Jim is Home

Made it to the airport with lots of time to spare. Everything went very well and I returned the car. It ended up costing 25 euros a day which is about $30. Not bad really. Had lots of fun with it and got to see lots of stuff. It would be fun sometime to take the train and bus out there and then just spend the whole time just walking around the area. Some other trip.

After a long day, Jim arrived last night at the Tosh household in Brooklyn. Today he will take the train from Penn station to Vermont. And so our little house in Castelvecchio will sit empty till our next visit.

Now Jim and Jessie are both home. We are looking forward to our next trip.

Last Day in Italy

Well this is my last full day here in Italy. Plan to leave about 7 tomorrow morning for Rome. My flight out isn't until the middle of the afternoon, but I want to make sure that I'm there in plenty of time. Plane gets to New York just after 6 in the evening and then to Stephen and Diane's for the evening and in the morning to Penn Station to catch the train to Montpelier. My last day here I went into town to have coffee and a chocolate pastry and to visit the market. Then I drove over to Rocca di Massa, a town about 20 miles away that is where the nearest ski area is. It's very beautiful there and a very active town with lots of tourists there. It's kind of like Stowe like that, even has Swiss chalet like houses. On the way there I passed through a high flat little valley that has a lake out in the middle of it caused by a meteor hitting the earth. Pretty cool. I'm going to make lunch and then start packing up stuff. After dinner I'll turn off the fridge,the gas and the water and drain the pipes. In the morning then I just need to close up the house, turn off the electricity and I'm out of here until next year. this week I've been to dinner at a couple from New Zealand, and been over to some Danes house for a couple of beers. when I walk around town I always see people that call to me and wave. It's very friendly here and I get a feeling that people are happy that I've chosen this place to buy my house. I look forward to returning and next time Jeneane comes with me. Goodbye until we meet in Abruzzo again.

Jim & Gregor Taking a Break

It's been awhile since I wrote last. Gregor has gone now and we had a very nice visit. A lot more traveling around than I would have done on my own. We went up to L'Aquila and saw the incredible earthquake damage. We made a weekend trip up to see Flaminia and her family up in Tuscany and had a very nice time there. Lots of good food and lots of laughs and a few tears. We also made it over to the ocean for a couple of hours on the beach. It's about an hour and a half to this beach, but it's very nice and free. We finished up the painting in the kitchen and have everything up and running. we have running water with no leaks anywhere. we have electricity and everything worked including an old television that was left behind. We also have heat and hot water now, something that we thought was not going to happen this trip, and was going to cost a lot of money. Luckily we found a very good plumber/handyman who was very good. Got everything working and did things like drilling through 2 foot thick walls to put air vents in to bring it all up to code. All of that cost about $400 including all of the materials involved. A very good deal. Well It's market day so I should get going, only 5 more days here and then I travel home. It will be good to be back with Jeneane, but I really wish that she had been with me on this trip.

Views of our valley

Another Great Day

Another great day. Up at dawn and it was completely foggy and nice and cool. Opened the house up and it felt great. It was really nice to have electricity last night. Did my usual of eating fruit and reading and waiting to go and get coffee and now my favorite chocolate pastry. Watched Italian news on TV and waited for the bank to open at strangely enough 8:35. Anyway I wanted to change some American dollars for Euros, the clerk said sure and got on the computer for a short time and then said that they could not do it today and that maybe I could try tomorrow. Not a problem that I saw coming. Anyway no problem I'd use the ATM card for my Italian account. Went out to the ATM and a woman was there complaining that for some reason it would only allow her to take out 100 euros instead of the usual 250. I got on and it would only allow me 100 also. that was enough for today, but what's going on, is the world economic system falling apart and I am so isolated from everything that I don't know what's going on? Well I guess that it will become clear at some point. My stove is not turned on yet, but I got gas for the grill and made my first meal here. a big hamburger patty and zucchini. I was happy. Rained tonight and it was nice. My new system is to go over to Anja's to get onto the Internet at 2 o'clock in the afternoon here so that I can get a hold of Jeneane at 8 o'clock in the morning her time. Works out great and then she doesn't have to worry all day about missing my call. Then I go for a coffee and gelotto and wait for everything else to open at 4:30. Kind of a relaxing day for a change. No big plans for tomorrow, cleaning up the back room where there are no windows and now I can see because of the electric lights. Bye for now time for some fruit and a glass of limoncello.

