Mechanical aspects in our 300 year old temporary home…Many photos include new homemade pizza recipe using local ingredients…

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This paper towel holder is a dowel, a piece of string tied in loops on the ends to be hung on any available hook. Simple and clever.

Today is a full three weeks we’ve been living in a charming 300-year-old stone house, nestled in the mountains among a cluster of other attached homes built centuries ago, into the exquisitely forested and farmed hills and valleys of Boveglio in the Province of Lucca, Tuscany, Italy.

It’s at about this time, as we’ve become more settled, that we wander about our vacation rentals with a more keen eye observing its quirks and nuances, some of which may be a violation of code in the US and other countries which we find to be unique and interesting. 

More cloth wiring in the kitchen with exposed bulbs over the sink.
The electrical wiring throughout the house is all exposed, using cloth as opposed to the conduit most of us are familiar with as a code requirement in the US and other countries.  We doubt that building/code compliance inspectors travel around inspecting all of these centuries-old properties.
As shown above, in the kitchen, the main source of lighting is these two fixtures over the kitchen table, encased in glass globes. Energy-efficient as the “curly” energy-efficient bulbs we’d used in the US, this particular style takes approximately five minutes to light up the area which can be a little tricky at night.
As the designated cook (Tom’s the dishwasher), I’ve had the most difficultly operating the stove. It’s a newer “made-to-look old” range and oven and there’s nothing wrong with it. 
This hanging plant is used to hide an electrical outlet.
It’s the same a stove type we used in Belize; gas without an automatic pilot.  One has to hold in a button while pushing in the dial to ignite the oven or burner. It sounds easy, but the trick is in the amount of time one has to hold in the button and the dial to keep the burner ignited.  Let go of one too soon and gas is free-flowing without ignition.
I know it’s not rocket science nor does it require an inordinate amount of skill.  For some odd reason, I struggle with this, trying desperately to figure it out on the own without having to ask Tom.  Stubborn, I guess.  On occasion, even he, Mr. Coordinated, has trouble with this.  In several instances, we’ve had to stop, open the screen-less window wide waiting for the gas to clear to later begin again.
These cloth wires are above the small shower and near the sink in the large main bath.
Two things here to notice: One, this is Tom is he’s walking down the long hallway for which he obviously has to duck. Yes, he’s banged his head many times getting me into the habit of saying, “Don’t bang your head!” as he walks to the bedroom.  Two, this is Tom desperately needs a haircut. We’ve yet to find an available barber in any of the villages we’ve visited. His last haircut was in March in Belize for which we wrote a post with photos. Ponytail or shave?  Which will it be?
This doorway to the main bathroom was cut to fit the frame, also low, requiring that I also duck when entering or leaving. 
Another head ducking/banging doorway to a guest bedroom.
Earlier, we’d posted a different photo of access to the patio from the stone stairway. These stone steps, continue down a full flight, making this the most hazardous spot in the house. Although this patio is our new sunning spot and only place to hang laundry outdoors, we spot each other each time we hike up there. No happy hour is to be had on this patio! 
This is an old, now unused wood burning stove (we think unused) in the long hallway.
The uneven multiple steps in the long hallway along with the variety of low ceilings, present an ongoing challenge for both of us. Tom is roughly four inches taller than I am creating a much more hazardous situation for him.
The heating elements for the radiators are behind this hanging curtains in the long hallway. Hmmm….

Also, there are two uneven steps from the hallway into the master bedroom.  We’ve both adopted a habit of reaching around to the wall on the right of the doorway to turn on the overhead light.  This process reminds us of the two steps.

This meter, most likely electrical, is in the interior hallway by the front door.

During daylight hours, we leave the hallway light on all day (the only light that remains on) as a reminder to tread carefully through the areas of steps. At night, we bring our mugs filled with ice water to leave at each of our nightstands and also use the en suite bathroom to avoid the long walk down the hall.

Tom was washing dishes one night while I tended to the laundry. Hearing this box, turn off and on rapidly startled me. I ran upstairs to ask Tom when he told me it an “on-demand” hot water heater. I’d heard of these in the US, but never heard one of them in operation.  In any case, most systems are energy efficient here in Italy.
Also, during the day, we keep the bedroom door, the screen-less windows and shutters closed. These two steps keep the bedroom cool for sleeping and more importantly, keeps the flying insects from flying around our heads at night. 

In our old lives, if our dishwasher or dryer broke down, we’d be in a tizzy for days until an overpriced repairman arrived with a fix.  Now, we chuckle as we hang the wash outside, do dishes by hand, swat flies and bees flying indoors all day, cook food in batches (as opposed to leftovers) with no microwave and look down while bending our heads when we walk around the house.

This green plastic hose could be anything. 
This week, we’ll cook all the remaining frozen meats so we can defrost the tiny freezer before we go grocery shop again.  At this point, the buildup of ice is occupying a third of the space. I can’t recall the last time we defrosted a freezer.
This carved from the stone area inside the main door entry may be the water or gas meter.
 Much to our mutual delight, neither of us complains or whines to each other.  We observe, discovering solutions, and adapt accordingly.  All of these minor inconveniences become a part of the experience, a part of our personal growth as we strive to adapt, and a part of the story we’ll someday tell to anyone who’ll listen, in English, please.
Last night’s yet to be baked homemade low carb, gluten-free, grain-free, starch-free, and sugar-free pizza made with “real” mozzarella (often referred to as buffalo mozzarella in the US) and locally grown ingredients.  The stringiness factor was tripled from the pizza we’d made in the past using “manufactured” bagged shredded mozzarella which we hope to never use again. It was our best pizza ever! I’d cut double the ingredients in order to make another freshly made pizza for tonight with no microwave for reheating. Nothing like two nights of freshly made pizza!

Date night at the pub…Photos..Great website for downloading movies and TV…Adapting our pizza recipe for Italy…

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As we walked to the pub, we found new roads to explore.
The neat trim look of many of the homes caught our eye.

There’s no doubt that our social life is lacking in Tuscany. Located in a tiny village at the peak of the mountains of the region of Lucca, we are far removed from contact with English speaking residents and tourists. With few tourist activities within a two-hour drive, we’ve resigned ourselves that making new friends while in Boveglio is unlikely.

For a week, an American mom and her two adult daughters were our neighbors, but with only a one week stay, they crammed in as much sightseeing as possible, attended a cooking class, drove to Pescia taking a train to Florence (which is on our to-do list sometime soon). 

Chatting with them only a few times between their activities, they were wishing they had more time to relax and enjoy the scenery here in Boveglio. They, too, dined in most nights except when they were in Florence, due to the distances to drive to restaurants and the winding road back up the mountain at night.

This was one steep road to walk down, but back up was more challenging.

We’d hoped that stopping at the local pub, Bar Ferrari, a short walk in the neighborhood which we described last week in a post, would give us an opportunity to meet English speaking people, whether local or tourist.

It’s unfortunate that homeowners have to find other areas to park their cars, especially when it snows in the winter.

Arriving at Bar Ferrari last evening at 5:00 pm, we thought that happy hour may begin at 5:00 pm as is common in the US, to later discover that we were wrong. Happy hour apparently begins at 6:00 pm.

