We're Buying an Apartment!

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 commercial establishments on the ground floor. Our apartment is on the 6th floor (5th Italian-style and, yes, it does have an elevator). It overlooks the square and has wonderful views south to the Pisan hills and north to the hills of Lucca and the mountains.

In addition to being closer to Lucca than Partigliano, Capannori is a great spot for cycling and walking. We are minutes from the autostrada. There is frequent bus service into Lucca and there is a Capannori train station on the line between Lucca and Florence. There are a bar and a newsstand on the ground floor of our building, a gelateria less than a block away, several restaurants, a pasticceria, banks, and other shops all on the square or a short walk away in the older part of Capannori. All of this means it will be much more guest friendly.  Capannori is pronounced cah-PAHN-or-ee, something it took us years to figure out.

The apartment itself was all redone not many years ago and the current style is very modern. It has a large living/dining area, a small but well laid out kitchen with a pantry, three bedrooms, 1 ½ baths and a large storage room. There is also a large terrace with double doors accessing it and space for the washing machine out there.

The process of buying a house in Italy is multi-step. On Friday evening we signed an offer and made a small deposit. It was immediately accepted and the next step is to do a compromesso, a contract that spells out what the buyer and seller both have to do before the purchase is completed. It will be done in early November before we leave. At that time we will pay 30% of the total purchase price. In January we will return and complete the final contract and pay the rest of the purchase price. In the meantime, the seller has a number of things to take care of including painting the interior. We are fortunate that we negotiated the purchase of the kitchen, which is beautiful, as part of the deal. It is not uncommon here for sellers to take the kitchen with them. In January we will also move have our furniture, etc. moved from storage into the apartment.

Here are lots of pictures in sort of an odd order.  It seems to be difficult to get the pictures to load into the blog as I think they should.

One of the large bedrooms, probably will be the guest room

Full bath with tub/shower (and a view!)

Large bedroom, probably will be our bedroom

Half bath

Small bedroom

Our building from down in the piazza

Closer look--our unit is the top floor 2nd/3rd windows from the left

Closer look at our terrace

Entry to our staircase--the building has three entries

Entry is door to left and green door is elevator

Kitchen

Door to kitchen pantry

Cooktop, oven and fridge behing large door to right

Sink and dishwasher--yes, counters and backsplash are marble!

Kitchen even has a window!

View (through screen) from bedrooms

Terrace--larger than it looks

View from terrace

Sink and space under for washing machine on terrace--very common set-up in Italy

Living/Dining area from kitchen--we are keeping the mural!

Catacombe di Priscilla

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 section of Rome on one side and a description of a short walk on the other. Number 42 is “S. Agnese Fuori Le Mura” and Number 43 is “Catacombe di Priscilla.” The two of them combined were our guides yesterday.

Our first adventure was finding the bus to take us to the Nomentana area. The cards specify bus routes but they assume one is starting from the Centro Storico. As we were starting from Ponte Milvio we used our transit map to figure out another bus route that bypassed the Centro. Unfortunately, finding the actual bus stop was a little difficult. After some wandering around we finally found the right spot, the bus came and we were on our way.

The bus route took us past several parks and an extensive sports complex before reaching the Nomentana neighborhood northeast of central Rome. It is rather modern and quite prosperous. We found ourselves at S. Agnese Fuori le Mura where the original church was built in the 300s. Unfortunately our late start (we had some errands to run first) meant we arrived just after 12 when the church closed for the afternoon. It has a peaceful courtyard outside and nearby is the Basilica of S. Costanza. The latter, built as a tomb by the Emperor Constantine’s daughter or granddaughter for herself, is a lovely little rotunda with beautiful mosaics. Card Number 42 noted that the mosaics have an unusual white background and pagan images such as fauns and peacocks, not Christian imagery, dominate the designs.

We arrived at the Basilica to find a wedding in progress. Slipping inside we sat for a while watching the proceedings. In the middle is a white marble altar and about halfway between it and the outer wall is a circle of delicate marble columns. Gold chairs with green velvet seats were set all around between the columns. The beautiful flowers and colorful dresses were the perfect compliments to the bright mosaics and classical architecture.

Back outside we began the walk that took us from S. Agnese through the neighborhood to the catacomb. About halfway we stopped at a small piazza and lunched on delicious roast chicken and asparagus. The weather has continued warm and sunny so we sat there for a quite a while people watching and just enjoying being outside. There was a small market in the center of the piazza and the usual cross section of people coming and going. In addition there were busses, motorcycles and cars zipping through.

