So Beautiful I have to share....

Not my normal blog....

Recently I needed time away....it had been a hectic Christmas season (I work in the retail sector) and I was feeling like I was at a breaking point...I simply needed to get my Guardia fix...that being said, this trip was going to be different....I was going on my own...Derrick wasn't able to come along and there was work to do at the house...I booked...I Planned...I left....Now...my story will be told through the photos you will see here...I recently saw the CBS Sunday Morning News Show with a short story about Guardia....

View Over The Valley

Watching the CBS Segment made me dig back into my photos...even though it was just three weeks ago I was emotionally moved to look at the wonderful photos...

View of the Town perched on the hill....

To remember how amazing it felt to be there...from the moment I drove into town...unannounced...

To see the faces of wonderment, sheer shock on friends faces...and then to feel them wrap their arms around me and welcome me...to kiss both cheeks....to feel welcome...to feel the love...

A lane of beauty...

Everywhere you turn in Guardia you are surrounded by beauty...in the architecture....the scenery....the people....all is beautiful and forever changing...

A sunny afternoon walk

I generally fill my blog with words,this time I will be more speaking with photos..they tell the tale...

On a sunny afternoon I explored...still finding parts of the town I have not ventured into before...

Casa de' Bonnie

If the walls could only talk..I love to sit outside...on m own..staring at the beauty of the Centro Historico...thinking about the homes...imagining the children running and playing in the streets...thinking what it was like...who crossed the thresholds of these homes...some of them older than Shakespeare...You close your eyes...you listen..you hear the sounds...you imagine what once was

My sweet neighbour

Often your walk is never alone,if not with a furry friend,with the spirits of people that once lived here

As the days progress and twilight brings a very different colour to the town...it becomes time time to connect with friends and talk of the days adventures...

You meet for the VERY BEST Hot Chocolate you will EVER have....there is drinking...eating and giggling....

The BESTEST (YES I said Bestest) Hot Chocolate! Some even choose to add a shot of a local liqueur, Strega!

With a pizza costing less than 5 euros, on freshly made crust, with the freshest of ingredients, it is easy to find yourself eating them every day!

I took some time to explore local markets for shopping....and of course finished the day at Ikea...After Carlo showed me how to use the Soft Serve Ice Cream machine at Ikea!!

There is a wonderful market in the center of town every weekend!

Guardia on the change!

There is work happening on every corner as we see this beautiful Medieval town, as many of us vacation there...and some are ever so fortunate to make the move to live there! We can all watch as the Center Historical District becomes alive once more..  

I leave you with a thought...life is about choices...every turn..every thing we do hastens back to a choice...even if you feel forced in one way over the other..ultimately there is a choice being made...I am beyond passionate about Guardia and I LOVE to tell people about this gem...if you have ever wanted to be adventurous...ever thought of visiting...living...owning a piece of 

"Guardia Magica" ....this is the time to own your very own  

"Castle In The Clouds!"

And you and I can sit...have a glass of wine (Yes it can still be found for .25) or maybe a hot chocolate...and we can all share stories!

Glenn     XX 

BUMP!  Such a surprise...we thought this was it...it had been easy for most folks so far...why would it be different for us.....we tracked down the sellers....we, Roberto, Derrick and myself climbed into Roberto's shiny black SUV and he whisked us away to present our offer to the seller.....

The Black Mobile that whisked us around the tiny streets!

They felt the offer was fair...we asked if we could look again tomorrow...in the bright sunlight and really walk through...they agreed and the time was set. We all met the next day, and went through the house again...right onto the rooftop to see the view...it was magic! The cantina (basement) was so large and offered so many rooms, including an ancient wine making room, my head was spinning with endless possibilities of what I could transform it into....then the next day Roberto made the call that we would like to move forward...certainly...just one thing...we have decided to increase the price...EXCUSE ME!!??  So it happened...someone got greedy and saw that we loved the house....knew we couldn't possibly let it go...even if the price had increased....well....then we saw what we had never seen...ANGRY Roberto..you see...Roberto takes great pride not only in his historical town, but also in the people...he trusts them and only wants to see what is best for them...but to think that they would lead us one way and then try and make more money from us..NO! He would not hear of such a thing...and neither would we...yes, we were disappointed, but he promised us he would find us another house...better than this house...and since half of our time there was already gone we were all under the wire....so we started to look...AGAIN!

