This Is Not The Exciting Part Of Moving To Italy (Or Maybe It Is)

I wake up very early  (as one does when one is jetlagged) on Sunday morning, the day after we arrive. I go outside to watch it get light and the view from the property is spectacular.  There are birds singing and I can see the ocean. I hear a rooster crowing. Dogs' barks echo across the valley (including ours). How excited I feel to be here in Italy.  Finally, after 18 months of planning!

The dogs get their first walk around the neighborhood. It is still very quiet as many homes are second/summer homes and not yet occupied. And a number of the other properties don’t seem to be lived in at all, likely owned by younger generations of wealthy families. They don’t visit but are not really motivated to sell. Seems a shame. I learn that there are a number of other, mostly large, dogs in the neighborhood.  Many of them appear to live outdoors, so they are there to greet us first thing. (Not so happy about dogs being left outdoors!)

We have our first tea and toast with the new appliances I had bought the night before at the Conforama (it’s adjacent to the CONAD).  And Natalia and Luigi get back into fine begging form very quickly.

All is going well on this beautiful morning until I decide to take a shower.  As Craig had no problem with his, I assume everything will be fine.  But right about the time I have a head full of shampoo the water begins to cool.  And by the time I madly rush through the rest of my shower it is icy cold. NOT HAPPY. 

It is quickly determined that we have run out of gas.  AND that our gas tank is faulty and will have to be replaced before it can be refilled.  ON MONDAY.  THIS IS SUNDAY. So…. we have no proper heat and no hot water.  Dang!  It’s a good thing there is an electric heater on the wall in the living room.  At least one room will be warm, right?

First thing Monday morning (and I mean before my eyes had cleared) I hear movement outside.  It is Giovanni and Alessandro digging up the area around the gas tank to make the necessary repairs.  (I have noticed that people tend to just show up at your house here.) Our Italian friends have been nothing if not prompt and by the end of the day (and EUR488 later) things are repaired.  Liquigas refills the tank and I will have my hot shower on Tuesday morning (I decided to forego a cold shower on Monday). First major hurdle encountered and conquered.  We’re feeling pretty good.

Monday evening….rain, cold…..and we lose power.  After a quick email exchange with Franco we learn that the energy company has detected an outage in our zone.  But they will have it fixed in 1-2 hours. I think to myself OK, I can live with that.  (I should note here that the minute the electricity went out the security company that patrols our area responded to the house as something was triggered by our alarm.  Very good to know.)

Hours tick by. No power.  We all try to sleep up in Craig’s house under every blanket we have with us, plus a comforter that we have purchased at the Conforama.  (NB:  With no electricity we have no heat as the gas heater does not ignite.  We also have no running water as the pump will not work.) We wake up Tuesday morning.  Still no power.   Crap!  And our movers are scheduled to come at 9AM.  Crap!  I have not showered since Sunday morning and that was only a half-hearted shower and I look like, well, crap!

We call Franco.  Franco calls the power company. They say the problem has been fixed.  Crap!  It must be our property. Craig tries and retries all of the switches he was shown on the night we arrived.  Crap!  The movers arrive (after about an hour of talking with them via the company in Rome since they can’t find the property).  So we start unloading boxes, and boxes, and boxes, and boxes, and tables and chairs and beds and more boxes.  As Craig said, it seems like things in our container mated and reproduced during the transatlantic journey.  Sigh. Now I know much better why people who make moves like this sell everything and start fresh in their new countries.

A few hours into the day, however, Franco and Francesco show up at the house.  They fix the power problem.  Apparently there is a double secret re-set switch you have to push after a power outage.  Who knew?  BUT WE HAVE POWER AGAIN.  AND HOT WATER.  And my bed is here. I can sleep in it tonight. With my warm snuggly fleece sheets.  And the Chihuahuas. I am happy again.

Master bedroom, ready for snuggly dogs.  Note that the guys even helped me hang pictures.



Guest bedroom, ready to go.  Hint hint!