The catacombs were about a 15 minute walk from our lunch spot but we arrived to find that we were still about 30 minutes early. We backtracked to a spot that sold gelato and cremolato. The latter is crushed fresh fruit that is frozen somewhat harder than granita. Dom had gelato but I tried a mix of lemon and raspberry cremolato. The raspberry in particular was fabulous—like bursts of fresh berries in the mouth.

At the Catacombe di Priscilla we paid our entry fee to a tiny nun (about 4’ 6”) in an old fashioned black habit and were soon led down into the catacombs by our guide, a young woman. Our guide explained that the Christians and Jews had both used catacombs for burial and that the complexes were never used for hiding from the authorities. This one was used from the middle of the 1st Century until into the 4th Century. The soft tufa stone made it easy to dig in and by tunneling underground they were able to use a much larger area than an above ground cemetery would have required. The entire complex is now three levels deep and has something like 13 km. of tunnels.

After burials in the catacomb were discontinued, it was walled up and left undisturbed until the 1600s. At that time it was rediscovered and excavation began. Over the past few centuries most of the bones have been removed (many sold as saints relics). There are still some closed graves but most of the terracotta stones covering them had fallen away over the years. It has all now been cleaned up and is dry and well lit.

Just like in large churches, wealthy families paid to have “chapels” dug out and decorated. We saw some lovely frescoes as well as many marble plaques with information about who was buried there. At one time there would also have been marble sarcophagi (coffins) to hold the bodies.

It was all quite fascinating but also a little spooky—unlit halls going off on all sides and deep, dark niches made one think of creepy horror films. However, it is a place well worth visiting. Unfortunately no pictures were allowed inside the catacomb. So, the only pictures I took yesterday were of mounted police near Ponte Milvio and one of the lovely entrance cloisters at the catacomb.

Our next excursion will probably result in lots of pictures.

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

Interesting plea for donations for the poor

I love peaking at the interior courtyards

The top of this door is only about 5 1/2 feet tall

One of the many lovely "sky" gardens in Rome

A Visit to the Vittoriano Complex

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 really hoping this does not turn into a full fledged cold.

We set off this morning with bags of laundry and our first stop was the Laundromat. It seemed to be your usual self-service laundry but it seems there is an attendant who does it all for you including folding everything. When we picked it up at about 4:30 pm everything was neatly placed in the bags we arrived with and they even returned €2 as the drying time was shorter than estimated. What a deal!

Near to the laundromat, we found a bar for breakfast. The cappucini were delicious as was my frutti di bosco (mixed berry) croissant. We then hopped on the tram and then a bus and made our way to Piazza Venezia where the Vittorio Emmanuele II monument is located.

The humongous white marble structure is often referred to as “the wedding cake” because of its multi-layered similarity to such a confection. It is home to Italy’s tomb of the unknown soldier. We had never been inside the monument but it turns out it has a number of museums and special exhibit space. There are also great views from the many levels of the structure, all of which are free except the elevator to the very top. We balked at paying €7 to go up top but enjoyed the exhibits on the history of the Italian army, the unification of Italy and Fausto Coppi, the latter a bicycle racer who was the Lance Armstrong of his day.

The exhibit on Coppi was especially interesting. He was born in 1919 and began winning major races in 1938. He continued to compete and win for twenty years. He won the Giro d’Italia four or five times and the Tour de France twice. He even won both in the same year, an incredible feat given that they are held almost back to back. In 1960, after returning from an African hunting trip, he developed a massive infection and died. If not for that he might have continued to win races.

There was a lengthy film about Coppi that included lots of race footage from throughout his career. The thing I found the most interesting is how similar it all looks to today’s tours. There were the same screaming crowds, the same film crews on motorbikes and cars right behind the riders, and the same routes through villages, countryside and up mountain passes. Major differences included unpaved roads (especially in the mountains) and spare tires wrapped around the riders shoulders so they could repair their own punctures. Just like today the riders were all tall, lanky men.

After we finished at the Vittoriano complex we walked towards Campo dei Fiori and found a small restaurant for lunch. The old streets are great for meandering around and we did that for a while. However, early afternoon is not the best time for that as so many shops are closed. We decided we need to go back another day in the morning when it will all be much livelier.

