The Outside Bathroom and Its Demise
Our outside bathroom Italy adventure was a reminder that old houses have a way of showing you just how modern our modern conveniences really are. When you walk through an old Italian house and find a bathroom neatly incorporated into the interior, with proper plumbing disappearing invisibly into floors and walls, somebody probably paid for […]
The Bread Oven Saga, Part 3: Hopefully, the Last One
Restoring our old Italian bread oven involved limestone, brickwork, vintage ceramic wiring, a melted electrical box, and one final visit from the Blue Monster.
The Bread Oven Saga Part 2: 15% Knowledge, 85% Hold My Beer
From Boat Ramps to Bread Ovens: A Percentile Philosophy A couple of years ago, our life revolved around boating adventures. I was the navigator, the trailer-back-upper, and, apparently, the family’s resident magician when it came to backing the boat down ramps without making it look like an amateur YouTube blooper. Dana, ever the cheerleader, once […]
Mission Impossible: Activating Utilities in Our Newly Bought Italian Fixer-Upper
Italian Fixer-Upper Utilities: The Phone Fiasco Our Italian fixer-upper utilities adventure started with something that should have been simple: acquiring a phone number, which, as it turns out, is as crucial as an espresso machine in an Italian household. You might think snagging a SIM card is no biggie, right? Wrong again! An Italian phone […]
Kitchen Remodel: Part Ground Zero
Spoiler Alert: My Romantic Vision of an Italian Kitchen Was a Lie Our Italian kitchen remodel started with the realization that almost everything I had romanticized about Italian kitchens was wrong. Picture this: a massive island with double ovens, shiny stainless-steel appliances, and open shelves filled with olive oil bottles and fresh herbs. I mean, […]
Our Epic Gazebo Saga: From Online Debacle to Tree Rescue
When we bought the house in Abruzzo, it wasn’t just the charm of the old stone walls or the caves and cellars beneath it that sold us, it was the view. From the rooftop terrace, we get an unbeatable panorama: endless vineyards rolling across the countryside, rugged mountains that change colors with the seasons, ancient […]
Thinking Ahead: The Adventure of Relocating Our Kitchen (and the Bread Oven Saga) Part 1
When we first started discussing the relocation of our Italian kitchen, the vision was clear, at least in some ways. We knew what we wanted: a functional, beautiful space that could meet all our cooking needs and, more importantly, a space that would accommodate something very special, a bread oven. Dana’s love for making bread […]
Our Italian Home Renovation: Dust, Drama, and a Dash of Chaos
There’s nothing quite like the thrill of a home renovation project in Italy. The views are breathtaking, the culture is inspiring, and then… reality hits. The first time we returned to our Italian house to start serious work, we were ready for the challenge. What we weren’t ready for was having neither power nor water! […]
The Art of Italian Living: A Journey of Gates, Garages, and Good Food
Life in an Italian village has a rhythm of its own, woven into everything from transforming your home and navigating Italian bureaucracy to simply sitting down and enjoying a meal. Recently, we embarked on a property renovation project, starting with our front gates, which had seen far better days. This journey led us not only […]
Restoring the Breath of History
Our Limestone Wall Project Our historic limestone wall restoration was one of the first mojor projects we tackled at our old house in Italy, along the wall leading to the garage, cellar, and barn. The Significance of Limestone When we first encountered the front wall of our new home, it was covered in a layer […]