tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15871797483288116162011-12-12T22:22:30.494-08:00A chronicle of a part-time life in a small town near Lucca, Italy with occasional posts about life on Whidbey Island and other travels...Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.comBlogger1801100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-6776857444859529512011-12-12T22:22:00.000-08:002011-12-12T22:22:30.506-08:00

On the whole, 2011 was a great year for us. We did not spend as much time in Italy as we would like but life on Whidbey Island is always interesting. In January, I began walking regularly with Ladies of the Beach. The Ladies meet on Monday mornings and mostly do beach walk. It is an informal group ($5 lifetime membership!) and they have divided the shoreline of the island into forty-eight

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-24848743027921644782011-07-10T13:37:00.000-07:002011-07-10T13:37:50.858-07:00

Here are some photos of our remodeled bathroom and bedroom. There are still a few things to do as is noted in the picture descriptions below. This is the view from the door to the bedroom. You can see the toilet room door through the main bathroom door. The old closet is now the blank wall at the foot of the bed. This part of the bedroom is pretty much the same. We installed these two

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-43417400565456321372011-05-23T10:21:00.000-07:002011-05-23T10:21:39.024-07:00

Here are some photos of the "finished" product. We finished all the work on Friday, in spite of both of us having colds. Dom was on the mend last week but I was miserable. By Saturday I felt somewhat better which was good because I had to clean the house. Our summer guests arrived on Sunday and it has been "Italy 101" ever since. We are confident they will take care of things for us and enjoy

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-55563619682858350312011-05-15T11:32:00.000-07:002011-05-15T11:32:26.500-07:00

Yesterday we went to IKEA near Florence to pick-up the wardrobes and dresser we want for the main bedroom.  Our original plan was to rent a roof rack and bring them home looking like the IKEA commercial.  However, the racks have a load limit of 50 Kilos and we were planning to transport over 200 kilos.  So, we rented a truck. It was a rickety thing but got the job done. The next hurdle was

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-85323770382052528142011-05-10T09:34:00.000-07:002011-05-10T09:34:21.957-07:00

The days seems to be running together a bit.  The gap in posts can be explained by a number of things but mainly we ran our internet "chiavetta" out of time over the weekend so it was yesterday before we could get it recharged. Also, we had our first guest. On Friday or Saturday (the days really do run together) I washed down a number of items on the patio including the chaise lounge and the

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-44671163434186972292011-05-06T08:03:00.000-07:002011-05-06T08:03:03.883-07:00

Since Monday we have made lots of progress but I must admit we are slowing down. Yesterday we found the "dump" (aka staziona ecologica) and we disposed of a number of things that were superfluous including the old trellises from the balcony, a large fake fern and a bag of plastic wrap from moving. We went again today and took all of the boxes that we emptied and broke down plus the old toilet

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-74628972449496336902011-05-03T13:06:00.000-07:002011-05-03T13:06:05.401-07:00

Day Two of moving in was somewhat less wearying than Day One.  We went out first thing in the morning and ran errands.  First stop was the bar downstairs for cappucini and pasty.  Then we were off to Mercatone Uno where we bought a small microwave.  True fans of Abbastanza Buono will recall that just before we moved out of our Partigliano house, a lightening strike blitzed our microwave as well

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-39550644042425059302011-05-02T12:16:00.000-07:002011-05-02T12:16:47.390-07:00

Striking the "tents" at the Capannori market on May 1st. This was taken about 7:30 pm and I love the sunshine on the campanile (bell tower) We sat on the steps of the Piazza Communale (City Hall) for a while and listed to the music. This was the view of the piazza at about 10 pm with the concert in full swing. The bass was so loud you could feel the vibration through walls and floor of

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-54365575932362000192011-05-02T12:13:00.000-07:002011-05-02T12:13:07.036-07:00

The movers brought our stuff from storage today.  They used a cute little lift contraption to "elevate" everything from the lawn in front of our building to our terrace.  Here are some pictures. The little lift contraption is on a trailer and they rolled it into position on planks across the lawn. Once it was in position they extended the ladder portion. It did not look much heftier than a

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-34228112704937855022011-05-01T13:36:00.001-07:002011-05-01T13:36:46.330-07:00

Tomorrow (Monday, May 2) the movers bring our things to the apartment and we will spend our first night there.  In the meantime we have been taking care of the deferred maintenance.  Dom replaced all the rubber bumpers on the roll shutters and bought the parts to fix the one that is not working properly.  One of the toilets is cranky and leaking so the entire tank will be replaced.  It is a

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-74080968857889683182011-04-29T10:16:00.000-07:002011-04-29T10:16:26.091-07:00

As promised, here are some photos.  I will send more after the furniture arrives on Monday. We are sooo busy that getting any blog posts done is a little tricky.  Luckily, our internet access at the apartment is considerably better than it is in Partigliano.  Our little internet key works great here. The kitchen-thankfully the seller left the bar stools.  We have made good use of them. 

