Too late for Tuscany?

Painter man

The countdown ticker on the right side of the page is now showing 'days since completion', unfortunately this isn't true, as first the wet weather in Tuscany, and then a cold-bug (no it wasn't swine flu), I caught on a flight from Sweden, conspired to make us miss finishing the last chapter on Chicken-House in the right timescale.  So this week, we had 2 calls with Alberto, one on Monday to confirm the booking for the digger, and the second on Friday to apologise for not making it (I did get off my death bed long enough to send him an email mid-week), and to look at re-scheduling things.

So, what's happened this week? not a lot, as apparently the famous-floor is taking its time to dry out, it seems they apply science and actually measure it with a humidity meter.  As the weather has now taken a serious turn for the better, Alberto predicts that this Wednesday they can start to do some of the finishing off, starting with the final treatment of the floor, which is so dirty etc neither the plumber or the painter can get in to do stuff, as this treatment threatens to muck up their good efforts.

This wet floor thing hasn't stopped the electrician, and he is completely finished, although he bottled out fitting our suspended light systems in the kitchen & bathroom, as he didn't know how we wanted them to look! They have also finished the installation of the new corner stufa in the living room, and its associated new hearth stones, I would have loved to see a picture of that this weekend, that would have cheered me up a lot.

We were waiting two new quotes, one from Chiasserini for pointing the front and side of the house, we did have a fixed price on this ages ago but I threw it out of the contract as it was so so expensive, but now I realise that without tarting up the stonework it won't look finished, so I'm hoping that the final price will come back cheaper than before. We did get one more price, from the painter, which when Alberto read it out, I was really taken aback, I don't think the Sistine Chapel cost so much to decorate! unfortunately it needs doing, so it will have to go on the cash-flow forecast and we'll see how it can get paid, as the money pot is looking decidedly empty, and the continuing GB Pound vs Euro crash just makes things even worse.

What else are we doing? looking at beds, I think we are almost decided to buy new from a UK company using traditional methods  (see www.obc-uk.net) as they will also cut as a deal on shipping, and that kickstarted another idea, to ship over the last remaining item in UK (the big shower cubicle), for such a big/heavy item the transport cost isn't so bad, so I think I'll set these 2 things in motion next week sometime.  The last thing outstanding is the kitchen design, and with everything that's been happening I haven't gone back to my drawings, but I fear its looking increasingly difficult to make the traditional kitchen do everything that I (and particularly Mrs J) want out of the most important room in the house. Ciao  

 

 

You know my name

With only 5 days of this month to go, and also the same for our deadline, it seems that even the weather is against us, resulting in any easy equation, no septic tank = no move in, although I have set a date (of 7th May) to go and supervise hole digging and landscaping.  

The continued program allows me more time to dwell on ideas for making Chicken House a home, today was detailed plans of the country kitchen, and surprise surprise, it doesn't quite fit as my first non-scaled drawings show it, definitely a case for back to the drawing board, or modern e-equivalent.

There is one more thing I have been turning over from time to time, and that is what to call our house, as Chicken House is only our working title, I think Casa del Pollo would lose something in translation.  A recent comment from Alaine (http://coccinella-ladybug.blogspot.com/) reminded me again of the need to do something, soon, and meaningful.  Now la nostra casa has a number, not No 6, but 57, I grant you it's not sexy or romantic , but a very nice plaque, I presume provided by the local Commune, and kept safe by our neighbour waiting for the day when somebody would come and breathe life back into her old family home, and handed over to us when we signed the contract back in June year.

