Category Adjusting To Italy

Shifting Focus

navabruzzo 1 Comment

Tough to admit. John and I are slowing down. Not a crazy amount, but yes, our bodies are telling us we are actually closer to our age than we want to admit. We are still very active but the mountains have gotten a bit higher lately without changing their elevation.

Since I was about 11 years old, I have been hiking thanks to my dad who got me hooked. Our first hike together was on the trails of Bear Mountain in New York. I looked up to him and my love for the outdoors became a given. Years in Search and Rescue in Virginia solidified my desire to be in the woods as much as possible, no matter the terrain’s difficulty. About 9 years ago, I realized that search and rescue was not something I could do well any longer. Carrying my search pack and my dog’s water (search dogs do not carry their food or water at a search!) were just overtaking my stamina. It was a sad realization but our upcoming move to Italy tempered that decision.

Now age is telling us that camminos in the upper ranges of medium into the high categories are most likely going to be out of our reach. Our bodies are reacting to the strain and we have to step back to reorganize our future endeavors. Tougher than I really want to admit. No more can we hike the more difficult trails when they aren’t structured for easier passage, depending on the level of trail construction and maintenance. The desire is still there those high ‘notes’, but our physical selves are dictating our limits. We found this all out in this year’s trek, which you can read about below.

Just recently, we headed up to Le Marche to the city of Ascoli Piceno. We were excited to participate in a mid-range 7-day circuit cammino. Usually we plan a few days before or after our camminos to visit the ‘home’ city of that particular route. So prior to one, we spent a few nights in the lovely town of Ascoli Piceno. Amazing architecture, ancient beginnings, museums and of course great food. Folks were very friendly and helpful.

Ascoli Piceno (/ˈaskoli piˈʧɛno/[5] Listenⓘ) is an Italian town of 45,312 inhabitants[2], capital of the province of the same name in the Marche region.

The historic center, built almost entirely of travertine, is among the most monumental in Italy[6] and in it is located the Renaissance Piazza del Popolo. [7][8][9] In medieval times it was characterized by the presence of about two hundred towers, whose erection began immediately after the year 1000. According to tradition, Frederick II had ninety-one of them destroyed in 1242 and their reduction continued in the following centuries. Even today it preserves several examples of noble towers and bell towers and is known as the City of a Hundred Towers. [10] Wikipedia

We had booked for two nights a comfortable suite (Suite Atelier Arringo) situated on a quiet, lush garden, just off Piazza Arringo. The suite included the most sleep-inducing bed, a breakfast room, a large modern bathroom, and a great view of the garden. A breakfast was delivered (very quietly at an agreed time) to our door, chock full of savory and sweet choices. Our kind and responsive hostess, Fiona, was readily available to check us in and easy to reach by Whatsapp. We would definitely return to this lodging in the future.

After a great visit in Ascoli Piceno, we were ready to start the cammino IL GRANDE ANELLO DEI BORGHI ASCOLANI.

The Grande Anello dei Borghi Ascolani is a combination of nature, history, breathtaking landscapes and ancient flavors.
A 100 km long journey through the magnificent hilltop villages at the foot of the Ceresa and Monti Gemelli mountain ranges, included in the municipalities of Ascoli Piceno, Venarotta, Roccafluvione and Acquasanta Terme. In the timeless silence of medieval villages, among the ruins of ancient castles and solitary hermitages, the walk becomes an all-round experience to discover one of the most fascinating places in the Marche.

Then the disclaimer: Attention: we warn you that this is a medium/high difficulty hiking route – level E of the CAI scale, i.e. a route on a mixed surface (roads, mule tracks, paths and stony ground) that takes place on sections of steep slopes or on short stretches on rock that are not exposed, not particularly tiring or demanding (differences in height not exceeding 1000 m for each stage), but who still require adequate physical preparation, a minimum sense of direction and experience of hiking in mountain environments and above all footwear and equipment suitable for this type of excursion.

So this was my ‘bad’, not reading the above disclaimer a bit more thoroughly, overestimating what we could do at this point in our lives, and mixed with those steep sections with hidden and exposed rock…Firm Stop! John had twisted and reinjured his ankle that he had sprained in February. I was abnormally winded, to find out later that my thyroid meds were off balance. So we only did one day of this cammino, had a midnight bed discussion and for our health and safety, returned home the next day. But we did capture a couple great views along the way on that one day.

Heading home – should have been our second day on the trail, but level heads prevailed. A bit sad about not completing this cammino. That was a first for us. But with this realization, comes acceptance.

That doesn’t mean that we will stop camminos completely! There are so many camminos offered here in Italy for all levels of capability. We will just adjust our choices by our recalibrated focus; less elevation gains each day with the added bonus of taking our time, really getting to know the area we are passing through and definitely stop to see what the local culture, history and cuisine are for that particular cammino. More to see and more to experience. We will be ready!

Pronto Soccorso..

navabruzzo 11 Comments

Time to Pay Attention

Being physically active and healthy have always been a big part of my life. I took my first hike at an early age thanks to my dad, joined gyms as a young adult, I try to eat a balanced diet, follow doctors’ advice, etc. The women in my family are genetically prone to be overweight with heart disease issues and unfortunately for the most part didn’t live past their mid 80’s. My mom thankfully made it happily to 93 and then we have John’s mom, who is still going strong at 97! So, in the hopes of a long and healthy life, I stay active.

While we lived in the US, I had my regular doctor appointments whether with my cardiologist (I have a mild mitral valve prolapse), ob/gyn, general medicine (I have thyroid issue), dentist and an acupuncturist. Yes, I wanted to keep this body functioning so I could hike a gazillion kilometers in Italy!

You would think with all this regimen of doctors, I would continue it when I got to Italy with its Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (National Healthcare Service) . I confess that I haven’t used it much. It’s free for John and I as we are citizens here, but the thought of going into some of their hospitals, especially here in the poorer South, is a bit of a deterrent. I’ve been to the town doctor, who is considered my primary doctor. I’ve had my flu shot each year and all my Covid vaccinations. To bypass the ‘scary’ hospital situations, I’ve been going to a private clinic in San Salvo, just 20 minutes from home. They have a full selection of doctors for all ailments. You pay out of pocket, but I consider 120 euros to see my ob/gyn for an annual checkup VERY affordable. I couldn’t imagine what out of pocket in the US would have cost me. I’ve also visited the ear and eye doctors, dermatologist, and a few others.

