The Cabin

The place that has perhaps inspired me the most is the area surrounding my family's cabin in Val Soi, which roughly translates to clean valley, referring to pastures free of rocks. The place itself is called Mancuróu. The name is of obscure origin, though it is surmised that 'Man' stems from 'Monte', meaning mountain in Italian, and 'curóu' refers to 'icy sleet carried by the wind' in old dialect. The cabin, originally built there in 1875 as a stable, was renovated by my father over a period of 2 years from 2005 to 2007.

When it was finished, we would stay there during summer vacations for several days at a time. There is always the roar of the river below, named after the valley and feminized as 'Soia'. Above, lying ever in sight, is Cima della Negra, a summit shaped like a black lady's face gazing up at the sky – and so it was named. Initially, there was no electricity, let alone internet, and it took 13 year old me a while to warm up to the place. But as I grew up, I began to feel its magic.

My father, who stays up at the cabin even during winter with no running water, once told me that 'it takes time for nature to accept you and when it does, you feel that you and it are no different.' Recently, being back home, I’ve had the chance to stay up there for longer periods of time. Time slows in the mountains and with little to do, I would use the opportunity to write. Sometimes it’s a struggle, other times it’s easier; but every once in a while, the words come flowing out of me, and I no longer hear the sound of rushing water.