Dini
Dini Joined: September 16th 2008
Logged in: January 5th 2012
Logged in: January 5th 2012
Travel Blog Posts
The Pantheon
Hello All! A couple of pictures for you from our day out in Rome. We took the 7am train out of Montevarchi to Rome Termini. It took three hours to get there, but there were some nice views from the train as compensation. Rome was loud, bustling and exciting. There seemed to be armed police and paparazzi everywhere – although we didn’t spot any celebrities. I had listed 5 sites I was keen to see so we kept to a brisk pace for most of the day. We visited the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the Collosseum, and St Peters Square. We missed out the Spanish Steps but compensated with the Victorio Emmanuel monument. Rome should really be seen over a few days, but it’s definitely achievable on foot. When we arrived back at the house we ... read more
P1020895
Hello All, Well flights home are booked for the 18th June and I’m busy looking for work and somewhere to live. The job market looks as dire as ever, but it’s looking good for places available to rent with my pathetic little budget. The owners of the house have just been to stay for a week and seem happy with the work we have done so far - we really did work our socks off though! It feels like we should relax on the workload and enjoy the rest of our time here, but it’s hard to switch off and relax. I would definitely like to visit Rome before I venture home and there is also what sounds like an amazing evening at a local sculpture park with tradition Spanish flamenco dancing that I would like ... read more
Keep Smiling
Well I think I am several weeks behind with my diary – Oups! So much has happened I don’t know where to start really except to say that my Italian dream will be coming to an end sooner than I thought. I have been doing some soul searching and although this place will always be special, it is not where my future lies. One thing I have learnt is that to own my own home is becoming more and more important to me. I have always rented and travelled so much that nothing was ever a permanent fixture or fitting. I always made do and lived for the day rather than tomorrow. So its time to grow some roots and make a home (all that gardening & jam makings gone to my head). I haven’t found ... read more
The house from the other side of the valley
I have been neglecting my diary – apologies. Where do the days get to?! Day 36 We went for a run this morning. Well only for ten minutes, but it was up hill. All part of the get healthy scheme, although I must admit that I am usually so tired at the end of the day that no exercise seems needed. Then it was time to paint the pool chairs again. Even though I thought I had done a good job the first time round I missed some bits in the sunshine. Jaime focused on sorting the garage again. I feel like I am writing down the same jobs over and over, but everything is taking much longer to sort out than we initially thought. We had actually scheduled in for both of us to ... read more
Cleaning the Pool, cleaning the pool, cleaning the pool
Day 31 It’s Sunday!!! And I have taken the day off to soothe my burns and generally re-coop some energy. A nice lie in with breakfast laid out for me by Jaime, some trashy TV and then out to sit under the patio umbrella, enjoy the peace and catch up on my diary. Our first visitors stumbled onto the terrace within half an hour of me sitting there though. They were looking to purchase some of the famous vine that is grown next door to us, but as the vineyard was closed, ventured onto the farmhouse grounds instead. A lovely couple who thank you fully spoke perfect English (as I wasn’t getting anywhere with my pigeon Italian). I offered to take their details and pass them along to the vineyard when it was open again, but ... read more
Spring Flowers 1
Hello All Apologies for the lack of postings, it feels like we haven’t stopped all week. Where did I leave you …..ahh yes, Day 26 it was times to start tackling all the winter leaves and that meant sweeping, collecting and then burning….sounds simple enough right; and it would be if there wasn’t what felt like little mountains of leaves everywhere. In some areas they had built up to be knee deep. We both swept as many into piles as possible and then Jaime was in charge of burning whilst I was in charge of collecting and dragging them to the bonfire. (Excellent bum and thigh workout if you’re looking for tips). It took hours and poor Jaime got quite a bit of smoke in his eyes – definitely getting the diving goggles out next time! ... read more
Jaime on top of the carport
Day 23 It’s hot our there! Yeay, amazing sunshine, but if it’s this sticky now what’s it going to be like in Summer? Jaime got lots done today; he washed out our brine tank which is used to soften the water and regulated the levels, trimmed some pine trees, swept leaves of the carport roof and released a strangled tree from some ivy. I attempted to strip a bench that one of our predecessors had accidental painted with the wrong varnish. There I was, all kitted out – safety glasses, breathing mask and chemical gloves, only to then leave my feet exposed in some silly sandals. What a dipstick! I dripped a tiny drop of the paint stripper on my foot and it stung like mad! Don’t worry, I just have a tiny red mark to ... read more
Moth or Butterfly?
Day 20 Today we gave the benches another coat of oil and then set to work painting one of the vine canopies. Quite a messy job and not easy to paint the wood rather than the vines growing all over it, but we did a couple of hours and have almost finished the first section (there are three big canopies in the property) Late afternoon saw another rainstorm heading our way and Jaime took some incredible pictures of the clouds, light and reflections. We also found a stunning moth sheltering in our doorway….it was so beautiful it almost looked like a butterfly…..maybe it was a butterfly we couldn’t quite make up our minds. Day 21 Our first real day out – Florence! We’ve heard so much about it. Every second RomCom lists it as the place ... read more
A little bowl of Asparagus
Day 17 Today we cleaned the flat from top to bottom…you know that feeling that it’s not really home until you’ve vacuumed under the sofa…no,… well maybe its just me. Anyway, we spent all morning scrubbing everything until it gleamed. During the cleaning I discovered that we had a leaky sink in the kitchen so Jaime set to work fixing it for us. Unfortunately he cut two of his fingers on the sharp ridge under the sink - we promptly flushed out the cuts with disinfectant and then covered them in antiseptic cream – don’t worry he’s fine now. He bravely put a surgical glove on over his cuts and then proceeded to spent a couple of hours cleaning out all the vacuum cleaners (as they also seemed to have acquired that lingering smell of wet ... read more
Oiling the benches
Day 15 We ventured back into the village this morning to buy some stamps and send of some postcards. Then a little walk around the Piazza to check if there were any more notifications in the village hall windows for possible language courses and upcoming festivals. Once we were back at the house we decided it was time to give the car, a bright green RAV4, a bath. For some reason the boot smelt of wet dog which I couldn’t figure out until Jaime remembered that the owners had mentioned a dog that must have lived with the previous caretakers. Anyway, we collected the paraphernalia needed and set to work. Two hours later saw the RAV looking and smelling much better! After lunch we decided to start on oiling the wooden benches dotted around the house ... read more
