MOVING TO ITALY
“All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them.”
Changing Your Life
It feels as if we’ve never left Italy and in less than a week we’ve already done a million and one things. I am in a total whirl. Totally changing your life is a big task.
Today we visited Borgata Malpertus. We went up into the mountains to find the land that goes with the house we just bought for a song.
Yes that’s right we bought a house today in Bobbio Pellice!
Why?
It’s a long story. In short the house in Veravo is a major project and won’t be livable for some time. In the meantime we need somewhere to live hence the new place.
We are about to fully embrace a rustic life! I can’t wait to see what she teaches us.
Within minutes our children were feeding baby lambs with the local children, and I was busy taking photos.
I can’t wait to see the Borgata in every season.
Today has been an incredible day, crisp sharp cold and filled with the warmth of the local people.
After such a long journey we seem to have found a home that we never imagined yet already love.
Sam and I are already making plans and dreaming of how the Borgata could look if were totally restored.
That’s the joy when following your dreams…you never know where they will lead.
Our adventure begins…..now I’d love to hear about your dreams, how will you be changing your life?
and the gang x
Wow Lisa. I have watched your adventure with interest and I marvel at your determination with your project. You’ve started on your dream life giving it 110%. All the best, I can’t wait for the next installment.
Cathy can you believe it we finally got here! We will have plenty of installments that’s for sure!! sending love and sorry haven’t been keeping in touch I’m struggling to keep up with everyone LOL you know what I mean, xxx
Love it!!
knew you would Margaret!!! xxx
Hello Lisa, I have loosely been foloowing along and loving so many of your fabulous photos that you post. I am shocked to se that you are somewhere very close to us. I am wondering if you are in Val Pellice or ??? We live in Val Chisone and would love to meet you and your family. Give us a shout here or on fb…We’d love to welcome you to the area.
What a small world Marla, yours was one of the first sites I found and someone over at Italian Reflections already told us to look you up. We are staying at Hotel Glicini and leave in the morning for a friends house in Gambasca. The borgata is in Bobbio Pelice and when we fix it up a bit (heating etc) we will move in. I know we will meet up how exciting!!! ciao lisa x
It looks so perfect and so cold!! I love that your dream is now your reality,, and you are where your heart is meant to be.
Happy days, looking forward to hearing how your new adventure begins, and how much fun you all are having.
Dreams really do come true xxx
Lisa it’s incredible, so cold it takes your breath away. It’s snowing here at the hotel and the kids are wrapt. Yes dreams can come true, it took something but we got here in the end xxx Sending love to the family x
The adventure begins! Good luck with everything. With a bit of luck our house will be finished by May.
That’s great Deb, you are finishing and we are just starting x
You what???????? Arrived in Italy 3 days ago and already bought a house??? Lisa, you ARE a whirlwind! What wonderful land and a great goat-neighbor. How exciting for the kids (and for us readers)!
Yep that’s us, even I never know what we’ll do next! The goat neighors are wonderful and very friendly, we are going to learn so much. The lady already told Sam she will help him when we need to
#$*%^ the animals. The mountain people are so strong and the area so wild I am in awe x
Yes, that is certainly the joy when following your dreams!! Looks amazing! Is that little lamb yours too?
Sadly not ours but our new neighbors, it’s a goat and so sweet. Looks like we’ll be getting lots of animals as well. What made you make your big move??
ciao lisa x
I guess we’re just following my husband’s lead in a way. This is his dream, so we’re trying it out for a while. I still think we’ll only be away for a few months though, so definitely not as amazing as your adventure!!
I think that would make it so hard for you Talia especially with a little one. I remember our first time in Italy when Luca was only one and it was very hard to relax. I hope you find your dream together and stay in touch….sending love x
Hello Lisa,
I love everything about what your doing. This is my dream also, to buy and renovate an old house in bella Italy. I fell in love with Italy quite a few years ago, and cannot seem to let go:) I think you would understand…… Thank you for sharing this wonderful project with us.
Sally xx
Italy has that effect on you doesn’t it Sally, I totally understand and keep following your dream x Can’t wait to share the adventures further xx
All I can say is “wow” Is the new place attached to other houses or units? And is it on an alley way or is that a road between the houses. Also do the houses have heating inside as it looks freezing. Sorry for the questions I am just so damn interested in your journey. (I could ask heaps more but won’t) 😉
Hey Jackie please ask all the questions you like, I’m going to start putting more writing on the posts I always feel they are too long and nobody will read them LOL . The houses are all attached to each other, ours has a courtyard leading off a huge gate that is directly onto the path. It’s very tiny and not wide enough for a car, probably would have been donkeys. The house needs heating and it has a huge wood oven on the bottom floor. The bottom floor is for the animals and under the oven is a space we thought was for firewood but have been told is for chickens. It’s snowing now and so many changes I can’t keep up with them all xxx
PS Can I ask you if you think it would be better to have larger images?? x
I love larger images but the only problem may be, they take longer to load if you have a few of them and people may not wait. So the animals actually live in the house with you? You actually have to walk in the house through the animals or is there a separate entrance to get to the second floor? Are you getting animals of your own? or are you going to turn it into living space? I am assuming there is electricity in the houses. Love it.
Hey Jackie, I’m trying to keep it to about half a dozen pics max per post and put the vertical ones together or try some montages. Sam reduced all the images in size so hopefully they will open okay.
The animals do live in the house although this little guy was in a seperate part ( a small room which had six goats and some young goats and about four babies, also a couple of rabbits and some chickens all in together. We could hear the bleating everytime we walked past but the door was locked. We bumped into the owner who was lovely and she showed us inside and told Sam all about the animals and offered to help us when we get our own.
Our house in Bobbio Pelice (above) has three levels and the bottom one is for animals, it’s incredible and when we get the power on I’ll get some pics. We hope to get our own animals asap. x
When I first walked into the village Baccana, even though I am not a religious person, I was struck by an imagine of the place where ‘Baby Jesus’ was born, the stables being part of the homes. Amazing. So different from what I have known all my life.
Our little boy Luca keeps commenting on ‘baby jesus being born here’ each time he enters one of these stable areas and our house has a number of them on the ground floor. Many of the houses have ancient fresco’s on the outside and it’s also totally different to our lives but just beautiful and simple x
“…beautiful and simple.” Sound perfect to me. I’m touched your son has the same impression I had, thank you for telling me.
With Easter coming up I am waiting to see the celebrations and explain the stories to the kids. x
I’m so happy for you!!!!!
thanks that’s lovely Anne x