casacolleverde

Cucina Povera Sarzanese

2011-05-01T14:02:00.000+02:00

Every region in Italy seems to have their own versions of the traditional 'contadino' recipes; in the Lunigiana there seems to be several typical recipes - Farinata, Panigazzi and Testaroli. To me as a 'stranieri' they seem to be almost interchangeable as the ingredients are all very similar and simple and they all seem to have been adapted in various manners to eat with sauces, salumi and cheeses.

Farinata - made with water, farina di ceci extra vergin olive oil and salt seems to need a long time to sit before cooking something about the flour needing to expand or gluten ? It seems with some batters you do and some you dont and I am sure some experienced cooks out there can tell me why? Cooked in a wood oven in a flat terracotta dish or dish of copper with a little oil I had this for the first time at a pizzeria a taglio near Ameglia(Bocca di Magra) and it was delicious as were the various pizzas they produced there too.

Testaroli on the other hand made from flour water and salt are a little like crepes and can be eaten with pesto, ragu or with oil and cheese.I have made these with farina integrale and though nice were a little heavy better with ordinary flour.I think they would be delicious also with Nutella

Pannigazzi are a bit like a piadina ( from Emilia-Romagna) and the batter here is white flour, water a little salt and a little oil with a little batter being put in a hot frying pan and moved around to create a thin 'pancake'. These are generally eaten warm with cheeses or salumi.

Testaroli al pesto Genovese

Simple ingredients for simple pleasures.

Detailed recipes(in italian) can be found on the website of the Comune di Sarzana.

Critical path analysis, full steam ahead the last of the furniture and fittings have to be ordered!

2011-04-16T18:57:00.000+02:00

I remember when studying maths or was it physics at school we studied critical path analysis. This was all about processes and determining which actions were critical to completing a process in the minimum or on time.

Well ...

Work is progessing, the marble on the stairs is going down necessary to position the floor tiles correctly, and the chandelier is ordered (it has to be assembled) I was told it was easy when I ordered it we will see, but its not critical. The wardrobes are to be ordered next week. Once the interior is painted and the floors down (actually tiles first then paint) the kitchen can go in which takes three days. The tilers for the floors should be starting before Easter with any luck as I need to get the doors ordered the tiles need to be down to get the correct heights for the doors - so tiling the floor is the critical process ... the doors which are coming from Germany have a relatively long lead time 6-8 weeks so it going to be tight - otherwise I may have an open plan house for the first guests!

A step back in time - Lunigiana

2011-04-09T07:59:00.001+02:00

Visiting the house the other day the weather was fantastic - clear blue skies and views towards Capraia and Corsica in the distance(it could have been the heat haze). We ventured up to Fosdinovo late afternoon for a walk and stepped back in time - so quiet and tranquil a part of Tuscany often by passed by the tourists but not to be missed.I took these photo's which I thought would share with you.

Sarzana lovely in August - but a delight all year round.

2011-03-06T16:57:00.001+01:00

Sarzana has to be one of my favourite towns in the area. The second biggest town in the province after La Spezia itself it has a character all of is own and never ceases to delight.

Dating from the Roman era, Sarzana is situated at a strategic location that was a centre of communication at that time near two extremely important ancient roads, the Via Aurelia, and the Via Romea. Home to the Bishops of Luni, it was fortified in the middle ages when a wall was constructed around it. Subsequently it became part of the Republic of Genoa in 1748, then part of the Kingdom of Sardinia, and finally part of the Kingdom of Italy. Sarzana began to flourish during the Renaissance and today has grown into a modern metropolis with the old town at its centre. Sarzana has a number of fine palaces and churches and in addition two fortresses!

Today Sarzana is known for its antiques and in the old centre are numerous antique shops. In addition to this the old town is tranfsormed during august into a veritable bazaar with all the historic centre full of antique stalls selling their wares from six in the evening until around midnight.Something not to be missed.The town has a real buzz.

A visit during an August evening can combine a stroll around the old town , an aperitivo in one of the bars, window shopping for antiques and a meal in any one of many great restaurants in town.

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Breakfast anyone?

2011-02-27T21:24:00.001+01:00

I know breakfasts in Italy are meant to be only a coffee and croissant, a few rushed minutes on your feet in a bar, but I want Casa Colleverde to be known for its breakfasts.

Breakfast should be a relaxing time and they do say the most important meal of the day, well, so it will be at Casa Colleverde as we are or will be a bed and breakfast.

So to make breakfast a meal to be remembered I have been practicing my baking skills.Yesterday it was some soft white rolls and walnut bread, both good. I made some white watermelon jam the other day it was ok but not a favourite. My ginger and lemon marmalade was great but it gave me indigestion; the ginger I like it but it does not like me. My efforts at crepes were passable and I am sure they will get better, as I am sure my waistline will get bigger at this rate.

Tomorrow I am shopping for the ingredients for homemade granola let's see if I can find them all. I think I will draw the line at making homemade croissants though as I do not want to have to get up too early each morning! Cappuccino anyone?

We are opening.... from the 1st July and with maybe a Bapstism.. of fire?

2011-02-27T20:50:00.001+01:00

Well... I had a meeting with the builders in the middle of the roof of the garage which will become a meditteranean gravel garden next to the concrete hole which will become the pool and the house without windows and floors which will become the guest accommodation ....I just wanted to say lads we are opening on the 1st of July and I am moving in on the 1st June can any of you think of reason why not ... he said looking around the building site. Ok good.

This is the third such project I have been involved in and I know it all comes together at the last minute, having said that it will be tense and my back and shoulder muscles are already telling me that already.

So we have an opening weekend offer from 1st July 3 nights for euro 100 per night and after that we have a discounted rate for the remainder of our first season.

I look forward to welcoming our first guests with a glass of chilled prosecco!

Ok my architect asked me if he could hold the party for the baptism of his baby here in June, would I be mad to say yes?

Swimming and Bathing in the Area

2011-02-20T09:07:00.000+01:00

Rather than sitting by the swimming pool and enjoying the view some prefer to swim in the sea, from a sandy beach or the rocks.

If you like swimming off the rocks there is Punta Bianca half an hour away where you can dive into the sea from the rocks quite easily.Punta Bianca is just around the headland from Bocca di Magra from were you can look back towards Castelnuovo Magra on the hill and see Casacollverde a little to the right above the town on the hill.