Two lookalike cats live here often hovering around the entrance to the home.
With the loud Italian soap opera playing loudly on the TV in the bar, we decided our visit, although pleasant, with the great prices and the extraordinary view, we decided to head home to make dinner, rather than hang around. 
Of course, no more than two minutes after we walked out the door, we noticed a group of people entering the bar.  Maybe with a crowd, the owner would turn off the TV so people could chat among themselves. We never found out. Most likely, we return another night at 6:00 pm to give it another try.
It appears that narrow tractors and trucks can make their way to home to deliver wood and building materials.

In any case, the walk to and from was enjoyable as usual, both of us getting a good share of exercise especially on the return walk.

Another simple but clean looking entrance.

Are we bored with one another? Hardly. But, we’re both social animals and love to meet new people, making what has proved to be lifelong friends along the way, as we did with our wonderful friends in Belize and people we met on our cruises, many of whom we’ve continued to stay in touch with via email.

Tom had an Italian beer. I had the “fizzy” water. Can you believe the price for two drinks at Euro $1.50, US $1.95?  We were the only patrons in the bar. Next Friday, we’ll arrive a little later and perhaps meet some of the locals who were arriving as we left. No food we’d be interested in was served in the bar.

In reality, the issue is more the language barrier than a lack of people around to meet. We adore Lisa and Luca and her parents, Cicci and Dano. Without the language barrier, I’m certain we’d have spent time together building lasting relationships.

Tom enjoyed his beer while I particularly liked the bubbly water. It may be a possible replacement for me when we’re out of our Crystal Light ice tea sometime in the next few weeks.

Although Tom has some reservations about our upcoming three months in Kenya, we’ll be living in a gated community with ample opportunity to socialize. Plus, Kenya, primarily, is an English speaking country is our next stop from there three months later, in South Africa.

Tonight, we plan to drive down a very steep road to this area which includes the larger church bell tower to hear it chime as it does only on Saturday evening, at varying times around 5:00 to 6:00 pm.

I wish I had started learning to speak Italian some time ago, but that wouldn’t have helped Tom. Its conversation with others we’d enjoy and if I could speak it and translate for Tom it still would be awkward and cumbersome.

The road at the bottom on the steep incline that we’ll explore later today.

The next time we’ll be faced with a language issue will be when we arrive in Madeira, Portugal next May for two and a half months where, of course, they speak Portuguese. At least here in Italy with my ability to read and understand French, I can translate most road signs, restaurant menus, and other written notices in part since there are many similarities in the two languages.
 Flowers are in full bloom this time of year in Tuscany.
It was funny when I was negotiating the cleaning job with Santina, I kept responding using French words. My brain was searching for a response and the French language was all I could come up with. I’d studied French for four years in high school. Ironically, it’s all coming back to me now.
Zooming in for a better look from the vantage point of the pub’s patio.
It would make sense for the homeowners to use their tractors to get from the few parking lots to their homes, especially in inclement weather.
While sitting on the patio in the bar we were swarmed by flying things, including, noticed by us for the first time, mosquitoes that were on a feeding frenzy on my bare arms. Several bites later we left.
The house attached to the bar. As we enjoyed our drinks on the patio, the owner had the TV blaring inside while he was watching an Italian soap opera.
Our evenings at “home” are enjoyable for us, friends or no friends. Recently, we signed up again to Graboid, the online download center for TV shows and movies, highly rated by BBB and numerous publications. For $19.95 a month, we can download unlimited shows and movies.
 FYI: Graboid offers a free one month trial period during which one can download and watch several recent movies and TV shows.  We are not associated with Graboid in any manner, other than as a customer paying the monthly $19.95).
It’s difficult to determine which homes are occupied.  None of the homes have window screens or screen doors. Any wide open window or door in a rundown building doesn’t necessarily translate to a vacant property.
More beautiful flowers filling the air with heady scents.

It’s easy to use. If you try it and have difficulty, their customer service is impeccable or, if you’d like to, feel free to contact me on Facebook for instructions.

While in Scottsdale in November and December, we’d signed up for Graboid enabling us to download many movies and TV series to our external hard drive primarily with the intent of watching what we’d saved on the quiet evenings while in Africa, where we’ll have no TV at all. (Here, we can only watch  BBC News and CNBC to stay abreast of what’s transpiring in the world).

One of the few relatively level narrow roads to home, a welcomed relief.

Unfortunately, the Internet signal was weak in Scottsdale requiring us to download the shows during the night with many movies taking several hours to download. Now, we can download most movies in less than a half-hour.

We cannot use Graboid with our portable MiFi. The service doesn’t allow download of videos due to the extensive bandwidth requirements. With the better signal here in the house, we’ve been fortunate to be able to add to our repertoire of shows for Africa, while watching some episodes of our favorite TV shows at night which include:  Dexter and The Borgias. 

Each night we’ve watched one episode of each of these shows, entertaining us for a full two hours. Having missed the last few seasons of each of these, we expect to continue to catch up over the next several weeks.

Having paid little attention to movies in the theatre over the last several years, we’ll look up movies on IMBD, read the synopsis and the reviews to determine if it is a genre appealing to us before taking time to download it.

This house didn’t seem occupied. We wondered how long it may have been vacant.
In old lives, our cable bill was $234 a month.  Paying $19.95 a month for Graboid is a far cry.  Whether using one of our two laptops or our portable HD projector, we enjoy this quiet time to get outside of our heads and become wrapped up in more mindless drivel for a period of time in our day.
Not every moment of world travel is filled with wonder and life changing events. Many hours are spent in the routine and mundane activities that most of us have incorporated into our daily lives. Fortunately, for us, we both enjoy the “routine” and “the mundane” with the same fervor that we enjoy the unique and enriching.
Thus, tonight, we’re having yet another repeat of our homemade pizza, which we haven’t had since Belize almost three months ago  Making our low carb, sugar-free, starch-free, grain-free recipe in Italy was surprisingly a challenge. 
There is no such thing at the grocery stores we visited as “grated or chunk US-style mozzarella cheese” that we always used for the top. Also, there is no such thing as cheddar cheese that we always used for the crust. The mozzarella cheese we purchased is the damp big balls of mozzarella.
I drained the balls on paper towels, replacing the towels every 15 minutes over two hours, resulting in the balls firming up. Then, I was able to cut them into slices to place atop the pizza crust I’d made using highly flavored provolone cheese.
We were fortunate to find a chemical-free, low carb, sugar-free, gluten-free red pasta sauce for the pizza, Italian sausage, fresh mushrooms, organic onions, and the best green olives we’ve ever had, topping the pizza with all of these after we’d precooked the crust and, precooked and drained the sausage slicing it into bite-sized pieces. (The sausages came tied together with string. Love it)!
An overlook from one of the few parking areas.
 We’ll see how it comes out tonight while we have a “movie night” with pizza.  It’s odd to experience replacing “processed” items with “the real deal” requiring a bit of adaptation in the preparation. I’m anticipating that making pizza this “new” way, will be our method in the future, wherever we may be.
Happy day and evening to all.