Continuing our exploration of the Rome bus system, we hopped on a bus that took us about halfway back to where we catch the tram back to the Ponte Milvio neighborhood. We made a stop at the Ferrari store and then walked over to the Spanish Steps where we hopped on another bus. We transferred to the tram and soon were back near the laundromat and on our way home with clean clothes.

The weather today was mixed. It started out looking like rain but the minute we walked out the door we knew that even windbreakers over t-shirts was too much. The windbreakers spent most of the day in a bag being carried. It did rain a big early on but by late afternoon it had cleared off and was even less humid.

This evening after we got back the same cat that had made itself at home on the hood of our car came by and spent several hours trying to convince us he would make a good house kitty. His pathetic me look is pretty good but he is far to well fed not to have a place of his own.

Tomorrow we will be exploring some of the catacombs.

P.S.  Pictures will be posted separately as it seems to be easier that way.

More Photos

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 gift! This was in the bar where we ate lunch.



The case next to us was full of scrumptious looking pastry but we were strong (maybe stupid).

Photos at Last

 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 looking canoes

Here are three competitors heading for the rapids

 Ponte Milvio in the background. Shellhouse in the foreground.



Stadio dei Marmi with Stadio Olimpico in the background



In Rome at Last!

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 horde of mosquitoes on the patio and a really musty smell. There are obvious signs of water damage in the ground floor unit but after quite a bit of rain in the last few weeks it seems quite dry at the moment. Hopefully the water problems are a thing of the past. Here is a link to the website of the agency we rented through. The owner lives right next door so there is someone to turn to if we do have problems.


After getting settled we went out to explore our new surroundings. We are staying in a neighborhood north of Rome called Ponte Milvio, about 1 ½ miles north of Piazza del Popolo. It is largely a residential neighborhood but the Stadio Olimpico is not far away.

We walked around the neighborhood checking out the shops, bars and restaurants. Then we walked across Ponte Milvio itself. It is a pedestrian only bridge and was made famous in a 1970s book because two young lovers put a padlock on the bridge railing and then threw the key in the river. Ever since then lovers have been emulating them. I read that this practice was outlawed but it seems to have been impossible to stop. There was a vendor selling padlocks and scads of them attached to anything possible. It really is a sweet practice.

In the river below the bridge we noticed some sort of canoe/kayak competition taking place. The vessels were rather strange looking and the course seemed rather short to me but it was interesting to watch. The water was rushing fast under the bridge and then there was a series of rapids before the finish at a shell house near the next bridge. We watched for a while and then continued walking.

Across the river we headed downstream to the next bridge passing through more residential streets. Crossing back at the next bridge we found ourselves at the complex surrounding the Stadio Olimpico. Right next to the modern stadium was an older track and field complex called the Stadio dei Marmi (Stadium of the Marbles). It was obviously built to emulate the stadiums of ancient Rome and is surrounded by huge statues, each one bearing the name of a major Italian city. The area seemed to be a magnet for runners and walkers. There were even a few families with children playing in the area.

We continued back towards Piazzale Ponte Milvio passing the huge complex housing the Italian ministry of foreign affairs. A number of busses passed by and we tried to figure out where they were going. We were clueless until we bought a transit map along with monthly transit passes. The latter are only €30 each for the entire month. Given the fact that a single ride on the system costs €1 they will be well worth the cost.

We then decided to join the throngs filling the many sidewalk tables along the Piazzale. Four or five bars are scattered around and each had a dozen or more tables for patrons under large umbrellas. We sat down and for €10 enjoyed a glass of wine and the hors d’oevres that were complimentary. This was no peanuts and chips either but very tasty small panini, pizza bites and other morsels.

The “floor show” almost outdid the food and wine. There was heavy car and foot traffic in the piazza (in contrast to an hour earlier when we passed through and it was pretty quiet). We watched people double park there cars and then the drivers of cars on the curb would come out and honk until the double parkers moved and they could get out. The interactions were quite amusing.

After checking out the prices and menus of quite a few places we finally sat down to dinner at an outdoor table marveling that we were eating outside on October 2. Dom did not even have a fleece on. Our meal was good, especially my spaghetti carbonara, but the gelato afterwards was delicious. I had a cup of dark chocolate plus meringue and caramel. The latter had small pieces of crisp meringue in it and I am still wondering how they keep it crisp.

Back at our apartment we settled comfortably into bed and slept very well.