A little further around the headland is Tellaro a lovely little port as nice if not nicer than any in the 5 Terre.(one of the Borghi piu Belli d'Italia) Tellaro is normally reached by road from Lerici but is currently cut off due to a landslide Just outside Lerici is a private beach called Eco del Mar a 'VIP" beach, with restaurant and massages etc. Lerici itself recognisable by its fort above the port is also well worth a visit and from here you can take ferries to Portovenere and the 5 Terre.Finally a little further along the lungo mare is San Terenzo a fraction of Lerici it has asmall sandy beach a is pleasant walk from Lerici along the sea front.

Finally if long sandy beaches either public or private are your thing starting from the Bocca di Magra there is a succession of sandy beaches.

Me ? I think I will relax by the pool.

Saving water - a scarce resource

2011-02-19T22:00:00.003+01:00

When something is plentiful and comes out of a tap you tend to take it for granted. After all the rain we have had in Italy you would not think that drinking water is a scarce resource but it is. You do not realise how much you use simply by cleaning your teeth and leaving the tap running, several litres when a small glass is enough. So simple measure to save water can go along way.

At Casa Colleverde we are trying to do our bit for the environment but at the same time as we rely on well water it is in our interests to conserve what we have got an not waste it.

We are installing shower heads which use 70% less water than normal ones and a washing machine which also uses less water and standard dual flush wc's. There are baths in the rooms for those who like them but personally I prefer a shower.

We are also installing a water tank under ground to take the run off from the roof for use in the garden and the swimming pool and two large water tanks to store the well water prior to treament for use in the house. This gives us some leeway should the well pump break down and we find ourselves without a plumber - normally this would happen on feragosto. We also have an old well into which we are diverting the run off from the paths.

To be on the safe side although the well water is drinkable we are treating it using a Culligan purifying system which will be large enough to ensure all water in the house is treated.

Hopefully our well, if we use water sparingly will be more than enough to meet our needs

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Torre del Lago and Puccini

2011-02-19T21:24:00.001+01:00

This year is the 57th Puccini Festival at the open air theatre on the lake. Puccini's association dates back to the late 18th Century when he came in search of a quiet place where he could compose his music. After success with Madame Lescaut and La Boheme, he was able to buy a house,the Old Watch Tower which gave the lake its name.
This year the festival in July and August includes La Boheme, Turandot and Madame Butterfly well worth a visit even for non opera lovers for the spectacle alone. Casa Colleverde is 45 minutes from Torre del Lago.
www.puccinifestival.it

Packing up the garden to be ready to move.

2011-02-13T21:04:00.000+01:00

Having spent sometime over the last few days sweating over the computer doing a business plan, I thought "basta" - enough I need some fresh air.

With that in mind I decided to start digging up and dividing some plants in my small garden here in Foiano della Chiana ready for moving to the new house it maybe a little early but with the warm weather the plant are starting to bud.

It was only when I started that I found that I did not have enough plastic pots. So I am going on a mission this week to find some more. So far I have split the large leafed sage (the fresh leaves are great deep fried in a light batter as are the young rosemary shoots). The oregano plant became four smaller plants and I have potted some self seeded thymes which I found in the gravel so I have of four of these to add to those still to be dug up. The new garden is going to be a meditteranean garden with low growing sun loving plants in gravel - rosemary , lavender, rock roses, thyme etc as well as broom, euphorbia and fico d'india. The centre pieces will be two old olive trees I have yet to buy.So the more I can save from this garden the more I can spend on the olive tree which I know will not be cheap.

Having said I am creating a mediterranean garden I am putting in some roses which I love and also represent my English roots. The roses I ordered from the UK and are healed in in the garden here. I am hoping the weather does not get too warm too quickly as I will have to pot them up too rather than planting then straight away as the garden which is no way near ready.

If I find more pots weather permitting I will continue tomorrow.

Furnishing a Home

2011-02-05T17:49:00.000+01:00

Having sold my house in London and a holiday apartment,3 years ago now,to fund Casa Colleverde; I have as a result shipped two container loads of furniture to Italy to furnish it. I only hope everything gels once all the wrapping is taken off. Some of the furniture has been in my rented garage now for over 2 years and it has been added to during this period and the time is now getting nearer when it will all finally be unwrapped to see if it has survived without being attacked by mice or damp.

Actually to be honest I have forgotten what I have got in the garage, there are lots of boxes with numbers and descriptions, I may end up with too much furniture, paintings or photos, lets hope not. I still have to buy some big items 4 beds and matresses, 4 sofas, 4 wardrobes and some other occasional chairs and rugs in addition i need to get some of the little things which go to making a house a home.

Normally when furnishing a home you do it over time its not a hurried process done all at once. You spend time deliberating over what would look best on a particular shelf or in a favorite corner or you may see something particular when you are traveling and buy it as a momento. It seems to me more difficult when your home is also going to be your means of making your living and you have to make decisions relatively quickly. I am constantly having a debate with myself as to how practical a piece of furniture is, is it easy to clean and will it last. Quite often though the decision is out of my hands things self exclude because they cost too much.

In a few months time I will know whether I have made the right decisions or not.

Is there an end in sight?

2010-11-11T20:18:00.003+01:00

Well after a long time without any posting I though I had better give an update on the work in progress which is Casa Colleverde. Perhaps it would be more interesting if I started posting some of my favourite recipes which I will be cooking (eventually) when Casa Colleverde opens for business. This is because there has been little progress. Taking a few deep breathes, I can say it is very frustrating working with Italian builders and to put it mildly, I am not a happy bunny. I visited the site today for the first time in almost 3 weeks( two of which were sunny) but is there any noticeable progress…. no; so I hit the roof or would have done had it been finished!

Future dining room and balcony

I think everyone knew I was not happy. The architect and builder have obviously had their minds elsewhere as both their wives have given birth in the last 2 weeks so….. Tanti Auguri but now back to work guys!

Perfect October Days – New friends in the Lunigiana

2010-10-10T18:07:00.002+02:00

Some days are just perfect so much so that they make you realize how lucky you are and enable you to forget about any other trials or tribulations that you may be facing at that time.

