Restoration Continues!

September 17, 2007 It has been two weeks since they actually started on the house--we are quite pleased with the work that is being done. We go up everyday (and if I have my way we go twice a day!) and take lots of pics. At this point, I will show before and after shots of each thing!



Our garage--luckily we have a small car!










































A door becomes an arch!








































A solid wall becomes a bathroom!









































The garage-to-be gets cleaned out and gets its foundation reinforced!











































And finally--our favorite part so far--an arch between the kitchen and dining room!



























Today when we went up to the house one of the workers showed us this rock they had found in the wall. He said it was very old and showed us the designs in it. He will try to find a place to put it so that it is visible!

La Vendemmia (The Grape Harvest)!

September 15, 2007 We had the best day ever
today!

OK, so I have said that before, but this was really a super day!


If you remember the post of September 30 , 2006 (and if you don't you can check it out!) we passed a man who had a trailer load of grapes that had just been harvested. His name is Anselmo and we talk with him almost everyday as we pass his house on our walk. This morning, he and his son had a few boxes of grapes they had just picked so Larry asked if they would be starting the harvest and they said yes. He asked if he could help and they told us to come up this afternoon "dopo pranzo" (after lunch). As usual, no time was given! I asked my tutor, Saskia, what it meant in Italy when someone says after lunch and she said between 2:00 and 3:00. We arrived at about 2:10 and they were already going strong!


We had so much fun helping--yes, I helped too! My only plan was to take pictures, but one of the women asked if I had come to help so I said yes. The women and I talked about children and grandchildren and where I came from and about some friends of ours. We asked what kind of grapes they were (the purple (red) were Sangiovese and the green (white) were Trebbiano) and if it is a good idea to plant the grapes on a slope (yes it is).


We would start at the top end of the row with a person on each side of the vine. We'd both be grabbing for grapes and I was worried that one time I would get my fingers cut by the other person! Often there would be 3 or 4 people on each side so when the grapes in your area were gone you would go to the end of the line and start from there. Several times the buckets would tip over and all the grapes would need to be picked up! Lucky for me, it was never my bucket that tipped over!







All in all, we worked very hard for a little over 2 hours. We have the sore backs and the grape stained hands to prove it, too!

Restoration Begins!

September 3, 2007 I will try not to bore you every day with a new blog regarding our restoration, but thought you would like to know how things are going!



Day 1......and day 2......and day 3! No work done, but at least we had the construction fence!






























Day 4.....and day 5.....and day 6.....and day 7!!


On day 4 (Thursday) we were asked to come up to the house by the contractor and the geometra. We were a little leery of what they wanted! Basically, what they wanted was for us to tell them how big we wanted the garage door and how high we wanted the garage ceiling! Without measuring they came up with about 240 cm wide and 235 cm high or 225 or 230! This was without using a measuring tape. Larry asked if they had a measuring tape so we could see how big (or small) those measurements were--they brought out one of those folding wooden measuring sticks that I remember from childhood! They also left some equipment and supplies. They then told us they would start work on Monday because in Italy you never start work on a Tuesday or a Friday! We later heard they also never get married on a Tuesday or a Friday and guess what? Larry and I were married on a Tuesday--I guess the marriage won't last!


Day 8 (Monday) We started our walk this morning by walking up to the house. We were pleasantly surprised to find two workers there! They were inside the house on the top floor which was strange as we were told last week they would start with the garage on the bottom floor. We took some pictures from the outside and then Larry went inside to see what they were doing. They were taking the stones from around the windows in order to put the finishing touches on them.


















We went back this evening to check the progress and saw that they had started working on the garage door. They have actually removed some of the stone wall to make the garage door wider! They even started building the new sides to the opening, put a new trave (beam) above the opening, and replaced some stones near the opening!!!!!! We were amazed by the amount of work in one day!






















The other great thing was for the first time we were able to see the view we have from our windows! They have been covered with plastic until today. Can you imagine seeing this view from your windows everyday??

It's Festa Time!

September 1, 2007 Last month was the month for festas! We went to two and they were both great in their own way! We also went to a festa in Piandimeleto on the 29th of July. I forgot to bring the camera, but I did take some photos with my camera so as soon as I learn how to get them on the computer I will add them to this blog!

First, we went to a festa in Monterone. This is a small borgo (village) that is just up the road a few km. This is a medieval borgo, but without the usual castle! When you see the homes it is hard to believe that people still live in them. This was the fest della bruschetta! The cost was 12 euro and that included entrance, food, and wine. The food was beans cooked two different ways (one with pig skin and one with "little birds"--I chose not to find out what that meant!), sausages cooked on a grill, and all the bruschetta and wine you could consume! The bruschetta was great! It was especially good dipped in the beans. I ate a lot of bruschetta and Larry ate two bowls of beans! There was only one booth set up, but there was a band playing in the piazza with a dance floor.

We left LONG before it was over and before you ask, no we didn't dance!









A few days later there was another festa in a town called Mondaino. This town is so amazing! There is a beautiful piazza with 3 main roads coming off of the piazza. Many of the structures house businesses, but many are empty except during the annual festa. As you are walking through these old buildings you find tunnels going deep under the buildings! It was so cool!
























All three roads were packed with vendors of everything from iron mail to blown drinking glasses to herbs and grains! In addition to the vendors lined up on the streets they had opened all of the empty structures where they had restaurants, bars, and demonstrations. There were women spinning yarn from balls of wool, men making tools, and others making armor! They even had a leper colony!



















Everyone who was working or selling things there were dressed in the period of the Renaissance! It's really the first Renaissance Festival that we have been to that happened in a place that was built during the Renaissance!























This festa lasts for 3 days. We went on the final day (around 6:00) and stayed until after the fireworks at midnight! We actually got home at 2:30 in the morning--but, you will be happy to know that we still got up at 6:30 and went for our walk!!!