OUR 4 MONTHS ITALIAN ADVENTURE -“LA NOSTRA AVENTURA” GETTING SETTLE

Hello Again!

For the ones that have been following my blog, I wasn’t able to finish my bedroom’s re-design due to our travel.  It will have to wait until we come back from Italy.

Yes!! We are going to Italy for 4 months….  Raffaele and I have been thinking about this trip for a while ( to be more precise 5 years), we said as soon as we retire from our Corporate world jobs, we would spent 6 months in Italy (hahaha).  This is how the story goes, I wanted to spend 6 months in Italy, Raffaele’s wish was 2 months.  We had to compromise and we are staying 4.

Deciding where in Italy was the easy part – as I am in LOVE with Tuscany.   Where in Tuscany was the problem…. His family lives in Grosseto and that would have been easier, the only problem is that we wanted to be close to the sea.  There are a few towns close to the sea:  San Vincenzo, Castiglione della Pescaia, Follonica, Punta Ala and a few more.

At the end, we decided on Follonica, during the winter the population is around 20,000 (give or take), but in the summer is a vibrant beach resort with around 120,000(+/-).  Follonica is located in the Gulf of Tuscany, about 40 km. northwest of Grosseto.

We also decided on bringing our “little thing” Gigi with us ( our dog), so with the help of Melissa at Riverside Pet Hospital I got all of the pertaining papers done, and I had only to sign.  They were done so great that it was a breeze getting them signed by the Canada’s Food and Drug Administration.  Look at her, would you leave her behind for 4 months!!!  of course NOT…

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We arrived on March 1st. and for the first 4 days we were getting to know our surroundings, shopping for food etc. The house that we have is cute – and Alessandro (landlord) is very nice.  I told him I was an Interior Decorator and he has given me “Carte Blanche” to move things around.  I will be posting pictures as I get the changes done.   Here is the one for the guest bedroom

This is the guest bedroom ( Kids and friends coming to visit)

This is the guest bedroom ( Kids and friends coming to visit)

The average temperature in March (winter) is between 12 to 16 degrees.  It rains and because we are 50 mts. from the sea it tends to be cool, but you have periods of sun and that fitbit is going crazy with the steps we average daily around 20,000 steps….

 

This is Viale  Italia (Boardwalk), on our 2nd. day – check the shorts on my husband (hahaha), the weather was great that day and we went for a long walk in the morning.   This boardwalk goes along the whole section of Follonica that has a beachfront…

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As I mentioned the beach is 50 mts from where we are staying, and can’t wait to be able to seat and read my book on the beach. A little cool right now, but in a couple of weeks weather is changing ….  That Island that you see at the end is the “Island of Elba”, Napoleon stayed there so when the weather gets better we are planning to take a boat and go there…. ( me on a boat!!!! for all of you that know me boats and I don’t go together, but I did it when I went to Greece for 7 days, so I will be able to do it again!!)  the sacrifices that one has to make.IMG_3063

For the ones that are new to my blog this is a picture of Raffaele and I…. IMG_0274

For the remaining of the week we are planning to take the train and go to San Vincenzo and Livorno… The trains here are not expensive (did I mention we are on a budget…. if you know my husband… you would know that he believes in having a budget so we do….. I prefer to travel and get to know the country than shopping ( I can believe I am saying this!!!!), but it is true…. Give me a panino, cheese and wine and I’ll be happy…..as long as I am seeing new places….

I will be posting the pictures from San Vincenzo soon…

 

Cheers,

Roxana