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-37201005789974577772011-04-27T07:56:00.000-07:002011-04-27T07:59:24.989-07:00

Everything went swimmingly last night, except for the fact that it all took an incredibly long time.    We met with our agent, Marcella, and the seller at the apartment at 5 pm.  The seller showed us how things worked, where things were and we were able to see that everything was as promised.  The place was very clean which pleased me no end.   At 6 pm we went to the Notaio's office.  It

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-13073348809150928172011-04-25T03:06:00.000-07:002011-04-25T03:38:19.677-07:00

Yesterday we joined a group of ex-pats for a traditional Easter lunch at a restaurant just south of Lucca.  Dom and I did this for the first time last year at a different restaurant.  We learned that one really has to pace oneself because the food just keeps on coming.  Here is the menu (as best I can remember it):All the water (fizzy and still) and wine (red and white) one can drink!All the

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-72235034922197916522011-04-25T02:41:00.000-07:002011-04-25T03:32:17.025-07:00

 Medecine cabinets will have pedestal sinks below and eventually a cabinet around the base of the pedestal sinks. The window is new and still needs to be trimmed.  The shower area--hard to take good photos here because the tile is so glossy. The toilet room is to the right of the shower and behind is the walk-in closet. This shows the bedroom with the new carpet that was installed

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-45357218582311382822011-04-22T07:27:00.000-07:002011-04-22T08:26:39.413-07:00

The days continue to be beautiful--cool mornings, warm afternoons and just a hint of a nip in the breeze.  Even though we try to stay busy, our days are mostly spent waiting.  Waiting to get possession of the apartment.  We have visited a number of stores to get an idea of what is out there.  There are things we need for the new place (especially lights which are something Italians take with

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-78908327968254050292011-04-21T06:10:00.000-07:002011-04-21T07:40:45.405-07:00

Since I now know how to post to the blog via email, I am now trying to see if I can include pictures. Yesterday we ended up driving to Marina di Pisa.  It all started as a jaunt to retrieve Dom's fleece jacket from the barber's. After we did that we decided to see how easy it was to go to the Pisa Airport via Pontedera, a town south of Capannori (our new location) and east of Pisa.  It was

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-82982978948635428892011-04-18T12:08:00.000-07:002011-04-19T00:34:44.165-07:00

Today we went off and did research for some purchases for the new apartment.  We stopped at a Home Depot like DIY store called Leroy Merlin.  It is located in a mall near Prato which is close to Florence.  After we checked out Leroy Merlin we also checked out the rest of the mall including the huge Media World (think Best Buy).  Then it was off to IKEA for lunch and a look around.  We know

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-62193874004511830432011-04-17T04:57:00.000-07:002011-04-17T04:57:19.593-07:00

As is usual, the past few days have flown by. We left Seattle on Wednesday and are now settled into our temporary accommodations in Partigliano. Instead of the usual dull, uneventful trip from there to here, our journey was a mix of highs and lows. We started with a few lows. When we checked our bags at SeaTac they said they were over weight. This was strange as we have a travel scale and

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-78294038718840183712011-02-24T20:51:00.000-08:002011-02-24T20:51:32.888-08:00

I have gotten a bit of flack lately because I have not posted since November.  I am a baaaad blogger when we are not in Italy. Time seems to be flying by. We have been incredibly busy with all sorts of activities since we returned to Whidbey Island. The first incident of note occurred the night we arrived home.  We were in bed and asleep at about 7 pm on Monday, November 15 and at 9 pm an

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-43483490532530328602010-11-07T05:27:00.000-08:002010-11-07T05:27:21.096-08:00

We have made progress on the purchase of our new place in Capannori. Yesterday we met with our agent, our geometra and a translator to go over the compromesso. Everything is in order and we will meet again on Monday with the seller to sign the agreement and make the initial payment. The compromesso is the traditional initial contract that is entered into when buying property in Italy. Nowadays,

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-37196177476871672442010-11-07T05:23:00.001-08:002010-11-07T05:23:45.603-08:00

We are having internet connection issues again so I am stockpiling blog posts.  Check back after November 15 for lots of pictures.  In the meantime, I will try to upload some text only posts.

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-56825585075971963622010-11-01T13:52:00.000-07:002010-11-01T13:52:50.524-07:00

Rainy patio and soggy woods! We had a busy weekend. On Friday we spent our last day in Rome making a last stroll through the Centro Storico. On Via Margutta we ran across an outdoor art show. That evening we had our best meal in Rome and it was not even terribly expensive. We felt it was a real shame to make that discovery on our last night there. It was a fun four weeks but by the end of it

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-36680850995853399202010-10-28T07:30:00.000-07:002010-10-28T07:30:13.799-07:00

Almost everything that is purchased in a pastry shop is wrapped up like this.   Here is all of what we bought today...  Italians have only recently begun celebrating Halloween. It is an American import and seems to be mostly an excuse to party the night before a national holiday (November 1—All Saints Day). Both children and adults dress up if they are going to a party but there is no

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-39410734312432884272010-10-28T07:26:00.000-07:002010-10-28T07:26:35.998-07:00

I changed my mind!  The most valuable purchase we made for this trip was picked up in a tabaccheria soon after we arrived.  It is a transit map that includes a booklet describing the stops on each route.  It has been invaluable!  If you are coming to Rome for more than a few days, we highly recommend getting something of this sort.  Ours cost €8 and it has been well worth the price.  We have

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-28928636969058810122010-10-26T00:17:00.000-07:002010-10-28T07:22:59.681-07:00

 Rainy Ponte Milvio This will be a quick recap of the past few days. I find I cannot always remember what we have done and have referred to this blog to remember. So I had better make a brief note of everything. Some of these will get a longer post when we are back in Partigliano and have more time. Baths of Caracalla On Saturday we visited the Baths of Caracalla—well worth a visit!