A breathe of fresh air…A most entertaining conversation…A hurried road trip…

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The chaos at the grocery store in Pescia inspired us to avoid shopping again on a Friday, obviously a busy day. It was surprising that these little villages have enough population to attract this crowd.  The cashiers sit while checking out customers and there’s a charge for carts (Euro $1.00) and for each plastic grocery bag (Euro $.05).

Yesterday afternoon, as we watched the movie, Zero Dark Thirty on my laptop I was startled when I heard the door buzzer. A funny thought entered my mind, “Gee, it’s a holiday! Who’d be at the door unannounced on a holiday?” Yeah, right! No 4th of July holiday here in Tuscany!

Tom, who is hard of hearing after 42 years on the railroad, doesn’t hear the buzzer. Together, we dashed down the stone steps to the door, surprised to find Lisa’s parents, Cicci and Dano, and another woman at the door, none of whom speak English.

Knowing we were in for a challenge with the language barrier we were in a quandary as to their visit. As it turned out, Luca had sent me an email while we were watching the movie to tell me they were planning to stop by to visit which I had failed to read.

On our way back through Collodi from shopping in Pescia, maneuvering two roundabouts, we began the steep climb back up the mountain to Boveglio, a 30- minute drive with many hairpin turns and guardrail free narrow roads. From what we can determine online this mansion is the Villa Garzoni.

A few days ago, I’d asked Luca if they had a feather duster so we could clean the house. Instead, they brought Santina, the local cleaning lady! OK. We can deal with this.

A half-hour of convoluted conversation commenced, discussing the days of the week she’ll come clean, the number of hours she’ll clean each week, the tasks she’ll complete, and the pay in Euros. 

After lots of arms waving around, my fumbled attempt at the translation of Italian, more head-nodding, we came to an “understanding.” (By the way, Tom went back upstairs after the first 15 minutes, bored and confused). 

Santina started cleaning today continuing to do so every Friday morning for our remaining eight weeks in Boveglio. For two hours, she’ll clean the entire house, (excluding the laundry) for a price of Euro $16, US $20.85, per week. We couldn’t be more delighted to have been able to arrange for her help.

Again, nodding and many “grazie(s)” later they finally left. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face, grateful for the freedom of not having to wash the stone floors and dust the zillions of shelves, ledges, windowsills, bookcases, and tabletops that are everywhere in this 300-year-old house. The price? Couldn’t be better! The conversation?  Priceless! I had the time of my life.

Next, our challenge was to clean up before the cleaning lady comes, a habit I had acquired years ago, preferring that the cleaning lady wouldn’t have the responsibility of dealing with our clutter.

After watching the remainder of the movie, we ran around de-cluttering, a task Tom found pointless which I thoroughly enjoyed, knowing the unpleasant cleaning part would soon be done by Santina.

One might think…”They’re spoiled. Two retired people that won’t clean.” The reality, for years I had a medical condition that made heavy cleaning impossible and now feeling well, we still each have to deal with our bad right shoulders which we tend to favor for fear of worsening the condition. 

Having help is well worth the Euro $16, US $20.85, for the sake of saving the wear and tear on the shoulders from scrubbing stone floors. Before we know it, we’ll be packing, once again on the move hauling the heavy luggage.

Using Google Translate, I typed a note to Santina when she arrived promptly at 10:00 am, explaining that we were leaving to get change and groceries and would be back before she’d be finished at noon. Also, I made a list of what we’d like cleaned in general terms: floors, dusting, make the bed, clean bathrooms, etc.

The closest bank is in Collodi, next door to the smaller of the two grocery stores where we’ve shopped. With the half-hour drive on the zigzag mountain road, we’d have an hour to do our shopping and return. 

Tom dropped me at the grocery store while he ran into the bank, getting stuck in the tiny revolving electronic security tube. If it had been me, I’d have panicked in the tiny tube. Tom merely became frustrated while he figured out a means of getting out with no instructions in English. 

Apparently, his RFID wallet set off the metal detector in the tube. Finally, he figured out how to get out. Then, the non-English speaker banker handed him large bills rather than the smaller bills he needed.

By the time he found me in the grocery store, his patience was worn thin. Unable to find a few grocery items, he insisted we go to the larger store in Pescia and leave what I’d already placed in the tiny basket. 

Time was marching on. The store in Pescia was another 10 minutes away. I suggested we pay for the items already in the cart and then head to Pescia, reducing our time finding these same items again. He agreed. Then we were stuck in line behind a woman whose credit card wouldn’t go through. Another seven or eight minutes ticked away.

It was important for us to be back in time to pay Santina. Tom and I are both sensitive to being on time and in keeping our word.  There was no way in the world we’d fail to return in time if we could help it.

By the time we reached the grocery store in Pescia, it was 11:08. When Tom couldn’t find a parking spot he dropped me off at the door. Not wanting to take time to pay a Euro for a grocery cart, I entered the store looking for the handheld baskets provided at no charge.  Not a one was in sight. I decided to carry what we needed until Tom showed. 

My arms filled with grocery items and still no basket in sight, Tom appeared immediately cognizant of my dilemma, taking off to find a basket. Running helter-skelter around the store, we gathered up the items we needed to begin a 10-minute wait in line. We’d never make it back on time. 

On the road again, he was determined to maneuver the winding hairpin turns as fast as possible. Gripping the sides of my seat, I held on for dear life desperately trying to keep my mouth shut. He’s a good driver. I only commented a few times, reminding him that our lives were more important than an impatient car behind us or being five minutes late to get back to Santina with the Euros.

At precisely, noon, we pulled into the parking spot near our house, grabbed the grocery bags to find Santina coming down the steps, her hands filled with her load of cleaning supplies and equipment. It was obvious she was excited to show us what she’d done.

The stone floors were still wet when we returned.  We were grateful for Santina’s commitment to clean every Friday.

Walking from room to room, me at her side, she rattled on in Italian on what she’d done, obviously proud of her work. Over and over I said, “molto bello” (very nice) and grazie (thank you). She was pleased. I was more than pleased. 

The stone floors, some still wet from her vigorous washing, looked better than we’d imagined they could. The shelves were now dust free and a freshness permeated the air. What a relief to know that we don’t have this stone cleaning task facing us each week!

The floor in the long hallway had already dried but looked perfect.  We couldn’t have been more pleased with Santina’s hard work.

Rushing around today we had little time for photos. We’ll be back tomorrow with more photos and the story of our Friday night “out on the town” at a new location.

It’s time to get out of my bathing suit to dress for the evening. Clouds rolled in over what had been started out as a clear sky only minutes after we’d attempted our one hour of sunning in our new chaise lounges on the patio. Tomorrow’s another day.

Supplies needed to carry on…More sacrifices…Happy 4th of July everyone in the US!…

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Sorry folks, no photos today except this one I’d failed to post when we visited Petra, Jordan in May 2013. 

Staying inside all day today due to rainy weather, we felt lazy, as one may feel on a holiday, watching downloaded movies. Tomorrow, with sunshine predicted, we’ll have more to share.  We hope that our readers in the US have enjoyed the 4th of July. 

Last week I found this photo from when we walked to Petra in May. I’d saved in the wrong location realizing it was never posted (to the best of my knowledge). These steps were much steeper than appearing in this photo.  To see this horse gingerly tackle them in the scorching heat was both heartbreaking and awe inspiring. 