But things changed for me a few weeks back. I could feel something different happening with my sleep pattern and my throat was sending me niggling messages, but I just put them off as temporary anomalies. It wasn’t until I had very strong heart palpitations and pressure on my chest that I got serious about seeing a doctor. Being that it was 8 pm on a Thursday night and I was very concerned, John and I headed over to the emergency room (Pronto soccorso) at the Vasto hospital, about 35 minutes from our house.

The waiting room was packed as I walked up to the closed window of the receptionist. I immediately asked if anyone spoke English/Italian, as when I am stressed and I was, the Italian language is basically impossible for me. There was a kind woman, who was waiting with her parents, explained to the receptionist my issue and I was ushered at once into the office. The personnel in the entry office were all dressed in First Responder uniforms, a very different concept from the US emergency rooms. Vitals were checked and then an EKG was performed right there in the alcove of the office. All the preliminary tests looked good. I then proceeded to another waiting area for about an hour before I was called to see a doctor. Blood was taken and then I was led back to the waiting room for another wait, this time about 2 hours. My test results came back good then in the midnight hour I was taken to the hospital basement for a chest x-ray. Kind of a creepy atmosphere…. Another hour or so wait. All looked good. I was tired and very ready to go home. Doctor gave me one more exam, paperwork to take to a cardiologist and also recommendations on getting my thyroid tested.

The outcome of the 5 hours in the emergency room was good news about my heart: no issues. Probability of cause of issue: too much thyroid medication. And I give kudos to the staff for kindness, professionalism and making all information as clear as possible, even if it was all in Italian. 😉

As I had to wait a few days to get into see the cardiologist, I lowered my thyroid meds daily dosage by 3/4! The palpitations and chest pressure disappeared by 90% within a day or so. Now in Italy, most blood tests are taken either at a hospital or a private lab, so off I went to a private lab in the same town as my private doctors. This blood test was to determine my thyroid levels.

I wouldn’t say the exterior, as seems to be the case in some local businesses, is very reassuring, but the staff were efficient and friendly. Blood test was relatively fast, and I was on my way in 15 minutes, with results online by next morning. All thyroid parameters were normal.

My next appointment was with the cardiologist. My first time meeting him; young, efficient, personable doctor who was comfortable speaking English. He ran some test, another EKG and all was normal. He recommended seeing their thyroid doctor but that will have to wait a bit as this particular specialist was on a two-week rotation with their office. In the meantime, I’ve dropped my dosage a bit more and feel great. Just a note to my female readers about seeing doctors here: you will be alone in the office. There will not be a female nurse attending even if you are with a male doctor. I’ve gotten used to it, but it took me awhile. I would think that if I wasn’t 100% comfortable, I’d take my husband or friend along with me, but I’ve never felt that I needed to do that here.

The come-away from all of this, and it’s still not resolved until I see the endocrinologist, is that I should have been having my annual blood tests to check my thyroid level. Instead, I was complacent and a bit nervous about the healthcare institutions here. Having the need to go to the Pronto Soccorso opened my eyes and got me back on track about taking care of my health. Navigating life here in Abruzzo can take a bit of faith and some effort. 🙂 Though this posting only reflects my experiences here in Italy and may be different for others, I hope that you have found today’s blog informative as well as interesting.

As my energy level was greatly affected by this temporary change in my health, I’ve been taking walks around our village in place of hiking. So not to leave this blog on too heavy of note, I thought I’d share a few photos of my lovely walk home from our town square. Flowers are such an integral part of urban life here in Italy and you will find many villages filled with them throughout the year, but most especially in the summer months. They gorgeously complement the architecture and brightens our lives. Enjoy!

Until next time…:-)

Turn The Page

navabruzzo 2 Comments

A Life Chapter Closes

Four great dogs… my friends, my confidants, my fuzzy children.. unforgettable. My search dogs, now all gone from this earth, but not from our hearts. My last, dear Romeo, was the best of my best. His love and devotion reached deep into our hearts and souls, making the journey from here over the Rainbow Bridge a difficult but precious one during his last few weeks.

But not only having to say goodbye to our dear boy, but also a final goodbye to a way of life for close to 30 years. I may have not been active in search and rescue for the past 4- 1/2 years living here in Italy, but with Romeo by my side, we never truly left that life. Now that chapter is finished and we have turned the page, as sad as it may seem to be at this very moment.

So why, apart from missing my 4 great dogs, would this be important enough to write about? What was the Search and Rescue that gave substance to my life for so many years?

It began with the woods and dogs, both which I were very comfortable with. When I was young, I would camp out in the backyard. I’m sure some of you have done that. Dad must have seen something of himself in me so when I was a preteen, he took me on my first hike up a mountain. I didn’t do a lot of mountain hiking until I was an adult, but the hook had been set. Mom wasn’t big on us having pets, so once I got married, all bets were off. I’ve had dogs all my adult life.

Let me take you back to the early 90’s. I had been actively looking for a volunteer group to join, to give back to the community where I was living in central Virginia. Being more of an outdoors person, nothing offered at my church seemed to call to me. At some point during that period, a friend of mine asked me if I had ever heard of searching for lost people with dogs. I was clueless. I went to a local training held by Dogs East SAR group in northern Virginia. It was a night training. Many of the callouts for searches are at night, as usually the family looks for their missing person during the day, then when unable to locate their family member, they call the local sheriff’s office by the evening. This makes night training essential for the teams.

After watching a handler and her dog locate a volunteer ( the subject) hiding in the woods, seeing the dog return to the handler, indicate the ‘find’ with a jump, and returning to the subject with the hander, I was totally onboard. No going back for me. My first search dog was an adoption from a work partner; a washed-out gun dog, a sweet, somewhat confused Labrador named Buck. We became candidates for Dogs East SAR group, but after a few months we moved to K9 Alert SAR Dogs located closer to my home near Richmond. This group then became my family for the next 26 years, with a brief absence with my third dog, Orso. I will explain that decision in a bit. Buck and I, after two years (this is about normal) became an operational team for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, as eventually my second and fourth dogs, Luce & Romeo.

So it began all about woods and dogs but it morphs into so much more! Little did I envision how much more it would mean to me and what it would require of me! Take land navigation.. when I first was introduce to all its complexities, I was certain I was hearing a foreign language. I felt out of my league immediately. I knew how to have a dog as a pet, but to train it to search and locate lost people, a new world opened up to me. There was search strategy & scent theory, First Aid, dog obedience, multiple search tests for both my dog and I, radio comms, evac strategies and techniques, the list goes on and on. Throughout my 27 years of active service, I never stopped learning.