On saturday we went by train to the Cinque Terre. We took an early train from Sarzana, the crystal clear blue sky and early morning sun bode well for the day. Our five month old Norfolk terrier puppy Sam normally straining at the leash hid under the bench on the platform his first experience of the fast screechy monster that raced past the platform. We changed at La Spezia and by 10.30 we had our first glimpse of a sparkling Mare Ligure as we alighted at Riomaggiore in the sun. We leisurely walked round the town, up to the quaint little church and down to the port where we sat on the rocks and people watched, my favourite Italian pastime.

The port of Riomaggiore

We then retraced our steps back towards the station and the Via dell’Amore. There were quite a few people around now on the coastal path (the area is a popular tourist attraction)but notwithstanding this it was enjoyable. The views from the path are spectacular and the October sun brought back memories of summer.
We arrived in Manarola hot and thirsty (most of all Sam) for whom we quickly found a little fountain from which he could drink. Unfortunately the path between between Manarola and Corniglia was closed but so we decided to have a stroll around Manarola and an early lunch in the port. We chose the restaurant overlooking the small port(Ristorante Marina Piccola) and had an excellent(and leisurely) seafood lunch accompanied by a crisp white wine overlooking the sea. Sam had a nice rest in the shade. It was soon time ti make tracks as we had an evening appointment in the Lunigiana our first visit to the Luni Wine Club (the 11th so far)to be held in Lusignana. We decided to head back along the the coastal path to Riomaggiore to get our train to La Spezia/ Sarazana and also to work off our lunch. We arrived back in Sarzana around 4pm and time for a quick nap.
Our early evening appointment at the Luni wine club was in Lusignana a small town in the Lunigiana we had never visited; armed with maps, written instructions regarding a landslide to avoid and a GPS we headed off into the sunset The evening was beautifully clear and the clouds on the Alpi Apuane reminded me of the cloth of cloud which often covers Table mountain in Cape Town. Once off the motorway the narrow road required some concentration(and no looking out of the car window) as it winded up into the wooded hills. After some wrong turns we eventually arrived at the top of a hill and a small village in which time seemed to have stood still. We had to call for help from our hosts to guide us on foot through the narrow streets to the venue for the wine club that evening a warm living room in front of an open fire. The meeting that evening consisted of a tasting of two Tuscan white wines and five reded, Chianti,Cabernet Sauvignon and Supertuscans all from the province of Arezzo. The company consisted of the organizer Heiko and his wife and the attendeees mainly expat residents in the area. We had a good time improved our knowledge of wine,made some new friends and discovered a new area to explore later at our leisure. We left late with flushed faces and head out into a cold dark night under a galaxy of stars.
A great day and one to remember.

Via dell'Amore

Restoring a house in Italy Chapter 3

2010-09-22T09:24:00.013+02:00

This is the third restoration I have been involved in 10 years in Italy, so I should not be surprised by the problems encountered so far in restoring my own home, I had assumed and hoped it would get easier the third time around ok maybe I got it wrong.
Ten years ago I embarked on a journey with two friends from London one English and one Italian(Roman) , we ended up in Tuscany restoring a casa padronale in the Val di Chiana and creating one of the first boutique guest houses in the Tuscany(and maybe in Italy) . With no previous experience in the industry our learning curve was perpendicular we could write several books on our experiences but to avoid embarassing ourselves and our guests we had better keep quiet. Villa Fontelunga opened in June 2000 and ten years later is still going strong. http://www.fontelunga.com/.
Four years after opening and with the traumas of dealing with builders ,Italian bureaucracy and meeting opening deadlines seemingly long forgotten memories we embarked on our next project. The restoration/rebuilding of a rudere in the valley behind us to create three independent Villas in a contemporary style for rental which would be serviced from the guest house. Having completed these and suffering in varying degrees from stress, ulcers and back pain we all vowed never to do it again.
Now I was permanently in Italy and living in the guest house annexe with my friends and working and living on top of each other I thought it was time to do something by myself and have my own home in Italy. I sold my home in London in 2007 and I bought an ugly 1970s house in Liguria(just.. not far from the border with Tuscany) and so began my own journey to create my home and a small B&B. Three years later I am still going and I am still optimistic that we will open in spring 2011.

Debates over a Shadow Gap – Creating a House in Italy with no Battiscopa

2010-06-27T16:33:00.002+02:00

Though I love the feel and ambience of traditional old stone houses in the countryside whether in the UK or Italy , they can be rather limiting in design terms because a building over a certain age will likely be the Italian equivalent of a listed building and you will be prevented by the Belle Artes from changing the outside, certainly the external openings and sometimes the inside.
On the top of my list for my home was that it has to be full of natural light and so for that reason when I bought my house in Liguria I was looking for something I could change radically inside and out in order to create a modern light filled home. So I ended up buying a really ugly late 70′s house, not the usual expat choice to buy in Italy ! The more traditional houses I looked at in better positions (nearer Lerici) had impossible space i.e. difficult to do anything with, and probably more relevant to me impossible prices!
Creating a contemporary home so far out of the ugly duckling has involved many debates with the architect and also with the planners and builders. The height of the doors, the size of the windows, with large windows how to keep the house cool in summer and warm in winter, what technology to use etc etc .
One of the more amusing discussions has been over the floor/paving and the battiscopa or lack of one. What no battiscopa said the builder what do you want to put in its place, well nothing, literally nothing a gap between where the plaster finishes and the floor begins so it looks like the wall is hanging above the floor.
This is a treatment which you often see in contemporary houses in the UK but is not seen often in Italy. Particularly as plaster board is a relatively new building technique in Italy but which is standard in the UK and also in the UK you get off the shelf aluminium profiles to create the gap. In Italy these are not available. So started the big discussion on how we were to create the gap.
How high do you want this gap then 8cm ? No far to high as it is not a battiscopa! No more than 3cm in height. How do you keep the walls from getting dirty when you clean the floor….? well whoever cleans the floor ( and I have a feeling it is going to be me) has to be careful and also use clean water. Ok well then perhaps, they suggested, we should use a material which wont rust or get damaged and wont need painting. Ok a compromise is eventually reached, lets use a purpose made stainless steel L- shaped profile and if necessary I will paint it the same colour as the wall myself if I dont like it being shiny.
The finish used on the floor in a contemporary house is often an industrial flooring in concrete or with a resin finish so it has a uniform simple look. This time both the architect and the builder seemed to think I would be better off using a ceramic tile to mimic the look at the getting a good finish is quite difficult. They may be right as I have seen some really bad finishes in the Uk and here and I dont know if I can face the worry of the builder doing it and the finish not being right. So after some thought and much searching for the right ceramic tile, I have found one which looks like a resin finish.Apparently using a tile ‘rectificato’ (one with flat cut sides) they can be laid really close to give a similar uniform finish and it is cheaper… strange as it seems to be a rule of law that so far every finish I have chosen seems to be the more expensive option so thats good news.Here’s hoping the tiles and the shadow gap look good when finished.

