November 29 - Preparing Carrara's First Listing

Huge, philosophical question: What in the world was I thinking when I booked a 6:00 am flight to Rome the Sunday after Thanksgiving? It sounded so logical. Good fare. One-stop. Early arrival in Rome with a whole day to get up to Chianti and have 2 meetings in the afternoon. And it's not that early, after all, right? I always seem to block out the dreary details....that for a 6:00 international flight I must rise at 2:00. Finish packing. Shower and leave the house at 3:30. Brutal. Sensible, but brutal. And did I mention I was doing all of this on crutches? Yes, 2 weeks post hip surgery and I'm going to Chianti. My partner says I'm masochistic. He exaggerates.

But....the trip couldn't be more exciting, because I'm going over to supervise a photo shoot, surveys and an inspection of our first fractional listing, and it's a beauty. I'm also meeting with a landscape architect and collecting quotes, doing an inventory and brainstorming exterior improvements and interior spotlights. I will be able to "feel" the house over several days. See the sun rise and set. Meet the neighbors and other contacts supplied by the amazing owners. Truly. We could not ask for more cooperation and commitment. Dream clients.

This project is going to be fun!

So here we go. 22 hours in coach. Ain't business travel romantic?

About Carrara, LLC

Carrara partners with owners of luxury vacation homes in Italy, managing the conversion and marketing of these beautiful homes to fractional, shared ownership vacation properties. We also represent buyers seeking the lifestyle of a European home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.

Sept. 24 in Italy - Badia a Coltibuono Revisited

I made a good decision on the way home from Orvieto this day. Starving after a full day of evaluating potential fractional ownership homes, I decided to see if one of my favorite restaurants, Badia a Coltibuono, was open early (7pm is a stretch in Italy).

Getting there from the Autostrada is a bit cumbersome. I'd been driving for so long that midway I had changed shoes to relieve the shooting pain in driving leg (no cruise control, alas). Winding up the hill takes longer than I expected and of course the signage is "tutti directioni"...meaning, essentially, "if it's not the next town, or the end of the road, it will not be on the sign and you should assume it's "every other direction".

Arriving as night falls at the wine and olive oil outlet for the former abbey, I am perflexed by how badly I'm limping until I get in the shop, and notice, to my horror, that I am wearing one flat slip-on Privo and one platform sandal. You have to be able to laugh at yourself...but really.

I was ushered into the ristorante and treated like a familiar friend. This extremely classy, romantic restaurant has, on the terrace, like many places in Italy, a play structure for the children off to the side. Parents can relax over dinner with friends and the children can knock themselves out. Next to the restaurants on the beach in the French Riviera where your table borders the beach and they have a lifeguard on duty so the kids can play in the surf, it's a great idea that still has not caught on anywhere but McDonald's in the U.S. Go figure.

This restaurant is full of tourists. A bit off the beaten path with a reputation for being expensive. But it's always worth it. The famous Lorenza di Medici cooking school is responsible for the food, and the Badia is breathtaking.

I had a wonderful meal, then ask for a dessert recommendation. Waiter #2 says, "the Mousse, or the Creme Anglais, or, if you must eat light, the Ricotta Crostada with fresh berries. The mousse is made with olive oil, according to the recipe, and sounds interesting but....I see this "Crostada di fichi et noci". How can that be bad? So I call over Riccardo, waiter #1. He says, duh, the other guy is not even Italian. Why would you take his advice? Certomente. Of course. Of course.

(I long ago decided that 50% of phone calls and much of everyday conversation is composed of a variation of "certo". Si certo. Ah. Si, certo. Si si, certomente!)

The quartered fresh figs are warmed slightly. The walnut crust is crispy and thick. There is a marmolade of figs in between. Local honey drizzled on and around. Si. Certo.

A resident kitten appears at the open window and is gently cooed and coaxed away.

I love the cities and the towns here, Lucca is now a special must-do place. But the countryside state of mind still draws me in.

I'm starting to eat and sound like Julia Child again. Audible moans of culinary delight as I officially abandon the 0 weight gain goal.

* Ristarante Badia a Coltibuono, Localita Badia a Coltibuono, Gaiole in Chianti. +39 0577 749031, www.coltibuono.com.

About Carrara, LLC

Carrara partners with owners of luxury vacation homes in Italy, managing the conversion and marketing of these beautiful homes to fractional, shared ownership vacation properties. We also represent buyers seeking the lifestyle of a European home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.

