A Rainy Day


 
Tonight, there was a big thunder storm. Directly above our house... at least it sounded like it. And it sounded like in a bad sound study, too loud, too much echo, unreal - but still scary! Lot's of lightening. Power failure included at some point. And lots of rain and wind from Northeast.

Usually these summer storms are heavy and short. But even now, 2 pm in the afternoon, the sky is still grey and temperature low. And laundry has to dry inside, as raindrops keep falling...

It is good for nature, it was not raining here for many weeks. They say, it has not rained since May! And I am spending a cosy and relaxed (even more relaxed than usual) day at home.

The flowers (above) are from CC, who cannot sit still at home like me, so he went to the fruit and veggie vendor. Oh, and they are not for me, they are for his mamma, to be cooked for lunch. They are zucchini blossoms and will be fried in a pan. It's an appetizer, called  fior di zucchine.

So, while CC and Angelo had to discover the countryside, I spent time with our son, playing, painting, reading, browsing the Internet, and blogging (while CC is on a mission, I can use his laptop).

I rediscovered some of my interior books, like "Italian Living", which unfortunately is not available via Amazon anymore. But I found "Italian Rustic" instead, which seems quiet interesting if you are renovating a home. No matter if in Italy or in the US, the Italian craftsmen techniques seem well explained to DIY.

I added the book to my blogroll as well as the "Bergamotto di Calabria" (Eau de Toilette) by Aqua di Parma. I am sure you can get it cheaper somewhere else than via Amazon. And maybe you prefer the other scents of the Blue Mediterraneo line better, at least they all have great names (great marketing): Mandorlo di Sicilia, Fico di Amalfi, Arancia di Capri (getting hungry?), Mirto di Panarea and last but not least Bergamotto di Calabria - a typical product of Calabria. All these scents sound and smell like sunshine and holiday! - I also love bergamotte marmalade, and latte di mandorla (almond milk), and onions from Tropea (but not as a scent!) - Mmmh, it is still raining...

I also finished a book, that I cannot recommend. In German it's called "Ein Haus in Italien" and in English "A Valley in Italy" (by Lisa St. Aubin). I bought it as I was interested in reading another house renovation story in Italy. The author is a strange woman, who for sure can write, but among others, she needs two "au pair" girls for her six year old son and a housekeeper who prepares his school bag in the morning... waste of time to say more about her attitude (if interested, read the low rated reviews on amazon). But more disappointing than her lack of parenting for me was that the lack of description of the renovation project. It was large a large project, since it was a big palazzo with almost three times more windows that we had to do. But she does not only once say something about her flooring, wall colors, tiles, how they choose a kitchen, or where she found bathroom equipment. At the end she builds a small chicken house. The only thing she seems to have been creatively involved. - Well, time for me to write about my project! ;-)

Oh, yes, I published a book already! I forgot to mention. And it is about our renovation, 2006-2012. And it was dedicated to Angelo, and his birthday present. More about it another day, promised.

Buongiorno di Pizzo

We are here, in Bella Pizzo, already in our second week, and I have not posted anything here on the blog yet. It is more a technical issue. First I could not connect to the Internet. And even with my mobile phone I constantly lost network in our house with many one meter thick walls.

Until one sunny afternoon, when the Irish gentleman, who is Pizzitano since many years and chances to meet him in one of the bars in the piazza are good, told me that almost every bar in the piazza has wifi, and he knows all the different passwords from "franco62" to "iloveicecream".

Maybe I should sit in the piazza and write a post on the iPad... But what about photos? For me a post needs at least one nice photo. May I invite you to check our pics and posts on FB at www.facebook.com/PalazzoPizzo instead.

But what's up in Pizzo? Or our house?

Not sure where to start. For the insiders who spent here last summer, I would say, the pizzeria La Ruota, after 8 month of closure, has reopened at the Marina and Sasa La Divina is singing again in piazza every Wednesday night. (I still wonder if she is a twin sister or brother of our electrician.)

Since La Ruota was closed on the piazza, because the whole palazzo is under renovation (will we see another nice hotel?), the restaurant at the corner, Le Castelane, started offering pizza too, and is doing well.

Next to the gelateria and Bar Ercole, a prodotti tipici shop has opened. Le Chicche di Calabria has a few cute tables on the piazza where you can eat different (cold) specialities of Calabria, salami, cheese, sweets and of course taste wine.... Last night the triple grappa was too much for me...