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-23052288849728192492010-10-23T11:00:00.000-07:002010-10-23T11:00:23.460-07:00

This (about the size of a tennis ball) becomes... ...this (about 1 1/2 x 2 feet) which looks like this...  ...when it has my raincoat inside. And there is still room for Dom's coat and more!  The above pictured item is turning out to be the most valuable purchase I made for this trip. This ripstop nylon bag folds up in itself to the size of a pair of socks and weighs practically nothing.

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-48197822797338010332010-10-22T12:22:00.000-07:002010-10-22T12:22:53.088-07:00

Shoes are very important on a trip like ours. We have been walking about three hours a day on average. It is not all easy walking either. Rome has lots of sidewalks with cobbles, sidewalks made lumpy by tree roots and sometimes sidewalks simply in need of repair. In the picture above you can see all the shoes I have with me on this trip. All of them have been worn at least once. However, the

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-67181228683906596312010-10-20T09:12:00.000-07:002010-10-20T09:18:43.401-07:00

Today we went to Castel Gandalfo where the Pope goes to get out of town. There is not really much there but we did see a wedding party outside the church in the main piazza. The bride and groom and most of the guests were Japanese but when we peaked in the church they were being married by a priest who was giving his sermon in Italian. I could not help wondering if the happy couple and guests

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-87867134716914160552010-10-19T10:13:00.000-07:002010-10-19T10:23:52.265-07:00

Early on during this trip another tourist told me she and her husband had slept until 11 am their first morning in Italy. So, they started setting the alarm clock so as not to miss half the day. Not feeling like there are sights we MUST see is one of the joys of being back here for the twenty-somethingth time. Our days are rather more relaxed. Most mornings we wake up when we wake up. That is

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-75368705908255841282010-10-17T12:19:00.000-07:002010-10-17T12:19:21.948-07:00

Yesterday I spent the morning doing errands like grocery shopping and cleaning the bathroom. There is a nearby morning market with stall similar to what one might find at Pike Place Market in Seattle. However, the building is modern and it is indoors so is much less picturesque. Nonetheless, there are lots of vegetables to choose from and a macelleria (meat market) that I really like because it

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-12400880093442687702010-10-16T12:53:00.000-07:002010-10-16T12:53:04.676-07:00

Viterbo garden Viterbo street Yesterday we took a road trip to Viterbo, a town about an hour north of Rome. Everyone talks about the Tuscan hill towns but few people know that there are a number of just as interesting hill towns in Lazio. Viterbo’s claim to fame is that it was the Vatican before there was a Vatican. In other words, it was home to a number of Popes and, at one time, it was a

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-51387465220557233522010-10-15T12:46:00.000-07:002010-10-15T12:59:44.667-07:00

 Came across this on our way to have coffee yesterday! Okay, I am way behind again. We are just doing too much to fully recap everything. Plus, I don’t know about you, but I am getting a little bored with the travelogue thing. So, here is a quick rundown of 10/13/10 and 10/14/10 and a funny story.  Via Margutta Wednesday Dom still was not feeling 100% so we decided to keep things light (

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-66433992432751932462010-10-12T13:51:00.000-07:002010-10-12T13:51:06.947-07:00

Frosinone Yesterday (Monday), I was feeling better but Dom now seems to be suffering from my cold. So, we spent a rather quiet day catching up on business, doing a little grocery shopping and going for a short excursion to the area north of the Vatican. The latter was really a matter of catching a bus, taking a walk, having a drink, people watching and heading back to our apartment. Today we

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-83602212260568912732010-10-11T13:55:00.000-07:002010-10-11T13:55:55.301-07:00

Later on Sunday we decided to go to a movie. There is a theater near Piazza del Popolo, the Metropolitan, that shows original language movie with Italian subtitles. Most of the films are American and our choices were The Town, Inception or Eat Pray Love. We chose to see The Town and it was excellent. Afterwards we joined the evening passagiata. There were throngs of people coming and going on

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-49275117673777272892010-10-11T13:38:00.000-07:002010-10-12T13:52:53.163-07:00

To finish catching up, on Saturday we drove back to Rome via Lago Bolsena in the southern part of Tuscany. It was slightly overcast but warm. We drove through the town of Bolsena and ended up stopping for lunch in the town of Montefiascone. Both of them were very picturesque but we were tired so we did not stop to explore. We were back in Rome by late afternoon. On Sunday we went off to a car/

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-89183077058140772842010-10-10T13:37:00.000-07:002010-10-10T13:39:35.418-07:00

It has been a busy weekend for us. On Friday we drove to Lucca, stayed in Partigliano overnight and started the process of buying an apartment. It is located in the town of Capannori 7 km east of Lucca. The town is a mix of old and new with a large, modern square that is ringed by the Comune of Capannori government offices, a supermarket, and a number of apartment buildings some of which have

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-2313369521201244772010-10-07T09:57:00.000-07:002010-10-07T09:57:00.224-07:00

Entrance to Catacomb of Priscilla Mounted Police near Ponte Milvio My head cold has gone from bad to worse with the result that we spent a very quiet day today and chicken soup for lunch. Yesterday I soldiered on and we did visit one of the Roman catacombs. Somewhere I picked up a box of cards labeled “City Walks Rome-50 Adventures on Foot.” Each card (about 3x5 inches) has a map of a

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-33824749301568888612010-10-05T11:45:00.000-07:002010-10-05T11:45:08.831-07:00