Planning ahead is never far from our thoughts. 

Prescriptions, medical supplies, toiletries, office supplies, batteries for digital equipment, copies of travel documents must be replaced along with any other items that pop into our heads as we continue to use what we have on hand.

Many expat travelers such as ourselves choose to live in large cities with easy access to most of these items.  For us, having chosen to live in more remote areas, we must plan in advance. 

With less than two months until we leave for Africa, we’ve begun to evaluate what we may need for the nine months we’ll live between Kenya, South Africa and Morocco.

Early this morning, I found myself counting malaria pills to determine if we are short.  While still in the US, I’d ordered enough to last for our almost six-month while in Kenya and South Africa. While in Belize, we ended up booking almost three more months in Morocco. 

Today, looking online at the CDC’s website it appears there’s no known risk of malaria in Morocco, leaving us with the correct number of pills we’ll need for Kenya and South Africa, one per day for each of us for the almost six months.

However, with our current prescriptions scheduled to run out in October, we find it necessary to order enough for another year. Receiving mail in Africa in the remote areas we’ll reside in Kenya and South Africa is sketchy at best. 

Early next week, we’ll place our order online hoping to receive the package well in advance of leaving here.  Although, now not covered by insurance, the prices for our prescriptions are reasonable.

While in Dubai, I had no alternative but to use one of the two Z-Pak antibiotic prescriptions we had on hand while I was ill with a raging sinus infection as a result of an awful flu we both contracted on the Middle East cruise from Barcelona to Dubai.  Hoping to replace the used prescription, I am requesting one five day dose online. 

The weight of our bags, at this point continues to be a major concern. Learning from experience these past eight months, overstocking in a poor strategy.  But remaining mindful of crucial items we know we’ll need is a vital part of our everyday lives.

So far in our travels, we hauled a supply of Crystal Light ice tea, our daily  beverage of choice. Although the pitcher sized packets are lightweight, including a 100 packet three month supply adds an extra two to three pounds. Plus, with the product unavailable in Italy, we’d have no alternative but to have it shipped, incurring international shipping fees.

A few days ago, we both made a commitment to give up Crystal Light ice tea entirely, unless by chance we find it to be available at any local grocery stores where we’re living at any given time, purchasing only enough to use, not to carry.

Giving up the insulated mug of ice tea that I’ve carried everywhere for years, will not be easy.  Is it an addiction? I suppose there are some who may feel that anything we “have to have” may be construed as an addiction. 

With the ice tea 99% caffeine free, surely it must be more of a habit than an addiction. It doesn’t matter what we call it.  We have to stop drinking it.  The weaning process began a few days ago, diluting it by 30% until our current supply is gone in the next few weeks.

Tom’s powdered creamer is another item we’ve been unable to find. We recently considered buying it online, but there again it would result in more to pack.   While shopping last week, we purchased three possible alternatives, three liquid creamers used for latte here in Italy, a very common beverage.   

Much to our surprise, the liquid creamer had an acceptable taste, a product we will no doubt be able to find at our future destinations. I prefer real cream, but with few preservatives used in Italy (and many other countries) it tends to spoil in about five days. 

Interestingly, many foods spoil quickly here, including deli meats and cheeses, again made without nitrates and other preservatives. This fact is pleasing for one’s health, but requires rethinking storage of these perishable items. The freezer, although small, serves that purpose for most products.

Surprisingly, vegetables also spoil quickly here leaving us to wonder what spray chemical products, the local Italian farmers are NOT using on their produce. 

Shopping for two weeks in advance as we’ve done here thus far, requires we eat all the fresh produce as quickly as possible. Soon, the vegetables in the gardens in our yard will be ready to pick, eliminating a portion of this issue over the summer.

All of our luggage is currently atop a bed in a  guest room, except for the items we’d placed in cupboards and drawers. Each day, I peruse through the items, considering which items I am willing to let go. 

In the past several days, I’ve eliminated no less than five pounds.  Minus the ice tea, we’ll be down approximately eight pounds. This process must continue. We’re highly motivated to board our upcoming flight to Africa on September 2nd without paying any excess baggage fees.

Saying goodbye to stuff?  For us, it’s been a process. After a lifetime of stuff, surrounded by stuff, replacing stuff, trips to Costco, stockpiling stuff and surrounding ourselves with stuff we like, love and treasure, it definitely has been a challenge. 

At this point, it’s only practicality and function that drives our sense of attachment to an item(s). No longer do I look at an item of clothing with a smile, looking forward to wearing it again. Those days are long gone.

Above all, its the sacrifices we’ve chosen to make for the opportunity to travel the world are many. We find ourselves instead, loving the views of Mother Nature’s rich treasures, the smells that freely represent a culture, the tastes of the local foods, the sounds of the languages unfamiliar to our ears, the music so passionately represented by its citizens and most of all the people, none of which we’ll be required to place in our bags. 

These, we’ll carry in our hearts and minds forever.

Part 2…It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood…Too many photos for one post…See yesterday for Part 1…New chaise lounges…

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Our new chaise lounges on our patio. Later in the day the sun will  be in a better position for sunning. Grazie, Lisa and Luca!

Before we continue with the story of our exploring walk in the neighborhood, I wanted to express how grateful we are to Lisa and Luca, the property owners of our home in Boveglio. They have bent over backwards to ensure our visit is everything we’d expected and more.

 A few days ago, we posted the photo of the cemetery at the church where the larger clock tower is located.  Here again, from another perspective. We had walked for quite some time on the hilly narrow roads but surprisingly we weren’t very far away as the crow flies.  For example, it took us almost 40 minutes to get to Pescia last week but in fact, its a mere 11 miles from Boveglio.

Yesterday, I asked Luca by email (which he translates to Italian) if they had two chaise lounge chairs we could us on our own patio as opposed to those at the far end of the property enclosed in a small patio that has a tremendous amount of bees and wasps. 

Many restaurants, bars and shop’s hour are different than in the US, many taking long breaks during midday.  This little pub apparently, only closes for lunch, then ending its day at 7:00 PM, perfect for the happy hour crowd, if there is a crowd.

The blooming flowers, which are lovely to see and smell attract the bees, making our hour of sunning less enjoyable, especially for me, more allergic than Tom. 

The BAR Ferrari, the local pub we stumbled across on our extensive walk in the neighborhood.  The bar was located in the “square” a miniature version of various “squares” we walked in Venice, most certainly nothing like St. Mark’s.

Inside the house, we’ve exercised caution without screens in keeping the flying stinging insects at bay as much as possible. Of course, we have multiple EpiPens with us in the event either of us is stung.

Soon, we’ll visit this bar at happy hour.  It didn’t appear that they carry Tom’s preferred beverage of choice, Courvoisier but most assuredly, he’ll find an alternative, if only a beer.

The view of our familiar church and clock tower from the veranda at the pub.  lose and yet far away.

 How exciting it is that we now have a local pub we can frequent, as long as Tom can make it back up the hills to our home, with a few cocktails under his belt.

Leaving the square, we began our climb back up, trying in vain, to find a less strenuous path for one of those nights after happy hour at the pub.

