26 February 2016: Pet Passports(?) and Customs Clearance!

TODAY PART 1:

This morning we loaded up the dogs and headed to Malibu Coast Animal Hospital so they could get their travel health checks and certification, a process which is mandatory for their entrance into Italy.  Natalia, Lizzie and Mario were reluctant participants in this process....I'm so embarrassed by their poor performance....but Luigi got gold stars for today.  I'm hoping the loads of kisses he had for Dr. Lisa compensate a bit for what she put up with from the others.

It's amazing how much paperwork has to be completed for this journey. Rabies vaccination certificates, microchip info and all kinds of declarations.  And then it all has to be stamped by the USDA office in El Segundo. (If you don't live in LA you won't necessarily understand, but El Segundo is not the most glamourous of destinations.) Guess what I'll be doing at 7AM on Monday morning when they open?

Our guide through this process has been Salina at the animal hospital.  She has been a tremendous help.  And I'm not sure what we would have done without her.  Her advice was to get a pet passport as soon as we get to Italy (we don't issue them in the US) so that we don't have to repeat this for any subsequent international trips.  I'm adding that to my ever-lengthening "must do soon after we arrive" list.

Today's excursion was, like many of the things I have been doing the last few weeks, bittersweet.  On one hand I am excited about crossing another hurdle in the trip planning. But at the same time it is REALLY hard to say goodbye to our friends in Malibu.  Dr. Lisa and the team there have been with us through thick and thin over the past 17 years.  And Lisa was one of the few people in this world our old curmudgeon of a dog Creature loved.  We will surely miss them.

TODAY PART 2:

We survived the customs inspection and our shipment has cleared.....DUTY FREE!!  They have scheduled delivery to our home in Fasano for March 8/9.  I see this as a reason for a glass (or two) of something bubbly.

25 February 2016: La Cucina È Arrivata!!

Wow!  We are closing in on our final week here in Los Angeles. What a whirlwind the last few months have been.  And now the time is approaching to say good bye.  Not forever, because that is too sad to contemplate, but for now.

Elevating my mood this morning was a new email with photo updates from Fasano.  I am so excited.  (I also got an email from Franco saying that my gas tank is almost empty. So I hope my payment to Liquigas goes through!)  But never mind because....



The kitchen is finished! The only thing left to install is the refrigerator. Funny....it's nothing like the mega designer kitchens you see in so many homes in the US.  But it is just right for me and I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out.  (Side note:  I recently overheard the woman who bought the house where I am currently living talking to her designer about the renovation they will be doing: "I never cook, but I want a six burner stove, huge refrigerator, etc, etc, etc,)

 

 

And the doors, windows, air conditioning and radiators have been installed!

The exterior work is almost complete. I am already envisioning my bistro table and chairs, a bottle of prosecco, olives, a good book.

 





 



The sun is shining today on Puglia.....

22 February 2016: Italian Customs, Italian Car Dealers and the "Brexit"

First thing Monday morning I awake to an email from Valeria Locatelli in Rome. It reads as follows:

Dear Tracey and Craig,

 

Please be advised that Italian customs selected your container for a customs check.

At the moment this procedure involves import documentation only.

Once we hear from customs we will let you have updated on the container release.

 

Best regards

Valeria

 

Of course they did. Why not? As one of my friends suggested, perhaps they are testing us to see how much we really want to live in Italy. Sigh. I'm not really sure what this means,  so I'm going to pretend it's not a big deal until I need to believe otherwise.

 

Then I receive a message from the man who will be insuring my new little Fiat.  His name is Marcello.  He reviewed my purchase contract and told me that I should never have agreed to pay that much for the car.  That the dealer should have discounted the cost by 10-15% because I am not trading in another car. Apparently this is a standard practice in Italy. Another thing I was suppose to know but did not??  Hmmmm...  So we contact Franco again. He will contact the dealer for us. And the next message I get is an amended contract from Gianni (the car dealer).  With a discount of €1500 and a big "scusate".  I adore Franco!

And let's add another new wrinkle.  I am reading this morning about the pesky issue of Britain's referendum on EU membership....or as it's now being called, the "Brexit".  If the UK is no longer part of the EU does that jeopardize Craig's residence status in Italy?  And therefore my situation in Italy? C'mon citizens of the UK, stay with us!! 