Vittorio Emmanuele II monument Italy's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Looking down on Piazza Venezia A little bit of rain and lots of tourists One of Fausto Coppi's bikes Part of the Coppi exhibit The Lance Armstrong of his day Wonderful views from part way up the monument Great fountain! Palazzo Farnese--the French Embassy He seems surprised to be part of a fountain

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-20124420888758190582010-10-05T11:31:00.000-07:002010-10-05T11:31:07.871-07:00

Yesterday was a pretty lazy day. I was not feeling well (bad sore throat and incipient head cold) so we tackled a number of chores and chilled most of the day. We found a place to take our laundry, bought some groceries, went out for panini at lunch and took several short walks. I napped in the afternoon and made us some pasta for dinner. This morning I felt better although still not 100%. I am

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-6023574410705297112010-10-04T03:56:00.000-07:002010-10-04T03:56:09.362-07:00

View of the scads of lock on the railing of Ponte Milvio Long term car storage in Rome!  There is actually a rope around the middle holding the car cover on. St. Peter's from Monte Pincio (Borghese Gardens) Sunday at the Borghese Gardens Sunday at the Spanish Steps Trinita dei Monti and Spanish Steps  The waiter is carefully wrapping a container of gelato like a Christmas

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-55375549415704982962010-10-04T03:50:00.000-07:002010-10-04T03:50:28.749-07:00

 I have been having trouble loading photos due to our weak connection so here are some I referenced in the last few posts. Florence - lunch at a small bar Here is the small electric garbage truck View of the Arno river in Florence.  It was a gorgeous day! In Rome a gatto found a warm spot atop our just parked car. View of Piazzale Ponte Milvio Tevere with canoists Strange

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-45582159744837694642010-10-03T13:00:00.000-07:002010-10-03T13:01:32.143-07:00

Yesterday we packed up the car, tidied up our rental house and headed off to Rome. It was another lovely day and there was not a lot of traffic on the autostrada. Our GPS (gee pee essay in Italian) brought us right to the little apartment we will call home until October 30. It proved to be pretty much as advertised in the photos except for no TV in the living area (there is one in the bedroom), a

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-63056975200124038502010-10-01T12:53:00.000-07:002010-10-03T13:02:00.092-07:00

Yesterday our third day of house hunting proved rather more productive than the first two. We saw two places we liked and one of those we REALLY liked. If negotiations proceed as we hope we will provide more information. After we finished viewing houses we went to an evening of cooking and eating at the International Academy of Italian Cuisine in Lucca. This is the same place I did a day at last

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-20906533281206256342010-09-29T12:49:00.000-07:002010-10-03T12:53:17.791-07:00

I always tell people that being in Italy is not really a vacation for us. Without our mini-farm we are hoping it will become more restful but thus far that is not the case. On Monday we went out all day and saw six more houses. A couple of them we quite liked but after further consideration (and further viewing from the outside) we decided none of them really suit us. We have two more

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-32947688166075975782010-09-26T07:11:00.000-07:002010-09-26T07:11:13.227-07:00

House hunting has been interesting. We have seen six places with three different agents. Four of them have possibilities although nothing has made us swoon and declare, “let’s make an offer!” We have seen three apartments, two duplexes and one townhouse. All of them need some work but mostly cosmetic. Some fit our criteria better than others but undoubtedly we will need to make some

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-77651459051045096422010-09-22T06:01:00.000-07:002010-09-23T06:03:33.481-07:00

Tuesday, we arrived at Pisa in good order after an uneventful flight from Seattle via Pisa. The only glitches in our plan to be in Partigliano by 2 pm was a late car delivery and getting a little lost on our way from there to Lucca. We dropped off our car rental guy (the marvelous Rosario) just outside of Pisa and I was driving. Somewhere I missed a turn and then it seemed logical to turn north

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-14751372853699858012010-09-19T18:32:00.000-07:002010-09-19T18:32:50.609-07:00

FINALLY, I am getting around to another blog post.  It is the afternoon before we leave for our fall trip and I feel compelled to catch up.  So here is a quick recap of summer 2010. We stopped in London for two nights on our way back to Seattle/Whidbey Island. It was a fun visit and quite relaxing after the hectic few weeks selling and moving out of our house.  We visited the Imperial War Museum

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-26266205571888703512010-08-28T16:40:00.000-07:002010-08-28T16:40:22.740-07:00

Yes, I have been a bad (i.e. non-existant) blogger this summer.  Nothing is wrong we have just been incredibly busy.  One of these days (maybe) I will get caught up.  If not I will begin blogging again when we get to Italy.  We have lots planned for this fall.  With the house in Partigliano sold we plan to spend 11 days there at a rental house before going to Rome for four weeks.  We will return

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-3830002247826465932010-05-14T12:50:00.000-07:002010-05-14T12:50:34.095-07:00

Moving Day (next Tuesday 5/18) is rapidly approaching and the house is beginning to reflect it.  The television now has a new home on top of a stack of boxes.  We have packed up a lot of things but there is still lots to do.  Tomorrow we are taking our winemaking equipment to Mercatino del Usato (a consignment store for used "stuff") and later we are taking some grass cutting equipment to a

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-22151406410055307242010-05-11T12:22:00.000-07:002010-05-11T12:32:51.197-07:00

We have had terrible weather for the last week--monsoon-like conditions on some days and pretty cool for this time of year.  Thankfully, Sunday was actually pretty nice (at least in comparison). The walk started in San Cassiano a Vico, an area we are interested in for a new home.  It is really a pretty walk and no hills.  It includes sections on paved roads... ...and some sections through the