This morning we slept in until almost nine. Once we got going we went out for cappucini and pastry that we ate at a small bar near the bridge. It was another beautiful day and the place was packed by runners and bicyclists who were finishing up their morning jaunts.

We crossed the bridge and then walked all the way down Via Flaminio until we reached Piazza del Popolo. Later we figured that this is about a mile and a half. Some sort of fair was being held in the Piazza so we went up the hill to Monte Pincio. After admiring the view we found a park bench and read the London Sunday Times from last week.

The park was full of people and this proved to be the case everywhere we went. There were of course lots of tourists but it also seemed to be lots of Romans. No doubt the good weather was partly responsible but it also just seemed that lots of the locals were enjoying their weekend. In a city were most people live in apartments it is understandable that they are outdoors whenever possible.

This meant that by 1 pm most of the tables at sidewalk cafes and bars were full up. We finally found a spot (indoors but by the door) not far from Piazza Navona. Conscious of the hovering specter of expanding waistlines, we lunched on salads and water with a side of people watching. In the large case next to us was a dazzling array of pastries. It was a tough decision to forego these but I made a note of the location for a future visit.

Afterwards we walked back to Via Flaminia and hopped on the trolley that would take us back to Ponte Milvio. It was the inaugural use of our transit passes. In the car with us were a number of young men with their Lazio scarves tied around their hips. Lazio is one of the two Series A calcio (soccer) teams in Rome and the game was held at the Stadio Olimpico. From the apartment we could hear the roar of the crowd and, afterwards, the honking of car horns.

We stopped at a different gelateria and tried out their product (scrumptious chocolate and frutti di bosco) before heading back to the apartment for a quiet evening in.

House Hunters International II

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 October and it was just as much fun. The group was arranged by Mary Caselli and included a number of old friends and new acquaintances. This time the head of the school was our instructor and Gianluca was great.

The meal consisted of a salad of fresh porcini mushrooms followed by freshly made spaghetti with a porcini mushroom sauce. The main course was a guinea fowl stuffed with a sausage mixture and a sformato of cardoons. Dessert was a sweet grape filled focaccia called schiacciata.

The most interesting part was the boning of the guinea fowl which was about the size of a roasting chicken. When Gianluca asked for volunteers I was eager to help not realizing that it involved boning the chicken whole. It was a real challenge but I managed to end up with a fowl that looked like an empty suit of clothes. After I stuffed it with the sausage mixture, wrapped it in parchment paper and tied it with string it looked the same as the one Gianluca did (from the outside ).

By the time we sat down to eat, Dom and I were both pretty tired but it was a fun meal. I really harbor dreams of doing a month long course at the school. Perhaps someday.

Tomorrow we are off to Rome tomorrow for our four week sojourn there. Now the real vacation starts.

Always Something to Do

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 appointments on Thursday so we will see what happens.

That evening we had dinner with our friend Anna who also kept track of our house when we were gone. She has been collecting our mail from the new owners so she had a number of things to give us that created another to-do list.

On Tuesday we tackled some of those items and visited Mercatino del Usato (a used stuff store—mostly furniture) to see if any of the items we left there in the spring had sold. Almost €50 was due us so that was a worthwhile visit. We also meandered around and passed by some of the houses we had seen the day before. One house we really loved we vetoed because it faced north and the only outside space would rarely get any sun. Another had a good garden area but the surrounding neighborhood seemed questionable.

Today we set off for a day in Florence. I needed a new purse and Dom just needed to be there. The weather was really nice—warm but not hot—so we parked near the American Consulate and walked along the Arno and then cut over to the San Lorenzo market.

I visited most of the stalls looking for a suitable purse for Rome. The ones I have with me are either not large enough or won’t go over my head and across my body. The latter is something I really feel safer with when cruising around Rome. Eventually I found one in a size, color and style that I liked. Dom patiently trailed after me while I checked out all the options.

Purchase completed we meandered past Piazza del Duomo. It is nice that they no longer allow cars in the area but today it was thronged by tourists. We strolled along some of the smaller streets and eventually came to a small piazza where a bar had some outside tables. We sat down and ordered a panino (sandwich) for Dom and a salad for me. The tables around us filled up fast and it was fun to watch the other tourists and the Florentine residents coming and going. There was a tower on the square that looked almost medieval and while we were eating a small garbage truck came by. Most of the service vehicles in the center of Florence are now electric. The emptying of the garbage bins was louder by far than the motor of the little truck.