K9 Alert SAR Dogs – early 1990s & 2000s

Level of commitment was high. We were required to train with the group 50% per month and training was every Saturday night or Sunday day. Location for training could be 20 minutes up to 3 hours from my home. Searches could be anywhere in the state of Virginia. Volunteer work is not for the faint of heart or for those with a family of small children. Just many hours on call and lots of driving ahead. For me, with my daughter already grown and my husband a busy chef, I was able to balance training commitments, searches with my career & family life. Not always easy, though.

About 18 years into my membership with K9 Alert SAR Dogs, my husband and I were building our home in Nelson County, Virginia. Literally we were building it with a few helpers, and it was a large home on a mountainside. Training with the group, traveling long distance, the time commitment and doing statewide searches had to be put on hold for about 5 years. I was in the midst of training my third dog, Orso, a monster-sized Labrador. I shifted gears, got certified with a police dog association and became a Special K9 Officer (strictly volunteer) for the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office. During this time with NCSO, with Mike Hull, a world renowned Man Tracker and Massie Saunders, local search manager, we formed the local search group, F.I.R.S.T., Fast Initial Response Search Team. We assisted the local sheriff’s office as well as responded to a few regional searches.

Nelson County Sheriff Office

With fourth and final search dog, Romeo, and our house completed, I returned to K9 Alert for my final active years in SAR.

Training

Then there were the solid bonds built between me and the people of SAR, whether in my group or throughout the state. When you spend so many hours together, whether training or at searches, it’s inevitable that you come to view your group members as your extended family. There are also the friendships made from people you’ve seen throughout your travels in the SAR community. All these individuals become part of your support network and many lifetime friends. Searching for lost individuals can be very taxing on the mind and body, and it is important to have strong trusting relationships in the field.

Friends Made…for Life

But truly the strongest and incomparable bond I had was with each of my amazing dogs. Each one so different from the other, with their own talents, strengths and personalities. They so love to work when their rewards are food, toys and praise… Training with them was always the best part of SAR for me, and their devotion to me and their work unfathomable. I am sure all handlers feel the same about their dogs and rightly so. We are a team, my dog and I.

My Guys & Gal

The chapter may have closed but it doesn’t end my friendships and I will certainly not forget my dogs. Nor will my husband, John. With his support and sacrifice for so many years, I was able to commit long hours to my dogs and SAR, many of those hours away from home. Our dogs will always be a part of us. I am thankful that I was able to serve the community of Virginia and very thankful for the gift of my four great dogs.

Sadly, Romeo crossed the Rainbow Bridge
January 15, 2022, but we know that he is happy and running pain free with his litter mates, Isla and Buddy, and most certainly with our Orso, Luce and Buck.

Build A Tribe

navabruzzo Leave a comment

A tribe is a group of people, or a community with similar values or interests, a group with a common ancestor, or a common leader.

K9 Alert SAR Dogs 2015,.. A tribe of mine for many years in the United States

A clan is a group of people of common descent; family.


My father’s family, Giordano, mid 1900’s Brooklyn

During this scorching, record-breaking, hot, dry summer, we simmered under our ceiling fans day and night. Any thoughts of writing a post for this blog were clouded by the mind-fogging weather. Finally we got a break with cooler Fall temperatures arriving. We are functioning again.

With the isolation from both the earlier COVID restrictions and just surviving this latest heat wave (of three months), I had plenty of time to reflect. What I came to realize is that I don’t like being cut off from humanity, even though I do enjoy my solitary walks. I’m sure most people felt the same about isolation. But now that we are able to go out and be with friends and family, I found that I was experiencing a huge disconnect with my Italian friends with my rusty language skills. That’s all changing now, as as I meet up with my Italian speaking friends, whether we’re out hiking or meeting at one of our local bars. But what is more important than learning the language is that I am feeling part of the human race once more!

During this summer, I continued my studies with Italy Made Easy Academy online lessons. Manu, the teaching coach encourages us to add daily immersion at home. Whether it’s having Italian radio or TV on in the background, listening to YouTube and TedTalks, comprehension will improve. Now we are watching more Italian TV programs without subtitles. Our current favorites are Alessandro Borghese’s – 4 Ristoranti and Bruno Barbieri’s – 4 hotel. Doesn’t mean I understand all the words as they speedily talk along, but I understand the gist of what is being said. Loads of fun and I encourage you to watch if you enjoy beautiful places to stay and food porn!

  • Valle del Treste Inauguration Hike, Rocca Vecchia
  • Once again hiking with local groups!

Also, we can happily say we can now meet again with my entire family of cousins, living 40 minutes from us. What a blessing! I had so missed them all. We had a recent meal together, something we had not been able to do for over a 1 1/2 years! It was wonderful to catch up with everyone and my language skills got a good workout. True that some of my younger cousins do speak some English and they wanted to practice their language skills, but most of the day was in Italian. Sure I stumble a lot but with more and more practice it will start to improve. I most likely will never become fluent at my age, but will be able to contribute to the conversation. All of this ties me closer to my family.

My Cousins!

So what does all of this have to do with “Build A Tribe”?

For those of you thinking of moving to rural Italy, and in my limited experience, to Abruzzo, you may need to have a tribe. Family is paramount in the hill towns where ancestors defended their lands that surrounded these strongholds. The Italian language had not emerged nationally yet and the inhabitants of these lofty towns developed their own, as still heard today in the dialects of each individual town. Family names became tied to these individual locations and their descendants are still prominent in certain towns. It is true that many of the younger folks have left these rural towns for the larger cities along the Adriatic coast, but the ties to family are strong and gatherings bring everyone together once again.

If you move to one of these stunning and very friendly towns, you will be welcomed with open arms. The inhabitants go to great lengths to reach out to you as you settle in, inviting you to a lunch or coffee. They will stop by from time to time to check in on you and there is always a friendly wave or honk if they pass you along the street or in town. The people of Abruzzo are just wonderfully friendly people.

What you will find, though, if you Italian is limited or if they only speak a dialect, your conversation will inevitably hit a wall at some point. If you can build your language skills quickly, depending on your age or gift for languages, you will not be stuck at this wall for long. But you will find that a tribe of like speakers (in our case, English) may be necessary for you to develop a social group in your area. You may have to go to other towns to find a like speaker depending on the expat residents in your village. And just because you speak the same language, you may find that you don’t share similar interests and it is hard to include them in your tribe. It takes a bit of effort to build your tribe.

So to reconnect and add joy to my life, I’m building a tribe of English and Italian speaking friends. It doesn’t have to be a large tribe, but one that gives meaning to my day, my existence here in Italy. And truth be told, much of my tribe are animal or outdoor lovers, active and love to hike or walk. And it’s important to keep your connection to friends in your original homeland. I not only video chat with my daughter, but catch up with work and my close friends from my tribes there… all important to my well being and happiness.