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-33487064438396668142010-05-11T12:14:00.000-07:002010-05-11T12:14:20.139-07:00

Last fall I dug up my two clumps of irises and divided them.  There were so many bulblets that I threw a lot away.  However, the ones I replanted have bloomed spectacularly.  In fact, all my plants are doing well this spring.  It probably has something to do with the warm, wet weather.  The roses above the wall are full of buds and the strawberries in the lower right corner are covered with pink

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-67275562506705782102010-05-11T12:02:00.000-07:002010-05-11T12:02:56.264-07:00

The last day of Kate's Fantastic Italian Adventure was spent in Venice.  We rose early and made the drive to north to La Serenissima.  Unfortunately, my exceptional directional abilities were on the fritz and it took far longer to get there than it should have.  In any event we finally made it there.  Luckily, the weather was fabulous that day.  As we made our way from the parking area on the

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-72897715167937626242010-05-08T10:11:00.000-07:002010-05-08T10:11:59.837-07:00

May 1 is a holiday throughout Europe.  This year it fell on a Saturday.  Nonetheless, the annual May Day walk at Montemagno was held early in the morning.  It was a beautiful day so it was no hardship for Dom and I to get up and drive over there.  Since there was another walk the next morning we decided to do the shortest walk--3 kilometers.  This was just enough to get our heart rates up and we

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-8404823073715488862010-05-04T10:22:00.000-07:002010-05-04T10:22:49.460-07:00

The good news is we sold the house.  The bad news is we sold the house. Actually, it's pretty much all good news.  Long time readers of this blog will know that we originally put the house on the market about two and a half years ago.  The market here has been just as bad as in the U.S. so it is not surprising that it took a while for it to sell.  A young Italian couple from our village bought

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-40272624354408332192010-05-02T10:57:00.000-07:002010-05-02T10:57:31.497-07:00

Last Wednesday Dom and I went into Florence for the day.  We started out by taking two bags of books to the Paperback Exchange (and English language bookstore near the Duomo) and exchanging them for store credit.  Afterwards, we wandered around.  It was crowded but not like it had been around Easter.  The weather was perfect and we enjoyed just strolling around.  On our drive into town we saw a

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-44354074785410362292010-05-02T10:32:00.000-07:002010-05-02T10:32:52.012-07:00

After our stay in Sorrento, we drove from there to Partigliano.  That makes it sound so simple but it was really a long, seven hour drive with limited stops.  We did manage a quick run by the Prada outlet near Florence but, as I like telling people, 50% off $500 is still $250.  Personally, I could not find anything that went with my predominantly Eddie Bauer wardrobe or my Whidbey Island

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-68574027380264518612010-04-29T04:27:00.000-07:002010-04-29T04:27:41.183-07:00

Last Sunday was the annual marcia podistica in Marlia, a town about 10 minutes away between where we are and Lucca.  It is called Marcia delle Ville or March of the Villas because it passes through many of the classic villas in the nearby hills.  These were once the summer homes of the Lucchese aristocracy and most of them, or at least their gardens, are now open to the public for a fee.  It is

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-54681652447400374912010-04-25T06:01:00.000-07:002010-04-25T06:01:37.396-07:00

A few days ago I took a walk around our little valley.  Here are some pictures from that walk. This is the bar in the village.  The Wisteria is in full bloom.  Later, after the vine leafs out it provides a nice screen against the afternoon sun.  A fruit and vegetable truck comes to the village at least once a week.  Here it was parked down by the church with some of the local ladies

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-72459017001485680912010-04-25T05:37:00.000-07:002010-04-25T05:39:57.632-07:00

Here are Dom's favorite vehicles from our visit to the classic car show near Rome.

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-42987045611434289322010-04-25T05:19:00.000-07:002010-04-25T05:19:45.656-07:00

On our last full day in Sorrento we visited the Roman ruins at Pompeii.  As most people know, an eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. engulfed the city of Pompeii (and other nearby towns) in many meters of falling ash.  It was a large, thriving town and many of its citizens left before they died.  However, a number stayed and they, along with all the buildings were trapped like flies in amber to

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-760979182310094612010-04-21T02:33:00.000-07:002010-04-21T02:33:44.740-07:00

Last Saturday Dom and I drove to Rome for another classic car and motorcycle show.  It was a beautiful day for a drive down the coast and we enjoyed the trip.  The show was at the Roma Fiera not far from the airport at Fiumicino.  The complex is HUGE and it took us a while to figure out where the show was within the many buildings, how to get into the parking area and then how to get into the

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-24853477815956692962010-04-21T02:07:00.000-07:002010-04-21T02:07:44.571-07:00

The day we planned to go to Capri we woke up to threatening skies.  Nonetheless, we at breakfast and then made our way down to the ferry dock.  By the time we reached the harbor it was pouring.  We bought our tickets and then ducked into a nearby bar/ristorante for cappucino and the use of the toilette.  Kate was obviously happy but the rest of us were a bit concerned about the weather.  Luckily

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-40179673724413580702010-04-18T12:24:00.000-07:002010-04-18T12:24:55.936-07:00

On Sunday, March 28 we set off for Sorrento by train.  This involved taking a train from the main station in Rome, Stazione Termini, to Napoli Centrale.  From there we took the local train called the Circumvesuviana to Sorrento.  From Rome to Naples we had five seats in a six seat compartment.  The poor Italian man who sat with us had to put up with a lot of hilarity, including Cherie pulling up

