WEDDINGS

Local transport !!

 

 

You can say it is by coincident that I pop into «weddings» or in other words also couple just been married and out for their photo shoot.

A typical Italian transport also for wedding !! 



I just enjoy being on the outside of the party try to find other angles than the photographer as well has a peek into what’s happening. In addition do some happy shooting to let my viewers have fun have a peek into the party. I use my Samsung tablet, Sony pocket camera or my Nikon, but you can just use what ever you have and have a fund result. One of the reason I always try to keep the pocket camera with me, you never know what you pop into.

Bride arrive

 

Party on



The place we staid this summer, Casolare dei Fiori, as I mentioned arrange weddings and other kind of parties. Very many are happy with what they do and the food they have.

Action in progress

 

And they get married



This summer we got to see to wedding parties, one that already had married before they came, the other got married by the authorities of Altopascio.

Are you sick ??

 

Wedding cake, no just a nice dress

 

Action....



Then we got the first Sunday of our vacation study a photo shoot in Montecarlo waiting for our dinner in the beautiful sunset. The sunset in the area was great and gave a warm color to the pictures, that kind you have in the country side in summer time.

Just nice...

 

BACK FROM VACATION

Montecarlo

 

Yes it is time to sum up what happened over the last 3 weeks. It was vacation time, it was a good time and it was time to follow up our project with the new house.

Our house in the end of the road

 

We spent a lot of the time to get to know the area. It is most new to us so get to know the local restaurants and pizzerias along with the alementari (local grocery) and post office is some of that we felt was important. Not only that also just walk in the close neighborhood along with Sunday walks in the hills of Montecarlo.

The local "bar" and church

 

In the new digital world we now know that it is 45 floors between our house and the top of the Montecarlo. It is steep walk to get hungry, and have a good meal at in Montecarlo. Then have an interesting slow walk downhill among fireflies.

A long way to the top of the hill

 

We have found our local pizzeria, and we have found our local restaurant in Montecarlo for the most regular meals. In addition they have a great gelato shop in the middle of the town.

Local pizzeria in San Salvatore

 

Our local restaurant in Montecarlo

 

A very nice B&B we found as well and were taken around in it. “Antica Dimora Patrizia” is run Erica Galli and I am 110% sure that it is the place we will stay next time we need to look at the house. She also assisted us in a meeting with the local authorities in Montecarlo commune.

B&B  “Antica Dimora Patrizia”  Montecarlo

 

Not only is Montecarlo a very picturesque small town, it gives you peace in mind. If you are up for a Sunday walk in the hills we have routes we can recommend for you in between olive and wine yards where you expect a road, but it the best 4 wheeler that is needed on some of the route.

Need a 4 wheeler

 

Stop at two wine yards I will be back to, and so will I be back to the restaurants, weddings, wineries and guided tour. I will come with all the updates on the house that may some of you around the world have followed us on. It is pleasant to see how many across the globe read the short notes and look at the pictures on my blog about our local Tuscany that have a bit moved from Lucca to Montecarlo. We are still in the Lucca Province. The challenge is not always to write, but to select the pictures from a vacation as we had. That take time, but during coming week it all will be updated.

Restaurants

 

Weddings

 

Wineries

 

Guided tour

 

 

 

 

Just a week away

Yes, Saturday next week we will be on our way to our home in Montecarlo. The weather in Moscow has not been, as I can see it is in Lucca area, and in Montecarlo. When we have some rain showers and between 15 and 25 degree in Moscow, I can see the weather in Italy is 30 degree plus and a big warm sun.

Weather forecast Moscow next week

 

Weather forecast Lucca next week

 

Compared to other years, this year will be one suitcase and not two. Less and thinner T-shirts, bathing shorts and as little as possible of any other clothes, what will be heavy is the books, the Russian lessens to keep us up and running on that so we can prove to our nice Russian teacher that we did what we promised.

Our Russian schoolbook

 

The way technology are today make us feel that we are hands on the project with refurbishment. When Pasqual sending us pictures either it is for my corner in his warehouse so we can see how all we wanted to keep are stored or it is the progress on the house, what more can we ask for. Pasqual is the head of the family. It is his company, LIMPRESA that do the main contract work on the house. He could be at our age, but I know that if he had been working in Norway he would be challenged to work in his age. He is fit as a fiddle and keep his touch on the work and make us feel even more part of the family.

Kjetil corner

 

Kjetils corner

 

Pasqual have a son, Samuele, yes the chef at Gli Orti as I have mentioned, who again is married to Silvia, who have a sister, who is married to our architect. Did I say we kept in the family? Samuele have this fantastic great restaurant where I have seen the food transform over the last 15 years from a Tuscan food, presented as any grandmother from Lucca would do and in a family setting. Today 15 years later it is almost the same menu, but the presentation has a signature of Samuele that is quite different, the family setting and atmosphere is the same. The reason why I cannot avoid mention it again and again.

