Nasino
…Is now our second home (no, we didn’t win the lottery, we decided our hard earned cashola was far better off plunged, in its entirety into an Italian build project than safely accruing 0.0002% interest in a UK bank account).
Nasino is comprised of 5 or 6 (folks can’t seem to agree!) factions spread over a few kilometres of Ligurian hillside with a river running parallel to the road (the SP14). Rather unusually (and unfortunately) there is no ‘piazza’. Without this central area (read: gossip hub) it’s kinda hard to tell what’s going on in the other factions (although people still seems to know each other’s business!). Our rented apartment is in Beo where I talk daily with my neighbours- la signora to the left is Roberto’s mother and we regularly shout to each other, me down from my balcony, her up from her terrace.
Our house is in Mulino.
Everyone waves to each other or toots their horn on passing or stops in the middle of the road to chat, oblivious to any other traffic. Folks know each other, if by reputation.
Nasino is the kind of place that, when you ask someone where they’re going or where they’ve been they’ll answer ‘su’ (up) or ‘giù’ (down)!
I’m my usual sunny self (…) as I explore the area with the kids and always stop to chat with everyone we meet. We seem to have been well received although I’d love to be a fly on the wall as conversations about ‘i stranieri’ are held!
Our dear pal Roberto is due to be sindico again from October, a 5 year post. I hope I display the tenacity for him to involve me in some way, to help develop the community and encourage other families like us (the average age here has got to be 65+) to come to Nasino. I have made it clear that I don’t want to be a tourist, coming and going simply for the holiday season, I want for our family to be a part of this community and endear ourselves to it. At this stage though I’m not sure what I can do/ offer. Rex (age 8) on the other hand has definite ideas and plans for the old football pitch we discovered by chance on a woody walk!! Juventus, watch this space….!
Amenities 1, 2, 3, 3.5:
1 ~ Olio de Andreis established by Roberto and now run by his 2 daughters although he’s always there! Award winning, elegant and delicious. The production kitchen/ lab produces the most exquisite ‘sugi, salse, polpe, etc’ and of course olive oil. You can purchase here: https://www.oliodeandreis.com. When you visit you can organise a private tasting in the relaxed yet beautiful showroom.
2 ~ A Post Office They don’t sell anything, only postage*, oh, but not parcels…! *Unlike in the UK where you can fill up on shit toys that now you have to buy because your kid just broke it already, Selotape, corny birthday cards, 3 bags of close-to-sell-by-date sweets for 99p etc, etc)
3 ~ Antico Frantoio da Olive. Another olive product vendor although I am yet to experience any particular warmth or interest so let’s just stick with Olio de Andreis shall we?!
3.5 ~ ‘Trattoria Costa’ Traditional Italian food, local wines. Open only on Saturday evenings and you must book. Set price menu for the proprietor to bring you dish upon dish and keep your glass full! No website but you can find it on TripAdvisor.