Today, this blog got its 5,000 hit, so I throw down the gauntlet to any reader from Quebec, to Kazakhstan, via Brisbane and Prague to come up with, as Alaine says 'a romantic Italian name', for Chicken House.  Grazie Tutti

On the Tiles

Alberto and I haven't had a chat since we last met at the house, as my every attempt to pin him down has failed, with even last night's long planned hook up thwarted by our interlocutor 'phoning in sick.  But I will give Alberto credit, he did send through latest photo's, and an update (a response to my written questions last Friday).  The pictures show some, but limited progress (I'll put that down to the photographer), with shots of all the landing cotto now complete, these have been done using the only remaining original tiles in the house.  Perhaps more significantly the tiling in the main bathroom has been completed, which for once makes the place look like a real home, and not the lovely wreck we once bought and are more used to seeing, it also makes the room seem smaller, if that's possible.  One last change is that our very own priest hole (the dark place under the stairs), has finally been bricked up, even though the builders said it was crazy, as it was somewhere to put the wife when she was unruly, Mrs J had a few things to say about that.

Our chat has now been postponed until Friday, and by then a few things will really be coming to the boil, we are within a week of finishing (allegedly), and I still don't think Chiasserini has deployed his machinery, as Tuscan weather is still not any better.  Also, I need to fix a date for my next trip to supervise the digger doing the landscaping, fitting in with not only the weather but my day job too.

In this recent quiet period, and with an end date looming, my thoughts have once again turned to fitting out the house.  As I said once before I thought the kitchen construction will need supervision, and so it was proved, not only does Alberto want me there, they also want the oven, dishwasher, fridge etc, 'so they can get the sizes right', silly me, I thought all white goods were built to standards these days.  Whilst we can live with a microwave and a kettle for some time, we can't do without a bed.  Mrs J and I have long been of the opinion that we should have cast iron beds for Chicken House, as not only do they look pretty, they also don't block out some of the expensive features we have built in (eg walls, floors etc).  Where we are in Central Europe cast iron for beds is not a big seller, with the natives preferring some overstuffed faux-leather sleigh bed type thing, and the nearest we have seen is a poor copy in IKEA.  So what to do? back to the trusty e-bay, in UK and also Italy, and then what? more crazy cross-continent driving? in desperation I mailed a UK supplier and they gave me a very good price for shipping, so although its against my religion to buy new, I think the logistics may just force my hand on this occasion, or else we will be getting up close and personal with the new cotto pretty soon.  Ciao 

Buona Pasqua

No, I'm not too late for Easter wishes, as although most religions enjoyed their eggs last weekend, this week its Orthodox Easter, later than everybody else due to the change-over between the Gregorian and Julian calendars many years ago.

Our first Easter in Tuscany continued to be hectic, (I even squeezed in an hours gardening).  It wasn't all thankfully centred around Chicken house, but spent as I guess it should be in Italy, sitting around the table with friends, eating and drinking.  Once again Karin pushed the boat out for a great dinner on Saturday night, with the table groaning under local delicacies.  The grand finale was La Colomba (an easter cake) washed down by digestif or two from Stefano's home made collection that looked and tasted like the stuff fire-eaters imbibe, and could have stripped paint at twenty paces.  Whilst most of the gathering could'nt believe what they had just drunk, Stefano put the bottle back in its hidey hole saying it wasn't quite mature yet and needed at least another year!  That's one anniversary not to put in the diary. 

Our gastro-experience continued (later) the next day, when we enjoyed a lazy but no less extensive brunch, with all kinds of Salumi, breads and cheeses, I even volunteered to do my world famous scrambled eggs, closely watched by Stefano who was obviously hoping to steal my recipe, and only after that blow-out did we venture to the house, to show K&S nostra casa for their first time, with approving nods all round. 

If that wasn't enough for an Easter Sunday we went for a passeggiare in Perugia, and were amazed at both the numbers of people who had the same idea and the wind up on the hill by the Duomo, then early to bed for our long trip home the next day.  Buona Pasqua

Mamma Mia! Magalotti

We pulled up to the house, bathed in Good Fridays afternoon sunshine, ecstatic that we had actually caught the builders working, and not just 1 or 2 of them but a whole cohort of Chiasserini's men toiling away, on what is a holiday in most other parts of Europe.  We were early for our planned site meeting and keen to get updated with the developments as we hadn't heard from Alberto in 10 days.  As we rounded the corner of our neighbours house our hearts sunk, why did we have doors, when there should be windows??? When, how, why did this happen?, this isn't what we discussed, argued, chivvied about for so long with all and sundry.  As they say in football circles, I was gutted!