Angelo still comes every morning to our house. First he fixed a window, then he lent me his Bosch sander. When he does not appear until 10am I already worry he might have felt off his Vespa... Yesterday, he bought new material to fix again part of the vaulted stone ceiling in our residence. Today he repainted a bathroom wall. We have some walls where the paint comes off again. In some areas it seems humidity with unknown source, in other areas it seems just a material problem.

My first days here, I was occupied with vacuum cleaning, grinding garden chairs, and painting those. While vacuum cleaning, I discovered a lake of water below one sofa. I thought of a broken tube... But it was condense water "only"! We thought of acquiring a "deumificatore".

My garden chair project took several days, because I only could work on the balcony as long as there was shadow - I've got a sunburn after my first visit to the beach. I thought I could sunbath like the Italians, and additionally did NOT use my 50+ suncream...

Now, my tiny chair project is accomplished, my skin feels better and I can go to the beach again.

Another big project however, is on hold: Pizzo harbor. The wind blows fine dust on our balconies and through the windows from the deserted sandy dessert around the unfinished harbor basin below the house. The new major wants to continue the project, but people say the commune has no money left.

Finding: La Torta Belvedere tastes differently this summer. Maybe my gustatory sense has changed, maybe the recipe - unfortunately. Although, it makes the decision easier: tartuffo!

Recently, our neighbour has painted a wall connecting our houses in the same color, almost same color, as our facade. And I did not notice!

Sunday evening, I was invited to celebrate my neighbour's (another neighbour, and friend) birthday with a BBQ on the beach at the Marinella. Beside a few Italians, some originally from the North, I met an interesting international group of English, Irish, Dutch and American - all very nice people, and all in love with Pizzo.

Today, the tapissiere passed by to have a look at our chairs and sofa. We explained what we want and he gave us a price. Since he is busy and we expect friends, we decided to only let him work on the upholstery after our holiday.

After lunch, when we were thinking of a pisolino, two window makers arrived with a zanzariera, a moskito net frame for one of our windows.

Tonight, we plan to have dinner with my inlaws and a friend from Rome at San Domenico restaurant. It was our favorite last year. Looking forward! :-)





Gianluca Callipo is the new mayor of Pizzo

Two weeks ago, Pizzo has elected its new sindaco, mayor Gianluca Callipo. This young man, who turns 30 next month, and his team  achieved an impressive victory with over 56% of all votes. - Congratulations!!!

With his campaign "tocca a te" ("it's your turn"), and a "play button" icon symbolizing it's now time to push forward unfinished projects, he was able to win most Pizzitani.

After studying his program and website, I discovered the beautiful little trailer of  "mettiamoci al lavoro" (let's start the work), an artwork itself. Francesca Procopio, a photographer from Pizzo, walks like a fairy through the old town and along its beaches, making drawings, photographs and notes. I wonder why the abandoned movie house Cinema Mela was featured? Is Gianluca having a dream? A revival plan like in "Cinema Paradiso", the award winning nostalgic movie that is one of his favorites, according to his facebook profile?


> watch the beautiful trailer for the Gianluca Sindaco campaign

You should know, in Pizzo, some good projects are blocked, paused, unfinished - unfortunately, as it seems so typical for the South of Italy.

I took these pictures from Gianluca's program to visualize just three of his subjects:

Pizzo is tired to wait - let's restart: the famous paused ascensore, elevator 

It is on hold since 20? or 30 years! The elevator is supposed to connect the upper historic center with the lower marina and its sea side promenade. It is ready to open, but never did. 

Pizzo does not want anymore uncompleted projects - see original harbor project plans

I don't know, if this project below our house is on hold due to money problems. I only know that there is a lawsuit (initiated by our neighbour) to stop the excavations of the blue grotto. But the harbour project and the lungomare could be continued without the realisation of the grotto access, I guess.

Pizzo wants to change - STOP modern ugly dense housing projects


Another "piccolo" subject, probably too small to be mentioned in a political program, however, we and our neighbours are interested in, is the repair of the small alleys in the historic center. Some areas have so many holes that you would need an off-road-car. Since a couple of years the commune has promised to restore the alleys. But the tight financial situation always had been an excuse that nothing had happened. - I hope, it is covered by the general target to take care of the historic town center.

We are looking forward to Gianluca and his team of ambitious politicians to start working on the targets they have been voted for. So many Pizzitani have faith and hope in the new sindaco. We too.

If we would have been able to vote, we probably would have voted for Gianluca Callipo too. Since we sourced all our bathroom equipment and tiles from Callipo in Vibo Valentia, I guess, we already indirectly have supported him  ; ) 


Photo Source:
Programma di Governo (government program) and Gianluca Callipo website and blog:
Gianluca Callipo blog