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-90188360818643051352010-04-15T01:46:00.000-07:002010-04-15T01:48:35.674-07:00

On our second full day in Rome Kate, Cindy, Cherie, Emily and I made our way to the Vatican Museums.  Before leaving Seattle I made reservations online for a 10 am entry.  It worked like a charm!  We were able to bypass all the lines, make a quick stop at a window to exchange our voucher for tickets and then we were past the turnstiles.  I highly recommend it if you are going to Rome and want to 

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-11835192937394520282010-04-11T06:28:00.000-07:002010-04-11T06:28:33.487-07:00

Kate's Fantastic Italian Adventure started in Rome on March 25.  Everyone had made the overnight flight from Seattle to Europe and we all arrived in the early evening.  It was 9 o'clock before we checked into our hotel near Piazza del Popolo, washed up and headed out to find dinner.  The weather was quite warm and there were several interesting restaurants within a few blocks.  We chose one and

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-43105840902073882822010-04-09T11:57:00.000-07:002010-04-09T11:57:54.578-07:00

Today Dom and I got back in our Italian groove.  That means I cleaned the house and Dom started cutting the grass.  We thought someone was coming to view the house this afternoon but that was cancelled.  Luckily I continued with the house cleaning as someone else came by.  It really was not that dirty but I had done nothing since arriving because of our guests.  I also ran two loads of wash

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-51191479583133858112010-04-08T08:58:00.000-07:002010-04-08T08:58:31.663-07:00

The 2010 Girls' Trip to Italy was a wopping success!  This was my niece Kate's Italian adventure and we were joined by her mom Cindy and my friend Cherie and her daughter Emily.  The above picture was taken our first night in Rome.  Over the next few weeks I will post the details of our trip but for now here is a quick overview. We started in with two full days in Rome.  The first day we focused

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-14664540635806582742010-03-22T23:45:00.000-07:002010-03-22T23:45:12.305-07:00

To all my loyal fans (all three of you?!?), I know it has been a long, silent winter.  With the best of intentions I simply have not gotten around to posting.  However, on March 24 I head back to Italy.  For the first week I am traveling with my niece Kate, Cindy, Cherie and Emily.  We visit Rome and Sorrento (Amalfi Coast, Capri and Pompeii) before meeting Dom in Partigliano. Then we cram in

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-59427260495975472852010-01-25T16:28:00.000-08:002010-01-25T16:28:21.340-08:00

I know. I know.  Blogging has gone by the wayside for quite some time.  I never even finished up our fall in Italy.  Here is the condensed version. We arrived back on Whidbey Island on November 17 and immediately dove into our U.S. lives.  The house and Mocha Kitty were both fine.  We did suffer some damage to our front path as a result of a heavy rainstorm in October.  It is compressed gravel

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-49368666819249379132009-11-13T08:03:00.000-08:002009-11-13T08:50:49.767-08:00

Last Friday I went to cooking school. Arlene from New York arranged it and her friend David's future daughter-in-law, Brook, joined us. The school is right outside Lucca in an old villa and I was surprised to find that the kitchen was rather poky. It was also rather small once 15 people were crammed into it.It turned out that the three of us were being slotted into one day of a four week

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-67340176038654543562009-11-13T07:18:00.000-08:002009-11-13T08:02:59.978-08:00

A week ago yesterday Arlene from New York/Vermont and I left the guys at home and went into Florence to do a little shopping. The weather did not look terrific when we left but we were lucky. It stayed fairly warm, dry and partly sunny while we were there.We parked to the east of the Centro Storico (historic center) and walked to the Sant'Ambrosio market. I remembered it differently and am

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-64819424604355403692009-11-04T14:23:00.000-08:002009-11-04T14:39:26.765-08:00

My apologies for not being a better blogger this fall. However, I have just posted three entries. Life in Italy has been very good of late. We just had about ten days of beautiful weather. The olives got picked and we managed to prune some of the trees and vines. Lunch was eaten on the patio most of the last week. The nights have been quite cold so the fireplace is in use every evening we

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-37797606534949465212009-11-04T13:45:00.000-08:002009-11-04T14:23:19.728-08:00

Last Sunday, November 1, was All Saints Day. It is a national holiday in Italy so there was a lot going on.We started the day by going to a marcia podistica (organized walk) at Colognora di Compito, a little southeast of Lucca. It was a walk we had not participated in before so we looked forward to seeing new countryside.The day started out cold and misty. We had to scrape ice off our

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-61369600156828754852009-11-04T13:33:00.000-08:002009-11-04T13:45:05.679-08:00

Again this fall we went to Padova to the BIG Mostra Auto e Moto d'Epoca (Historic cars, motorcycles and scooters show.) This is all the pictures we took as I forgot to charge the camera battery beforehand. The great thing about the camera is the battery lasts for weeks and weeks. The bad thing about the camera is that when the battery goes, it goes fast. There is not a lot of warning from a

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-60193158883981252742009-10-30T12:02:00.001-07:002009-10-30T12:12:46.089-07:00

One of the things I really enjoyed about Capri was it's lushness. Even in mid October there were still many flowers in bloom including roses. There were also interesting plants such as giant cactus and unusual evergreen trees. Here are a few photos of some of the plants we saw.