Trials and Tribulations or Tense Times on a Hill near Tuscany

2010-06-10T20:42:00.002+02:00

Well I havent posted for a while as I am trying to resolve problems with the building site which will eventually be my home, the work has had to stop almost and the problems are on going.

Builders are generally a race apart from anyone else in whatever country you happen to be, neighbours come in all varieties from those whom you call a friend and would trust with your life and those whom you can do without , or seem from another era or even planet both species seem to be conspiring against me
Well the building site is on top of a hill at the end of a track in the commune of Castelnuovo Magra (Liguria just) and borders with Ortonovo in Tuscany. The site is reached by a winding road mainly in the commune if Ortonovo.
Well so far i have recieved 3 denucia in from residents in Ortonovo and the vigili have stopped trucks passing and effectively stopped the work on site. Two of these denuncia relate to the state of the road leading up to the house which has become degraded as a result of the builders moving earth in trucks too heavy for the road so I can sympathise with this . The denuncia were done by an avvocato (lawyer) at the Procura the lawyer happens to live on the road up to the house somewhere, just my luck. But whereas in the UK you would go to you neighbour and have a word and get assurances here in Italy I find myself in front of the local police, assuring them the builders will repair the road and unfortunatley at my expense! Aparently there was a weight restriction on the road but the sign was missing and had not been not replaced. Anyway we need to get the some trucks up with cement to finish the job so off to grovel to the Sindaco caps in hand. They started by saying that they are known in the area as being one of the more severe comunes in the area (great). If we want to start work they need a fideussione effectively an insurance policy which will act as a financial guarantee that I will pay for the repairs so next week a survey is required and once the value of work is assessed I will have to get this policy at least a friend of mine is in insurance so hopefully it will not be too difficult or alternatively I ask my bank. After this all being well they seems predisposed to let us proceed……. crossing my fingers, touching wood(england) and metal(Italy).
The third denuncia was from an elderly man who owns a ruin on some land not far from my house next to the beginning of the track which forms the last 400 metres of the route to the house. This is the kind of neighbour from hell you dont want to have. His denuncia relates to building materials he says we dumped on his land. The buiilding company is professional and has all the invoices for the dump we are using and the materials are not from my property. He has also been telling the builders we have no right to pass down the last 400 metres as it is a private road.This road has been used for access to the house since the house was built in 1983 and is used by the general public and other neighbours. Whether he will do anything more I dont know yet but but i will make a few more enquiries at the comuni as to the nature of this road as everyone else I speak to says its a public road/track or at least there is a public right of way on it.However I did speak to another nieghbour who finished renovating his property last year, he started 4 years ago and used the same road. Oh he said that mad old man tried to blackmail me when we started work too!
Well watch this space an update will appear soon, hopefully with good news and a picture with some progress! Lets hope all this good weather is not wasted with no work!!

Antiques Road Show

2010-05-19T05:23:00.002+02:00

The other sunday whilst walking round the antiques market in the Foro Romano in Rome we came across this car. I wasnt sure if it was for sale or not, it hadnt been moved for a while and there was certainly nothing in the guide book about it!

Spring has sprung!

2010-04-30T14:52:00.001+02:00

Mother nature is definitely working over time as this time of year the grass and flowers in the olive grove seem to grow before your eyes. It is a shame building work is not progressing as quickly. So here are acouple of photos of flowers taken on the last visit as it wasnt worth taking a photo of the progress. Can anyone name them for me?

Spot the difference

2010-04-14T21:27:00.001+02:00

Yesterday I spent in Castelnuovo Magra at the building site. It is still difficult to see the progress without looking carefully below the surface. They have reinforced the first floor so we can now remove the supports holding it up. All the openings have now been made and some filled up again. They are now extending the old roof line where the external staircase was knocked down. The budget is being exceeded as fast as I try and contain it suprise suprise. Here are 2 fotos taken a over a month apart …spot the difference!

Five things I didnt miss about driving on the autostrade in Italy!

2010-04-02T17:04:00.003+02:00

Having just arrived back from the UK by car I realised that inspite of having a lot to offer the Bel Paese lacks something as far as the driving experience on the autostrade is concered.

1) Italy must have the most trucks per square inch of motorway surface than the rest of europe added together. Driving in heavy rain/traffic or at night with trucks at a moments notice pulling out in front of you is not fun.
2) Unwelcome backseat drivers… ie the car so close behind you can see the the hairs in the drivers nose!
3) Vast expanse of motorways without traffic( this only applies to France I have to say) but what a delight, hours of driving on auto pilot impossible in Italy. You could almost look at countryside whilst driving. (I think Italians do this anyway)
4) No idiot drivers who flash to pass you then cut you up in order to get to the exit as quickly as possible.
and finally…
5) Male italian drivers cannot be bothered to go to a service station to pee but pee in the laybys by their car for all to see, maybe they have smaller bladders, not a sight seen in the UK or the whole length of France. But in France there are more service stations and more toilets.
I dont like to be so negative but to finish on a positve note you just cant beat the coffee in an Italian autogrill!

Online shopping addiction…

2010-03-24T21:08:00.002+01:00

Ok I confess, during the long winter months I became addicted to online shopping. With a new home waiting to be furnished I got itchy fingers…you can sit and surf in your pyjamas and visit lots of different shops without leaving the comfort of your own home ; with your flexible friend in one hand and one finger of the other … in a few minutes your card is maxed out.. and you are the proud owner of some flat pack furniture.. bad news.
My particular addiction though was to uk sites and so I sent the purchases to my parents house in the UK (not thinking that eventually i would have to either collect them or pay to have them delivered to Italy)We have now reached the limit of available storage space in their home and they would like to reclaim their home back for their own use!
So now I have decided to drive to the UK to finally view my purchases and see if they all go together and more importantly fit in the car … let hope so. I think the drive alone will be enough to cure my addiction to uk sites.
It will be nice to see my folks but I think even Ryanair would be easier and cheaper.