Unfortunately no time to dwell on that for the moment, we had (as usual) a carload to empty, this time the new Stufa, one big radiator and 4 very large rolls of loft insulation, time to press gang a few helping hands to save my aching back, and in double quick time the Stufa was sitting in pride of place amongst the builders detritus in the kitchen, and the rear suspension breathed a sigh of relief.  The troops then started to muster, first Chiasserini, followed by Alberto & Virna, Tizzi (the Plumber), and eventually, the man we were all talking about Magalotti (Carpenter). I must say that even though I was in full flow with the site meeting I was so pissed with him it took me more than 10 minutes to even say hello, and what Mrs J had to about it say made Alberto's eyes water.

The site meeting flowed well from room-to-room, admiring the work done in the 10 day communication blackout, such as:- second coat of plaster, ALL the floors down (and with 4 guys busily grouting them in), front & rear doors fitted, and also those doors we didn't want also fitted.  We did have a few sticking points along the way, most noticeably concerning the loft insulation, which I threatened to do myself, but I eventually capitulated as my back was killing me after the drive down, but making Chiasserini swear that he would do in a lot less than the 12 hours he had quoted for, I mean, get a life, 12 hours to fit 4 rolls of insulation, my Granny could do it quicker than that.

We also had a lengthy debate with the tiler (who was presently doing the floor), about how not to waste the precious tiles that were only just enough to do the job.  This would have been a doddle, if it wasn't for Alberto chipping in with seemingly random ideas to how to save tiles, do it this way and that, and generally making a nuisance of himself.  I even asked VP for the Italian for 'the customer is always right', to be told (by Alberto) that it didn't work like that in Tuscany, I should have known!

After all other points were finished, and Chiasserini & Tizzi had left, it was down to Magalotti, me and the doors.  And do you know what, apparently it was my fault, another thing I should have known, he misunderstood my instructions, therefore it was my fault QED, but........ he could rectify the error, for a very special price.  To put this discussion in context, we had just arrived after a very long drive, the site meeting had already taken 3 hours, my back was killing me, and we still had to go to Alberto's office to choose colour schemes. I really wasn't in the mood for Magalotti, also the things I wanted to say to him, I couldn't say through my lady translator, so I asked him to mail me his ideas and costs, and he went. 

Uff, all this writing about the doors has got me going again, but enough negativity, what about those floors? I know Tuscany is full of them, Umbria too, but these are ours, laid by our boys, and will be walked upon by our kids. Hurrah! 

Pause For Thought

Although we had no telephone chat this week, Alberto was true to his word and sent thro' a group of new photo's of this weeks limited progress.  But its a bit difficult to bleat about this and that when there is so much grief in L'Aquila, with the death toll still rising and the rescue services toiling around the clock to find any remaining survivors.

It's ironic that a lot of the work we have done in Chicken House is to repair damage caused by the 1997 earthquake which struck Toscana/Umbria and devastated Assisi.  The damage done to our place was minor, but we were so far from the epicentre of that quake, it defies the imagination what it must have been like to be in the middle of it.

Goin' Down Slow

Well, I spoke too soon in my last post, looks like we are going to need all of April just to complete the major building works. I must say that the builder did as good as his word, he upped the work by 100%, he even doubled the men on the job, from 1 to 2!  Alberto said that I had not to worry, that the plastering would all be done for my next visit, ie in 10 days! I said I could do the work in that time.  He tried a second time, it wouldn't cost me more as we were on a fixed price, what about schedule was my reply, silence.....