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-9433725746771203212009-10-30T11:19:00.001-07:002009-10-30T11:46:45.461-07:00

Our third day on Capri was actually spent off Capri. We got going early and caught a boat into Naples to visit the Museo Archeologico where many of the Pompeii mosaics, frescoes and artifacts are located. On our way from the ferry dock to the museum we saw a demonstration taking place. It was fairly quiet and, as is usual in Italy, there were lots of police on the street.This statue of Dante

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-18188035392843120842009-10-26T09:50:00.000-07:002009-10-26T10:09:59.392-07:00

At the south end of the Amalfi Coast, near Capri, is the town of Vietri sul Mar. It is a major center for the production of Italian maiolica. Everywhere on Capri one sees maiolica tiles. I took most of these photos in Anacapri as we walked back to our hotel on our second day on Capri.The benches in front of the church of Santa Sofia are made of maiolica tiles with elaborate scenes painted on

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-41142724631986030882009-10-26T09:24:00.000-07:002009-10-30T11:54:13.621-07:00

After we left the belvedere at Certosa di San Giacomo we walked over to the Giardino di Augusto. From what I had read I expected an elegant garden but it the giardino turned out to be a city park. It was nice but awfully crowded.The views from the giardino were spectacular. We could look back into the cloister at the monastary.To the south we could see the faraglioni--two of the large rocks that

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-79107457867760576092009-10-25T10:51:00.000-07:002009-10-26T09:22:07.895-07:00

Our second day on Capri dawned clear and cold. We bundled up after breakfast and walked into Anacapri to catch the bus to the town of Capri. In the piazzetta in Anacapri there were always a number of taxis waiting. The standard Capri taxi seats six or seven and is a convertable. I don't think I saw one with the top down while we were there but I could just imagine the tourists zipping around

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-42414824986255299602009-10-22T03:36:00.000-07:002009-10-22T04:30:53.485-07:00

We ate lunch at a very busy spot where we had a lot of fun watching the tour groups come and go. German, French, English and American--they all came and went, eager for lunch and then stressed about missing the bus to the next sight. The food was nothing special but we enjoyed a nice local white wine from the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius.Afterwards, we rode the chairlift to the top of Monte

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-87850525445602812702009-10-21T04:31:00.000-07:002009-10-22T05:00:22.267-07:00

One of the most interesting things we saw in Anacapri was the church of San Michele.This is what the floor looks like from ground level. You can see the wooden walkways that line the room so one can walk around and see the tiles up close.This is what the floor looks like from the choir loft. They charge E2 to enter the church but it is well worth the price.The main part of the picture depicts

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-53017519177441014112009-10-20T02:33:00.000-07:002009-10-22T04:08:15.576-07:00

Our first full day on Capri dawned brilliantly clear. It seemed fairly warm when we got up and stepped out onto our balcony.This is the view from our balcony. In the distance you can see the island of Ischia. Ischia and Capri bracket the entrance to the Bay of Naples.After breakfast at our hotel (the usual coffee or tea, rolls, and pastry) we set off to explore the sights of Anacapri. In spite of

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-53187202152235939702009-10-18T08:03:00.000-07:002009-10-18T08:46:09.342-07:00

We left for Capri last Monday morning (10/12/09) in time to catch a 7:15 am train at Diecimo. Our journey proved to be quite long. The first leg to Lucca then a two hour train ride to Florence. From there we took the Eurostar to Naples. It took only three and a half hours which was about as long as the combined legs from Diecimo to Florence. From Naples we took the Circumvesuviano commuter

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-72915793725192471612009-10-11T10:39:00.001-07:002009-10-11T10:43:46.991-07:00

We did another marcia podistica this morning. The sun was just rising when we started off and there was this beautiful, misty field along our route. In contrast to yesterday, it was clear and became quite warm later in the day. This blog will be post-less until next weekend. Tomorrow morning we are going to the island of Capri for a few days. The computer is staying home but the camera will

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-37893401764253695792009-10-11T10:14:00.000-07:002009-10-11T10:39:38.592-07:00

Yesterday morning it looked like this when we got up. The rain was coming down, not hard but insistantly. After some discussion we decided to go to IKEA to check out some things. As usual, when we got there, we found a few things to buy. Afterwards, we continued into Florence, parked at the train station and found a pizzeria near the mercato centrale (central market) to have lunch. Dom

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-84809367014789528632009-10-09T02:42:00.000-07:002009-10-09T03:11:13.279-07:00

The "pretty" kitty came to visit our patio yesterday. We often see her near our front door but rarely at the back of the house. She was very curious but did not want to get too close to us. For a long time she sat in the middle of the field and watched us. This photo makes it look like she was "up close and personal." However, she was probably still 10-15 ft. away. Zoom close-up is a

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-61679491252067043412009-10-06T00:48:00.000-07:002009-10-06T01:06:12.302-07:00

It did not take more than 24 hours for "our" cats (gatti) to show up and ask to be fed. Our usual black and white female (Squeak) and black male obviously knew that the back shutter door being open meant the food people were back.Much to our surprise, Squeak has a trio of kittens (gattini). We know she has been pregnant in the past but our neighbors say she is not a good mother and the kittens

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-29214498435388168182009-10-04T06:16:00.001-07:002009-10-04T06:44:08.054-07:00

As is our usual practice, today being Sunday we rose early and went off to the day's marcia podistica. For those of you who might be new to this blog, a marcia podistica is an organized walk much like a volksmarch.Today's event was in the town of Corsanico in the hills above Massarossa. There were incredibly lovely views out over the coastal plain. The early morning light helped highlight Lago