You may find that local families are very tight and there may be some exclusion to you being invited to family events, unless you are directly related or have been close friends for years. These events are for the family and we get that now. Think of the clans, groups of related people protecting and fighting for their loved ones. We saw it in the mountains of Virginia, where we both lived for a number of years. So come prepared to accept this, especially if you are choosing to live in rural Abruzzo. Build that tribe!

I have to say that I am one of the lucky ones. I found some of my clan (now a part of my tribe)… my mother’s family. You also may have your clan here in Italy waiting for you. But whether or not you do, take it slowly, build your network of close friends both in your native language and locals, and enjoy this walk that you have begun in this amazing country.

My home tribe

Winter Wellness

navabruzzo 2 Comments

January has been a month full of medical appointments and emergencies. It’s not how I envisioned starting out the New Year. We did do a great hike right at the onset of the month, but mostly it’s been a time of necessary health maintenance. As always, what I share is just from my limited personal experiences. Though a few are routine, maybe you’ll glean some helpful information or at least have a laugh or two.

When looking for any kind of medical help, I check recommendations on Google and Facebook, as well as asking some of my local friends. This helped me locate my dentist and Romeo’s veterinarian. But when it comes to using the national healthcare, I may have a local doctor who would be assigned to me or I may be able to choose. When we lived near the much larger city of Atri, there were a half a dozen doctors, and I choose one that was still accepting new patients. Here in Roccaspinalveti, there are two doctors and I like the doctor I chose. He is a man about our age, speaks a little bit of English, has a warm and caring personality and a sense of humor. He also plays Arlo Guthrie & the Rolling Stones in his waiting room! That doesn’t mean I don’t miss my wonderful general practitioner in the US; a doctor with whom I had built a trusting professional relationship over 15 years. It’s okay, though. I am embracing life in Abruzzo and all that entails.

But returning to the present..The office here in Rocca is run like a clinic where no appointments are made. First come first served. There is no receptionist or nurse. There are morning and evening hours. The office here is modern and seems well equipped, but the waiting area is purely functional with chairs against the walls. Not intended for comfort but efficiency. Last year, when I went for my annual flu shot, I tried the morning hours. When I peeked inside the waiting room and saw about 20 people waiting, I balked. Wow, was I really up for that? No, I just didn’t have the mindset,….. yet. Luckily to date, I have not had a lot to talk to the doctor about and I did find that evening hours are thankfully less busy.

In the US, I could see a nurse at our doctor’s office and get a flu shot right then and there. You can imagine my surprise when I learned that the doctor does not stock the flu vaccine. He wrote me a prescription for the vaccine, I walked next door to the local pharmacy to buy it, headed back to the doctor with syringe in hand, waited my turn in line… again, and then received my vaccination.

An interesting note is that pharmacists wield a bit more power here than they do in the US. They can dispense many drugs, that require a prescription back in the States. I am able to buy some antibiotics and my thyroid medication, without visiting the doctor. That is a plus, definitely. On the negative side is that many OTC drugs just aren’t available here, and if they are, they are unobtainable in generic bulk and expensive.

This year, when I went for my flu shot during evening hours, I found out that the pharmacy was out of stock of the vaccine. I had to return in the morning to purchase the just-delivered vaccine and then wait with the 20 other folks during the morning hours to get my vaccination. 1 1/2 hours wait = 2 minutes for office visit. LOL ….thankfully I had an e-book with me. 😉

Next on the have-to-get-over-with list… the ‘dreaded’ dentist.

So something I’ve been putting off for way too many months is getting a replacement crown. It’s not that I haven’t found a great dentist here in Italy, because I have. He is very knowledgeable, up on the latest techniques, gentle and speaks some English. His office staff are welcoming and efficient. And prices seem very reasonable, even though dental procedures are not covered with the National Health plan. So why the hesitation to go to the dentist…. I was just plain nervous… nervous that when he tried to remove a 35 year old crown (!), another tooth would take the brunt of the work or I would need a root canal. Just silly fears…. So 10 months after he recommended that I replace the old crown, which had holes in it, I finally showed up for my appointment. I was a quivering mess, which didn’t bode well for my poor dentist. Per my request, he numbed my mouth and proceeded with care and encouragement, reminding me to breath slowly. It went exceptionally well, I calmed down and I return in a few weeks for the impression to be taken for the new crown. Whew.

A big difference I found between my dentist here in Italy and the dentists back in Virginia, is that x-rays are not taken at the office. He can do digital imaging on his computer, but he sends you to another medical center for full mouth x-rays. Luckily, I had brought a set with me from the US, which were usable. I’m sure next major appointment, I’ll need to bring in a new set.

On to our dear dog, Romeo, and the vet clinic:

Right now, we are in the middle of a mess with Romeo. We’re short on sleep, anxious and stressed. A simple surgery of removing a small mast cell tumor from the inside of his right rear leg has turned into the surgery from Hell. What happened? Very first day back from surgery, he sneaked a lick around his collar of shame and the incision opened a small bit. (Collar immediately got corrected but the damage had been done.) We took him back in the next day to see if re-suturing was necessary. It appeared to be healing but slowly. Ten days into the healing process, he turned suddenly and BAM, pop went all the sutures. It was a bit scary for me and we rushed him ( Sunday emergency) to the clinic. The surgeons applied a different technique and he is now sutured to the max. It will be a few more anxious weeks for recovery.

Dear Romeo slowly recuperating from surgery

We were very happy to have found this vet clinic, even though it is almost an hour from our house. There are a number of surgeons on staff, some speak English, all excellent doctors. They are compassionate and very reassuring, with wonderful ‘bedside’ manner with their patients and humans. Once again, most medications needed are obtained at the local pharmacy with a prescription. The larger pharmacies carry animal-specific medications, which may be expensive. In some cases, the human equivalent is available at a much lower price. Here in Roccaspinalveti, there is usually a day’s wait for some of the dog specific medications to arrive. Sometimes I can wait, other times I have to use a larger pharmacy in either Vasto or San Salvo.

I don’t want you to think that January has only been a month of tedious if not alarming appointments! Yes, it has been and will continue to be those events in life that we’d rather avoid, but we did bring in the New Year with spectacular, challenging hike. This hike was organized and guided by the experienced ‘Majexperience’. This past Fall, we also attended a fun filled day outing with this group. We like their guides and how they plan their excursions. So this time, we headed off to the mountains on New Year’s Day for a hike to a waterfall. Little did we know that the trail, which meandered through a breathtaking gorge, was packed with ice and snow; highly challenging and precarious with just hiking boots.