The hour of sunning a few times a week provides us with a healthy dose of Vitamin D and a bit of color with no sunburn. Plus, under normal circumstances, its fun to lay out, chatting away, reading our books on our Kindle apps on our smart phones.

Trying this path proved to be a dead end after a steep climb on irregular stone steps.  Back down we went, to try again.

This morning, while Tom slept in (an oddity), I heard the doorbell buzz at 9:00 am.  There stood Lisa’s parents at the door, each holding a brand new chaise lounge, price tags still attached.  Not only had they honored our request but they purchased new chaises.

Leave it to Tom to notice the build up of creosote in this chimney.  I’m checking out the flowers and design and he’s looking at maintenance issues. 

After many nods and numerous “grazie,” I placed the chairs inside, anxious to show Tom. Immediately, I ran to my computer to write to Lisa and Luca, thanking them for the chairs, saying “old” would have been fine but “new” was more than we could have asked. Could they be more thoughtful? Their kindness enriches our time in Boveglio.

Tom was the first to notice this pretty entrance which is actually an operating hotel.
These steps were more steep than they appear in this photo.  Puff! Pant! Puff! Pant!
Zooming in and looking up, we realized we had a lot more climbing ahead of us to get back. We walked up many steps to get to this inclining ramp.
We neared the ramp by climbing many steep steps.
Once again, we were on level ground for a few minutes.
More steps up and into a tunnel.
All of a sudden, another shrine appeared with a tub of two faucets running constantly with what appeared to be clean water, used by the residents.
What appeared to be fresh running water at the shrine, collecting in this large basin.
We came across this tall narrow house.  Can you imagine the steps inside this property? Its no wonder Italians appear so slim and fit!
Another tucked away shrine.
Another old carving of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus.

As we worked our way between the houses on the narrow walkways, we realized there was much more yet to discover which we’ll save for another day.With plenty of groceries to last through next week and the weather perfect at 80 degrees, the lavender beginning to bloom, we have literally no desire to go anywhere. 

This house looks free standing but it’s attached to other houses.

The $850 a month rental car sits unused in the parking lot assigned to the residents. I guess that’s all a part of “living” for periods of time in new and interesting locals. 

 The walkways although old and worn in spots are clean and well maintained.  Its evident that homeowners take pride in their neighborhood.

When we “lived” in our old lives, we didn’t go sightseeing every week (or ever for that matter), we paid for car payments, insurance, maintenance while our cars sat idly in our driveway on days off. 

This ramp was awkward to maneuver.  One must continually look down when walking to avoid falling on the uneven walkways.

We enjoyed our time at home, with or without visits from family and friends, doing what we loved to do, whatever that may have been at the moment. 

As we were nearing the far end of our yard, Tom looked for an access point without success, hoping to discover a shortcut.

One might argue, “Well, you won’t be in Italy forever. Better see it while you’re there.” That’s true and we’ve seen so much more so far than we’d have seen if we’d been on a two week vacation. And, we’ll see more soon, and we promise to share it all here.

The flag hanging on the veranda reminded us that the US holiday, the 4th of July, is tomorrow.  It will be the first time in either of our lives that we won’t be celebrating: no family and friends visiting, no flags, no flag cake, no long weekend, no barbecue, no big bowls of an array of salads, no water balloons and no fireworks.

We hope your summer day is warm, sunny and peaceful and that tomorrow, on the 4th of July (for those in the US), have a safe and enjoyable holiday!

Part 1…It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood…Too many photos for one post…Part 2 tomorrow…

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It’s interesting how so many periods of our lives are relived by music. This morning while contemplating writing this story, this song became an ‘earworm” spinning in my head.

The beginning of the steep walk downhill toward new discovery points in the neighborhood on a finally warm and sunny day.

Yesterday, after we’d already written the post for the day, it was time for me to go on my strenuous walk in the neighborhood to get my exercise. I had only branched out so far with my trepidation about getting lost in the maze of roads and narrow passageways between the houses that appear to go on forever.

With the interesting narrow walkways, the walk stays interesting and fresh each time we enter on the way down the steep climb.

Reminding Tom of my lack of sense of direction, he did a hefty “harrumph!” saying, “Wait, I’ll get my shoes.” 

A familiar spot that assures us we’re going in the correct direction.
As we approached the second parking area that Tom and I discovered after I’d shown him the first I’d found on my own days earlier, without getting lost.

With a sheepish grin on my face, having accomplished my goal without nagging, we marched out the door with vigor on the first really warm morning in a week.

On one of my previous exercise walks last week, I reminded myself of our last dog, Willie.  When exploring in our leash-free neighborhood, he’d travel far down the road, stop and contemplate before he took another step with a look on his face that said, “Will I find my way home?” That was me last week. 

It’s evident that the owners of this house have taken special care of an appealing well-kept exterior.  Obviously, the stone lasts for centuries.

It’s ironic, isn’t it, us dog lovers often become like our dogs, rather than them becoming like us? 

Often beads, vines, or ropes are used in the doorway of the front entrances, most likely for privacy during the day with an inner door to lock at night.

I had yet to show Tom the overlooking the parking area I’d found deep within the maze of houses. I proudly stomped along, mostly downhill, with pride in the fact that I could remember how to get there. I was hoping he’d say “good girl” (or “good dog”) when we arrived, but giving praise doesn’t come easy for Tom.I shrugged it off.

The view above us from the level parking deck I’d discovered a few days ago, which was as far as I’d ventured on my own, fearful of getting lost in the maze of narrow passageways.  With Tom’s excellent sense of direction, continuing on was easy.

As we neared the edge of the level overlook parking lot, we heard the clucking of chickens in a yard next to the driveway.  Not wanting to snoop in a private yard, we were unable to get a photo, but the sound was music to our ears.

With all of the houses attached to one another, the various doors are the focal point of interest to define the differences, some modern and well-kept and others worn and in ill repair, not unlike homes in many neighborhoods.

Before traveling to Tuscany, I had this vision in my head of chickens clucking, down the narrow roads, freely on their own. Much to my disappointment, we’ve yet to see this occurrence, instead finding chickens walking unencumbered in their pens, pecking on morsels on the ground, and clucking away merrily. 

Are doors such as this blocked off due to being unoccupied, or are the homeowners blocking off additional access to their house for other reasons, i.e., security, privacy, etc.?

After leaving the overlook parking lot, we continued on to new territory, up and down endless narrow, hilly pathways, huffing and puffing, discovering squeal-worthy sights along the way. (Having increased my fitness level and Tom having quit smoking when he retired, the huffing and puffing are less than expected). It couldn’t have been more delightful.

Notice the year this house was built above the door.

Little did we know the treasures that Boveglio has tucked away as one goes where only tiny cars maneuver as well as the surefooted curiosity seekers, such as ourselves.

Short tunnels such as this are common, often leading to one or more private homes.

Suddenly, we found ourselves in an open “square” or courtyard, even with a tall statue of whom, we weren’t sure. Nonetheless, we shot the photo. The accompanying carved marble slab was hard to read to translate.