Traditionally Built Lady Arrives home late at night

2010-03-22T07:52:00.002+01:00

Those who are fans of the series of novels The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency know that the chief character refers to herself as being ‘traditioanlly built’ my statue is the same and although not life size has that same comforting feeling. ‘ The Comfortable Lady’ finally arrived home on friday night in a wooden box.
After being given the ok by the Belle Arte, having paid custom duties and clearance fees and transport charges everything went relatively smoothly. The Belle Artes did there bit very quickly so no long storage fees and the transport company (well the very accommodating driver)even moved the statue into the garage for me which was just as well as i manged to pull a muscle in my back closing the garage door which has laid me up ever since! Now I have to find a chiropracter. But the Comfortable Lady is at least safe and well in my garage for now.

Stop press – Regional Cooking Disaster

2010-03-15T20:44:00.001+01:00

I am a reasonable cook (maybe not a natural) and I am arguably better at desserts,cookies and cakes due to a sweet tooth from the age of sixteen but I suffer from a potential problem that I need to have a precise recipe to follow and if not things can go disasterously wrong!

I am trying to learn more regional recipes for when I move permanently to the Lunigiana (levante) region in Liguria.I have mastered home made pesto no problem, coniglio ligure no problem but breads and farinata and foccacia so far have been a bit of a disaster area!
Farinata di cecchi so far has been a wet heavy dough which you would need a very strong stomach to eat. Foccacia ligure on the second attempt turned out ok but this was using another recipe found on the web. The first said half a cup of tepid water with the levito a birra but thenit failed to mention to keep adding water until a point you arrived at a workable dough and then it said cook it in a very hot preheated oven for 20 minutes so I took them at their word and put it in at 250 degrees and it turned out a burnt and inedible rock. But I am not giving up. Having managed to get a reasonable foccacia on the second attempt I am now a little more optimistic that only practice will make perfect. Well lets hope so.

‘Comfortable Lady’ How not to Import a sculpture into Italy

2010-03-10T20:29:00.001+01:00

I was recently in South Africa on holiday and I saw a sculpture which I really liked so decided to buy it. They explained that it would be shipped to my nearest international airport in Italy(Florence). I would then have to arrange customs clearance and transport to my home.. how hard could it be. I was not unduly worried as I had shipped something similiar to the UK before and had not had any problems.Well that was the wrong assumption to make.

This sculpture is in soap stone and is done by a Zimbabwean lady who lives in SA. It weighs 150kg and is going in the garden at some stage. I had a call from the shippers to say that it has arrived and that the they could do the customs clearance for me and transport it to my home.They quoted me a figure which seemed ok plus 10 euro a day storage whilst clearance was taking place but that should not take long. I asked if they would be unloading it and could then put it in the garage. No was the answer, getting it off the truck and into the garage is down to me unless I wanted to pay a lot more for the transport. I then asked if they could at least put it on a truck with a hydraulic lift and I ( and some strong friends) would move it into the garage once it was on the ground.( lets hope I am not being too optimistic here). Fine we compromised on this. This morning another call. The invoice for export from SA stated it is a stone scuplture. Yes thats what it is. Well it should have stated it is simple modern work of art by an artisan sculptor and because it didnt the Belle Arts have to get involved to assess whether it should be allowed in. Well that inspection alone is going to cost me an extra 200 euro in fees but then 10 euro a day in storage until they do it. Obviously now the cost of this whole exercise is in the lap of the gods. Well lets hope for the sake of my overdraft the gods are going to favour me. I will let you know when I have any news.

Fango Fango Fango(mud)

2010-02-25T18:51:00.001+01:00

Well progess has suffered a bit due to the amount of rain we have had which has slowed the work. The road to the house is a sea of mud(fango) and a four wheel drive is needed to get there. The new parking area and entrance door and stairway up to the house is taking shape.

View to house from the new carpark

Also the new terracing including the swimming pool technical area are constructed. The next big works is the earth moving for the pool and garage lets hope we have some drier weather to allow this to go on. In the mean time we are ordering the bath fixtures and fittings.

Auguri per Natale e Buon Anno

2009-12-28T18:26:00.001+01:00

I hope everyone had a good Xmas. I am already thinking of New Years resolutions one of which has to be to do more exercise after eating too much as ever over Xmas.
The weather now seems to have changed to warm and wet with the resulting problems of flooding and landslip. I hope everyone manages to escape these natural disasters without mishap. I will be visiting the house next week and with any luck it will remain unscathed by the weather.

Will the earth move for you?

2009-12-10T21:03:00.001+01:00

We have just got back from seeing the progress of the work on the house. It doesnt look like that much progress has been made but in fact a lot of the work is not visible and will not be visible once the house is finished. There are lots of steel bolts in the first floor which will strengthen the floor and steel beams and reinforced concrete which will mean that, when finished, the house should withstand an earthquake! Let hope it never needs to.

Having seen the original foundations I can now understand why the old house had a few cracks in it. Work has also started on the new terracing where the old drive was which will join up with the infinity pool and the garage which is going under the garden and on top of which we will be planting an old olive tree. The builders have also made good the road which a few weeks ago was impassible. But there is still a lot to do!!!

Strange goings on with notaries and mortgages.

2009-12-04T12:00:00.001+01:00

We are almost ready to finalise the mortgage on the house and thereby have enough funds to complete the building work!! It has taken so long because the previous owners had not asked their bank to remove the old ”ipoteca” which their bank had on the house even though they had repaid their mortgage, this took 3 months. The notary also discovered there were some old ‘subalterni’ still registered at the castasto which needed cancelling. I am not sure exactly what these are but apparently they date back even before the previous owner so i am not sure why they were only discovered now?

And finally aparently it is required in order to do the mortgage that I declare that I am celibe (single) I cannot not do this myself in front of the notary but need a declaration from the commune where I am resident (Castelnuovo Magra) that I am single. Only they can do this. This seems very odd to me as the information that I am single I gave them in the first place but they are the only people who can do it and it is no use arguing. So next week I will visit the Commune to get this declaration in order to proceed.Lets hope it is that simple…..

