Valerie returned from her visit to Italy last week and she had pretty good success with the projects that spurred the trip. Thanks again to friends in Lucanella. As I mentioned previously doing things in Italy involves knowing the right people and doing things on a face to face basis.
Our friend Tonino is the one who originally helped us to find the house and he has been an immense help since in getting a few things accomplished so we can stay there. After Valerie’s winter trip he set up to have the doors made and also arranged for the masons to come and do some prep work for the openings. When a building is several hundred years old and made out of stone nothing involved is “standardized”.
Valerie arrived to watch the muratore perform his stone magic, pulling out some old wood lintels that showed deterioration and putting in new marble thresholds. They also carted off all off the debris and threw in some added wall patch work. After the masons then came the falegname with the new doors and shutters. Both of these were local craftsmen working with their sons performing top quality work.
And it all cost less than the initial estimates! For those who have dealt with contractors in any country know that this is a rarity.
2 comments:
Congratulations on the progress. Items completed and under budget, what else could you ask for?
Really surprising...and their worked their tails off. But the thresholds aren't marble, they are local stone. :)
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