Even the weather has conspired against us, with rain in Toscana not allowing them to get the machines deployed for septic-tanking, other things not done as we hoped are ground-floor windows and doors fitted (builders don't want to damage them with plastering), stone repair to front door portico (don't want to damage them with bags of plaster) and so it goes on, it seems that not only is the plaster going down slow, but its holding up everything else too.  So, lets rejoice in what we have, and show 2 marvellous pics of that precious plaster, and the love with which it's being applied.

I priced up  materials to do the roof insulation myself, 41 euro per roll (100mm thick), and it should need 4 rolls exactly.  That's not the problem, this next trip we have to take the last remaining radiator and new corner stufa, where will I put 4 rolls of insulation at 1.2m long each in the car, could be a cosy trip. 

We even had some update from Alberto on the land next door that we are interested in buying (some day), it seems it will be soon, as it is under contract to a local farmer, and either the owner won't sell, or can't sell until this contract lapses, well that just mean Mrs J doesn't get her Kitchen extension just yet.

In the expectation that we are to be amazed with progress at Easter,  I have shelved the next telephone call, until we see it all first hand, I am still willing to be gobsmacked. Ciao  

 

 

 

Quantum of Success

Well I did it, but Alberto made me do it (send the letter to the builder that is), but in the end it wasn't nasty or even very pointed, just polite.  I might have guessed, as Alberto is a polite kind of guy.  Anyway it seems to have done the trick, with Alberto reporting that work has picked up a pace, and I even got an email reply from Mr C this pm, telling me that all was under control, and would be fine for my next visit (I paraphrase of course).

After getting his message I finally got round to accepting that work won't really be finished in 5 days time, as originally promised, so I've changed my countdown ticker (see top right of this page), to reflect the NEW deadline of end of April, a 1 month delay!!!  In fact, I think it will only overrun by 3 weeks max, as long as all the promised work at least gets started this week and the ground is dry enough to get the diggers in for the tank excavations.

Mr C and his boys have some time to make hay, as the next time we see him won't be until Easter weekend, and I was very suprised to see that Good Friday is a working day in Italy.  Hopefully by then it will be a matter of final snagging, and we can return within 2 weeks and move in. Tra poco

Home Thoughts From Abroad

It's been a while since I sat down to write, but I have got a good excuse, a few in fact.  Firstly, I was away last week, and then the planned Friday chat with Alberto was postponed until today, and lastly, I was holding out for some great new pictures to show how much had been done.  But, once again, we've been let down, so much so, that even Alberto suggested that I write a mail to the builder to get him to put more men on the job, er, excuse me, who controls the job day-to-day?, who speaks Italian like a native?, not me on both counts, so why am I being bad cop, especially as I just paid TWO builders invoices this month, and therefore have absolutely NO threats to offer.  Perhaps Tuscan builders are the same as builders the world over, once the majority of the job is done, they move onto the next work, I just hoped that they would be different, or at least the credit crunch would mean that they stayed to see it out.  Lets just hope its a blip, and that my nasty letter does the trick, well at least I hope its 'to the point', that's what I told Alberto to write and put my name to!

To stave off my depression that always hits just before our weekly call, I've been letting my mind wander to how it would be to make Chicken House a home, to wake up on a sunny Sunday morning, take a leisurely shower, eat breakfast on the terrace etc etc.  Although its hard if I look at the most recent lot of pictures, if I squint a bit, I think I can just about imagine it (even if it did snow again last week in Tuscany).  But in the middle of that 'home thought', it crossed my mind how to make breakfast? well not make it, I have it on good authority I make pretty good fry-ups, but on what to make it, and who is going to build it?, the kitchen, I mean.

