the fortunate ones who live in one of those.  Tuscany has been known for centuries as a place to visit and a place to stay:  history, art, hilltowns, coastline, food.  Those of us who live here can take it for granted.  At times we have to get off our fortunate “island” to appreciate what we have.  We can also gain special appreciation for our surroundings by just listening to our guests, whose envy is often obvious.  Yes, we have it good.  And to think that we landed by chance at the Fattoria I Graffi 35 km from Florence! We were searching desperately for a roof for our children’s home in 1970, a few years before so many began to look for something “Under the Tuscan sun”.

As the hundreds of children’s homes closed in the 1970s due to dramatic improvement in the social and economic situation of Italy, Casa Cares’ work with children also phased out.  Some persons find it hard to believe that the Waldensian Church first declined the donation of the property after the villa stood empty for almost 10 years.  But that’s a story in itself, although those of us who live here trying to maintain the historic buildings and the land can understand the hesitation of the Waldensians.  The Waldensians then did accept, not quite sure what to do with the place until the need for a meeting center became more evident and request for guest facilities in the countryside grew.

Back to counting our blessings, here is a quick list of how we are fortunate at Casa Cares even beyond what Tuscany typically offers its visitors:

• A great international staff including volunteers, typically young people who share with us their open thinking, energy and enthusiasm
• Guests who integrate easily and quickly into the rhythms and atmosphere, many of whom make donations for special projects such as the renovations on our chapel/theater
• Five hectares (12 acres) of woods to retreat to and to find firewood
• Sensitivity to and experience in care for the environment with solar energy, recycling, natural water purification, energy-saving practices
• A kitchen that is enriched by the production of our garden
• 500 olive trees that give us a great activity during the harvest when we normally have few guests
• Buildings which are centuries old and full of character, remnants of the large sharecropping culture that once dominated Tuscany
• A four kilometer circle walk with the possibility of visiting a 12^th century country church and a still active olive press
• Only 15 minutes from the Vallombrosa monastery founded in the 11^th century and surrounded by one of the most beautiful forests in Europe
• Integration into the local community
• Space for indoor and outdoor activities
• At 500 meters altitude, a magnificent view of the Arno River Valley
• The decorative art of many who have passed through our door
• Lasting friendships with many who originally entered our lives as volunteers or guests.

New roof, no floor, more space for guests in 2012

Plans for projects to renovate and improve the structures below the villa have been ready for perhaps 12 years. First we looked for European funds. We might have a great project but without powerful political ties…. Then we asked for Italian State funds for the restoration of historical buildings. The first year we almost secured adequate funds and were told, “Next year.” Then the next year the government (they still had some funds at that time) blocked all such projects.

So we turned to the national church and to friends. This has gotten us going on the most essential improvement, the renovation of the chapel. We will go forward as funds become available, and by March of next year we expect to have a new space for our guests. The chapel, already known to guests who had time for a house tour, could be visited before but, due to the precariousness of the floor, was not available for activities. For the coming season the new floor, although in an unfinished state, will permit groups or individuals to use the large space for music, for theater, for meditation, for worship, for ????

This is a big addition to what we can offer our guests. You can see the first big steps in the process of renovation if you click on “Photo album” on the site homepage. After our bricklayers removed the old roof exterior tiles it was not a huge surprise when we saw that we needed to replace also the old beams. It would not have made sense to put a new roof on them. The expense of course increased considerably but we now have a beautiful chestnut beam roof that should last for many decades.

Then Giuseppe, our maintenance man, began to take the floor apart, with the help of volunteers. For centuries this was also the ceiling for the former olive press room. First they removed the tiles, then a layer of fill, then the rotten wooden panels and finally the cross beams. Today and for the weeks until the bricklayers return in winter we have a chapel with a spectacular roof and no floor. It is a sight to behold, something that no one has seen in probably 200 years.

It is our understanding that the chapel, as well as the villa itself, went through major renovation at the end of the 18th century. Before that the space evidently was already a chapel but still further back in time the records show that it had been a theater. It is a special space and we are very pleased to bring it back to its original use of 300-400 years ago while at the same time making it available again as a worship facility.

Enjoy the photos! And next year the chapel.

The index 2004-2011

We have been writing monthly notes for our site since 2004. A person wanting to get a taste of the Casa Cares experience can read through the index below and choose those notes that might be of particular interest. Just scroll down. Themes return regularly: Tuscany, history, guests, purpose, the land, volunteers, the facility.

