Sad Day in Villar Perosa

I usually try and keep it light here at the BB View, but I just couldn't let this pass with out comment.  Two Italian soldiers were killed last week in Afghanistan while they were attempting to disarm an improvised bomb. One of the two soldiers, Warrant Officer Mauro Gigli, resided in Villar Perosa, the town just a couple of miles down the road from us.  As we were coming home from the market Saturday I noticed a few small groups of people lining the street midday in Villar Perosa when normally most people are inside having lunch and it was hot enough out to make most people scurry for shade. It slowly dawned on me as I noticed that some had flags and the towns flags were all at half mast that this was indeed people waiting for him to be brought home. It was truly touching knowing that they were all waiting in the heat when it was unclear exactly when his body would be arriving from Rome and his home town funeral wasn't scheduled until that evening. I admired their respectful vigil for him, his sacrifice for all of us and for his family left behind with a hole left in their hearts that won't ever be completely mended. Once again this type of scene has played out not only throughout Italy on more than one occasion, but of course, way too many times in America and England as well as other countries, nor should we forget the innocent civilian casualties either.  It brought the distressing reality of the war on terror ever closer to home and piqued my frustration that we never seem to be able to find another solution or even to try other methods of resolving our differences. War just makes everyone one a loser, even when someone wins, the loss of life and peace is so great and  usually unclear if it really ever is worth those losses. If it's your loved one, I think not. I really respect and appreciate the people that put their lives on the line for the rest of us. A simple thank you is never enough, but it is all one has in the end. So thank you Warrant Officer Mauro Gigli and Corporeal Pierdavide De Cillis. May your sacrifice  not be in vain. Thank you.

Villar Perosa hosts yet another Juventus Friendly Match

This past week our neighboring town of Villar Perosa hosted their annual Juventus friendly match between the A&B teams to the delight of the locals here. Even though the big names didn't make it as they were off to play with the national team. The match here brought an enthusiatic crowd and of course, lots of vendors selling their swag for the faithful. This tradition has been going on for quite a few years. Fabrizio was rather unsure of how long, but as long as he could remember. The Juventus team is owned by the Agnelli family, founders of FIAT. The family came from Villar Perosa and still maintains the family Villa, gardens, football field and private church where everyone is still married and buried.
During the 1980's and 90's the Juventus team use to train on the family field and stay at the Albergo Villar Perosa, that they then owned. Fabrizio worked there, for many years, in many different positions, as well as working also in his family's restaurant, rounding out his experience of working in the hospitality business. He met a lot of the team members over the years as well as the coaches and some of the Agnelli family as well. It was a thrilling time for him. When Juventus was in town there was always a lot of people around and a bit of a buzz. The friendly match is always well attended even if it traditionally rains the day of the match, and this time was no exception. We had guests that attended and they thoroughly enjoyed the match because of the great atmosphere of a game played on a small intimate field. Small town fun with a big time team.

Fabrizio with Gianni Agnelli
Juventus Villar Perosa Match 1992

Fiats Then and Now

One false move and I've publish my blog before I even started it..Oops...anyway...
Keeping on a theme of cars, we parked beside this vintage Cinquecento yesterday on our jaunt to the market. I love old cars, especially curvy ones. I have a few fond stories of cars thru the years. Anyway, this model of fiat was Fabrizio's first car so he's rather fond of them also. He kept the road hot, up and down to Bella Baita back in his early 20's when he not only worked here at the family "La Baita" restaurant full time, he also worked in Villar Perosa at the historic Agnelli family Villar Perosa hotel. In those days the Villar Perosa Agnelli family estate was the out of Torino training base for the Juventus football squad. The team used to train in the fields on the family estate and stay in the hotel, where Fabrizio worked every hotel position there over the 10 years that he worked there. He has a lot of photos of him and the players and coaches over the years and even one with l' Avocatto himself, Gianni Agnelli, flamboyant grandson of Fiat's( Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torin) founder, Giovanni Agnelli. Working there also whetted Fabrizio's appetite to learn English and travel abroad a bit, so the Cinquecento got put thru it's paces all those years ago up and down our road. It was sold when he left for a job London for a restaurant job with a local Villar Perosa family that still has two very successful "San Lorenzo restaurants", in Knightsbridge and Wembledon.

The faithful Panda 4x4, pictured below, it seems is almost a standard issue car and prerequisite for mountain living. Most everyone has one and now they have come out with a newer model that seems to be the rage in our part of the world. We're looking to update, but for now this 10 year old panda keeps us up and down the road year round and seems to only ask for petrol and a bit of oil and air once in a while. A reliable little car, thank you very much.