The legendary bear and the holiday at the farm: Journey to Sant'Olcese, Liguria region, Italy

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This weekend we decided to go and meet a saint who knew how to tame a bear. To do so, we follow the instinct that prompts us as we do not run during periods of work, but taking it easy, you tune to the rhythms of nature enjoying the beauty of the landscape. For this we choose to follow the main road through the Valle Scrivia port in Genoa. A couple of hours of curves, but those breathtaking surroundings of small houses made of colorful, unmistakably Ligurian even when we are still in the province of Alessandria, the parties to Arquata Scrivia. The road, which runs along an ancient route that was traveled by traders centuries ago in Liguria and Piedmont, which met for business on the plain, passing through the huts Marcarolo, is immersed in the endless dark green forests of the valley, offering the traveler an unforgettable sight. Already in Roman times, in the second century BC the consul Aulus Postumius built here a paved road, the Via Postojna, at present there is no trace.
Sant'Olcese route is shared by the ports of Genoa, which develops in different localities in Val Polcevera, a few miles from Bolzaneto. And then finally we can "know" our saint, the name of the country is indeed that of the Bishop Norman Olcese, who, fleeing the barbarian invasions in its Gaul in the fifth century settled here. The church dedicated to him are preserved the mortal remains of the saint, and a fresco on the facade of the legend of the miracle of the bear. The mischievous animal annoyed and terrorized the population for some time, and one day made her own large: it ate an ox that was supposed to tow a trailer. To intervene to resolve the issue, however, was not a hunter, but Sant'Olcese himself, who tamed the bear yoked to the wagon instead of an ox that had killed the beast.
Even our weekend was populated by animals, but fortunately we have not had any tame bear, but we had fun with the goats, cows and donkeys of the Martin Farm, the farm site in the hamlet of Upper Arvigo, where we spent this nice weekend. The children of our friend, Sara and Matthew, have literally gone crazy for the donkeys and would not stop cuddling them. "When babies come to our farm school, sometimes we find that some of them, who has always lived in cities, do not even know that milk comes from cows," said the astonished father Tiziana, the owner. But the kids who spend just a day here, participating in workshops during which you learn to make cheese, bread and jam, come home enriched with an authentic experience in contact with nature and animals to become their friends.
Sant'Olcese is also famous for its sausage, which is prepared following a traditional recipe from Liguria: half pork and half beef, with dadetti of bacon, sausage is dried over a wood fire and then aged in old wine cellars in the area. Even our dinner at Fattoria di Marta starts with excellent appetizer of Genoese cuisine, including cold cuts in farm products, of high-quality pork. We also eat the pancakes with herbs and taste the farm fresh cheese, served with green tomato jam. As first, let the ravioli stuffed with potatoes and topped with pesto, and baked lasagna with fresh zucchini. "It all started with a holiday that we had done nine years ago at a farm in Tuscany," he says Mrs. Tiziana, when we ask the history of the place. "They had opened a year and were so excited that we made infect us. The farm was already there, we spent the following years the work necessary to create a welcoming space for guests. We opened three years ago and we decided to dedicate the farm to our daughter Marta, who is now six years, while his brother, Rodolfo, has two. "
We follow the delicious dishes from tomaxelle, which are rolls of flesh, and the Ligurian rabbit, accompanying the latter with the freshest salads from the garden. Washed down with excellent white wine of Corona, coming from the nearby vineyards Morego. We conclude the meal with a fantastic cake with pears and chocolate, and are already thinking when we come back here next time we will have to take a walk along the path Botanical Ciaè and maybe I'll even attend one of the shows that are organized in the park nineteenth-century Villa Serra.

Frances Bertha