Sept. 24 in Italy - Shopping and the Polizia

I wake this morning at 5:15am, to call my kids before bedtime. The standard ritual morphs into them singing to me, since I am barely coherent. I can only imagine what the occupants in the next room think. Particularly this morning, when I woke myself up even earlier, talking in my sleep to a salesperson about the pair of boots that I did NOT stop and look at when I was in Lucca yesterday with Francesco. I mean, who would be so uncool as to shop for boots when with a business associate? Truth is, he probably would have approved. Deeper truth? Big mistake. BIG. I will regret it this winter, I swear.

So, can I console myself by looking at houses? Si certo! I have un'appuntamente with Johannes in Orvieto. But first, an adventure on the Autostrada.

My theory about the Italian Autostradi is this. As long as you are driving (Sigmar, you can stop laughing), it can be a very relaxing place. I have put on mascara on the A45, photographed Orvieto from the A1, texted to friends on the A12, gotten tendonitis in my left wrist from passing too much. And there was that famous $75 toll on the last trip (we figured that one out, Francesco and I). But I have never been stopped by the dreaded Polizia di Stato. If you have the time, check this out...www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiJXQIQxzcc. Lamborghini, for cryin' out loud. I didn't think that anyone got stopped. There are no maximum speed limits posted, unless it is to slow down. Mainly I just try to keep up.

The A1 is a little congested. Construction. Remember Orvieto? It's a….long drive. But much shorter when you are going very fast. I make two mistakes. I do one thing right.

First. I forget that I am not driving the Audi A4 from the last trip. This time I have my little teeny weeny Fiat Punto with, forgive me, a lawnmower motor under the hood.

Second. I forget that the Polizia drive blue cars, leading me to miss the middle car in a typical Italian formation (10 cm between bumpers), and drive right past in the fast lane, cell phone in hand. I try to ignore the blue light (currently not flashing), stash the phone, and do the Italian thing….I stare straight ahead.

They do the Italian thing….these two hotties in uniform. (You really have to watch the uTube to appreciate. I swear that they are the same guys that stopped me!) They drive pull out of formation, adjust their sunglasses, and drive next to me for a kilometer or so. Then, instead of the blue light, they pull slightly ahead, and the officer gracefully sticks his hand out of the window, and points to the side of the road. Twice. Very slowly. It's like something out of a Looney Tunes cartoon. Roger Rabbit. I'm sorry, but I'm holding back a chuckle, and repeating to myself. Don't speak Italian. Don't speak Italian.

The reason for this is basic. They really don't want to ticket tourists. But they kind of like to harass ex-pats. I'm driving with IT plates. Many thanks to Mike T. for this advice. I owe you.

They stop. Climb out of their car with attitude coming out of their ears. And I shout out "Hi! I'm sorry, but I don't speak Italian!" So they make a big show of not speaking any English, signaling for me to open the hood while yelling at me in Italian. I pop the hood and ask "is there something wrong with my engine?" And they say, essentially, "yes, it is too small". One officer licks his finger and pretends to touch the engine block and makes a hissing sound. The other looks in the trunk for good measure, they make hand signals for me to slow down. And leave.

I know it sounds like being an ugly American, but these are not inexpensive tickets. And the truth is, how fast you can go is determined by the size of your engine. I call Johannes to tell him I've been stopped, he says no problem, and the day progresses. Just another day on the Autostrada.

Orvieto is always a dream. I simply love this area. Johannes takes me to one beautiful restoration that really doesn't need help. It is stunning, and the couple is on their third restoration, and has just gone on the market.

The next is my favorite of the trip so far, and with enough work left to do to make our services make sense. Etruscan caves in the hillside. Nestled in a little valley. I LIKE this place. The next are near Todi, moving inland. I love Umbria and these are close enough to be very viable offerings.

On the way to one I am following Johannes and a dip in the road throws my little car into fits. I recover, and think I've escaped notice...as we stop he says "How was the off-road driving? I saw the cloud of dust." Can't get away with anything.

Status on goal achievement:

- 3 days down, 1 to go

- 0 weight gain (I have hope. Johannes does not believe in lunch.)