We completed from trailhead in upper right hand corner to point of falls bottom left. Returned in reverse.
  • Walking in
  • Walking out – only about 2 pm . Footpath and trail in shadows
  • Icy crossing
Cascata di San Giovanni

We were a small group of 6 and one beginner hiker found it a bit more than she bargained for. The waterfall was stunning but we arrived late. Options were given; continue from the falls on to the circuit to finish out the hike or return the shorter distance from the starting point. The circuit was nixed and we returned the short route, understandably.

We enjoyed the walk along the stream, studying the various animal tracks evident in the snow. We learned how to distinguish between wolf and large dog tracks. We also saw caprioli tracks and heard them off in the distance.

In spring, we will return to do this gorgeous gorge and hike the circuit in its entirety. Location: Bocca di Valle Cascata di San Giovanni approximately 1 hour 15 minutes from our home in Roccaspinalveti.

We’re hoping Romeo is all healed up by the end of this month so that in February we can all hike together up the mountain. Until then, we are keeping him quiet as we sit by the fire. Enjoy your winter and we’ll be back soon!

John is all set by the kitchen fire….. Bailey’s in hand 😉

Among The Giants

navabruzzo Leave a comment

When we moved to this area of Abruzzo, we were greatly surprised and encouraged to see so many solar fields and wind farms. The land around us opens up into wide valleys with steep ridge lines, providing many hours of sun as well as stiff winds off the Majella.

My initial belief was that this green power was coming directly into our home from the comune. I had read somewhere that a village was doing just that. What about those power-lines coming from the closest solar field just behind our house? I thought this couldn’t be more perfect. And it wasn’t just me who thought this! Other expats moving to the area also commented on the wonder of their electrical power coming directly from the solar fields and wind farms. Well, the truth is all that green power is going back into the area grid. We are getting it but just not the 100% that I had thought. Yes, I admit, I was seriously naive..or maybe just mistaken. 😉

Wind and solar parks in Italy produced 35 TWh of electricity in the first nine months of 2019, equal to 16.25% of net power production and 14.5% of total demand for the period.

smart-energy.com/renewable-energy/renewables-power-20-of-italys-power-demand-in-2019/

Below is a map of some of the solar fields (blue) and wind farms (pink) that I located within our area of Abruzzo. The red rectangle centered in the photo is the approximate location of our home. Well done, Italy!

The turbines just above Rocca Vecchia are visible from our house as they are for many homes around here. John and I have been talking about hiking this mountain top for some time now. There is an access road that runs the length of the ridge, and numerous wind turbines. We finally headed out one day in early November, hoping for gentle winds and sunny skies..

We parked up the mountain, just below the ancient village. Basically this was going to be a gravel road trek, total about 6+ miles. We would end with a short piece of trail to the castle and back to our car. As we began our hike, the road wrapped behind the mountain, facing the frazione of Acquaviva and the town of Montazzoli. The leaves were changing and the views toward Montazzoli and the Majella were vibrant and stunning. (Just note that you cannot drive behind the mountain on this road. It has washed out and is only passable on foot. )

This part of the hike is relatively flat and relaxing. We passed by a herd of free range cattle and arrived at a barn. Out back was a lone horse, napping in the sun. Numerous trails were etched into the mountainside; a reminder of those days when many herds and flocks roamed freely.

Just a short distance past the barn, we started the switchbacks up to the top. It was a comfortable climb and we were rewarded with amazing views of the towns of Castiglione Messer Marino and Schiavi di Abruzzo, close to the Molise border.

John posed under a turbine, giving a daunting perspective of the size of these giants. But truth be told, even larger ones are now taking the place of many turbines in the area. Where 10 turbines may have existed, far fewer are now needed for greater output.

We continued on the ridge road, stopping frequently for the views. This was a great day to see the distant Tremiti Islands and the Gargano Peninsula from our perch. The wind had picked up by now and threatening clouds moved in, but it never deterred us. The noise level was elevated by the turbines and it presented a slightly unnerving atmosphere. I think I was just overwhelmed by the height and power of these sentinels.

We continued our trek to the end of the gravel maintenance road to a grassy trail that led us to the ancient castle at Rocca Vecchia. Here, we took a short break to enjoy the beautiful old castle and the expansive views to Roccaspinelveti below and the Adriatic Sea on the horizen. We finished our hike heading down the trail to return to our car.

John and I encourage you to do this hike when you come to Roccaspinalveti. We stopped a number of times along the way to take pictures and completed the 6+ miles in about 3 1/2 hours. It is not a hike to do fast, but to take one’s time to enjoy the views and being among these giants.

Christmas season is just about here. I plan to post lots of pictures of the celebrations around town. But until then, wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Blessed New Year!

Congratulazioni

navabruzzo 3 Comments

To my husband! John is now an Italian citizen. He holds dual citizenship – USA & Italia. How did this come about? He married me..smart man.

Here is my disclaimer: This blog is detailed in regards to John’s journey to citizenship and for many, your eyes may roll back in your head out of sheer boredom. Sorry… bear with me. Either continue or wait for my next posting. 😉

As I am from Italian parents on both sides, I was able to follow a line back to my mother’s father and I was recognized as an Italian citizen in March 2017. It is called “jure sanguinis” or JS (by law of the bloodline), and in my case it took me about 2 1/2 years to be officially recognized. There are a number of agencies, sites and Facebook groups that help folks along with this process. My journey wasn’t complicated, as some, just nerve-wracking with all the paperwork. (And for those asking ‘why’ for wanting dual citizenship, here is a helpful link with some top reasons.

Once I was recognized, it was time for John to apply for his dual citizenship through marriage to me – jure matrimoni or JM. You can read about John’s application process while we lived in the USA here. It was a frustrating process, mostly because we had our timing off. We were a bit anxious and rushed the document collecting phase, not anticipating the expiration date on the background checks John had to collect.

John at Philadelphia Consulate August 2017. His online application was submitted July 2017

When we moved to Italy, John had just finished his interview at the Italian consulate in Philadelphia. Everything had been submitted online as well as to their office. Now John had to wait for Rome to get to their part of the process where his application is examined and stamped. Wait time we were told just about 2 years. Little did we know a huge bump in the road would greet us here in our home province of Chieti. I’ll get to that shortly.