Wonderful little garden....

A great rooftop terrace with lush tropical plants. (Roberto not included) 

We saw this wonderful house...but it didn't tick all of our boxes...it did for Roberto and Gary though...:)

 

We continued to look...there was one house....a "Very Special" house that Roberto wanted us to see...many had tried to see it, but they were never given the opportunity...even Roberto did not have a key for this house...this "Special" house was owned by the Catholic Church..and while many had tried to see it...it just didn't happen....Roberto made the call....the priest said YES!  Roberto said it checked EVERY BOX!! We wanted "High Ceilings"..Si Si....High Ceilings..."A fireplace"....Si Si ...a fireplace...At least two bedrooms...Si Si..MANY Bedrooms...."A View....a balcony or terrace"...Si  Si...Balcony AND Terrace.....well...hells bells...what are we waiting for...We  booked a time with the Padre for the very next morning...I the meantime we did a walk by...

HOLD SCHMOLY...this looks HUGE!

We could see the house had four levels....most likely two small bedrooms...it was directly on the street, it with some work, could be the one!

In front of the house we all meet with the Padre...(he dresses very modern doesn't he!?)

So her is a collection of what we saw when we went in...the house had not been entered for almost 20 years...the first thing we saw was a dead car sprawled across the threshold....some sort of Italian "Good Luck Sign" as my thoughts! LOL...now...what is interesting about this house is you expect to go in and see four levels...two or more rooms on each level...but ahhhhhh...looks can be deceiving!

Stairs that you first see when you come in...there is a small vestibule and a wonderful small room that will become a wine cellar...then you go upstairs...

Beautiful, hand carved ornate moulding adorn the doorways in the grand salon

A spacious kitchen...two rooms, high vaulted arched cielings

A spacious bedroom...all with original floor tiles....

The Grand salon...with sealed doors at the end that go to another property.. The room is 10ft wide at one end and 17 at the other end...and over 20 feet long...

A bedroom also on the main level...VERY VERY ROUGH

And finally...the Contessas room...with soaring ceilings and remnants of  fresco's on the ceiling

So yes...you heard it correctly...although there are only two windows on the front..there is a landing at the top of the stairs....to the left is a bedroom...the VERY rough room....straight ahead is a bathroom...to the left is the kitchen...with a window to the street...from the end of the kitchen you go into the Grand Salon...which has double doors onto a small terrace that overlooks a garden...off of this room is the Contessa's room....which will become a formal dining room....also off of this room is a smaller bedroom...also with a window to the street...for you see...you cannot judge a book by its cover....for here in Italy rooms can snake in and around other rooms and even other peoples houses.

When you look out the kitchen window to the street..the next window to the left is of friends Frank ad Gigia's house,,,then the next window is one of our bedrooms....all quite confusing

Then we go up a level...

 Stairs to the next level

The third floor...with a toilet conveniently placed in the corner...meh...who needs walls

And also on this level, a bedroom...complete with indoor garden! LOL

So Up another....

 This room on the fourth floor had a washer in the corner as well as a huge fireplace and a cooker

A lavabo in the wall for washing up, with plumbing still instact

A spacious bedroom with a large room at the back of it...complete with car parts and broken furniture

We saw plenty of interesting architectural detail as well

There was even a beehive pizza oven on this floor...

and then just one moor climb...remember that check list...Si Si Terrace!

Attic room on the top floor

Of course...a terrace view....

And a view back over Guardia Sanframondi

So this was it...we had found nothing like what we were looking for...IT WAS HUGE.....it blew the budget...it needed PILES of work...and yet...it was perfect!

Outside the new digs...probably still in shock more than anything..

For we had found our #17....oddly it wasn't a #12 or a #63...and we don't know why...

Often in life we "think" we know what we are looking for...we often structure everything we do around what we :think" we need....what we desire....let your guard down...throw caution to the wind...THAT is when you may stumble across a little piece of magica of your own...we did and we haven't looked back once.....we went from wanting a small 2 bed house with little work required to an eight bedroom Palace that we would convert into a four room "boutique inn" A house with its originals possibly dating back to 1530 AD  A house older than Shakespeare...nt everyone can say that!