- 15 homes viewed, 25 to go (looking scary)

- 3 agencies visited, 1 added, 2 to go

- 1 attorney (definitely a phone call)

Sept. 23 in Italy - Falling in love again...Lucca

Up again, not quite so early, not quite so "chipper". As a result, the early morning walk through the hills around the villa kinda doesn't happen. A quick cornetto and espresso, 5 minutes online. Just like in San Gimignano in July, the staff and guests think I'm crazy for working while here, making jokes about Il Mio Blog. But the social network craze is here as well. Joseph, aka Guiseppe, tries to send me a ring tone of the Godfather theme via Blue Tooth (it didn't work), and I discuss search optimization with Nadia. Yikes. I've become a nerd. Jay (my web Yoda) will be proud. It's not exactly a negative trait for a late blooming entrepreneur.

Today I am meeting an agent to explore homes around Lucca. The diversity of the region is astonishing - easy access, rolling hills, vineyards, beaches, skiing, and of course, the walled city of Lucca itself. I've heard about it, driven by, but have never stopped. At the time we were speeding to make a reservation near Carrara (surprise!). I'm dying to see it.

Francesco and I meet at a McDonald's near an off-ramp and he explains what we will look at today for, hoping to find homes for Carrara's fractional home buyers.

The first, north of Lucca, is a lovingly restored farmhouse with panoramic views and a great pool and irrigated garden/lawn. I am very interested in this one. It feels like a retreat but is only 10-20 minutes (dependant upon the nationality of the driver) from Lucca. I think that it would appeal to many…particularly those who have families that will visit.

We then visit a unique development nearby. In general, meetings that begin with Prosecco are never bad, and this is not an exception. Dennis is charming and proud of what he and his business partner have accomplished. One of the homes is the original farmhouse, restored. They have put a lot of thought into the newly built homes and apartments in the complex, well-crafted details abound. I plan to keep in touch and hope that we can refer clients to one another, at the very least.

The next two homes are on very small lots in a suburb of Lucca, reminding me of the maximum setback homes being erected in many older neighborhoods in California, Oregon and Washington. The owner/builders reside in an expansive hillside villa in the distance. The building site was "in their view" and they didn't want anything ugly to look at. Hmmm. The houses appear well built, but are virtually identical and closely set, an Italian split lot flipover. They seem a little out of place and definitely more commuter/suburban than we are marketing.

As we wrap up the day Francesco takes me for a quick tour and a gelato inside the walls of Lucca. Wow. How do I describe the ambiance? Roma without pickpockets. Firenze without cars. Venezia without canals. A mix of all three. Or just….Lucca. The atmosphere is relaxed, almost festive, the architecture varied and colorful, the shops fun and classy.

The birthplace of Puccini, there is an opera in Lucca every night, which, I am sadly told, only tourists attend. Entirely surrounded by high stone walls, the interior is home to 8,000. Only these residents can drive in and park there. Outside the walls are an additional 120,000 people. I think that Francesco mentioned 100 churches. I did not see near enough. I must return to this city. I'm in love with Italy. Again.

Status on goal achievement:

- 2 days down, 2 to go

- 0 weight gain (looking less likely after lunch and gelato)

- 10 homes viewed, 30 to go

- 2 agencies visited, 1 added, 3 to go

- 1 attorney (this is starting to look like a phone call)

About Carrara, LLC

Carrara partners with owners of luxury vacation homes in Italy, managing the conversion and marketing of these beautiful homes to fractional, shared ownership vacation properties. We also represent buyers seeking the lifestyle of a European home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.

Sept 22 in Italy - Still on Oregon Time

I rise earlier than I want to, of course. I've talked to the children, lessons on geography and realities of air transportation versus teleportation are covered in depth..."no, honey, I can't come home right now". Since it's late in the summer and still dark at 6:30 I don't feel like tempting the hunters. But at 7, I take a walk down the hill through the vineyards in the misty dawn, and find that the harvest has begun.

As usual in Italy, a female is always reason enough to stop work, wave, smile and tip your hat. The foreman blows me a kiss. What a nice way to start the day!

This particular female is peeking through the bushes trying to get a good photo, so I have to step out, sweatpants and all, to ask in toddler Italian if I can take their picture. What a bunch of hams. Shameless. Enchanting.

Off I go to the hills of northeastern Tuscany, armed with my Italian Canon to take photos for our master designer, a rebel needing one more cause. One of the areas I had wanted to check out, driving to Sansepolcro past Arezzo, is a tad further than I think, but worth the trip.