Wildcat strikes in Italy, sometimes a good thing

2009-11-28T21:10:00.001+01:00

Just got back from a holiday in Cape Town , a beautiful country and people and lots to see and do. Our flight back unfortunately was delayed after we had boarded 3 hours on the tarmac for an engine technical fault. We departed at midnight , now due to arrive a 9.00 in the morning instead of 6am with our connecting flight to Pisa at 9.25. We were going to miss it. In fact we did miss it and unfortunately British airways did not have another direct flight but booked us on a flight to Rome at 12.45 the same day and then a flight with Alitalia from Rome arriving in Pisa at 18.30 arriving 6 hours late and having been travelling since 5.00 pm the previous day. We were passing Livorno at 3.30pm when BA announced they were very sorry there was a wildcat strike by ground staff at Rome airport they couldnt land there and they would have to divert to the nearest airport PISA! How lucky was that for some! That brought a smile to our faces the first of the day!

A New Garden of Eden

2009-11-10T14:13:00.001+01:00

We have unfortunately lost our pomegranate tree either under the rubble or as a result of the earth moving. In addition we have lost a plum tree, one fig and an olive tree. Once the building work is complete we will be planting two (new) old olive tree as focal points in the garden area near the house as well as planting lots of herbs and plants which are happy growing in rocky areas with little attention and water. I aslo hope o replant espalier fruit trees which will grow against the walls of the terraces. We have a fair number of olive trees but none with nice old trunks. We had to give them all a hard pruning last year as they had had nothing done for a few years so few or no olives this year. When I am there full time it will be a pleasure to do it myself.

Enel have done some pruning!

2009-11-08T14:36:00.002+01:00

Enel have visited us and with their chain saw have cut back lots of trees near us. Unfortunately they dont clean up after, hopefully this will not be a fire risk. However there is lots of wood(oak) for those with wood burning stoves. If its still on the ground next year I will out there with my chain saw!

Nerves of Steel

2009-11-06T17:14:00.003+01:00

We have just got back from visiting the house if it can be described as such. There is a lot of steel now inside holding up the structure. Now I know where the money is going! We also had a meeting at the falegname whose work we saw. Real wooden shutters – lets hope when I receive his preventivo(quote) I can afford them! The first of many retaining walls is being put in place now.The builders have also decided to use an alternative access route. The only problem is that this is not asphalted and has become very muddy… I have to call my neighbour to apologise.

Wet Weather Stops Play

2009-11-02T16:46:00.001+01:00

It looks like the weather this week will slow down progress. I will be taking boots with me on thursday as I will be needing them to have a look round as there will be a lot of mud. We are seeing on thursday the Kitchen people, the carpenter for the wood shutters outside and the architect and impiantista to confirm where we want all the plug and light switches. So I wll post again at the weekend with more news and some photos.

Did the earth move for you?

2009-10-27T22:39:00.001+01:00

My neighbbour called yesterday (I thought to complain about the builders) but no.. that was a relief. My neighbours wanted my view on putting gates on the private road which leads to our houses… I will have to think about it i am not so sure (apart from being on a severe budget at the moment). However she also mentioned that the builders have started moving the earth to create the parking area, new terrace and swimming pool. Cant wait to see how things are going but will have to wait until next week….. I will then post some photos. Lets hope the weather holds.

Thoughts on a new colour for the house

2009-10-18T22:37:00.002+02:00

We took this picture on one of our many visits to the Comune. We are looking back toward the house from Castelnuovo Magra. You can see the house with our neighbours a little to the left and below(terracotta) and our other neighbour above us and to the left(cream). We are thinking of painting our house a darker colour so that it doesnt standout so much. Maybe a dark mushroom/taupe colour. The house would then blend in with the background more. Also we will be putting some dark wooden shutters on some of the windows.These will not only be decorative but will also keep the summer sun out if required.

Aspirations to be Green!

2009-10-17T22:36:00.001+02:00

When I was looking for a property I was interested in buying a relatively new house rather than an old property. I wanted to create a modern home in Italy. Most expats want to buy a piece of history and restore it. I have done this with some friends in Tuscany www.fontelunga.com but now I wanted to do something a little different for myself. By buying a modern property I had more scope for doing something a little bit different and at the same time not being constrained too much by history but only the bureaucrats!
The problems with renovating a 70s’ house you become aware of when you open it up like any property. You realise that the methods of construction during these times were a little slap dash to say the least. Little or no foundations no insulation the use of asbestos etc. The much older houses were probably better built or at least they had thick walls.
We are removing some old asbestos water tanks in the roof. – the cost is expensive and as they are not broken I could leave them there but probably better and I feel better with them not there. I just have to make sure they are disposed of correctly. As we are digging up the old floors to put in foundations we can now insulate them properly and at the same time we will insulate the roof. We are putting in under floor heating with photovoltaic panels to use the suns energy to provide the electricity for use in the house and solar panels for heating the water for the underfloor heating and domestic use. We are also using air heat pumps which are economical in their use of electricty. These are also useful in that they can be used to cool the water and therefore cool the house as well by keeping the floor cool. The larger windows mean we have to use glass that reduces energy and heat loss/gain in the winter and summer. The frames themselves will also be insulated. Use of blinds in the house will also reduce energy gain in the summer.
Water is a problem for us as we rely on a well. We will be conserving water wherever possible using rainwater in the loos and washing machine and for irrigating the garden and also by encouraging our guests to use less! Trying to be green has to be a passion as its expensive, I can understand people thinking twice before doing it. But inspite of the higher upfront cost our energy consumption should be low.

Progress? The house has not fallen down!

2009-10-16T22:33:00.002+02:00

Just got back. We had a meeting with the Electricians and Plumbers today.. so they are now appointed and we can move forward! The builders will be happy. The house has not fallen down and I am told it is a lot safer now as they have filled in some of the holes and started to put in a cordolo (foundations) . Also there are a few more metal beams around the place holding things up! The space inside is beginning to come together and we are beginning to see how the spaces/rooms will look. Next week they hope to start earth moving so lets hope the weather stays good and the rate of construction remains at a good pace. Next week we will meet the falegname, who we hope to use to do the wooden shutters on the house and pergola in the garden.