Internet news index

2004

July – Counting blessings
August – The comings and goings, Life as usual
September – Positively into September
October – Blackberries, grapes, chestnuts, mushrooms, even sloe
November – Various guests
December – Long-term guests and harvest

2005

February – Ready for the new season
April – Waldensian guesthouses
May – Volunteering
June – Spring into summer
August – Treasures
September – A mid-summer pause
October – Into the autumn
November – The photo album

2006

January – The olive harvest
February – The simple life
March – Winter preparations
April – Into the normal season, the juggling act
May – Positive notes
June – Lots of movement: guests, honey, veggie garden
August – A curious reunion
September – Tomatoes + volunteers = excellent pummarola
October – A perfect time to visit
November – Positive or negative?
December – Coming full circle—almost

2007

January – Look back, look forward
February – Toward the other
March - Mind-wandering while pruning the fruit trees
April – Entrusted…volunteers’ reunion
May – Time to check the photo album
May – Arrivals of olive blossoms and guests
June – On the edge of Europe, In the middle of the Mediterranean
August – Retreat to the hills
September – How did these volunteers get here!?
October – Looking for olive pickers
November – Some changes
December – Sowing and reaping, Volunteering, Tuscan off season

2008

January – A network of hosts from the Alps to Sicily
February – Notes from 2007
March – Notes on 2008
April – For the environment
May – Groups coming and going
June – Reading our surroundings
July – A jump in the pool
August – Alternative tourism
September – Too much Tuscan sun?
October – Without the volunteers?
November – A green year
December – 100% Olive Oil

2009

March – Busy Winter, New Season
April – Instructions on how to use
May – A hundred years on the farm
June – Was that May or Was that Summer?
July – Why Tuscany?
August – From Middle Ages to Computer
September – Where’s the blackberry plantation? Family reunions
October – Hectic & peace/City & countryside
November – Transition
December – Olives and solar panels – why bother?
2010

January – Classroom Italia
February – Full moon and gypsies: The times have changed
March – The marketing of Tuscany
April – Self-catering, Various groups, Volunteers
May – The simple life
June –Once a farm, always a farm?
July – Time to care for the chapel
August – Volunteers for the chapel and for the olives
October – Fruitful reunions, Vegetable-full garden
November –When things go well….
December – Olive adaptation

2011
February-March – Ready for the months ahead
April – Verso il Futuro
May – A Month of Celebration!
June – God and a Laugh
July – Summer Retreat
August – What we aren’t, What we are
September – The Index 2004-2011

What we aren’t, What we are

  Good promotion is essential for a guest facility, and not an easy task.  There are many routes to go and many offers.  One obvious evolution in recent years has been away from printed material to internet.  We have been in several very attractive publications, but it seems to be an approach of the past, much like sending postcards.  A reality to deal with for Casa Cares is its unusual identity:  a church owned and managed facility, the rural setting and farm, the simple accommodations, a setting that facilitates interaction among guests.  It is encouraging to know that when a leader brings a group, he or she typically returns with another.  But the challenge is to get a person in the door a first time. By far our most important source of guests over the years has been word of mouth.   

      So we are constantly trying to identify ourselves and to present ourselves to others in a manner that has broad appeal but is also honest. 

     What are we? What are we not?  It is essential for us to understand our limits and present our strengths in the best possible light. 

What we do not offer:

• A city setting with cinema, theater, disco and dozens of coffee bars and restaurants right outside the door - try the Waldensian facilities in Florence, Venice, Rome or Palermo for that
• A private swimming pool - our guests have a discount at the public one in Reggello (4km)
• A TV in every room – there is one in the library
• A fridge in every room – there is one designated for guests and another with cold drinks
• A tennis court – they are available in the area
• Horseback riding – the opportunity is 1 km away
• Standardized rooms – the historical spaces have been minimally adapted
• Room service, daily towel change (unless requested) – an economical and environmental decision

 

What we do offer:

• A country setting with its peace, fresh air and green spaces
• Rooms for formal or informal meetings
• A park, farmland and woods with plenty of retreat space
• Garden produce, which guests may cook on their own if they wish
• An introduction, if desired, to Tuscan farm life
• An introduction, if desired, to the church in Italy
• Simple but comfortable accommodation
• Considerable informational material
• International contacts
• An opportunity for volunteer service
• Discounts for large groups
• Hosts and staff who are committed to our unique facility and genuinely enjoy sharing it with guests

 

   We have learned that some persons are not looking for what we have to offer.  We also know that we are just what many others want and need.