Taryn and I went on our first official housing tour yesterday. We totally lucked out with what seems to be special treatment, angels or something because we have not even attended the mandatory housing briefing...others will be there today as we lounge by the hotel pool...ahhhhh!
Enzo, who has been with housing for years and years was our gracious guide. He had met us only briefly the day before but knew I was looking for something unique in the Pozzuoli area with a view of the ocean, a swimming pool, a pizza oven, wine cellar, local landlord, security system, etc. etc.....you know, just the basics. We saw four homes and they were each amazing and something to talk about in their own right.
I think Enzo may have had us pegged with the very first house. We have an appointment to show it to Earl tomorrow. I need him to look at it with a critical eye and be practical...I was so blown away I just stood with my jaw dropped. It will be up to Earl to bring me back to earth if it won't work...like our furniture won't fit through the door or some other boring detail that I neglected to notice.
The home is in Monteruscello...a suburb of Naples...and has a sweeping view of the ocean (although it was hazy yesterday and hard to see) and the Island of Ischia. We drove up what seemed to be a horse and buggy path...the asphalt was quite worn away and the cobblestones were showing through. Enzo assured me it dates back B.C. and I'm sure it does. We parked outside of a huge gate and waited for the landlord Domenico to greet us and take us up to the house. It appears to be brand new with a twist...it is constructed around a historical site and is protected by the archeological society so the oldest structures cannot be touched with new contruction, paint etc. It is pretty simple in some ways...two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a small indoor kitchen and dining area and a laundry room.... AND THEN...you go back in time AND you get to live there!!!!! There is an large old archway leading to a huge room full of other open archways but you can see all the way around...it's cavelike...ruinlike...Indiana Jones like and simply unbelievable. About 25% of the floorspace at the far left is made of thick glass so you can view the cellar (ah uh hum...aka MONDO wine cellar and them some) which is the same size as the main floor with not quite enough room for me to stand erect comfortably. The whole place made me feel like I was on the brink of a huge discovery...the lost arc or something. I could have never imagined anything like it. We'll see what Earl has to say tomorrow. If for some reason this one does not work out I'll tell you about the other ones...like I said they were all quite something...but this one was magic. It does not have a swimming pool but Enzo said that the owners (three brothers, and one lives on the property) are popular ceramic makers and could easily get me an outdoor pizza oven and create some outdoor kitchen space...this promise I believe. He also said he could get me the two old clawfoot tubs that I want to put on the patio with hot water available to have outdoor tubs to soak in under the stars ...this promise though I will not count on. An American security guard lives below and there is one other American family and a couple of Italian families within the gate. The security system is brand new. Enzo assured me that they were the kind of family that would be taking you to the best restaurants, showing you around, and of course selling you their ceramics at no profit to them...because you would be like a family.
Keep those prayers coming...they are working!!! Don't worry...the first bedroom will be reserved for guests as Taryn fully intends on having a section of the "cave" for her.
Oh boy...life is GOOD!!
Ciao for now, Danette
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