I meet with another agency to discuss Carrara's project, and we make plans to view houses, narrowing the list down to 3…which is a good thing because I have no idea how I am going to meet with everyone that wants to meet this week (eeek). One owned by a British resident, in 2 separate houses, both large enough to fit our profile, sharing a pool. The second, overlooking a beautiful lake, owned by an American. The third is a bit too large.

Interesting facts about Sansepolcro - it is a 50-minute drive from the eastern seaside. An hour and a half from Firenze and probably an hour from Siena and less to Chianti proper.

Lunch in Sansepolcro at Ristorante Fiorentino is nothing short of awesome. A tiny sidewalk cafe turns out to be a large charming dining room upstairs, with one of those fireplaces big enough to roast anyone you wish. Homemade fettuccine with Fiori di Zucca (zucchini flower sauce), a fresh salad, and then I see (duh duh….duh duh….the great white of the dining experience)…..the DESSERT CART. There is this pink concoction with strawberries on top, that is translated as strawberry biscuit (i.e. shortcake).If that is what it was, I have been making it wrong for years. This is more like a "whipped cream shortcake with a strawberry garnish". The biscuit is delicate and crumbly and has pine nuts in it. The whipped cream has a bit of pureed strawberry folded in. It is layered 3 times.

I stop to see 3 rental villas in the area for sale by owner, or considering selling. Two need a lot of work, one again is too large. On the way back I notice more...the scenery is quite different now than in July. It is still warm, but a soft haze has settled over the hills, not quite foggy, just....soft. Tobacco is being harvested as well. There is a sense of anticipation, and a relaxation. The tourist rush is past, kids are back in school, quiet time is settling in.

After driving 2 hours back to Villa Saulina, I park myself to write, plan and answer email, succumb to jet lag for an hour, and then force myself to sleep walk downstairs for dinner. Home-cooking. Close to, make that AT, home. Cantucci. Skip the espresso and crash.

Laugh of the day….All truck drivers on the Autostrada honk when you pass them. Not an angry honk. Not even a "hey baby" honk. It's more of a "you go girl" honk. You get the feeling that they're flirting but how do they know who's driving? The cabs are higher than here in the U.S. Perhaps the smiling faces in the vineyard this morning has skewed my perspective. Must be.

As I drop off…."Ice Age" in Italian is VERY funny.

Status on goal achievement:

- 1 day down, 3 to go

- 0 weight gain (doubtful after that dessert)

- 3 homes viewed, 37 to go

- 1 agency visited, 3 to go

- 1 attorney

*Ristorante Fiorentino, Sansepolcro, www.ristorantefiorentino.it

About Carrara, LLC

Carrara partners with owners of luxury vacation homes in Italy, managing the conversion and marketing of these beautiful homes to fractional, shared ownership vacation properties. We also represent buyers seeking the lifestyle of a European home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.

Sept 21 in Italy - Carrara on the road again...

Arrival once again in Roma. This time I sleep en route, thanks to a very kind United agent. A beeline to the espresso bar for a well-deserved doppio, then through the maze of moving sidewalks to my "boys in blue" at Maggiore car rentals. This time a small, sensible, gutless Fiat Punto. Grey, no less.

I break a personal best by making it from Roma to Firenze in 3.5 hours, following my nose and slowing down traffic (but no ones honks!) to Lastra a Signa. Outside of Firenze, it is near one of the referral agencies for Carrara's fractional homes.

I'm still babbling in jet lag Englian, but stumble across the threshold of Villa Saulina and into bed for a couple of hours. But, as usual, food and Internet beckon.

Because a lot of the initial check-in babbling was about my business, the proprietress asks me to explain. I launch into my two-sentence Italian pitch. She chuckles while reading my flyer…saying that the things that I say about Italy are "sweet". I'm hoping that is a good thing. She gives me flyers from two nearby agritourissimi for sale, and wishes me good "house hunting". Then she sighs..."summer is over. Che piccato! (it is over 80F outside).

I'm pointed to a local eatery called "La Luna", in a town called…La Luna. Of course. Monday night most restaurants are closed, and the night finds me with 2 other tourists, and a staff of 10 (including Pino, above), so it sounds packed! It is early, obviously. Later a lively crowd accumulates.

Arugula, Parmesan and Braseola Carpaccio. Yum. Margherita pizza from the wood burning pizza oven.

I'm getting pulled in, yet again. My own personal version of gravity. I'm here to attempt to view 40 homes in 4 days, and the marathon begins tomorrow.