We have already made our mind up we want a real Italian country Kitchen, which for me is great, its totally typical, and doesn't cost an arm or a leg, like the ones you see in glossy magazines, but given the shenanigans of late with the builder, when am I going to find time to spell it out what I want.  Don't get me wrong, I have done a zillion drawings, provided pictures from our Tuscan library, made mood-board paste ups, but I know it will come to nought if I don't stand there, and draw it out with a bit of chalk, and they say its only women that don't have spacial awareness. 

If you don't know what I'm rabbiting on about here is a pic of what we are after, and my main concern is, how do you fit the oven? As you can see the kitchen is made from brick/plaster, so if you want a built in oven, and you are not Fred Flinstone, what do you do? obviously I need to consult further on this, but one idea springs to mind, to buy the cheapest white MDF cooker-unit, and build the Kitchen around it, at least that way I'll be sure the oven won't give way the first time we do Eggs Benedict. 

But it wasn't all doom and gloom today, as Alberto tried his best to 'big-up' this weeks programme, ie: all plastering to be finished, ground-floor windows to be installed, septic tank (and LPG tank) to be installed, and...... floors to be started, beginning at the top of the house, now that has to be worth waiting for.  Fingers crossed.

It's Good News Week

I must admit, I dialled Alberto's number tonight, with a fear that not much had happened this week, and with only 2 questions on my list the ever lengthening tele-meetings would be over in 10 minutes.  But obviously as we hadn't spoken for nearly 2 weeks, absence make's the heart grow fonder, or however you can say that when applied to building renovation certainly took hold, as Alberto bombarded me with progress upon progress, and didn't pause for breath for nearly an hour.

Photo's of this weeks work hadn't arrived before our 6pm chat, hence my trepidation, but the first thing Alberto said was that the windows were in, a whole week before the deadline, even his post-script that there was a problem almost got lost in my exuberance to talk over what they looked like.  'Hadn't I got the pictures?' he asked 'no, when did you send them?' '10 minutes ago' came the reply, and I could again sense him grinning all the way from Toscana, another 10 minutes waiting and the email appeared, and I fumbled to unzip them immediately, with Mrs J egging me on.  I thought they looked great, and said so, and asked him to pass my compimenti to Alessandro (the carpenter).  All the windows were made, but those on the ground floor (the fake french-doors) hadn't been fitted due tothe issue of the cracked lintel on the Kitchen window, this was supposed to have been replaced, but Chiasserini was worried that taking out the damaged stone would cause more damage than good, so discussed with Alberto how to repair the stone using resin etc, so lets hope this little problem is fixed soon and Alessandro's chippies can be back soon to finish this first phase of the job. 

Alberto (or more accurately Andreas his assistant) sent 5 zip files, much more than usual, as they wanted to show me the details of all plumbing AND electrical installations, as starting next Monday the plasterers are back in action doing the first top coat.  So I can confirm that my doubts were misplaced, Andreas (the sparky) had indeed wired in both the cooker and the extractor, thus taking away one of my two questions.  So, I've got 2 days to mull over these pictures, firstly trying to work out what room they are, then to confirm to Alberto that all the switces, sockets and plumbing is in the right place.  A cursory look seems to confirm its pretty much there, but I think he's missed one socket in the kitchen, and I'm not generally impressed by the cables and pipes running at all angles, In UK installations should be straight lines, up/down, left/right, which means when you come to hang a picture you have a good idea that you are not going to hit a live wire etc, it looks like I am going to have to keep copies of all these pictures in perpetuity for whenever I need to do some DIY!!

Other news was that he had ordered the stone for the new hearth in the living room (for our new corner stufa), he had double checked the price of the new cotti (no savings to be had), and that could now be ordered too, which only left my last question, when & where will the Septic tank be fitted?  fitted by the end of March, as Chiasserini now wanted to crack-on and get the interior finished (a great idea in my books), and yes, Alberto had got the drift last time, he will install the tank somewhere away from any potential kitchen extension, I haven't been so happy in a long time, I guess the only thing that can surpass this weeks euphoria is when we see the floor tiles go down. Ciao