In the first year, living off-grid, we had one huge problem: no running water. So, our daily routine was a 400-meter uphill walk to our car, a 5 minute drive to the local water point in Villa Santi – and back.
Carrying 120 liters of water in heavy bidons down the slope felt like a chore at first, however, the public water point quickly became one of our favorite spots. Filling up 120 liters of water takes time here (about 5 mins per 20 liters), which naturally turns into conversation when others arrive at this busy point.
Stories from Villa Santi
Here, at Villa Santi, we met cyclists taking a quick drink break, locals (elderly, workers from the land, ..) filling up their water bottles and even another Dutch man who had started his own project similar to ours a few years back. Seeing our Belgian license plate led to friendly teasing and good-luck wishes about the World Cup soccer. We had chats with people filling up their water cans for animals and exhausted sports enthusiasts who needed water.. Now!
Thus, what started as a survival necessity became our daily window into community life, proving that the real heart of an Italian village often lives right around the public water tap.