 

 

 

We have changed location compare to where we used to stay for our vacation. All the years before it has been Hotel Ilaria in Lucca, a good quality B&B that I would come back to had it not been for the house. This time it is Casolare dei Fiori, just 100 meters away from our home. I know I will have some work to do too, so this short walk make it very convenient to stay there. Plus it has a pool that we can relax with if we do not want to head for the sea 20 minutes away.

Casolare dei Fiori

 

TripAdvisor is a page I have been looking at lately too. You can call me proactive, I prefer to be so, and special to have a good idea of which restaurants and pizzerias we are to visit on our list. We love to walk so a km or two away will just make us extra hungry for what any of these places has to offer. To us it important as well to find out which place can serve us Pizza with Prosciutto and Rocket along with our Saturday drink Prosecco.

 

 

 

 

So what have the progress on our house been? Scaffolding up, crane up for dismantling the roof, the electricity should be there so all work can be done. Look forward to be across to do my own pictures as well find the grass cutter we bought to enjoy cutting 5000m2 with land.



 

As of today 27 06 2015

 

As of today 27 06 2015

 

The grass could be a meter high

 

My tool for cutting the grass

 

 

So now it is soon time to pack the suitcase, brings some gifts from Russia to our friends and have 3 weeks to enjoy at home in Montecarlo.

Major milestone reached

Yes, a major milestone in our refurbishment project in Montecarlo is reached. We have signed the contracts with the contractors. In a meeting this week at the Architects office, GLIARCHITETTIASSOCIATI,  with the construction company LIMPRESA services S.r.l.s., PLURISERVICE S.r.l. and ESSEMME impiati Electrici s.n.c all documents was signed, stamped and works starts. We cross our fingers and hope that they stick to their 11 months "delivery".

 

It was a strange feeling just be at the house and look around and knowing that when we come back in a month we will already see the progress and people in action to make our dream and retirement home become reality.

 

All the old stuff that we want to keep and present to our visitors in different ways have been listed and the water level in our well have been measured so we can follow it over the summer and see if it will be enough to keep our vegetables happy during a dry season if not we have to be creative again.

 

 

 

 

For almost 15 years visiting Lucca I have had my place to stay and even my regular room. This time it was time for changes. Paolo who used to work at the Hotel Ilaria has his own place now. It is a smaller B&B, Lucca in Villa Lucrezia, just outside the Port Elisa. Convenient when I head for dinner at Gli Orti. Paolo’s place has been open for two weeks now and need to adapt to minor things, but the rooms are very nice and the breakfast? You cannot ask for a nicer breakfast room and breakfast.

 

Then I arrived to Lucca June 2^nd I noticed it was quite, I had forgotten to check the calendar that it was Italy National Holiday. So when I saw the flag hanging down from one of Lucca’s many towers I understood I had missed something.

 

 

The few days I were in Lucca the temperature level was around 30 deg. C and nice and sunny. On Wednesday they had their regular market with food trucks and everything to offer.

 

So now it is just to look forward to the progress over the next month, the Summer Festival in Lucca and the environment around that and in addition how wonderful and easy it is to be there and lower the shoulders and have a long well deserved break.

This year with Snoopy Dog, Elton John, Billy Idol, Bob Dylan and Robbie Willams a.o.

 

And by the way, not belonging to the summer Festival, they are back in town this year, not too happy about that.



 

шаг за шагом

Yes, step by step, is the heading for today’s little thoughts around getting another step further with all the challenges we and not at least our architect have with our adventure in Lucca, Montecarlo.

I am not sure if our dear friend is still a dear friend with the work he may did not foresee in the beginning. The refurbishment could look at an easy straight forward job, but as all know, does it look easy, it is not.

When we visited our house in March and the architect we discussed his first suggestions and the prices given. However not implemented was the connection for water, electricity and gas were not given. To us it was clear that we could not initiate start before we had the complete picture of cost.

Two months is almost gone and solution found to how the different lines and pipes will go, but still we have to wait for the cost from Enel on electricity and the commune on gas and water.

This week coming we are promised a revised price on the refurbishment that hopefully will be in line with our tough budget, and still will be after we have the cost for all connections.

We expected and have had verified that lack of understanding is possible when we translate our communication from Norwegian to English as the other part have to translate what we say from English to Italian. What we are used to and take for granted, is not the same in Italy, so we need to present our thoughts also by drawings and pictures from suppliers.

So challenges still remain is among others; how will the septic tank system be? Waste water system connected to the main road 100-150 meter away or into our agricultural land area. Can we collect rainwater in larger tanks during autumn, winter and spring so we have some extra water for our vegetable gardens during the less rainy summer months?

Look forward to the new budget.