Progress?

2009-10-15T22:32:00.002+02:00

Tomorrow I hope to appoint the Idraulico and elettricista who will be working on the house. The electrics quote doesnt seem too bad, and the quote for the photovoltaic panels has come in less than I thought (the only one!) and that helps. It seems trying to be green and help the environment is expensive and I am not suprised few people are doing it at the moment.
It is the same as using rain water in the bathrooms you need double the number of pipes! I must be mad but it should be worth it in the end. I will be going to the house again to see it is still standing so i will post tomorrow and hope to have more pictures of what remains of the house.

The house has not fallen down!

2009-10-10T22:27:00.001+02:00

We visited the house on Friday. Well that despcription could not apply now! They have discovered that the back of the house is built on rock and the front on soil with little foundations if any. So that explains the cracks in the old house. Well now we have to put new foundations in as well as strengthening the first floor. It would be less expensive to knock the whole thing down and start again maybe we should let it fall down. It reminds me of a film called The Money Pit a storey of the restoration of an old house which I think ended up bankrupting the owners…. I hope not!

Progress…

2009-09-30T22:25:00.001+02:00

Well after a long day we are back. We spent an hour wandering round the house or whats left of it, if any more holes are made in it I am sure it will fall down. They have already put some scaffolding in to shore up one ceiling.(see pictures). The old pine trees are down which has improved the view from the house but in addition has also drawn more attention to the dead trees on my neighbours property. I will have to have a word with them and ask if we can have them taken down. They are gradually falling down mostly on my side of the fence with each storm! The work is progessing inside so much so that we need the [lumbers now to put the pipes down inside unfortunately we havent apponted one yet as they seem slow in doing the quotes! The only one we have is way over the top on cost.Tipical.Anyway you cannot rush things in itlay!

Havent posted for a while

2009-09-25T22:21:00.001+02:00

I havent posted for a while. I am going to see progress on the house on wednesday next week. Unfortunately depsite the continued dry weather they havent started the earth moving. I know when they are ready to start it will rain! Its always the case. They are however still getting on with the work inside.
I will post new photos when I have them

The progress even if it still all demolotion!

2009-09-17T22:18:00.002+02:00

Work on the project is continuing. They have taken up the floors and dug down inside the house to see if the foundations need redoing. Only in part thank goodness. As that will be a small saving!
I have also received a quotation for the fotovoltaic panels and electrician. These seem ok … I say ok they are less than forecast and having said that I have asked what is not incuded there is always something! Next week I will go down and take some more photos! Cant wait to see the progress even if it still all demolotion!

Still a nice view

2009-09-17T22:12:00.001+02:00

I think I was getting carried away with the view but actually it is Corsica and not Sardinia. I think Elba is obscured by a hill we have in the way. But which ever it is it is still a nice view

At last August is over!

2009-09-15T20:30:00.002+02:00

After a long August break work has started again on the house … and hopefully in earnest now after almost two months without much happening. We have had to sort out the problems with access by road for the lorries and cement trucks, to do so the builder had to present two insurance policies to the council for the existing and future damage which we may cause. These have been presented and will of course have a cost impact( to be discussed). Unfortunately they will not allow the heavy trucks to take away the soil we need to move for the pool and garage so we will have to use smaller trucks which will cost more as well. I hope we dont have too wet an autumn so that work can move ahead without further delay and get it finished…..
There i some good news.. they have started cladding the concrete retaining walls with stone, the builder says they look good, we will see next week. I hope to post some new photos next week.

The view

2009-09-10T22:00:00.001+02:00

The view from what will be the dining room and breakfast terrace towards Forte di Marmi. On a clear day it is possible to see Sardegna! Obviously not today.
This is the view from the first floor. Once the old pines are cut down and an Olive tree moved it will also be the view from the ground floor. We will be replacing the pines with some old olive trees which will become the focal point of the garden obviously not taking anything from the view!
As you can see the work has started. There is still a lot of demolition to do. But they are off to a good start. As ever they have discovered that the old building was not built very well(1970s’) and as a result we have to strengthen the entire first floor, otherwise we risk guest ending up on the ground fllor if they are not careful tipical!

Olive groves and woodland

2009-09-09T21:58:00.001+02:00

The house backs onto Olive groves and woodland which forms part of the Parco Apuane. There are lovely walks from the house. There is much evidence of wild boar and the other day we suprised a young one on the track from the house. I know our neighbour who is above us has problems with them digging up his garden and so he is fencing a large part of it off. Tomorrow I will post photos of the progress.

Work has started

2009-08-30T21:56:00.001+02:00

Work has started on the house. The windows ,doors and blinds have been removed and some walls. I will try and go down and take some pictures to post on the site to update everyone on the progress!

No turning back now

2009-08-23T21:56:00.002+02:00

Sun setting over Castelnuovomagra yesterday evening. The photo was taken just before we went to dinner at our local restuarant – Rizieri.
The buidlers are going in on Monday… there is no turning back now!

Very hot and very dry

2009-08-21T18:54:00.001+02:00

We arrived at the house this afternoon. It is very hot and very dry. The last time we were here it had rained a few days before. The okd well is dry. Just as well we have our reserve tanks for our last week end here before work starts. They will have to get the new bore hoel working if they want water for the building work.

A major face lift…

2009-08-20T18:53:00.001+02:00

Tomorrow we will spend our last weekend at the house beofre building work commences. We will remove all remaining furniture, which is not much. A couple of fold up beds , a small fridge and a hot plate. We have been spending every other week end there since we bought it 2 years ago. Such luxury in two years you can see how the house has deteriorated without any maintenance. Now it will undergo a major face lift…

The Melangrano suite

2009-08-16T18:52:00.001+02:00

One of our guest rooms is to be called the Melangrano Suite. We have a tree in the garden which we will unfortunately loose once the building work begins. But we will replant another. The accent colour of the room will be a pink/orange. We will have printed on cnavas some photos of Melangrano and I have some Melangrano sculpted from Cararra marble which i will use in this room.