Abruzzo, the region we live in, has four provinces: L’Aquila, Teramo, Pescara & Chieti. The first year we lived in Italy, we were located in the province of Teramo. I was required to contact the Prefettura (government headquarters), stating that we now both had residency in the Teramo province and give them John’s case number. This transferred the control of John’s application from Philadelphia to Teramo. So to complicate matters, we bought our house in Roccaspinalveti, Chieti province, only a few months after notifying Teramo. I had to contact the Prefettura in Chieti, give Teramo a heads-up and we crossed our fingers that everything would continue as planned with John’s application.

Well, not…. here’s the bump… The Prefect did not understand or believe that I was a citizen from birth. He saw my recognition date of March 2017, and logged that as my official start date of citizenship. Not so for JS, as I mentioned earlier. Having that misinformation, he said John had not been married to a citizen (me) for at least two years (as required) as a resident here in Italy. I scrambled for help as per the Prefettura’s letter, I only had about 2 weeks to make my case. I contacted a lawyer here in Rocca, tapped into online help on a closed citizenship FB page, and Italian owned – US based citizenship business, ItalyMONDO. Oh I also tracked down some help from the Italian Consulate in Philadelphia. Letters were written and expedited, laws quoted, documents acquired. It shook out just in time of the deadline with two actions in our favor:

  • A letter from our attorney here in Roccaspinalveti, stating law: The law n.91 of 5 February 1992 which regulates the matter of citizenship in Italy provides that the acquisition of citizenship occurs automatically BY BIRTH (IUS SANGUINIS)
  • Attestation from Philadelphia via San Salvo – copy of CONS01 by e-mail and a copy of the statement (attestation) that Philadelphia has sent to my ancestral comune (San Salvo) when I was recognized. (Thank you Peter Farina of ItalyMONDO for pointing towards this essential piece of information!)

Providing these documents cleared up the issue and I received a call early March from the Prefettura stating they had what they needed to proceed with John’s application. Whew…. a huge weight off our shoulders.

You may ask what would be the downside to the application being rejected. Well, he would have to start a new application online (substantial fee), collect all his background checks from the US (more money spent and time), meet with the Prefettura, and wait at least 4 years for his citizenship. OH AND! Before all this could happen, he’d have to take an Italian Language test at a level B1 (Intermediate..and word out there it’s very difficult). Our thoughts were just forget about reapplying and he would renew his 5 year Carta di Soggiorno (Visa) when due. Not the solution his heart desired, but a livable one.

About three months to the day from the Prefettura’s call, I received another call from them. My stomach dropped when I saw their number come up on caller ID. What did they want now or what has gone wrong? Absolutely nothing! John was a citizen! We needed to come to Chieti for the taking of the oath ceremony. I was a bit confused, as I listen to the secretary firing away on the phone in Italian, as I thought our mayor would do the ceremony here in our comune. But from what I understood from that call we both had to go to Chieti. Slight misunderstanding…yes, we had to pick up John’s official documents to sign in their presence, but no ceremony. That will take place here in Roccaspinalveti at the comune office. (I’m still slow to understand fast Italian on the phone. I need to see faces and body expressions. lol)

Next stop was the Anagrafe office at our comune. The clerk organized the paperwork, got John to sign a few documents and set John’s oath ceremony for the following Saturday. That brings me to today, Saturday. Not sure why I was nervous… I think it was such a long road between both us working on this for a cumulative 4 1/2 years. And most importantly, just a grand event in our lives. Our mayor read her part of the ceremony, John read his oath, some signatures, pictures and a short celebration at the local bar with everyone. Perfectly Italian…

Was it worth all the work? All the frustrations over the past few years? Absolutely… I leave you with a few pics of the ceremony and a video with John valiantly reading his oath and church bells ringing.. (not necessarily for us, as it was noon, but sure topped off the event!)

Between the Two

navabruzzo 7 Comments

There is this place between the cold and the warm,  where winter appears to be on the wane and spring is teasing its way into our lives, that gives us hope. You all know that place. The optimist in me would say Spring is almost here, but I’m not holding my breath. That must be the realistic talking back at me. It’s just early February, and as I’m writing this, we had another dusting of snow last night.

January was cold and full of snow. Homes here are expensive to heat as most houses pre-date insulation. I found myself taking afternoon naps with Romeo to make the cold days go by faster, just trying to sleep them away.  John seems impervious to the cold and is out in the front courtyard working on his fence project. I do get out for a few walks, as the mountains are stunning all clad in snow, but the wind usually beats me back home. John and I are seriously considering a few weeks vacation further south for January 2020. 😉

winter veiw

Beginning of three days of snow early January

Romeo in his element
John digging out
third day of snow

The deep snow has been long gone and buds starting to swell on plants and trees.  John and I are prepping for the spring. Lots of projects to do around the house, with the big one being getting the downstairs apartment ready for holiday rental. (As that project kicks in, I’ll be certain to post renovations.) Outside, we have olive trees to prune, plants to get into the ground and John’s fencing project is almost completed. I hope to have all the ironwork on and around the house painted black as the weather warms. The boars are tearing up the ground under our trees, so fencing in the whole back property is in the near future. It will also protect Romeo from the wolf (probably more than one) that came up into our backyard a few nights ago. And not to be forgotten, February brings us two events to enjoy the local Italian food – St. Valentine’s Day and our wedding anniversary. Both events will be at Roccaspinalveti restaurants, our two favorite haunts.

As many of you know or have heard, bureaucracy and paperwork can be problematic  in Italy. Just last week we hit a mind boggling snafu with some paperwork. We have a piece of land in the mountains of Virginia that is stunning. We had planned to retire there and live pretty much off the grid. But plans and dreams do change, don’t they. 🙂 Retiring to Italy became a reality and we switched gears with no regrets. The land has been for sale in a very slow market for undeveloped properties. Now that we have a buyer, we came to the realization we never gave  Power Of Attorney to our attorney before moving to Italy. I won’t go into all the exasperating details, but just know that that the process, in Italy, is laborious, time consuming and frustrating. We have a wonderful notary with a great staff that are doing their best to expedite the process. We are hoping the process will be completed in the next few days and the property transaction will be completed.

Friend-time and enjoying Italy are so important no matter what the weather or bureaucratic nonsense is going on. This past Saturday, we headed out to Schiavi di Abruzzo to visit our friend, Alex. She and her husband have a sweet townhouse perched high above the surrounding mountains and countryside. The panoramas steal the words out of my brain…truly…I’m stumped to express the majesty. I felt like I was far above the world spread out in front of me.

panorama

long view of Maiella

As we approached the town of Schiavi di Abruzzo , we saw that it sits on the pinnacle of a mountain, inviting the winds and sun… Our friend Alex shared stories and pictures of their snowfall this January. It made our snow look trivial. If you’re going to stay year round in this sweet spot, you better love snow and strong winds. 😉 But I am sure it is a great escape from the summer heat and tourists…. mountain air conditioning at its finest. After a yummy lunch at Alex’s home, we headed around town with our dogs in tow. The streets can be very narrow and winding, just as you would hope for in this characteristic place. The land drops away quickly from the belvederes and the views are breathtaking.

