William and I had the enormous fortune and privilege to spend time with Chrissy and Colin in their home at Un Solo Pino in June 2024. These two are the most inspiring people we have ever met, and we were so grateful to experience the gratitude and generosity of spirit that they ooze and immerse ourselves for a short time in the lifestyle they now revel in every day.
The bus ride from Palermo was our first introduction to Sicily with the striking mountains around the city soon giving way to the rolling hills and winding rural terrain that leads to their nearest town, Cianciana. The red van awaited us on the narrow street in the darkness, with Colin driving, and his Mum Val on board. We had spent some time with Val at her home in Hereford only weeks before on the UK leg of our seven-week holiday.
We wound our way along rugged roads (and up an even more rugged driveway) to the recently completed casa ‘Whispers’ perched on the side of a hill. The outlook was difficult to fathom in the blackened space before us, but the twinkling of lights and breeze in the air hinted at what awaited us the next morning. Chrissy is not one to under-cater when it comes to anything (the fridge crammed to bursting was a testament to what lay ahead) and after a hearty meal and much enthusiastic and often side-splitting sharing of stories on the front deck with the dogs bustling for attention and perchance any morsels at our feet, we settled to bed with full stomachs and contented hearts.
To say we were blown away the next day by the outlook would not do it justice. The panorama we beheld was far greater than any expectation and helped us fully understand why Chrissy and Colin would choose to settle on this piece of land they call their own. Despite being in the depths of a hot, dry Summer which has parched the fields below and triggered a fire slowly smouldering its way up a distant outcrop, the folds of rolling hills and patchwork fields, as far as the eye can see, were like a masterpiece that we can only imagine change with dramatic fashion in texture and colour as the seasons come and go.
The days that followed were a profusion of wonderfully fresh food, long drives, teamwork, camaraderie and catch-ups. We were in awe of Colin as he drove us with skill whilst Chrissy endured the motion sickness, for mile upon mile along winding roads past orchards, over rivers and through towns where parking and rules appear fairly random, and hairpin bends are narrow enough to increase the heart rate considerably, especially if you meet a bus coming the other way. We visited the Cattedrale di Caltabellotta, with its layers of religious history, perched on the highest peak overlooking the houses of muted shades that appeared to be haphazardly stacked on top of each other and into the rockface. We swam in the glass-like Mediterranean with no horizon at Bovo Marina and marvelled at the salt pans and windmills with a backdrop of swooping kite surfers along the west coast of the island.
It was at Un Solo Pino, however, that we enjoyed the best of company and shared meals, helping where we could with watering and other daily chores that Chrissy completes with her unmatched abundance of energy, strength and patience. Listening to the dreams of this couple is as exhausting as it is inspiring. The labour of love that has grown already from this dream with the help of Chrissy’s brother Marty and their community is amazing, but the work never stops, and they have big plans to regenerate and develop this steep and arid block of land to make it a sustainable working destination with access for all, so others can experience the joy and peace they have found being here.
I was sad to leave their beautiful company after only a few days but happy that William (aka Willipedia and/or Uncle Warthog) could stay on a little longer to explore and continue to reconnect with Colin (BP – the quiet achiever) who he has known since he was a youngster in Kenya, fellow Aussie Chrissy (aka Barge Arse) and Val (aka The Maharani of Moreton on Lugg). His muscle and gardening experience came in handy to help initiate a reticulation (irrigation) plan for the vegetable plot and fruit trees to save water, time, and energy and resurrect Paulo the Polaris so Colin would have the ability to access the whole property. His experience meeting members of Chrissy and Colin’s community and other champions of their journey was joyful and reassuring that their dream is achievable and in the most capable of hands.
We are excited to return before too long now Un Solo Pino is a part of our hearts as well.
Lesley Hart, from Western Australia