Kitchen before and after

Kitchen before.
























Kitchen after.

Fields of Sunflowers

Views of Castelvecchio

Castelvecchio from Castel di Ieri



Castelvecchio from Castel di Ieri


Over looking Castelvecchio

Pictures from Jim

These are views from our balcony looking east, east, west and south.

Gregor's Photos

http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/399593/1/Italy-2010-gs_small?h=79e9b8

This is the link to all Gregor's photos. They are unedited, but are fun to look at. Thanks Gregor!

Emails from Jim

Paid the gas bill this morning and was able to get the tech store to fax the stuff off to the gas company, so we've moved that much closer to getting the gas turned on. early afternoon went up to get on the Internet to talk to Jeneane. she sounded pretty good, in some pain but off of the meeds for it. At Leslies for now but thinks that she can drive to go home. I. Hope that it goes well. Tomorrow I get ip and drive to Rome to pickup Gregor. Plan to leave here at 7:30 and his flight is planned to get in at 10:00. It's suppose to be a 2 hour trip, but I understand now that means if you drive like an Italian. It's been cooler at the beginning of day but picked up a bit in the afternoon, but now it's just beginning to rain a tiny amount. Looking forward to Gregors coming and then I think that I'll be comfortable comfortable taking trips to different places. Plan to go looking for the perfect beach and maybe make a trip up to Tuscany if Flaminia's available. anyway a little tension about getting back to the airport and finding Gregor there, but It will make it easier for the next time I need to do it. Bye for now and hope that all goes well tomorrow for both me and Jeneane.

Picked up Gregor at the airport in Rome today. The trip went well and I only waited about 15 minutes. We were home by early afternoon. I showed him around and visited all of the villages in the valley. We sat around the house and talked and then went off to Da Lisa's for dinner. Had a very good meal and tried a platter of local cheeses that was delicious. Much cooler today and tonight is very pleasant. I seem to be getting these bites and I worry about bed bugs or something and is it going to keep getting worse? Oh well.

One More Reason to Visit Us in Italy!

Balcony with a View

The hills across the valley on an overcast day.

At the Beach

Jim & Gregor went to the beach, sans camera, but it was hot,hot,hot. They didn't stay too long, but thought it was nice and not tourist oriented. It is about one hour and forty minutes away on east coast (not on the side with Rome).

The ceiling has a 2nd coat of paint and I am assured of good photos to come.

Jim took a warm bath. No word on Gregor's bathing habits.

The bathroom is also ready to install a washing machine next summer.

On Our Balcony

Saduko, Sunset, Sunrise.

Sansepolcro, Tusacano, With Moose and family

At Flaminia's house.

Water heater works!

This is a picture of the hot water heater pilot light. Thank you, Gregor for recording this historic moment! The water heater, which also heats the house is working. So all appliances in the house work. We did not know if any would so the price was an even better deal. Sure beats a Florida retirement.

Last thing is for the plumber to drill a hole through the 2 foot thick walls for a vent. He will do that tomorrow while J & G are at the beach. The temp has gone up to hotter than hell so it will be nice to be at the beach.

Back in Castelvecchio

The guys have returned home. Jim said it was nice to be some where that felt like home. they had a great time with Moose and family. Tomorrow the gas guy comes, maybe and Tuesday they go to the beach.
http://www.casa-italia.dk/uk/ukhome.htm
If you want to consider Italy, look at Anja's website. They have rentals, also.