At one end of town, is a wooded park, where we could let the dogs romp. At the entrance is a tribute to the Alpini.

alpini

The Alpini (Italian for “alpines”), are a specialised mountain warfare infantry corps of the Italian Army. They are currently organized in two operational brigades, which are subordinated to the Alpine Troops Headquarters.

Established in 1872, the Alpini are the oldest active mountain infantry in the world. Their original mission was to protect Italy’s northern mountain border with France and Austria-Hungary… Recruiting Italy’s mountain valleys locals and organising them into a special corps was indeed an innovative idea. They possessed superior knowledge of mountain territory and greatest adaptability to Alpine conditions.

After the end of the Cold War, the Italian Army was reorganised in the 1990s. Three out of five Alpini brigades and many support units were disbanded. Currently, the Alpini are deployed in Afghanistan. (excerpts from Wikipedia)

From town to town, we have found the Alpini to have reunions and parades celebrating their history. They are well known by their distinctive hats.

Alpini Hat

Image courtesy Stripes.com

park steps

 

 

Stone stairs lead to a knoll with access to more views around the region. We have plans to return soon to climb the nearby mountain and let the dogs truly have a good run. Alex’s husband should be back from his work in about a week and we look forward to meeting up with him as well. After thanking Alex for the lovely lunch and tour, we headed down from town for about 3 km to the Templi Italici.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 In the valley 200 metres (660 ft) below the town are the ruins of two temples dating from the period of Classical Antiquity, from about 3 BC. Known as the Templi Italici, referring to the Italic people of whom the Samnites, who lived here before the Roman conquest, were a subgroup.

overview

Museo dei Templi Italici di Schiavi D’Abruzzo:

“Guided visits to the Archaeological Museum of Schiavi D’Abruzzo, in the province of Chieti, on the occasion of the European Heritage Days. The Museum is dedicated to one of the most important and best preserved sacred areas of worship used by the Samnites Pentri: the Italic population that built the temples from the 2nd century BC. Housed in the historic center of the town, the Museum is the result of the collaboration between the Superintendent of Archaeological Heritage of Abruzzo, the Municipality of Schiavi D’Abruzzo, the Province of Chieti and the Parsifal Cooperative. The two temples that stand out in the Sacred Area are located at about 1000 meters above sea level and are of great interest for the history of Etruscan-Italic architecture, both as an articulation of the parts and for terracotta anatomical votives emerging from archaeological research.
In the Sacred Area the cult activity would seem to continue without interruption from the Hellenistic age until the 14th century, when the site was buried by a landslide. Also in the sphere of the sacred seems to be the presence, in the immediate vicinity of the Sacred Area, of a necropolis that has so far returned tombs dating from the eleventh century BC. to the IVth century AD.
The Museum enters the visitor in a ring-shaped itinerary that explores two main themes: the Sacred Area, with an analysis of the architectural solutions adopted in the two temples and the rituals connected to them; burials and funerary rites, with the rich kits of early imperial age coming from the burial and incineration tombs found in the nearby necropolis.”

model

broad viewtemple 2

The weather was warm and inviting. We enjoyed this site and could have lingered much longer, but we needed to head back home. I promise myself to do more reading on this site, as many moons ago, archaeology was my study.

If you’re heading this way into the mountains bordering Abruzzo – Molise, put this town on your list. Breathtaking, wild, just lovely….We hope to return very soon to do more in-depth exploring. Should be stunning with the greening of new spring growth..ciao for now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Amazing Year

navabruzzo Leave a comment

It has been amazing.. this year 2018, though almost behind us as we approach the New Year. We found a true home in Roccaspinalveti.. a perfect match. Wonderful neighbors, a comfortable home, wide open vistas, a village that has pretty much everything we need, mountains all around us, sea just 40 minutes by car.. and of course, the amazing food of this region. That’s the short list. The folks here scratch their heads, always asking if we like it here in Rocca and why Rocca? If you look at our short list and you’re from Nelson County VA, you’ll see many similarities… we found our place here… it works for us..

rocca looking toward sea.jpg

majella

IMG_20181129_083605445_HDR

For a good portion of the year, we rented a farmhouse between Atri and Silvi Marina in the Pescara provence. A gorgeous setting and great friendships made. Unfortunately, we knew that house hunting would most likely take us away from these friendships, but hopefully not too far. As we found our home here in Rocca, we are only a few hours away from some dear friends. House hunting went faster than we planned, with a few bumps along the way. But in the end, we are home.

We spent most of the summer moving our belongings to our new home as well as preparing area for the dogs. Our neighbors jumped in to help in many ways. We are so blessed. During the summer, my daughter, Brooke, and our son-in-law, Ryan, came to visit for about 10 days. They live in Chile and travel as much as their busy schedules allow. They have seen a fair amount of this world to date. I was thrilled to be able to show them a bit of Abruzzo, especially since it is also my daughter’s heritage.  Hopefully, a return visit in 2019 can happen for them and they can truly experience Rocca and the surrounding area.

Visiting Rocca Calascio w/Brooke & Ryan
Family w/friends at local Rocca bar

Our two canines, Orso and Romeo, handled the move to their permanent home like troopers. Romeo and I had been active in the water rescue group, Sea Rescue Dog Association, out of Pescara. Unfortunately, with the move to Rocca, the longer drive became problematic and we sadly left the group in November  (a visit or two will definitely happen this summer). Orso, my old retired search dog, just recently succumbed to complications with pneumonia and we are heartbroken. Dogs just do not live long enough, as most of us know.  Romeo, my younger dog, is now adjusting and receiving an abundance of love, interactive playtime with me, long walks and visits to our neighbor’s dog down the road.