Beautiful sunset

2009-08-14T18:51:00.001+02:00

I have spent the last 2 days at the house. The first day I cleared the grounds around the house, so that the builders when they start will be able to see where they are at more easily. There is a lot of wild fennel thyme and sage. The smell was very evocative. There were some figs ready for eating though the main crop is still not ready. Early the second morning I cleared some of the regrowth in the olive grove. There is no hot water so I have been showering in a makeshift shower outside, hopefully my neighbours were not watching! The weather has been perfect. The sunsets beautiful can wait to be there…

Few days before work starts

2009-08-11T18:49:00.002+02:00

I am going for the weekend to our house to enjoy a few days before work starts. I will cut some of the grass in the Olive grove with a strimmer and take some photos of the existing road to the house. My neighbours want me to put the road back into the condition it is in now if the lorrys do any damage. They will of course and I will too. But better to have a record of how it is now to avoid arguments.

Back to the olive grove. This year there will not be many olives as we did a big cut back this spring and they are looking a little sad. But the wild flowers amongst the trees are lovely. I hope to bring back some figs. We have 3 trees all settembrini and we have already had a lot from the initial june crop hopefully we will not loose them with the building work. Two will definately have to be cut back the third we may loose but hopefuly not.

Pomegranate

2009-08-10T18:47:00.001+02:00

We have just got back from a weekend at our home in Castelnuovo Magra. The weather was great and we spent 2 days at the beach. We also signed the contract with the Construction company for the building work and they will start 1st September….at last. I took the picture of the Melangrano (Pomegranate) in the garden at 6 in the morning. You can see Castenuovo Magra in the background.

We also in the evening went into Sarzana for cocktails and dinner. Here during august they have every evening an antiques fair from 6 until midnight. The town is buzzing.

Good news

2009-08-10T18:46:00.001+02:00

We have just received some good news – my bank has accepted me for a mortgage last week which meant that finally we could go ahead and sign the contract with the builders so that they can start as soon as the holidays finish here . Hooray… we opened a bottle of frizzantino from our local winery in Castelnuovo magra (Lunae)to celebrate!!!

Our web site

2009-08-05T18:46:00.001+02:00

Giacomo has designed our website for us and has this weekend linked our website to our blog. Thank you Giacomo!

Cannot wait to be there permanently

2009-08-05T11:13:00.001+02:00

We have had some friends to stay for a couple of days Marco and Kerstin and they left today. It was great to catch up with Marco and meet h is friend. We had a great time. I hope to be able to invite them to our new home soon!!!!! Carmelo and I will be going to La spezia for the weekend. It is very basic as there is no gas so only cold water and no kitchen so we cook on a single electric hob or on the BBQ and basically camp there. But it is fantastic cannot wait to be there permanently.

More about our proposed B&B

2009-07-31T10:00:00.001+02:00

Hi there, I thought I would tell you some more about our proposed B&B. we have designed it so there are 3 suites. Each has a living room bedroom and ensuite bathroom with bath and seperate shower. The rooms are a good size and each has its own music system and Ipod dock. Each room has some private space, two with direct access to the garden and the other with access to a balcony. The names of the suite are Melangrano (Pomegranite) , Fico d’India and Neroli (bitter orange) the colour and the room themes will follow from the names.

Modern and light but energy efficient

2009-07-30T11:05:00.003+02:00

This is how the house will look after works have been completed. Modern and light but energy efficient.

Not much new

2009-07-30T11:05:00.002+02:00

Well there is not much new to add to my blog. We are still waiting to hear from the Bank regarding the mortgage. Once we have recieved the ok I can authorise the start of work. If we dont recieive it I have decided to sell the property and do something else as life is to short …….. but I am hopeful

Sign the contract

2009-07-24T11:04:00.001+02:00

Well today is really hot in Tuscany and half of Italy has already gone on holiday and the other half is getting ready to go. The bank has still to confirm my mortgage. I should hear in a couple of weeks hopefully holdiays permitting. The form has gone off to the revenue though and we have now got planning permission. So as soon as the bank says yes i can sign the contract. We are keeping our fingers crossed!!

So a short delay is not too much of a problem

2009-07-21T11:04:00.001+02:00

Hi there, well the week could have started a little better. We should have received plannng permission on Monday but it is still not ready. Maybe thursday. It is not a disaster as I am waiting to hear regarding a mortgage from my bank which I would like to know about prior to signing the building contract. We wouldnt want a house half finished due to not having enough money. Also in order to claim tax back on the building restoration work my accountant needs to send off a declaration prior starting work to the tax man, I learnt yesterday that this had not yet been done. So a short delay is not too much of a problem. In addition to this I learnt last week that my registering as resident at the house last year had not been processed, a year after I had been in the town hall to do it. It had been sitting on an officials desk somewhere or under a pile of papers. So i had to visit the town hall to sort it out.

My future home

2009-07-18T11:03:00.001+02:00

Sunday and its sunny again after the big storm we had yesterday I am currently at work in Tuscany but my mind is thinking of my future home. We have in the grounds of Casa Colleverde 3 fig trees. Two of which have already produced some lovely ripe fruit. So much so that I have had to make some jam. We also have an old olive grove which had not been looked after for many years. The trees we have had pruned for the first time in a long while, more like massacred, and they are looking little sorry for themselves. I will eventually do this for myself. We have 100 trees but it will be a few years before they start producing any significant crop. We hope to use the old stone mill down on the aurelia towards Sarzana to produce our own organic oil.

The building contracts

2009-07-17T11:02:00.001+02:00

To get to the stage where we are ready to start building work has taken 18 months so far. The designng planning and administration takes a long time in Italy and after a while it begins to wear you down. You have to persevere and have a lot of patience and think of things how they will be in the end. The eventual aim is to have a home where we can provide to our guests something special. They will have a beautiful room with great facilities. They will have on their doorstep beautiful surroundings and lots to see and do and I hope they will enjoy the food and company and leave wanting to come back.

We hope to be able to be as ‘green’ and energy efficent as we can. We will recycle water and refuse. We will be installing photovoltaic panels and solar panels. We will be using rain water collection in the house and garden. We will be using organic produce where possible. All this and hopefully much more
In the next couple of weeks we should be signing the building contracts and then our adventure will be begin in earnest.

The first post

2009-07-16T10:17:00.002+02:00

Welcome to the blog of Casa Colleverde a bed and breakfast in the Liguria Levant in the Colline del Sole the province of La Spezia
The house and website are in the course of being built and we hope you will follow our progess and visit our site and eventually our home.
Our progress you will be able to follow here.