Translated, Monti Pelati means "The Peeled Mountains" named so for their lack of plants.  The area is a nature reserve and last night we took a short hike there to watch the sunset. At the tower there was a toast with a bottle of wine, (don't know why but wasn't complaining), and we walked back down by dark with our miners lights.  It was a very clear night with constellations galore.  As I can only identify Orion and the Dippers that didn't do me much good; plus I tend to get dizzy looking straight because the sky is simply TOO BIG.  Suddenly one of our group shrieked "LOOK!".  There, crossing the sky from one horizon to the next, was Starlink,  Elon Musk's  SpaceX project.  Somewhere high above us a rocket was pooping out 60 satellites that were still low enough to be seen by the naked eye.  I have to say I found it very unsettling.  It seemed like a scene from a sci-fi movie about an alien invasion.  Good God.  You can't even stargaze without crap getting in the way.  All in the name of better internet service.  Sad.

Now these photos are of our Chicken of the Tree as we fondly call it.  This huge, fat chicken scrambles and hops from branch to branch up 30 feet into trees behind our garden!  It belongs to the folks who are renovating the villa in back of our condo into a halfway house for recovering addicts.  Hmm.  The damn bird does this once or twice a week and makes a hell of a lot of noise in the process.  We think it likes watching the sunset as that's usually about the time it goes up.  Either that or it's looking for an escape route.  Good luck with that.  That place will be locked up nice and tight once it's intended occupants have arrived.  xxoo me

So I'm the one in red slogging along, head down, cursing the Gods.  That was MY New Year's Eve.  No fireworks, no fancy restaurant, no big city excitement..... .  Actually it was beautiful.  In the afternoon we hiked up to a hut called Jervis at about 5700 feet, arriving just as the sun was setting.  After a cup of tea (this is one exciting group) and bathroom breaks, we donned our miner's lights and hiked back down in the dark.  It was a beautiful clear star filled night.  Gorgeous.  I was very ready to sit down to a glass of wine or 6 when we finally arrived at our dining place.  We had a yummy home-cooked style dinner at a mountain "inn" (I'm being generous).  After toasting 2020 we were outta there and tucked into bed by 2. 

So 2020.  How in Hell did THAT happen?  And with it comes all sorts of scary stuff.  Fires, protests, war? (Thanks Trump).  I would love to stick my head in the sand and I would if it weren't for loved ones.  I would hide myself away on an island with no technology to bring me bad news.  Alas can't do that so instead try to distract myself with things that bring me joy. 

Like Le Langhe!  Pics below of our hike through the vineyards yesterday.  Even on an overcast day the area is lovely.  Le Langhe has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014 because of it's "outstanding landscapes".  Very cool.

Hills, hills and more hills

A hazelnut orchard whence Nutella gets it main ingredient!

GP walking down towards the village of Barolo.

Happy New Year all.  Let's keep our fingers and toes crossed. xxoo me