Rustic Italy - Stay with Us - an update

SIMPLE LIFE

No More Hiding Out…. let’s meet up in 2018

It feels like a new phase of our life here in the valley is underway at the moment.

A positive feeling of accomplishment, moving forward and creating new dreams.

Most of our concern to date has been creating an income of some kind. We are living on the funds from the sale of our last renovation in Australia, this won’t last much longer.

Our aim is to create a way that we can travel and enjoy our life here in the valley using the internet to build an income.

I’d love to build a community of fellow dreamers, those who want to take the dream to reality.

I never thought we’d be able to come so far so fast, and with such little funds.

We finally got to view our episode of House Hunters International.

The DVD arrived last week on Sam’s birthday which was perfect timing.

It’s such a strange experience seeing yourself on TV, we had no idea how they would edit the five days worth of filming into a half hour show. I’m happy to say they did a brilliant job, not missing anything and showing us in a good light.

We all cracked up at the end with Luca’s catch cry, just brilliant.

Yippeeeeee Dooodle………PRICELESS

If you didn’t get to see the episode leave a comment below and we’ll try to work something out.

Although it’s been messy it looks fantastic.

Work has progressed on ‘Casa Bianca’ and so much has been happening here in the Borgata. Sam has removed the front of the building on one side. It was an awful job and parts were falling off, just tapping the surface showed how easily it would come down. Now the face of the building looks more authentic. Claudio is going to sandblast the remaining concrete away to expose the original rock.

Our lovely ‘Turin Guy’ who has bought part of the Borgata (including the small house directly opposite our big double gates) plans to take the exterior wall down and have it rebuilt in September. The original road will be closed for a short time while the work is done. At the moment it bows out a bit and needs some TLC.

It seems like the Borgata is coming to life, getting a little facelift and gathering new people.

In the meantime we continue cleaning out the sheds, the house and getting ready for future visitors.

We hope one day you’ll be able to stay with us.

Why did we wait so Long?

Recently we bit the bullet and created a Host Page on Workaway. If you haven’t heard of Workaway it basically links up those wanting to work in exchange for three meals a day and a place to sleep. Our very first work away person arrived last Friday, we picked him up from the train station after having a brief conversation on Skype the night before. He will stay with us until September.

He’s been fantastic, he and Sam have been out each day working in the borgata. Together they have built a wall, and pulled the front render from ‘Casa Bianca’. They have also done some cleaning inside ready for later painting, and done a bit of renovation work in the entrance. I wish we’d done this when we first arrived.

Workaway is a brilliant idea

One I would have used back in my 20’s when I was backpacking if only it were available then. I wonder how many people would like to stay with us here through Winter and experience the snow, celebrate with a white Christmas and really get the full idea of life in the mountains.

Our Workaway chap (I’ll pop his name in once he’s okay with that) helped Sam ‘dispatch’ the rabbits ready to go into the freezer. Funnily enough he adores animals and our cats and the dog just radiate towards him.

It’s been great having someone to chat with in English, and the locals in the Borgata are a bit perplexed by the whole idea. I can envision a whole team of Workaway people coming to stay once the locals cotton on.

We’ve got more done in the past few days than in the last six months.

It just helps to motivate us having someone here, Sam loves the company and I love the conversations at meal times.

I’ve also continued with my love of ‘personal development’ and I’ve been rethinking how much time I give to the most important aspects of my life. Where I need to spend more time and where my passions are.

Now it’s more time for the kids

We take a walk together most days and I’ve been cutting back my time online. I now try to check in on our Renovating Italy Facebook page (my big passion) only a few times through the day. I’d rather be out living life here with my family, creating new projects, and then connecting online again in the evening.

How about you?

are you heading towards or away from your dreams?

What are they…… Carpe Diem xx

Save

and the gang x

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48 replies

« Older Comments

Andreana says:
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Happy New Year!!! Looks like you are keeping very busy and getting a lot done. I’m glad the workaway guys have been such a help. Wishing you many more happy memories this coming year. <3
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Happy New Year Andreana and hope it was wonderful xx
  ciao ciao lisa and the gang x
Anita Cronk says:
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Reminds me of the road coming from Cave del Predil into Slovenia . This is in Friuli. I have to check on a map to see where you are. Would love to live in Italy.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  It’s a wonderful life here Anita that’s for sure xx
- Anne says:
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  I think I have been on the road you mention, I was in Friuli a few years ago , visiting my cousin who lives in Grado , they took me everywhere. It is was fantastic.
- Anita Cronk says:
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  Hi Anna your website says you r from Oxfordshire England I just found out from a cousin that my ancestors the Monro’s were from Warwickshire.the road I am familiar with in Italy is right at the top of Italy on the Slovenia border during WWII it was part of Yugoslavia but when my mother lived there it was part of Italy. Are you going to stay at the Borgata
- Anne says:
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  Hi Anita ….this is pretty freaky ,..I am a Munro (my maiden name)! I had to read it a few times. !! I just thought oh my god..am I reading this right.
  