The good news of the day? Craig's offer on Villa di Capo has been accepted.  The transaction is planned to close on the 16th of March. And my official new role as property manager will begin. I can't wait!  (Big shout out to the realtors helping with this transaction, Elite Puglia.  A Scottish ex-pat mother and daughter team.  They are superstars and a dream to work with!) 

Oh...and I have found and fallen in love with another property represented by Elite Puglia called Trullo Filippo.  I would like Craig to invest with me on this one.  So we can officially own a trullo property, which is the iconic and historically significant style in Puglia. Here are a few photos. What do you think?

Trullo Filippo

 

 

 

 

 

18 February 2016: My Ship Has Come In! (And So Has The New Fireplace)

Early this morning I received an email from our friends at Santa Fe Relocation in Rome letting me know that the ship transporting our container has arrived to the port in Genoa. Whew! Another hurdle cleared. Now we await customs processing, which generally takes 5 business days. And we wait with baited breath to see if our application to clear without paying duty is accepted.  I am learning so much every single day.  Wonder if there is a market for international moving consultants?

And much more fun than learning about customs regulations....I got update pictures from Franco today. He told me the kitchen and bathroom cabinets and the lighting fixtures will arrive in the next few days.  I'm almost afraid to say it out loud.  But I think the project will be done before I arrive. Two weeks from Saturday!

The new fireplace ("camino" in italiano...learn along with me) has been installed. 

 

 

The guest bedroom ("camera da letto") is almost ready. Of course it still needs the bed that is waiting in Genoa. But start booking your tickets i miei amici (my friends)!!

 



The stone mirror ("specchio") is finished and is being installed in the bathroom.

 

And the garage is completed.  (Far too nice for a car.  I told Craig that the classic BMW he is shipping over might need to find a new home!)

 

 

 



16 February, 2016: Winding Down and Gearing Up

Great things happening this week regarding our move...

First of all, I have solved my immigration issue.  Yay! And whew!  If all goes to plan I will be getting my residence in Puglia. 

Craig has put an offer on a rental property. An adorable villa just outside of Ostuni.  And he will be looking for an additional one or two real estate investments to provide income while in Italy.  So...l think I can stop worrying about the shock to my "Type A" personality I was fearing if I didn't have enough to do. I get the task of managing the rentals.  (NB:  I'll be looking for advice from anyone who's ever managed a rental property and/or rented houses/flats on holiday.  Recollections of both good and bad experiences will be very helpful as we grow this venture.)

Villa di Capo

Villa di Capo Pool

And, we found someone to insure our cars.  Might not sound that exciting, but it was a "to do" on our list that we were not really sure how we were going to solve.

As we wind down our lives here in LA....

Went up to the Hollywood sign today. It's something I had not done in the 16+ years I have lived in LA. It is a scorching hot day for February.  Had to fight traffic to get there.  But I'm glad I went.  Will need to come back and enjoy it properly when I can walk around the Lake Hollywood Reservoir and take in the views.



And the sweetest (and saddest) bit of the day. My wonderful neighbor Meredith shared this picture she took of our dogs yesterday.  You see, they figured out a long time ago (I think it was Natalia first) that if they went down the side of our house where the door to Meredith's kitchen is, stood by the fence and called her out, she would reward them with a yummy treat.  (Meredith gives them meat.  They are probably wishing they lived in a non-vegetarian household.)  This little ritual is something they are going to miss.  We couldn't have hoped for anyone who would be kinder to our pack, even when they are too annoying for words.  We will miss you Meredith! And Grady too!

11 February 2016: Arrivederci 345 South Anita Avenue!

 

 

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.

- "Closing Time" by Semisonic

 

Escrow closed on our Brentwood house today. I expected I'd be throwing a party the moment the wire transfer hit the bank account as it's one more thing to check off the list. Instead, as I congratulated the new owners (we're leasing the house back from them for the next three weeks), I felt like I was going to cry.

