01 June 2007 - 15 June 2007
We've started work on our kitchen. All trace of the original wall tiles has now gone and we've ordered new tiles which are due in two weeks. Next job is to expose the pipework for the taps which is buried within the wall and then start painting. That should see this week pretty much gone so we expect to start the new installation on Monday morning.
Thunderstorms galore have surrounded us over the last few days though only a few rumbles actually over us. Our valley appears to have its own little climate with blue skies over us and cloud (and thunderstorms) over the surrounding hills. Its nice to sit on the balcony in the sunshine watching the lightning and listening to the thunder rumbling away in the distance.
Our ADSL isn't as reliable as that in the UK. After a stable start, its been up and down like a Weston donkey (as they used to say in Bristol) and was wiped out altogether for a day by lightning last weekend. But its great to have it nevertheless.
We're all now on Messenger so if anyone would like our address(es) please use the Contact Us page.
We went back to Ikea and all the missing bits for our kitchen were in stock. Started painted the kitchen with a first coat on the ceiling and whilst I had all the stuff out, I gave the bathroom ceiling a coat as well. We have been impressed by the quality of the paint here and at around €45 (£30) for 14 litres its pretty reasonably priced too.
Major thunder storm this afternoon (7th) starting at 12:00 and rumbling away into the night. One lightning strike in our valley so close to us that the air crackled around us. I was sat on the balcony at the time and very nearly sh** myself!
Kitchen ceiling and walls now painted and a few units now in place, albeit temporarily because we don't have the pipes for the sink waste and taps, we'll get these from the local plumbers merchant over the next day or two.
Kate has now finished school for the Summer so we don't have to get up at stupid-o'clock for the next three months!!!
Harvesting of this year's winter wheat has now started and the sunflower crops are now beginning to flower.
Kitchen progreesing well, hope to finish (bar the tiles) by the end of the week. No major headaches so far. The most difficult job was exposing the water pipes which were concreted deeply into the wall. The wall taps have been removed and replaced with a sink mounted mixer tap.
16 June 2007 - 30 June 2007
On Saturday evening we went to Teatro Di San Angelo in Pergola to watch a musical performance of Hansel and Gretel. It was very good and very enjoyable even though some of the dialogue was lost on us non-Italian speakers (Kate understood it all!) The theatre is tiny; it seats less than 200 people. It was restored in 2002 to its current state and we thought it was really lovely.
The kitchen is now finished bar the tiles which are due to arrive in the next few days.
We were asked about our household expenditure so the following table sums it up........
| Electricity | 50 pcm |
| Gas | 10 pcm |
| Water | Unknown, no bill received yet |
| Rubbish | 10 pcm |
| Sewage | Nil, we have our own septic tank |
| White Road Maintenance | 5 pa |
| Telephone incl. ADSL | 50 pcm |
| Oil | 2,000 pa |
| Rates | Believed to be about 100 pa |
Rather noisy here at the moment as the combine harvesters, tractors and lorries operate late into the evening in the fields which surround us as they gather in the winter wheat. Quite a sight though and interesting to watch for a while.
Glutton for punishment as ever, I bought a twelve foot diameter pool (bargain at only €40 including pump and filter at a local hypermarket) so now I have to level a twelve foot square of land to put it on. Found a suitable spot at the back of the house which is only sloping by around four inches. The ground is just a little bit hard at this time of year though......
And the kitchen tiles have arrived.......
Top temperature here in June was 38 degrees in the shade.
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