  Yes I live in Oxfordshire ..have done for last nine years. Warwickshire is not far. .
  
  .about the road ..I think it is the same one..Will ask my cousin in Italy. ..I would love to stay at the bogatta one day.
- Anita Cronk says:
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  Hi Anne it is freaky my maiden name is Monroe. It was Monro but then my grandmother to be didn’t want an “o ” on the end of her last name so she made my grandfather put an e on the end.
- Anne says:
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  Do you know where your family are originally from? .My great great grandfather is from Scotland. .. I don’t think you expected me to be a Munro 🙂 🙂
- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  WOW this is fantastic, what a small world! How wonderful that you found each other xxx
  
  Now you have to let us know what happens LOL x
- Anita Cronk says:
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  I sure didn’t expect it! We know that our family lived in Warwickshire for a long time but before that they came from Scotland. My cousin Jim is working on that research.
Anita Cronk says:
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Hi where is the picture of the road going between the houses and into the mountain
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Hi Anita,
  
  All the photographs were taken here in our Borgata which is in Bobbio Pellice Piemonte. It’s very beautiful here and the old road that runs between the houses is the original road.
michelle says:
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Hi Lisa
What a fantastic experience. Our family loves travel with kids (where the blog name comes from) and we just renovated our house here in Sydney and sold for our move to Melbourne next year.
Your idea to have people come and stay is a great one. Good luck with it 🙂
Michelle
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Ciao Michelle, I just love your blog and the post about renovating with kids ……totally agree. We are originally from Melbourne, if we can help you out with anything let me know. I know we will easily fill the borgata with friends and family coming to stay at Casa Bianca, so many ideas on the boil right now it gets a bit overwhelming… so happy to have met you and don’t forget you can add comment luv to link to your latest posts, ciao lisa x
Donna Marie says:
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I would love to see that episode. I have no cable TV that gets that station and was bummed to have missed it
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Donna Marie if you email me I might be able to work some thing out for you. Or if you are on fb then friend me at Lisa Chiodo.
  our best email is admin(@)vertexinfosolution.com/renovatingitaly
  
  xx
Marla says:
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Yes, helpers and conversation are a big bonus with workawayers. So exciting to hear that the borgata is coming more alive. That is a very satisfying feeling for sure and makes life there more interesting as well.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Piano Piano….slowly emerging Borgata, Sean was such a character so many stories. I’m sure we’ll catch up with him again. Sam got his license sorted out in England and is VERY happy and heading home tomorrow. We’ll have to come up for a visit before Winter arrives xx
Krista says:
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I’m just so thrilled for you, Lisa! XOXO SO much goodness and happiness and healing and thriving. It’s wonderful!! And how I hope to be able to visit you in person one day soon and explore your home together and meet your family and laugh and cry and talk for hours. 🙂
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Hey life is good Krista, I know one day we’ll meet up. Maybe at your place for a cuppa in those gorgeous mugs, with the sun setting and the goats bleating…..laugh cry and talk for hours sounds perfect!!!
Leah says:
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Hi Lisa!
Your posts are always so inspiring!
Thank you for sharing so much 🙂

I’m in Mexico now…finally with my husband. We will for sure come visit you once you are open for business.
Take care, hugs, Leah
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Well you know I”m from Melbourne and they call us Mexicans lol.
  Hope you are having a wonderful time with your husband and just drinking tequila and lazing about. See you soon ha ha
  love lisa xx
Cathy says:
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Hi Lisa,
This all sounds great. I’d never heard of workaway until someone mentioned it in a group I used to belong to on Facebook. Your progress is excellent. I haven’t seen your episode yet and would love to. I too am doing something similar regarding less time on social media and more time on real life. All the best. Cathy xx
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Ahhh real life, that’s the whole point isn’t it, all the rest is just noise. Workaway is brilliant and I wish we’d done it earlier. I’ll see if we can work out some way to see the episode. x
  sending love
  lisa xxx