The house we purchased doesn’t need much work as it is well constructed and relatively new by Italian standards. (circa 1970s) John has done some internal work to warm the house up a bit, such as adding shades, insulation in colder areas of the lower apartment and cantina. But mostly, we wish to put our personal stamp on our new home. We are changing the front courtyard configuration  and adding some fencing, hopefully to create some exterior space for entertaining and relaxing. I’ve added plantings of shrubs to soften walls and also to add some privacy, as we live right on a road. It’s a work in progress between John and I, and I think by next summer it will all come together and make visual sense.

original front

Original front courtyard layout with parking area and dirt-filled soaking pool

update front

Work in progress  – parking area now will be for outdoor entertainment and relaxation

Christmas time in Rocca is centered primarily around activities at the stunning local Catholic church. The piazza in front of the church, as well as the village, is strung with Christmas decorations and the Nativity scene is set waiting the arrival of Baby Jesus. Just recently, the defunct fountain has been beautifully repaired in time for the festivities. John and I attended the late night mass on Christmas Eve with some friends, as well as a music program presented by the children’s choir. The piazza, that evening, filled with folks from the performance to enjoy the chestnuts ( traditional) roasting on an open fire.

Tonight is New Year’s Eve, and John and I are heading to Trattoria La Fonte for a long night of food and fun. We meet up with our neighbors to enjoy the delicious Abruzzese cuisine and dance a bit. And of course, we will stay long enough to meet the New Year together with our neighbors and friends…hopefully… John and I are notorious for bailing and heading home early.

Sure there have been some bumps in the road this year, but we navigated over them just fine. Then our hearts were broken by the passing of Orso, but we knew his time was drawing near as he celebrated his 13th birthday December 7. Big labs just don’t live very long. We miss him but we are so very thankful for the time given to us to have him in our lives. It’s been an amazing year and we are so very thankful for our new home here in Roccaspinalveti. We wish everyone of our readers and friends a Blessed Christmas and Happy Holiday Season. And may your New Year bring you love, joy and good health, and if you so desire, the chance to visit Italy….ciao for now..

 

nativity our house.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DIY Abruzzo style

navabruzzo 2 Comments

My husband, John, has to be one of the most talented men I’ve known in my life. He’s not only a gifted chef, but he can fix or do anything around the house, in the yard or with our cars. Before we met, he had already built, on his own with the help of his dad and a few friends, three houses in his spare time. When we got married, we planned ‘our dream house’ on the land we owned in Nelson County, Virginia. John took on this long daunting project, with the assistance of some necessary sub-contractors. But believe me, he did the bulk of the work to the exterior and interior of our 3400 sq foot home (pictured below). Yes, he built this!

So when we moved to Italy, there were no concerns that John couldn’t accomplish house related projects. Little did we know that acquiring the right materials would be the issue. But let me say, this is just from our experience alone. Others doing DIY projects, renovations, etc., may have had or have different experiences in sourcing than we have. And it is most likely very different for those living in metropolitan areas. Since we’ve chosen to live out in the countryside, we have had to adapt. 😉

Now we are big supporters of the family owned small businesses, whether here or back in Virginia. We frequent the ones in Roccaspinalveti, where we are able to buy most of what we need for daily household use. And we don’t want this country overrun with box stores that put the smaller enterprises out of business. But from time to time, we find we do need to look elsewhere for some items.

While we were living on the farm and just renting, John had some small projects and usually the BricoCenter about 20 minutes away in Citta Sant’Angelo had what he needed. He did say that, unlike the big box-store Lowes in the US, the layout of this store, as well as others he’s been to here in Italy, were not as user-friendly. He has to really search for items that were related but not located near each other. He also used OBI and Leroy Merlin (our two favorites)  about 45 minutes from the farm, for materials….. Big selection for those DIY.

So, with the move to Roccaspinalveti, came the adjustment. John is one of those guys like Tim Allen “Tool man”. In the US, he logically presented to me the need to own just about any tool there was as ‘he was building our home’. Most of those tools got sold at our big moving sale before we came to Italy. John’s favorite place to shop was Lowes. Here we are in Rocca and we have a  surprisingly well equipped general/hardware store – Il Mercatino Di Battista Marcello. For me it was a surprise as it has dry goods for the kitchen and home! ….Pastas, cereals, drinks, cookies, wine, flour, sugar, detergent, paper goods, on and on. For John, he can get most things he needs for his projects, up to a point. …Nuts, bolts, varnish, saw blades, fencing, peat moss, flower pots, ……. I’ve included a few pics below to give you an idea. Great store and great people and only about 5 minute drive from our house. It has been a longstanding business in the community and we are thankful for both Marcello and Lucia.

Marcello locating what you need
Everything imaginable
Lots of goodies outside
Lucia ready to check you out

John is in the process of updating our courtyard, including some gates and fencing to allow the dogs access and give us a place to relax outdoors and barbeque. This project would also require some masonry work. Down the road about 20-30 minutes away is the next DIY business, Edilizia Del Gesso SRL. We ended up there yesterday, ordering block, cement, rebar and the such to be delivered in a few days. Family owned and run, with a smattering of English speaking thrown in to assist with the more technical stuff.

 

 

crafted by blacksmith In Italy, many homes are encompassed by lovely gates and fencing, or on the farms, maybe just utilitarian fences and gates. There are many reasons it was done and continues today. Security from roaming bandits, keeping animals at bay, whether wild or containing domestic, and privacy. There are talented blacksmiths ready to craft you the most amazing gates and fences,  custom-fitted to your design. But with beautiful custom ironwork  come substantial costs. For our budget, we are going with factory built. We actually located our fencing online at Bricoman and they deliver. There are all kinds of ‘Brico’ stores in Italy and they are small or grand sizes. I’ve put a few logos below to some of them as well as other DIY stores mentioned earlier.

 

We placed two separate orders with Bricoman and all the materials are now here for John to complete his project. It may take a couple more weeks for the fencing to be scratched ‘finished’ on his list, as John is fitting in some winterizing projects. He has gotten most of the gates up, taking into account pre-existing brickwork to which he is adapting into his courtyard design. Fencing will go up last after the masonry work is completed. I promise to post pics when dogs are happily in the courtyard. 🙂 And of course, we plan to use it as well!

front gate

Fencing will reach height of gates

side gate

Gate Entrance to our lower AirBnB apartment

fencing shipped from Bricoman

Fence delivery from Bricoman

some fencing

Fencing next!

I have to say sourcing materials has been the most frustrating issue for John here in Italy, requiring adjustment and patience. Lowes USA set the bar high in regards to ease of purchase, cost and availability. But at the day’s end, neither of us would change how it is here. We patronize our local businesses, develop friendships and working relationships, and support the local economy. No Lowes can ever compete with that! Ever!… projects get completed, my husband smiles..we relax and enjoy life here…

I leave you with a totally unrelated picture… the beauty of the Majella, Central Apennines with an early snow…everyday there is beauty around us..when we get too caught up in projects, we take a walk, most often with the dogs. We are always ‘wowed’ by the views here. Enjoy and ciao for now..

Early Snow