Claudio

We head out to explore the local village of 700 people walk past the pub we had a crap lunch at so won't make that mistake twice and see what else we can find.

It was not a pretty village like we have spent most of our times in, it was as if life and time had stood still and so many of the houses were boarded up and people had just left. No shops and no facility so we were amazed that we found the castle and as it is so off the beaten track not sure how other people find it either and how they really do survive here, the wedding and events must be good for them as people will travel for that.

We wander up another deserted street with its weathered grey concreted covered building and a small dirty neon sign saying Bar, so its up a couple of stairs and through a dilapidated old door into a 1950,s style cafe with it old metal chair and laminex tables. A tall bar with 2 blokes drinking at one end and a void of unused space and empty painted timber shelved behind them that once housed a mini market and one lone pin ball machine in the other corner.

I ask at the bar to a middle aged Italian lady weathered beaten by time and still trying in this village to make ends meet if they do take away Pizza?

The communication is challenged apart from the fact we wanted a pizza and within seconds from the drinking end of the bar a young man in his mid 20,s comes to see if he can help translate for us with his sister behind the bar.

He said his name was Claudio and I introduce myself " me ciamo Peter " and with a laugh he ask what in the hell us 2 tourists are we doing in a place like this, so over a few drinks we tell our food travel stories and before long his mate come over from the bar and is amazed that Claudio he could speak English. 

Claudio had learnt some at school and reads a lot and just wanted to talk and talk to us, as do may a young person we meet, it was so cool and before you knew it we were at a table with 4 other people him talking and translating back to them. The town has been in decline for many years now and there are no more work or opportunities for people so they are just walking away from their old homes and moving to start new lives in the cities where possible. Claudio was working as a truck deliveries driver around the villages and into city of Torino some 50 km away but it was still tough for him and his sister was closing down the bar next week as she just can't keep it open any longer. 

It's a real shame as the only other place in the village was the pub with the crap food.

These and many many more stories we are hearing around the small villages as we are off the beaten tourist tracks we are getting the real lives of many that are struggling in this current times. But they are still so happy and full of time to share with us. They asked where we were staying and once they new it was the old castle they said we must be so rich, it really made you stop and think but the accommodation,  lunch and dinner today was a 1/4 of their monthly wage.

So one would not say to them that we had been to a restaurant as a special treat and spent a months wage on one dinner!!

We get our 5.50€ pizza and leave a tip, we are off again into the grey streets with warm hand shakes and many many doubles cheek kisses and a big thank you for taking the time to come into their bar, lives,spread good stories and talk to him,  he said he will treasure our chat for ever. It the simple thing in life that really do count.

He wants one day to come to Australia as do so many, we are a loved country here, one girl we meet at a bar said she wants to go to Australia before she dies and showed me a tattoo of a kangaroo on her wrist, that blue me away......