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-89945064035675531532009-10-03T13:56:00.001-07:002009-10-03T14:19:13.874-07:00

We are still suffering from jet lag but after a good night's sleep and a great day out the long trip seems worth the pain. I have to admit that yesterday I felt so bad it made me wonder if it was worthwhile. It was another beautiful sunny day with a high temperature around 80 degrees and a tad too much humidity. Dom watched Formula 1 qualifying at 7 am and I took a short walk. Afterwards we

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-77739967192434597832009-10-01T06:14:00.000-07:002009-10-01T06:42:11.097-07:00

Ciao a tutti! We arrived in Partigliano at about 7 pm yesterday evening. It was a long but uneventful flight. Going through Paris was good except for the layover. We spent over six hours at Charles De Gaulle Airport and it was the worst time of day for us. We arrived there about 8:15 am and left at 3:40 pm European Daylight Time but if you subtract 9 hours from those times you will see that it

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-73765555337137664502009-09-06T15:15:00.000-07:002009-09-06T15:48:16.250-07:00

Today is blustery and rainy here on Whidbey Island with a definite autumn nip in the air. It's the perfect sort of day to curl up in a comfy armchair and indulge in a good book. I have some interesting volumes in my "to read" stacks but I am inclined to find one of my favorite "life in Italy" books and lose myself in la vita bella for an hour or two.If you are looking for something like that

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-36967310563411093462009-09-01T21:50:00.000-07:002009-09-01T22:12:35.423-07:00

August was an INCREDIBLY busy month. Unfortunately, it was mostly business issues that kept us occupied. Nonetheless, we managed a lot of fun as well. Here are the highlights:Soon after our weekend at the races in Wenatchee, Dom's brother John, his wife Vicky and their daughter Schuyler came to visit for a week. In between conference calls and too many emails we managed to take in quite a few

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-16246785156401383732009-08-04T15:07:00.001-07:002009-08-04T15:51:26.502-07:00

Last Saturday Dom and I drove over to Wenatchee (located in the eastern part of Washington State) to visit my sister, Patty and her family. Her son Thomas raced that evening at the Wenatchee Valley Super Oval in the Youth Hornet class. Another friend of ours, Ron, raced in the Legends class.We left Whidbey Island at about 11:30 and arrived at Patty and Scott's house just before 4 pm. The drive

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-30503767079833082642009-07-28T17:13:00.001-07:002009-07-28T17:35:16.890-07:00

I went sea kayaking with my sister, Patty, last Friday morning. We drove up to Deception Pass State Park for a 90 minute tour with Anacortes Kayak Tours. We did the 9:30 am early bird special--only $25 per person. The tour company provided everything and it was fabulous. The morning was calm and a little foggy--probably better than sunny because we did not get too hot in all our gear.This was

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-79757575365673605442009-07-13T16:21:00.000-07:002009-07-13T17:01:28.040-07:00

It is hard to believe it is three weeks tomorrow since we returned to Whidbey Island from Italy. We have been very busy. Some of the highlights incude the following:My dear friend Leeds and I did the Whidbey Island Garden Tour the Saturday after Dom and I returned. The above picture is a sample of the wonderful private gardens that are opened to the public just once a year. This particular one

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-45652139206156798692009-06-28T20:48:00.001-07:002009-06-28T21:03:28.006-07:00

On Monday, June 22 we began our journey back to Whidbey Island. The Italian house was cleaned, closed up and our voluminous luggage loaded in the car. In Pisa we returned the Fiat Punto to Rosario, our car contact, and caught an 11 am train to Rome. We had an interesting journey as we ended up in a compartment with a Latvia PhD from Syracuse, NY and a couple from Melbourne, Australia. What I

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-39649671012875379412009-06-28T19:54:00.000-07:002009-06-28T20:47:46.425-07:00

Last Sunday was the annual marcia podistica (organized walk) in Partigliano. It was held at the pizzeria at Guzzanello which is up the hill from the village. Unfortunately, after a string of stunningly beautiful days, we had rain and thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday. The previsione (forecast) was for improving conditions on Sunday but we woke to more rain. In spite of that, at 6:15 am we

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-31105100363437784612009-06-19T04:14:00.000-07:002009-06-19T06:49:55.523-07:00

The recent heat and humidity has really been getting to us. Highs have been around 30 degrees C. every day and the muggy air means even the easiest job causes one to break out in a sweat. One afternoon Dom came downstairs and laid flat out on his back on the tile floor. He said he knew any piece of furniture would soon warm up but he knew that would not happen with the floor. This week we have

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-42916360482311093712009-06-17T08:18:00.000-07:002009-06-17T08:47:20.257-07:00

Here is a picture of our newly re-varnished door. It is now bright and shiny and very welcoming.This is what our corner of the courtyard looks like when you approach the front door. All the greenery is thanks to our neighbor Maria Rosa. She has quite the "green thumb" and manages to grow quite a selection of plants in various size pots on the patio. Here is what we see when we look out our

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1587179748328811616.post-88992108449217597522009-06-16T12:31:00.000-07:002009-06-16T13:05:38.462-07:00

A few days ago Dom finished construction of his self-propelled basket--his version of a motorized wheelbarrow. The primary reason for making it was to haul wood up to the barn from the lower part of our property. Several years ago we had a number of trees taken down (they were old cottonwoods and one had already fallen on our neighbor's land). The motor portion of it is part of the cutter bar--

Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02145431181328315848noreply@blogger.com0