July 18, 2007

News from the Site

Finally some news from the site. We are here since last Sunday. First inpressing thing was the journey itself. Calabria seemed so far from Germany. By car it would be a two day trip at least. Or a day trip via airplane with change of plane in Turino, Milano or Roma, delays and loss of luggage. Not this time! We had a direct flight from Stuttgart to Lamezia that took one hour and 50 minutes - 110 minutes only! Everything perfect. It was a total different feeling. We arrived in Calabria for breakfast, fresh, save and sound. A new experience of a shrinking world. Although convenient, somehow strange, there was no time to adapt, it did not feel far away anymore.

In the afternoon we went to see the house. I did not expect it looking worse than last year. More windows were broken. Probably from stone throwing children. The doors had more graffitis and inside the house plants were growing in almost every room.

We spoke to the architect who had not finished the layouts yet. That was not a problem because apparently, he had not received my drawings via email and so our ideas were not considered in his layouts. However, they will soon these days.

On Monday was the day of the 'Madonna del Carmine'. The church next to our house is named after her and every year, on July 16th, the Church is open and the statue of the Madonna is taken out for a procession through the village. After that there is a party in front of the church, our house respectively. I am happy to have been in Pizzo that day.

Yesterday, we looked around in some 'house remodelling shops' that sell doors, windows, tiles etc. in Vibo Valentia. And today, we took a wooden door from one of the windows of the house back to Vibo Marina (where we actually stay). My father in law worked on door, took off the old paint to see if we can re-use it and keep it natural.

Unfortunately our internet access here is very, very slow. And the pictures I took are not on the laptop I am able to connect with the internet. I hope, I can blog actual pictures someday later.

2 comments:

  1. Good luck and hang in there! I look forward to your pictures!

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  2. You are remarkably even tempered about the whole thing! How long do you anticipate the whole renovation to take?

    PS And of OF COURSE I read the last comment:-)

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