 

 

Of course I feel very fortunate that our houses sold the way they did, allowing us to embark on this Italian adventure. But I'm still sad. We bought this house in 2004 and I have lived here longer than any other place in my adult life (even if you discount the three years I lived in my condo down the street). I've loved my life here, despite all of the ups and downs. We've had so many amazing memories. So many great neighbors. Seven dogs...and a fish.

 

Some of my favorites:

 

 

Over-the-fence happy hours with the Stumans/Michels. Holidays and life events experienced with them...our extended family.


And then there was Jessica Biel ....getting snagged with my sister Megan, unshowered and eating Flamin' Hot Cheetos and drinking Coke/Diet Coke first thing in the morning, in the driveway, when Jessie stopped by on her way out with her pitbull Tina. (She, of course, looked stunning.) Oh...and our old blind dog Gus once peed on Justin Timberlake's car. NB: Jessica and Justin got married in Puglia. Perhaps one day they'll visit for an anniversary and we'll have a reunion. :)


Multiple bottles of Veuve Clicquot by the pool (Megan).

 

 

And the list goes on...

 

 

Yes, I will really miss this house and Anita Ave. But everything is changing. People have left. They are tearing down the charming older houses to build more mansions. I don't know if there will be block parties anymore. So I guess we will have to change too.

 

 

This was a really good chapter!

 

 

 

Note:  This was taken years ago. Fred lives in a much bigger tank these days.

 

 

6 February 2016: Windows and Walls

Update pictures waiting for me this morning....more baby steps.

• The windows and shutters have arrived. They haven't been installed yet, but they're there.  Thank goodness Fasano is enjoying a few sunny days.
• The wall in front of the property is almost finished. The fence, gates, landscaping and outdoor lighting are yet to be installed, but the exterior is finally starting to take shape.
• The interior finishing has begun. And the plaster/paint work is moving forward. Yep, I'm excited about plaster.
• My cantina is done. (My wine will have a home!) 
• They have started installing the kitchen. I continue struggling to envision the finished product, (why I am not an interior designer) but I'm just trusting as I have done all along that it will turn out as planned.

Monday I go back to the Consulate.  Wish me luck!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 February: No Lights, No Heat, Not Happy

First day of my last full month in Los Angeles:

1) I have to go for an urgent care appointment to the eye doctor at UCLA.  A combination of factors, including the very windy weather, have left me looking like some sort of red-eyed she-devil.  I learn that even though I have paid for a month of COBRA ($634), it has not hit the system yet.  And I will be considered for now a "self-pay" patient. It will be $480 for the visit.  Are. You. Kidding. Me??? Luckily COBRA is retroactive and I will be reimbursed.

I realize more than ever how fortunate I have been for so many years to have good healthcare coverage through my employers.  It really stinks when you see what you're up against when that is not the case. And it's just wrong.

2) I get an email from the expat immigration consultant in Modena saying "I'm looking into it (meaning my situation) with the authorities and I'll get back to you". Not so much helpful....at least not yet. But Sig. Arletti  did say that Puglia is one of the most beautiful parts of his country. And that I will enjoy my new home there.  Assuming I ever get there.

 3) The Consulate weighs in again indicating that they believe a decision on my application can be made in time for my departure. Good. But what if the decision about my financial assets stands? I don't know what this means!

4) We lose power five times today. All briefly, except, of course, for the last time when it's getting dark. No lights. No heat. (Realize I will get no sympathy from East Coast friends about the heat part.) No TV to watch the Iowa caucus spectacle. We call LADWP and they tell us the estimated time to get power back is 3AM. Grrrrr.....

Just after 8pm....as the candles they would not allow us to pack in the shipping container started to burn down...we do get our power back. And we're just in time to see the Iowa speeches. Never dull.

On the plus side, I had a really lovely lunch in Santa Monica with a Brentwood neighbor I haven't seen in a long time. We live across the street from one another  Maybe we will see each other more when I live in Italy. That's the way it goes sometimes with friends in this crazy world, doesn't it? (NB:  This is the same woman that I randomly bumped into on the streets of NY one day. I don't see her for weeks in Brentwood, and we meet in SoHo.  Go figure!)

And I got some lovely pictures from Franco showing the work they have finished on our new staircase and the progress on the new stone wall with built-in seating. He told us not to worry about anything. That they'll be there for us. I don't know how I would survive this without Franco.