Sambuca and Salvatore - the bottle won

Ahhh Sambuca

During our years at Borga Nari there was one drink that became an institution for us. It got us through some crazy times, this is a letter I wrote to friends in Australia after one such adventure.

Don’t ask, bad news I’m afraid.

Sam set off this morning after our first snow to Gambasca to get the chains for the camper van via our red Ferrari bobsled (a whole other story). So far so good. He fitted the chains and had a few practice tries on the driveway, then set off to the shops on his own (Thank God).

He managed to make it down the mountain, got to the shops, got half way back up the mountain and the chain on one wheel broke and he started to slide out all over the place.

There was a choice of slipping over the edge of a steep mountain road or sliding into a rock wall.

He chose the wall.

By this time it’s starting to get dark, he’s been gone the whole day and I’m starting to panic thinking who the hell can I ring and how am I going to tell them what’s wrong? Soon it’s pitch black and freezing cold outside, the phone rings and he tells me about the broken chain and that he is going to try to walk up the mountain.

Waiting, waiting, waiting, still no Sam.

Luckily someone came past that lives above us and has chains on his 4 wheel drive and bought Sam and his bottle of sambuca home! So now the camper is stuck on mountain with all our supplies and one broken chain. Sam has to try to find a car, get the van off the mountain, and get the groceries up here as we are now out of everything including nappies!!!

Did I mention he is in a deep dark depression about the whole thing and got drunk on the Sambuca for the first time in his life and has gone to bed early not knowing what the next day is going to bring. He wasn’t cheered by my saying “Oh well at least you’re alive and the van is okay”

Hopefully things will work out, I’m sure the locals will help us out and stay tuned for the next exciting episode of “Days of our lives in Gambasca“

Boy was I glad to see him walk in the door last night.

I don’t think Sam even wants to swear in Italian at the moment, he’s at the what the hell are we doing here stage! At least all the email’s cheered him up and he only has a bad headache not a full on hangover. He has set off on foot in the snow to Gambasca to try to get a bus to Saluzzo and find a car, (wearing Luca’s beanie) and dressed like a lumberjack.

Now we know why all the locals kept asking if we were ready for winter. Just didn’t expect it so soon.

He only bought one bottle of Sambuca up with him and left the other 5 bottles in the van so maybe we’ll find him blotto and frozen to the bottle????

I figure if I get really stuck for the emergency language I’ll ring his mum and get her to call someone over here. Also hunted out my basic Italian phrase book but nothing quite sums up the situation! We also now know to keep a torch and some extra clothes in the van for long night time walks in the freezing snow.