Italy Journal
Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012
Malga Tuena was our destination this morning. It is a malga cheese making location high up in the Dolomites. We arrived at Lago di Tovel, at the bottom of the mountain where we were to climb 600 gorgeous meters straight up to arrive at the Malga site. Che bella! No problem at all. Two hours later, we were there and met Luca and his wife Katja and 3 year old son, Thomaso (I told them I have a brother named Thomas. They liked that). Six other people work there- cooks, servers, cowboys, cheesemakers, groundskeepers, etc. It is set up where hikers can trek in and have lunch there, too. It was empty when we arrived at 11:15, and by the time they served lunch, 50 more people had arrived.
The cheese making malga is owned by the town of Tuenno in the valley below. All cows are taken to the mountains between June and September to eat fresh grass and other foliage. The owner of the malga makes sure the cows are milked in the morning and night. With the nighttime milk, the fat is skimmed off to make butter. The milk from the morning is added to the nighttime skim milk to make the cheese.
When we arrived, we felt like we were in a Sound of Music scene. The buildings of the malga were set on a pasture hillside . They greeted us tired and hot trekkers with Sambucco… a drink made with Sambucco flower leaves, water, lemon juice, sugar, and a tiny bit of vinegar, It was thirst-quenching and delicious. Soon, they started serving a lunch of local dishes that were all wonderful.
After lunch, Luca showed us how to make cheese by stirring the milk while it is being heated by a wood-burning stove (They can’t depend on the electricity that high up in the mountains, and they don’t want to chance that the cheese will be spoiled. The town depends on them for butter and cheese.). He heated and stirred the milk for a little over an hour. Afterwards, he showed us that the curds were starting to develop. At the right time, he reached into the liquid and pulled to the top a huge slab of very wet, soft cheese, which he wrapped in cloth and put on a draining table in a large round wheel so that the liquid could be pressed out of the cheese.
Between Luca and Claudio (a temporary worker there who came to help his friend Luca while his job of teaching engineering in a technical school was on summer break), Peter got all sorts of wonderful information about that farm, as well as other malga locations and places to stay nearby,
It was a great day, with just a slight glitch at the end. Che bella!
We finally convinced ourselves that we could leave this wonderful setting and sweet people, and we started down the steep, treacherous descent. Only 100 meters away (thank God!), I slipped on loose rocks and fell backwards onto my left hand. By the time I looked at that hand seconds later, it had a golf ball size lump on the back, just behind the thumb. I knew it was broken. You can skip the rest of these fun details if you want.
Luca (guardian angel number 1) got some ice for me and asked Claudio (guardian angel number 2) to drive us to the lake area at the bottom of the mountain…700 meters down that took us 30 minutes by a 4-wheel drive vehicle. There waiting for us at the parking lot was Sandro (guardian angel number 3) from Albergo Merina where we are staying. His wife Maria Pia (guardian angel number 4) was with him. Luca had called him to tell him what had happened, and Sandro told us that he had called the nearby hospital in Cles where they live and had made a reservation for me at the Pronto Secorso there. We all laughed about that. He’s such a joker. He also told me that his wife’s friends call her Mapi (MAH pee). This time I had to laugh, and I told them that where I came from that would be like calling her moppy…not much of a compliment. We decided we would just call her Maria Pia.
Sandro and Maria Pia took over for Claudio, who had to get back to the malga, and we went up the road to the parking lot near Lago di Tovel to get our car, then followed them to the hospital. To our surprise, their 16 year-old daughter Lisa (guardian angel number 5) was there waiting for us. We learned that Lisa spoke beautiful English AND was now working in this hospital on stage (internship) from her high school. She is preparing to be a doctor! Lisa was wonderful and stayed with us until we left the hospital.
When we went into the Pronto Secorso, there were at least 20 people in the waiting room. That was when we learned that Sandro knows everone in town. He earned the title “Mayor of Cles” that very moment. We have referred to him as that ever since. When the nurse saw him, she immediately took me in to start the process. The others in the waiting room dropped their jaws and made room for Lisa to wheel me back for x-rays a few minutes later. Peter went with us, and Sandro and Maria Pia left to continue their day. I was in good hands with Lisa there. She was a caring nursemaid. She knew where everything was at the hospital, and everyone knew her.
I knew the x-rays would show a broken wrist, and when Lisa wheeled me in to the doctors’ office, they immediately verified that fact. Isn’t the computer helpful in streamlining medical information?
The nurse came in with the supplies, Peter left to avoid my pain, and within 10 minutes I was holding Lisa”s hand as hard as I could and screaming my best muffled pain scream while “the mean doctor” adjusted my broken bones in my wrist to make them straight again and put on my cast. I thought I had agreed to pain meds, but Lisa said the docs were just telling me to go to the drugstore later if need be. Fortunately, I have had extensive experience with chiropractic adjustments and was not surprised by the pain, nor was I surprised that I only felt discomfort later from the swelling, not real pain. Ibuprofen kept me feeling fine. All this time, Lisa just sat there quietly, holding my hand. She is going to make a great doctor.
Lisa took me back for another x-ray to be sure my wrist was in place…all was well. At least I did not have to go back to “the mean doctor.” He did the job right the first time. Thank you, Mean Doctor…I guess!
Peter met us again in time to hear the doctor’s ok and to go back to get the release papers. The whole process was 1 hour. Let’s hear it for Mayor Sandro!!!
We go back for checkup x-rays in a week. Lisa has agreed to meet us and stay with us while we are there. After all, that’s what guardian angels do!
Thank you to all of our guardian angels that day!
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