Turning to our right, we saw the first open business, we’ve stumbled across in Boveglio, a tiny bar, open early in the morning with nary at guest on a bar stool.  Tomorrow, we’ll post photos of the little bar, empty except for the pleasant owner, when we arrived around noon.

As we entered the newly discovered square, the houses inside each were unique and mysterious.  How interesting it would be to see the inside!
Some of the houses appear to have French décor.
Over a week ago, we had a problem with the automatic email messages going out to some of our readers, those who prefer to receive the auto email messages to the blog embedded, as opposed to clicking on a bookmark they’ve made or finding the blog as they read it by entering the web address.
Our website designer discovered it was due to the size of the blog being too large on any given day. Blogger allows 512 MB per day, and we’ve often used almost 600 MB. Thus, by reducing the number of photos or text on any one day’s post, we can avoid this occurrence in the future.
 The statue we found in the center of the square.
If you’d prefer to receive the email as opposed to clicking on your own bookmark or typing in the web address at  www.worldwidewaftage.com, you can easily sign up on the right side of the newest daily post. It’s only a few steps. Your email is not used for any other purpose. If you do so, you’ll receive the latest post overnight of the day I posted it online.
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The inscription on the side of the statue was difficult to decipher.  It appears that the year was 1923.  The bottom, more readable portion translates: “Glorious heroes, your name be blessed forever from the children does not degenerate beautiful home with your blood Bedenta”
Receiving the email is an easy way to receive the post allowing you to save them in your inbox if you so desire to easily read them when you have time. All prior posts from the first post in March 2012 are listed online on the right side of the latest post by selecting Past Post or Archives.
If you have specific questions, feel free to comment at the bottom of each post. I will respond to inquiries within 24 hours at most, provided we are able to be online. If your question is of a personal nature, feel free to email me at:  jessicablyman@gmail.com
Tom was particularly attracted to this entrance.
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Thanks for reading, sharing your stories, posting comments, and joining us each day on our journey to see as much of the world as we can.

Feeling a little guilty…Though not too much…More photos tomorrow…

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Today, on an exploring and invigorating walk, we found ourselves closer to the larger of the two clock towers, for a better view of the cemetery on the grounds of the church.

Sunday started out cool and sunny.  As the day progressed a warmth blanketed the area finally making it possible for us to lounge on the veranda without wearing excess clothing.  It’s been a week of cool, cloudy weather.

At noon, while outside preparing to make another video of the second clock tower, the one outside our bedroom window, Lisa, Luca and a friend appeared precisely at the moment as the tower was to begin its rhythmic 12 clangs, which we’d hope to catch for the video.  Their appearance interrupted the 12 clangs occurring only once during daylight hours (or not).

Our enchanting neighborhood, far removed from neighborhoods in the US and many other countries.  Our temporary home is next door to the clock tower in the upper right.  It was fun to see it from this vantage point.

Our goal was to post it yesterday, as we ultimately did unfortunately with less clangs, along with the louder and church bell tower that we’d first posted. 

After a series of several gracious “buon giourno” (good day) and a few fleeting “come stai?” (how are you?), they explained in Italian that they were here for the day to work on the gardens and the expansive yard.  We smiled, vigorously nodding in understanding.

This is no easy job.  With most of the yard consisting of a series of steep terraces, mowing and trimming is quite the daunting task.  Our rental contract clearly stated, we wouldn’t be responsible for any tasks other than cleaning up after ourselves on the interior of the house, sorting the garbage for recycling and doing our own sheets and laundry.

This view of the yard is from our kitchen window. When we arrived, this plant holder was filled with blooming flowers attracting tons of bees.  Both of us allergic to bees, plus with no screens on the windows as a safety precaution Tom moved the window box to the patio where the herb garden is located.  This allows us to enjoy having the kitchen window open, weather providing, although a few horse flies and bees made an appearance.

The stone floors stay clean with a sweeping every few days; the kitchen and bathrooms, we clean as we go; and soon, we’ll dust everything in sight which surprisingly collects minimal dust. We wash the limited supply of bath and kitchen towels every three days; sheets, once a week and our clothing as needed. That’s it. 

There’s no fixing, no repairing, no hardware store to visit returning with an array of little plastic bags filled with items we may never use that remain in the basement on a shelf to be discovered years later. Without any guilt-inducing tasks to be accomplished, nagging in one’s mind, life has taken on a new meaning. 

We don’t walk by the dotted paint spill on the stone floor and think, “Oh, when will we ever get that cleaned up?” Or, “When will we replace the broken lock on the guest room door?” How about never?

On Sunday, as we lounged on the veranda overlooking the gorgeous yard, the occasional sound of the weed whacker whirring, the shuffling of the broom as it swept at the hands of the ambitious homeowners, for a moment, only a moment, a wave of guilt washed over me. “Shouldn’t we be helping?”

Another view of the manicured grounds that extend far down the hill toward the road near the church.

No, we shouldn’t. It’s the way of our lives now. OPM, often referred to in business, as “other people’s money” now refers to “other people’s maintenance” in our lives. We like that. We like that a lot.

By 5:00 pm on Sunday, the three of them left, the grounds trim and deftly manicured to maintain the lush and green foliage enhanced by the recent rains.

The birds were singing their harmonious songs, the bells clanged periodically in their inconsistent manner while we had only to contemplate the preparation of yet another pleasant homemade dinner, most of which was already chopped and diced earlier this morning.  Washing dishes follow, to be left to dry overnight. 

More than the scenery. More than the historic buildings. More than the upfront experience of seeing that which we only read about in history books. More than the anticipation of the next adventure, s the simplicity.

The simplicity of these days, this summer, this place, this life.

