Snow again!?

It can stop now!

Yes the Washington DC area has been inundated again with a record snow storm…lucky us. When we moved to Northern Virginia from Cleveland this past summer I was looking to get away from the northern Ohio winter. It seems it followed us here; perhaps I owe Virginia an apology.

The snow finally stopped around 5:30 PM after more than 30 hours of constant snowing and we probably have close to 24 inches (about 61 cm) on the ground. I have been out to shovel three times to keep ahead of the accumulation but townhouses have limited space for putting snow.

Tomorrow the forecast is for cold but sunny skies, the clearing skies in the distance as the snow stopped is encouraging. It always seems easier to shovel snow in sunshine!

 

Sunday update:

The sun is out today and despite the temperature some of the snow is melting in the sunshine. I measured on Valerie’s Mustang and the hood showed 18” while there were 22” on the trunk (there has been some drifting).

In the three years we lived in Italy we only had snow once in Ascoli Piceno.

Ascoli Piceno 2007

Divieto di Scarico!

Rifiuti

One of the problems in Italy that has been widely publicized in the media is trash. Over the years Naples’ on-going problem with trash collection and disposal has been a regular blight for the people of Naples and for the various administrations running the country. Photos of trash heaped along the streets are familiar to everyone.

Discarded roadside trash is also a common problem. In the US there are various state and federal programs target to reducing the amount of litter along the roadways. In Italy we never noticed similar programs and it was not uncommon to see people regularly discarding wrappers in the middle of a beautiful piazza.

Some areas have more of a problem than others; the roadsides around major cities tend to have their fair share of rifiuti.  We would see less to none in more rural areas. If you travel around Italy enough you will also notice differences from region to region.

This photo was taken at a beautiful overlook along the Cilento coast. The meaning is “don’t litter”…notice the bags at the base of the tree.

Foto Friday: Laterza

Do cats grow in planters? This feline was enjoying a warm early Spring day in Laterza, Puglia.

In the City...or in the Country?

Valerie and Maria have spent the last week in Lucanella cleaning up the house since it has sat empty for more than a year. They have been taking measurements and talking to sources for work we might want done, all the while enjoying the hospitality of the people in our “new” home town.

During our three years in Italy and on previous trips we had the opportunity to live both in cities and in the countryside of Italy. We love aspects of both of these options, though neither one would be perfect. For us we want to be able to have daily interaction with Italians and not have to drive somewhere everyday to do that…a drawback of country living. We also want to be able to sleep at night without the late night activities of the city going on outside our bedroom window. How do you avoid both?

You probably can’t, but we found small towns offer the best of both scenarios – people to talk to, stores for daily needs yet without the bustle of a long Italian summer season. When looking at houses in different areas these were some of the specific things we looked for about the area and location, besides what the house itself had to offer.

We think we have found that in Lucanella.

A small habitable house in a small town that happens to have spectacular views. The town has a supermercato, an alimentari, a forno, a frutta verdura, a macelleria, post office and three bars. I’m sure there are some other shops hidden behind some unmarked doors that we have not yet seen. The location is also an easy driving distance to a provincial capital with all the additional services that provides.

There will be plenty of time to explore more…

Our little piece of Italy

Who wouldn’t love to own a place in Italy? 

We certainly would. Now we do!

Before we moved to Italy in 2006 we would peruse the web to see what the real estate market was like in various parts of Italy. It was always hard to get a good feel for what a place was really like based on the few photos and a limited description available on the internet. Once we arrived in the Rome area for our first summer we quickly realized that market area was well out of our reach.

Once we settled into Ascoli Piceno and I started to get involved in the local housing market we began to keep an eye and ear open to what the real estate market was like in that area. I had the opportunity to see several properties of various designs and degrees of ruin. In Italy it is not uncommon for a property that an American would consider condemned to be sold for a hefty price. These are either lovingly rebuilt to their former glory or torn down and replaced with a new structure. In Italy it is easier to build a house where one already exists than to build on a vacant plot of land.

We also looked at properties in Abruzzo and last winter when we relocated to Campania we looked at several areas in Campania and Basilicata. IN our last weeks in Italy before returning to the US in May we found a place that met all of our requirements and was affordable. The day before we flew back to Cleveland we had an oral agreement with the owner to become owners of a house in Basilicata.

Since our return to the US the seller has had to clear up the legal ownership of the house as several of her family members recently passed away and the property was never officially passed from one owner to the next. This was cleared up and last Friday Valerie and her friend Maria flew to Rome. Today Valerie met with the Notaio and we now own a place in Italy.

Mind you this is not a grand place, but a small apartment in a stone building that is situated in the medieval section of a small hill town. We will call the town "Lucanella", which is close to the ancestral area of Valerie’s Italian roots and in the region we find most captivating – Basilicata.

There will be more posts on why, where and what next but for now Valerie and I will raise a glass of Aglianico together, though on different continents, alla nostra casa in Italia.

Foto Friday: Amici

Everyone knows cats and dogs don't like each other! These two look like siblings.

The end of 2009, the start of 2010

Christmas to New Years

With the deep snow we had in Northern Virginia two weeks ago we went to Cleveland a little earlier than planned and had a wonderful time with our families for the Christmas holiday. It has been many years since we spent Christmas with this much family as we were in Italy for the last three and when we lived in New Mexico for twenty years we always stayed there. It was a nice change for us to spend the holiday with parts of both of our families.

Christmas Day was a large family gathering at Valerie’s sister’s house where we opened gifts and stayed indoors most of that blustery day. On the 26th we celebrated Santo Stefano as we had in Italy with a big polenta feast, a first for most of the family and friends who came.

On Sunday we joined the thousands traveling back home as the service plazas along the Ohio and Pennsylvania turnpikes were packed and we returned to find most of the snow gone here in Alexandria, Va.

New Years Day 2010 will be an opportunity for me to watch a few of the college bowl games. That is one of the things I missed with living in Italy; plopping down in front of the television with snacks and watching football all day.

We will of course be cheering for the Buckeyes as they battle the Ducks in the grand-daddy of them all, The Rose Bowl.

A 26-17 win for OSU over Oregon!  GO BUCKEYES!