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I have to say that it has been about a week now since the workers were here, working on things in the condo and still more to be done. We are waiting for the leader of the band, who also is a plumber to finally get us a water heater for the bathroom, so we have an efficient source of hot water for more than a minute or two at time, especially taking a shower and when both of us have to go out now, no comment, we use more water, so that is expected, as well as the heat source, the radiators, which start to be used, at least a little, starting in November. Apparently, in this condo unit, heat is not a requirement until November, so for the winter months shall we say, but without them connected, it is only warm blankets. It does not get terribly cold here, but there is a chill in the air, especially at night, so we expect that piece to be done. Also, while necessary, the air conditioning units in the living room and bedroom, so that we can finally be done with the “big” stuff. Of course, other little things are still to be done, but almost two weeks here and we are functioning well.
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We have reached the 3rd week of October and have lived in our place since Saturday. We have had a couple of home cooked meals and things seem to be coming together. We did have a functioning bathroom and still do, only with cold water as our new hot water heater is not functioning, so for all of you homeowners, I now understand and feel your pain. We are supposed to have it replaced, given it is brand new and we expect that to happen today, so not too many delays. There have been worse. We are now sleeping in our bed, just not in the bedroom, but hope that happens by this weekend and our sleeper sofa, still under plastic was delivered yesterday. Until the bedroom is done, it will stay way, as Rosa and I have to design our living/dining room, finding a dining room table and chairs, a nice light/ceiling fan combination and other pieces. It will also be my office area, so somehow get a small desk, but we are home. We also had an important meeting with an immigration lawyer last week and he essentially said, we are on the right track, but a couple of pieces were missing, but also told Rosa, she must push past the initial “no” here, “no” there from the bureaucrats, as the bureaucrats don’t know the laws and ask to speak to the right people and not accept “no” for an answer. I should have had residency by now, as I am married to an Italian and I should not have to pay customs duty on my shipped items, when they are shipped, as I will have residency, but one step at a time. We hope to open an Italian bank account this week. The bad news, we had to cancel (or perhaps postpone) our trip to Poland, as the Schengen rules still apply. I can stay here, I can go back to America and as a resident, I can return here to Italy according to the lawyer, but anywhere else, right now until I get the appropriate documentation, I am still a prisoner here in Italy. The ramification of staying is that I also may have to start paying Italian taxes, but that is another matter for later when we speak to an accountant who can handle both sides of the pond. Baby steps, but we feel better about the situation compared to last week.
I returned from my latest time out of Rome on the 11th of October, and since our lease had been up at that time at the apartment in the same building, as our condo, we have been staying at a nice 3 * property, called the Pergola, very close to momma’s and about a 1 mile (2 km) from the condo and very accessible to what we both need. Staying at momma’s, even though that is my legal address here, was not an option, although, we have had had dinner there every night since I have been back. The people here are very nice, and the breakfast is acceptable. Rosa booked this versus a Hampton by Hilton which is a little further away, and momma’s is very much walking distance. I know momma loves having us for dinner each night, since she is alone otherwise. It is nice, for sure, but I and I am sure Rosa, will be very happy to move into the condo, finally at the end of the week, since it will be functional. What I mean by functional is that the bathroom has the toilet and sink, very important, and the shower head does work. The workers thought would be a good idea to put up a temporary shower curtain, as the sliding glass doors and the permanent water heater (there is a temporary one), is not in yet. Problem is that if one takes a shower, most of the water, does not go down the drain, which a rather little on, but over the side onto the floor of the bathroom. Good thing there are new tiles and grout there, but I will be very happy when the complete shower is in there, as well as the washing machine/dryer combination, one application by the way, not two stacked appliances and made by Hoover, so I believe it can be trusted. We have been told that our new water heater and the sliding glass doors will be in place this week, as well. We also have out brand-new bed in the living room, which is ready to sleep on, but not being used yet, as the workers are still, well, working and the bedroom and the electrical outlets, while functional, yes, we have electricity, but the outlets are not capped (no covers on them yet), so they are not exactly the safest thing in the world. The main accomplishment, for this week, yet, not completely done, but supposedly by today is the kitchen, cabinetry, and the appliances. Yes, I said the kitchen, but that said, it is a one man show. Yes, one man, who brought everything up and has been now, for two days, been installing everything himself. The gas is to be turned on today, if it has not been already, and the rest of the appliances need to be installed, as well as the sink when the plumber comes today, but having one person do everything versus a team and how small the kitchen is, should take a day, but when all is said and done, we will have a functioning, fingers crossed kitchen by the end of this week and that Is when we move in.
In any case, once there, some of the usual feelings came back and I got into the swing of things for the most part. I did meet some very nice people with whom I traveled pre and post conference, some I had met at previous conferences and others, totally new. The base of the conference was Pisa and the Terre di Pisa, the lands around the actual city, and no, I did not see the Leaning Tower, which is just fine, given the fact that I had seen it before, many years ago, back in 1985, and then from a distance a couple of years ago, when Rosa and I were in Tuscany together. In any case I also connected and re-connected with colleagues, some with whom I already have a business relationship and others to be developed. In some cases, when I finally have my vehicle here in Italy, I will travel to see some of the hotels and other accommodations when I have time to explore on my own. It will help to see properties around Tuscany on my own. Some of the highlights of last week included visiting a former monastery, tasting olive oil and wines in some of the smaller villages of Tuscany in the Terre di Pisa, visiting castles and hearing small snippets of different operas at the Pisa Opera House while enjoying an evening of wine and food and mingling with other participants of the Buy Tuscany conference. This was the first couple of days after which many of us had a chance to pick a post Tuscan experience. I have been to many parts of Tuscany over the years, but when we had a chance to pick and provide a first and second choice, being a foodie, have an interest and culture and looking for something difference, I chose the region called Amiata, which is not well known at all. Everyone knows Florence, Pisa, Lucca, San Gimignano and Siena. Everyone know Chianti and the super Tuscans, but most would be hard pressed to know Amiata, unless you are a local or even a native Italian in general, so when Rosa asked me where we went in our post experience, her response was why?
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October 2025
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