Bells ringing…Embarrassing confession…Videos

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Here is our video from last night of the clock tower slightly beyond our yard:
Confession: This is embarrassing for a purported technology nerd such as me…the above is one of only two videos I have ever taken and posted on this site.
Put me in front of any digital or electronic gadget, including computers, and I can figure it out in minutes, often avoiding the necessity of reading instructions. Many people do the same thing!
In my “old life,” I despised taking photos and never had any interest in taking the time to learn to take a decent photo due in part to a missing piece in my brain (my only assessment, which perhaps was a rationalization for “lack of interest”). It’s similar to the missing piece regarding “sense of direction,” of which I have none. 
Of course, taking videos fell into that same category as taking photos: I never took them, never wanted to take them, never learned to edit them, and never learned to upload them to any website subsequently, Facebook included.
Another apparent reason, my discomfort while attempting to take this video, is evidenced by my inability to hold the camera steady. I can learn this, and we do have a small tripod.
Our first Saturday here in Boveglio, at precisely 5:16 pm and again at 6:00 pm, we ran to the veranda to hear and see these bells ring for five minutes each time. Not anticipating we had enough time to get them and record this occurrence, we missed the opportunity. 
Yesterday, to record the bell clanging, we set the alarm for 5:10 pm on my phone to alert us that soon the bells would be ringing and being prepared this time, camera in hand, set to video with the sound enabled. I’d posted yesterday’s blog only moments earlier when the Internet had finally returned an hour earlier.
With the alarm yet to ring, the bells started at precisely 5:00 pm. What??? What about 5:16? Nope, the bells began to ring this particular Saturday at 5:00 pm. 
The moment we heard the untimely loud clanging, I dashed for the camera, turned it on, set it to video, and checked the sound while Tom unlocked the old wooden veranda door, and we were off of the second bedroom that leads to the veranda. 
Keep in mind getting from the living room to the veranda is quite a hike, with multiple uneven steps on the stone floor of the hallway. Plus, there are low ceilings in spots. If not careful, one can bang their head on the way, which both of us have done on several occasions.
By the time we were standing on the veranda, me with camera in hand, yes, my hand was shaking, not so much from nervousness, but rather from little time to prepare myself to take my second video ever mentally. After all, when one has little skill, it seems to help to take a deep breath, concentrate and fire away. With time for neither of those two, this was the result.
Then, the worse part began. I tried to upload the video here on our blog for several minutes. When it wouldn’t download on Blogger or Facebook, in the back of my mind, I knew the file was too large to upload. Looking at my Windows 8 computer, I found no program that would reduce the size, nor would I want to pay for an external program.
For the heck of it, I also tried to upload it to YouTube to no avail, with it showing as “stuck” and unable to load due to its large size. Now, after 6:00 pm, I’d yet to begin making dinner, hoping to be able to dine by 7:00 pm. Frustrated, I decided to leave it for Sunday morning (today). I made dinner; we ate; we watched another episode of The Bible and the second half of a 48-hour video rental, with only 24 hours left to go, The Silver Linings Playbook (quite entertaining!).
This morning I was at it again, bound and determined to upload the video after figuring out how to re-size it.
My favorite spot to visit for free software uploads is C/Net, which I’ve used for years. Here is the link to the free video converter software I downloaded this morning. 
Please remember that when downloading software from this reliable site: many of their downloads are free and noted as such. However, many allow a limited use to get users to buy it. 
We tend to choose the downloads that millions of other users have used, including good reviews that don’t show a price at installation or a button that says “BUY NOW.” In most cases, millions of users didn’t pay. Read the reviews for any “tricks” the developers may have instituted to get the user to pay.
The video converter software, Any Video Converter,  which I downloaded this morning, does not require payment now or in the future, from what I can tell. Still, it does ask if you want to upgrade to the more professional version. Don’t give a credit card or PayPal authorization unless you’re prepared to pay. Click the “x” at the top right of the screen to make that disappear. 
After only a few clicks (reading no instructions), I could easily convert the video to a smaller size, enabling me to post it on my Facebook page and here.
Now I feel more at ease posting a video occasionally, provided a solid wireless signal allows me to edit it for posting. Of course, I won’t start making videos of everything we see. 
I’ve got a long way to go before I become a reasonably good videographer, and I still have miles to go (literally and figuratively) before I even get the photo-taking pinned down!

Internet’s been down all day until now…MiFi not working here…Cold, rainy day…

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Our own hotspot. On the right is our MiFi that we’ve rented from XCom Global providing us with high speed Internet connection worldwide.  Unfortunately, due to our current location in the mountains of Tuscany, we’re unable to get a good signal.

What a day!  When the wireless broadband went down last night we were worried. Our MiFi, unable to pick up a signal since we arrived in Boveglio, for which we continue to pay monthly rental fees, recently has been a source of frustration.

Sending it back to the company for the $79.00 shipping fees each way made no sense. We’ll need it again in 60 days plus, when we venture out from Boveglio and… if we get low enough in the mountains, we do receive a signal for use with our smartphones. This enables us full access to Google Maps while driving  and the Internet for points of interest and information on the areas we’re visiting. 

Most likely , we’ll be needing it again when we arrive in Kenya (where we’ll have a better connection. It’s the mountains impeding the signal in Tuscany). 

To further clarify for new readers, there are two ways we can connect to the Internet while living in our vacation homes worldwide:

1.  Through wireless broadband available at the property (a criteria for us in our travels) similar to what you are using to access the Internet from your home or office.

2.  Utilizing a MiFi, a wireless portable wireless credit card-sized device that we rent monthly.  We cannot purchase the unit due to the unique contracts that XCOM GLOBAL has arranged with Internet providers all over the world (in most countries) that provide the device with the signal, once we’ve charged it and turned it on to connect wirelessly with our laptops, smart phones, and other wireless devices.  It’s battery lasts approximately three hours and then must be charged again for another three hours.  We are able to use it while charging.

As we drove higher and higher into the mountains of Tuscany on June 16, 2013, we’d hoped we’d continue to receive a signal all the way up on the winding mountain roads.  About 25 minutes before arriving in Boveglio, we lost the signal, never to return. 

Thus, we’ve became dependent upon the wireless broadband available in our temporary home which the owners, Lisa and Luca. assured us would provide a good signal 24/7 during our stay.  Unfortunately, they have no control on outages experienced by the local provider in the region.

Apparently, last night around 11:00 PM, service to the general area experienced an outage. Awaking this morning we were disappointed to discover that there still was no service.  

Of course, we became worried, concerned that it could be a week or more until it was restored, as had been the case when the cable TV service went out just before we arrived leaving us with no TV until about a week ago.  There are only two English speaking programs available, Bloomberg TV and MSNBC, both news channels.  \With these two news channels we are able to be aware of what is transpiring in the US and worldwide, important as we travel to some high risk areas. 

We had no expectations of watching regular US programming while in many countries. For entertainment purposes, which we all need from time to time, when we want to wind down and relax, we’d downloaded a few hundred shows and movies on our “MY PASSPORT,” a two terabyte external hard drive, its shows to be saved for days like today…rainy, cold, windy, and no connection.

Some have asked, “Why do we need to be online so much of the time?”  There are several reasons for us:

1.  To be able to write and post this blog.
2.  To be able to maintain contact with family and friends via email and Skype at all times.
3.  To be able to maintain financial matters, all of which are available online:  banking, investing, credit cards, payments for future rentals and transportation, etc.
4.  To be able to receive and view our online “snail mail” from our mailing service.
5.  To be able to investigate further locations we hope to visit in the future.
6.  To book hotels and transportation getting us from place to place.
7.  Organizing and arranging maps and points of interest for our weekly excursions away from our temporary home.
8.  Look up medical questions, instructions, recipes and language translation.
9.  Download books to read.  (Once downloaded, no Internet connection is required).
10. Book reservations for restaurants.  Had we not done this for dining out last Saturday, we’d have been turned away at the restaurant, as we observed happening to other “walk-in” diners.
11.  Staying in touch with the property owners of upcoming rentals, asking questions, making future payments.
12. Entertainment.  When all else is said and done, playing with our computers is enjoyable: games, streaming radio and TV shows, watching movies, staying in touch  with family and friends via Facebook or, simply reading the wealth of information at our fingertips, keeping our brains active and hungering for more knowledge.

Yes, we prefer to be outdoors as much as possible on a warm days experiencing our surroundings.  But days like today, remind us how much we utilize this amazing tool,  the Internet, that honestly, without it we’d have had a lot less enthusiasm or interest in traveling the world. 

We often speak of how difficult and cumbersome arranging long term travel was for our ancestors.  How they ever managed is beyond us. 