After lunch we purchased a few necessities (pajamas) and then strolled back to the car. Our trip home preceded Florentine rush hour so we were back in Partigliano in short order (about 75 minutes). It was really the most vacation-like day we have had so far.

House Hunters International

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 compromises. The best thing is they are all within our budget. We are happy we are finding places we can afford that tick most of the boxes. This coming week we have appointments lined up to see another twelve places so we are hopeful something wonderful is still out there.

We also picked up our new Permessi di Soggiorno (long stay permits). It’s nice to have that taken care of for another year and a half. One of these days perhaps we will get one of the ten year permits we have heard about. It would be nice not to have to go through this process every two years.

Amongst house hunting we have been reconnecting with our friends in Partigliano and nearby. On Friday night we had dinner with Mary and Orlando, another American couple who have a house nearby and their three guests. So, nine of us had delicious hors d’oevres made by Mary (aka the Martha Stewart of Tuscany) and then pizza at a nearby restaurant. It was a really fun evening.

Last night we went to the bar in Partigliano about 9:30 pm and visited with locals and semi-locals. It turns out that quite a few of the English speaking part-time residents are here this weekend. It was nice to catch up with everyone. We all had so much fun that we will probably see the same crowd there tonight.

The weather has been lovely since we arrived. Daytime highs are around 70F/22C although it gets chilly at night. We have had only one afternoon and evening of rain. It is the nicest conditions we have seen for several weeks because Whidbey Island seemed to go from August to October right after Labor Day. Hopefully this trend will continue for the next few weeks.

This morning we rose at 6:15 am and went to the Sunday marcia. It was one we had not done and we really enjoyed seeing the area of Lunata on foot. The locale was a substitute for the one originally scheduled (no one seemed to know why it was changed) and there were only three routes—2 km, 7 km and 14 km. We chose to do the 7 km and it was a great walk. Luckily the area is dead flat or it would have been a bit long for our first march in quite a while.

Afterwards we stopped for cappuccino and arrived back at the house by 9 am. I went to mass at 11 am and reconnected with more of the local people. Now we are watching the Formula 1 race from Singapore. Ferrari’s Alonzo is leading so we, and no doubt most of Italy, are happy.

More in a day or two.

Back in Italy

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 and head straight for the Pisan Hills. Unfortunately, we ended up in a residential area full of dead end roads. Dom got the GPS up and running and it showed us the way home.


After a stop at the grocery store for a few supplies we arrived in Partigliano about 3 pm. Our friend Erina was ready with the key to the vacation house and we soon had everything unloaded. There were fresh flowers and Erina gave us tomatoes from their vines and some of their own olive oil. We had a bit of lunch (lovely mortadella, prosciutto, fresh Tuscan bread and sliced tomato) before running out of steam. So we set the alarm and laid down for a nap.

The Air France flight is definitely the quickest way to get from there to here—about 13 hours (not counting getting from Whidbey to Seattle). However, it leaves at 1:45 pm and so it is difficult to get much sleep. Just about the time it arrives in Paris is when I normally turn out the lights. It was bright and sunny in Paris and Pisa and that makes it easier but eventually the body just says, “Stop!”

We got up from our nap about 7:30 pm and went to dinner at one of our local favorites. It was then about 11 before we were back in bed for another go at sleep.

Today, we woke really, really early (3:30 am for me and 5 am for Dom). We sat in bed and read until 7 am and then got going. Our list of places to stop included the Questura (for our Permessi di Soggiorno), the bank, Mercatino del Usato (a consignment store to see if anything we left in the spring sold), Esselunga the supermarket for a few more things, the enoteca for some vino sfuso (loose wine). This being Italy what we actually accomplished was an appointment at the Questura to pick up our PdiS on Saturday, a successful visit to the bank but found out the guy we dealt with in the spring was transferred, found out we need to return to Mercatino del Usato tomorrow, picked up almost everything we needed at the market and bought the wine. Then it was back to the house for lunch. By 2 pm Dom had faded and I lasted until about 3:30.

For the next week or so our internet connection is a bit problematic. To get connected we need to walk over to the house next door closer to the wireless router at Erina’s daughter’s apartment. Email is easy but anything else is difficult. The result is there probably won’t be many pictures. However, once we are in Rome we are supposed to have free wireless at the apartment. We will see how it goes.

Tomorrow we are off on our first house hunting expedition.