OK...we just found a house in Italy...let the games begin...who said this was going to be easy!?

Come along for the ride.....

And so it all began...we met with Roberto..he was going to be our "Go to"... the man with the inside scoop....Roberto was born and raised in Guardia...he knows the town inside out...he knows every person...every alley...and most importantly...every house that could possible be for sale. :)

The BIG question people ask after realizing that we really are going to Italy and we REALLY are going to buy a house is...."What's the hitch?" Why are they so cheap? With house prices ranging from 5000 euros to 100,000+ there must be more to it than meets the eye....what is Guardia Sanframondi's story...

Photo Credit Garrick Maguire

You see...it all began back in the 80's...the 1980's....Guardia was hit by an earthquake, more than one to be precise, but none the less the town was shaken to its core...some of the older houses, we are talking hundreds of years old after all...collapsed...or sustained significant damage..the Centro Historico was inhabited mostly by folks that were born and raised there...this frightened many as they were concerned for their safety and the historical center of the town began to become empty...desolate....many left with just the clothes on their backs and moved to newer homes or left completely....many of the houses you can view in Guardia will be, at least, partially furnished and many will still have groceries in the cupboards...untouched for years...it is odd to tour some of these houses and see them just as they were left....some with a calendar with a 1980;s page still fluttering at the bottom...

Just remember...this is a journey that will touch your soul...you will feel a chill as you enter a house..a home...perhaps not entered for years...the roof may leak...there could be puddles on the floors...perhaps no indoor plumbing...but if you feel it..TRULY GET IT...that will not matter...that moment when you walk into a home...empty for years yet you can see the nonna in the kitchen working at preserving the years harvest of big red tomatoes and you can hear the children playing near the fire while their papa tells them a story....

Imagine a house with a vine...growing from the house...
Grapes hanging in clusters....

You never know what to expect behind every door you pass

Not everyone "Gets It"...and that's ok....but when you walk into "THE HOUSE" the one that speaks to you...that brings a tear to your eye...that (as a friend told me)..."Made her heart sing!" You know you are in THE ONE....If you don't get it....that's ok...move on...its not for you...but if you look past the dust...the rubble...the broken tile,,and instead see a tile that is literally hundreds of years old..if you can close your eyes and just imagine the people that have walked across that floor...if you can think to your self..."My God....My house is older than Shakespeare"...then your journey has begun....

With street and alleys going in EVERY direction you need to truly explore them all....

Streets that are paved in White Marble...we marvel at this..to them it is simply the way it is...

Built on a hill Guardia offers a panoramic view of the valley and mountains

We settled in to our accommodations  after a full explanation from our gracious host Pasquale Orso..he showed us how everything worked and we were set...feeling slightly jet lagged we felt it best to take a break...a quick nap first...we were planning on meeting up with our new friends (That we had only spoken with on line, through Facebook...BTW...Facebook is the essential tool to bring it all together for you...if you have issues with the "Book Of Face" get over it! Use this tool to its fullest!!)  But..I digress....So we laid down...I sent a text message to my new found BFF, Patsy, and said we would meet at 7:30...and that was it...we drifted off and fell into a deep and peaceful sleep...SIX hours later we awoke to a strange buzzing in the house and by the time I finally clued in that it was the door buzzer and got to the door our friends were almost gone...I stuck my head out and there they were...Joe was there with his son and two daughters and of curse...my main chatter..Patsy...We all hugged and talked in the entrance...it was raining that night and still we were all so happy....I dragged Derrick down to the door to meet my (our) new found famiglia and we all decided we would opt out on dinner for the evening and meet the next day to discuss our finding...there was laughter...there was tears...its was all good and all felt so right!

I can always get my bearings by looking for the church tower

This next part of my story will be a smattering of photos and some explanations...we started "The HUNT!"  It was not the best of weather..overcast and gloomy...but not raining...we were ok with that...Roberto was in true Italian Style...bubbling and excited...ready to show us his town...the one that he is SO PROUD of...it makes you feel good just to be around him...sure...we may not understand everything he says...but what he expresses to you with his eyes and gestures as you tour his town and houses...you get it....