Some travelers use travel agencies which are quickly becoming obsolete with the advent of the Internet growing worldwide. With the complexity of our travels, we definitely prefer to take responsibility for making our own arrangements, connecting all the dots along the way. (Although, we’ve used Joaquin at Vacations to Go for all of our cruises and will continue to do so). 

Also, travel agents don’t often handle the single family vacation homes we’ve been able to find and subsequently rent for our preferred periods of time.

How did we entertain ourselves today while “out of touch?”  We washed more laundry, finding covered spots in which to dry it considering the inclement weather.

We made a great breakfast of scrambled eggs with sautéed onions and Crimini mushrooms with Emmenthuler cheese and a side of Italian sausage and regular bacon which we were surprised to find at the grocery store in Pescia. Together, we chopped vegetables for tonight’s dinner.

We found a deck of cards and played “Gin” for several hours for the first time in many years. We’d forgotten the rules, playing anyway and it all came back to us.  We weren’t able to look up the rules online! I won.Tom forgot that he always won years ago. I’m a lousy loser.He’s worse.

Feeling frustrated for a lack of entertainment for Saturday night and not wanting to drive the winding roads that had many warning signs, “Slippery when wet,” we’d decided to stay in tonight. Preferring to save our downloaded books in the event it could be a long period without Internet, we hesitated to spend the entire evening reading.

For the first time since we left Scottsdale, Arizona at the end of December 2012, I plugged in My Passport, external hard drive, browsing to determine which shows and movies we might watch tonight. 

Actually, with no TV at all in Kenya, we’d hope to save all the downloaded videos to watch during the almost three months we’ll be living there. Ah, what the heck! Tonight would be the perfect night to watch a few!

Moments after plugging the device into my computer, I heard the familiar little sound of an arriving email.  “We’re back on!” I yelled out to Tom, causing him to be startled. Yes, we were back on.

Quickly, I sat down in this not-so-comfy kitchen chair and began typing away, anxious to let our readers that we’re still here. Some readers, who hadn’t received the automatic emails (which is now working again) assumed that we’d either fallen off the steep road while driving or we’d quit writing. 

I’ll promise this, dear readers… If we don’t write a word for two or more days, either we’re traveling (it takes two calendar days to arrive in Kenya), the Internet is down or something unfortunate has happened to us. In every case, we will post at the first opportunity, sharing the story and photos describing our absence.

“Consistency” is our middle name or, if you’d prefer the less braggadocios version…we’re rampant creatures of habit. We don’t expect that traveling the world will ever change that!

A day in the life…Laundry and language challenges…

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I’d expected to see more hanging laundry this morning, hoping to take photos.  But, it was early morning.  This was the only hanging item I found on my walk. Perhaps others have similar slow working front-loading washers with the first batch of the day still agitating.

It’s rather odd not to have a clothes dryer. Neither of us has hung clothes on a clothesline since the 1950s. We haven’t had access to a clothes dryer since we left the US in January 2013. 

Our small clothes “dryer.”

Who knew in our comfy lives in the US that a dryer was a hot commodity? I guess we always took it for granted. Today’s dilemma? With this small portable clothes drying rack, where do we hang the big sheets? This morning I ran around looking out the windows to see if a normal clothesline existed on the grounds.

Are the vine wires a clothesline option in the garden? Nope, too high to reach.

The only possibility of a clothesline that I could see were the bare wires hung in an area of the garden for growing vines, none of which were covered yet. Could we use those? Tom, insisting that we investigate before we assume the wires were acceptable for our use, we headed down the hilly walk to the garden. 

Harder to reach “wires” in the yard, again unsuitable for hanging clothes.

Walking around the yard, closest to the house, there was no clothesline to be found. The cables were too high to reach, leaving us stuck with the tiny rack or any possible railings. Having intended to wash two more loads today, my plans are dashed. Certainly, whatever spot we discover, won’t leave room for hanging addition wet laundry.

Early morning venture to the garden.  Cloudy day.

As we wandered around the world so far, we’ve observed that most people hang their laundry over window ledges, veranda railings, and across any appendages that may offer a holding place with sun, a breeze, or both.

As we walked to the garden we noticed these live vines over a doorway to another “attached house.  Tom grumbled, “You’d never catch me walking through those vines each time I went outside!”  I thought they were cute.

As we strive to adapt, we find ourselves in a quandary at times as to acceptable solutions (does it fit the local etiquette?) as well as practical solutions (does it work for us?). 

I took this unfamiliar walkway wondering what was on the other end.

At times, the answer seemed obvious, but we also ask, “Is this acceptable to the owner of the property?” After all, we are “renters,” a state of being neither of us has experienced in over 40 years, constantly striving to be considerate and careful with other people’s property.

With the front-loading washer it took over two hours to wash one load. The manual to the washer, of course, is in Italian. Making every effort to translate it using Google Translate, there appeared to be no shorter setting that produced a strong spin. 

This entrance appeared well maintained.

Our first few loads came out sopping wet before we translated the manual and figured out a spinning cycle. Not wanting to start over, it took two days for the items to dry. 

A moment later, I was walking on another narrow passageway. It was like a maze. Of course, I was concerned, I didn’t get lost which appears possible. I have no sense of direction, never have.  Tom’s good for that!

When we made our plans over a year ago I had fully intended to learn Italian using an online course I downloaded.  Time slipped away and it often does and I know only the minimum. In two months, we’ll leave Italy.  In a short time, I’ll have forgotten my desire to learn Italian, facing yet another language to fuss over. 

The entrances to many homes are particularly appealing to the eye.

Never staying in one location for more than three months, inspires me to let go of the angst over not learning a country’s language. Instead, we focus on doing the best we can to communicate while enjoying our time enmeshed in the culture and its people.

This was the view over the railing, tile rooftops, green valleys, clouds rolling in over the hills.

Soaping up a few paper towels I headed to the veranda washing the railing which wasn’t as dirty as I’d expected. It will be a good place to hang the sheets. It’s not sunny but it is breezy, accomplishing two of our laundry hanging criteria.  Oh good grief, there’s a plan for everything!

Looking down as I take each careful step hopefully prevents clumsy me from falling on the uneven stone walkways.  On the way back up, I have the momentum of the climb to aid in sure-footedness.

Taking a break from writing this today, I ventured out on my walk, snapping a few photos, greeting a few neighbors with a hearty “buon giorno,” hoping not to sound like a fool, puffing and panting, all the while. 

What a morning!  What a view!

Today, I traveled further than in the past and found several narrow roads I’d yet to explore, with a renewed enthusiasm to venture further and further each time as my ability to climb these hills improves.

Some property owners cordon off their lawns and patios for privacy.
Dog, “cane” on my return walk.  No leash laws in Tuscany.

After all, the road of exploration never ceases to amaze me and…never seems to end. Now, off we go to hang the sheets! See the photos below.

Impeding our view for the day, if we decide to sit outside in the cool weather we’ve had since Monday.  But, well worth using this railing for the hanging.  Clouds hovering above may put a “damper” on our sheet drying. 
Its a guy thing.  I suggested using the rain gutter.  Tom ran to get the hangers to avoid getting the sheets dirty.  Then, he moved the table and chairs to ensure the sheets didn’t touch the tabletop.