Explaining Pignano

The place I've been at for nearly 4 weeks is called Villa Pignano. And it is really strange. Set on the top of a Tuscan hill, an old castle hosts guests in a fancy hotel of sorts. Some 30 or 40 people work at the villa and more or less dine together for lunch and dinner. Although not always the case, a week ago there were 8 wwoofers here (people like me who work for our meals and quarters). We all sleeping in the woods in a teepee and tents (see pic below). The workers, some of whom live in cottages near to but separate from the main castle, include a baker (Zak), a farmer (Ranieri), a horse person (Joanna), an herb specialist (Mara), a barman (Gregorio), the gardener (Lupo), not to mention countless others for laundry/kitchen, general upkeep. The community is incredibly international (Australia, Ireland, Romania, US, Argentina, El Salvador, etc). Some people are temporary. The boss (although not the owner of the villa) is a sort of matriarch figure, her name is Pushpa (her spiritual name), who leads and organizes virtually everything. There is so many other things I could explain, like names, and what the wwoofers do, and what kind of amenities we enjoy, but I think I will save those for personal conversation between you and I, if you care to hear.

Here are some pictures...