As you tour the houses you go in open minded....virtually anything is possible...anything you ask Roberto...the answer is ..Si..Si..Is Possible.....I remember looking at one house (apartment) which is not the beautifully renovated home of friend Leila, Roberto, believing that all Americans wanted lots of bathrooms....he stood in the middle of the living room and pointed at walls that should be moved...and said.."BAM...BAM...BAM"...and then pointed where a bathroom should be and shouted..."BAGNO...BAGNO...BAGNO!" I remember we jumped the first time we heard him speak like this...but this is his hyper personality...his willingness to please...anything is possible in Roberto's world...and bless his heart...he will do EVERYTHING to make sure it happens in yours. we love him immensely for all he has done for us....and for many many others...

Which brings forth the question why?...why does he do this...why is he so passionate about this...he is not a real estate agent...he does not sell anyone a house...he brings people together with sellers...he shows us houses we would have never seen...he asks for nothing in return..he doesn't ask for money...his reward is in the faces of people who "get It" (I use this term often throughout my blog...as I am so sad when someone doesn't "Get It") Roberto remembers a centro historico that had children playing and running in the streets,,,flowers hanging from windows and people taking pride in their homes...for years the streets were empty...windows broken and boarded over...planters bare...and empty...slowly..it it coming back...again I digress....

A Piccola Casa! Perfetto!

BAM!  BAM!   BAM!  :)

What a wonderful little house this was....if you look closely at the last photo you can see the outline of an arch that was possibly a doorway into part of the castle....do you see the basement (Cantina) door on the outside...imagine that cantina being transformed into a kitchen with it;s fireplace and pizza oven remaining... a spiral staircase would take you up to the next level where you would knock out the wall between the old living room and kitchen making a fabulous Great Room" with a fireplace in the corner...installing bathrooms on the two bedrooms also on this level..BAGNO BAGNO!! The roof repaired to stop the water infiltration....overlooking one of the oldest churches in the area....I can see it! And now Rebecca And Danny will see it...this is there soon to be FABULOUS project! (Ok....I also love the word fabulous.....

Then the rain started..it poured...no umbrellas..we grabbed old wicker baskets and held them over our heads...the water...pouring through them...releasing dirt and dust that had been untouched for decades....when we finally reached a dry area we looked like sad raccoon's with dirt and water running down or faces....sadly or luckily the camera battery was dead at this point...

Cantinas...untouched for years!

Guardia at night

We crawled through many houses....climbed over broken walls...and then dinner.....the one night we went to our now favourite haunt, Le Meridiana...now understand...many look at the language Barrier as a difficulty....we look at it only as a challenge! We sat and saw FOUR pages of hand made pizza..all cooked in a wood fired pizza oven...how else would an Italian cook a pizza!!??  We tried to understand the pricing..as the pizzas listed started at only 3 euros....finally we cam to the conclusion they were either 6 or 9 inch and more of a "Personal" size...we both ordered our pizza....fresh hand made tomato sauce with boccocini   cheese and fresh basil....needless to say you can imagine our surprise when we were each served a FIFTEEN INCH pizza...and yes...we ate the whole thing...a crisp thin crust...it was heavenly!!

You would eat as the Italians do...fold the slice together to eat...a fork and knife?  Eegads!!

The locals dine here so you KNOW it's a great place!...Did I mention a glass of wine is A BUCK!!!!???

And then finally we saw it...the house....we felt it....it was built in a former turret of the castle....round rooms...skylights through the ceilings that were also rounds....cantinas that went on for days...made you think of prisoners being held there in the 1500's...

Entrance to the "Turret House"

One of the any underground Cantinas

A "Spirale" staircase leads to a round room upstairs

Many houses are built from one BIG original house ...so you may share an entrance

We felt this was the one..."The Turret House" we immediately called it...so much character...we went from room to room...it was owned by two sisters,,,,inherited from a family member...now being watched over by the two sons...

A fireplace/woodstove with the pipe going into the wall...simple

A round room....who'da thought?...

We couldn't believe we had fund our Italian home....now for the negotiations and to put it all on paper!! We had found it!! Or had we?......We sat with Roberto over drinks in the sunshine and made up our offer...fair and to the point! They would want to sell this house as they had said...then THE BUMP IN THE ROAD!

A bite to eat at the Orso's B&B...yes it's as good as it looks!

Guardia Sanframondi...pop just over 5000....experience the Magica!