A wonderful ending to the meal. Pino has just brought me two cantucci. "I made it myself, he tells me. Warm, fresh-baked. I make a mean cantucci myself. His are drier and softer (the better to dip them in Vin Santo, my dear) and more....flavorful. Vanilla?

My goals:

- 4 days

- 0 lb. weight gain

- 40 homes

- 4 agencies

- 1 attorney

Yes, I stole the concept….but I'm tired. And it fits my well-disguised Type A tendencies. (If you know me, you can stop laughing now).

* Ristorante Pizzeria "La Luna", Lastra a Signa

** Villa Saulina, Lastra a Signa, www.villasaulina.it.

About Carrara, LLC

Carrara partners with owners of luxury vacation homes in Italy, managing the conversion and marketing of these beautiful homes to fractional, shared ownership vacation properties. We also represent buyers seeking the lifestyle of a European home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.

September 3 - Back to Italia

It's just the right amount of time away for me.  Exactly one month since I returned home from my last house hunting trip to Italy.  This time I am armed with all of the paperwork that my marketing partners are looking for...contracts and the like.  It has been a bit of a battle.  Every country thinks that their law prevails, under all circumstances.  Striking a balance is key in these transactions, and we are committed to providing fully-deeded, transferable shares to our co-owners.  Like every contract I have ever presented, the goal is to anticipate all possible things that could go wrong, and put it in a file drawer.  If you do it right, it never comes out of the drawer again.

But I digress.  Italy.  On the schedule this time?  Selecting individual properties in Lucca, Chianti, San Gimignano and Umbria.  I've been attending events (including a 7-course winemakers event at Riccardo's* in Lake Oswego....Falchini** wines and wonderful food and company), marketing our concept, and have dozens of clients looking for properties.  I've teamed with firms marketing fractional homes in the U.S., worked on the website and collateral.  Ah, the life of entrepreneurs.

*Riccardo's....ah yes.  A favorite haunt of Lake Oswegan's in the know.  Great food, both comfort (the lasagna is not to be believed) and off-the-charts gourmet (figs with proscuitto that sent me to another planet), and wonderful service.  And they allow me to butcher the Italian language without complaint!  www.RiccardosLO.com

**Falchini's Vernaccia is a wonderful, complex white wine...to call it a summer wine would be insulting.  It is a delightful wine with a price that had me scrambling for a case.  Their version of a super-tuscan, was a delight.  www.falchini.com/en

August 18 - Missing Italy.

The other day I missed an exit on I5.  I was on the phone, complaining to a friend in Kentucky that I still miss exits in Portland after two years here.....and drove right by. Very....irritated was I.

In Italy, I drove in circles in Poggibonsi and laughed until I thought I would be sick.  I was sure that on one of the corners there were a bunch of old men sitting at the local bar/cafe saying "Look!  There she goes again!  Har har har!"

So what IS it about Italy, anyway?  That makes us laugh at things that cause road rage here?  It wasn't because it was vacation....I was working.

I'm soliciting comments, because sometimes, it's downright irritating.

I'm sure that there are other places in the world as compelling.  But I can't seem to escape the magic.  And I am positive that Italians still living in Italy know what it is.

I know, I know.  I'm obsessing.

The house hunting for Carrara is going well...I am finding that British owners of Italian vacation properties are very open to what we are doing.  It's a win for everyone, but really huge for these owners.  They can access equity tied up in their vacation homes, get help updating and refurnishing, and keep one fractional home interest if they wish.  There are two categories, people who are older and have owned their vacation home for 15-30 years, and are now keeping closer to home.  And, more recent owners who are finding that costs have risen and sharing with other co-owners is a smarter way to invest.  Right now I have several homes lined up to view in September (see above, in Chianti).

About Carrara, LLC

Carrara partners with owners of luxury vacation homes in Italy, managing the conversion and marketing of these beautiful homes to fractional, shared ownership vacation properties.  We also represent buyers seeking the lifestyle of a European home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.

August 17 - How to Make Friends with the Help of Italian Wine

Okay. Let's talk about that precious bottle of wine.

I love wine.  Yoda-trainer can't talk me out of it, and he's pretty persuasive.  So what if I battle the bulge?  Fair trade. 

And it's one of the many things I love about Italy.  I've lived in California and am now in Oregon.  Good wines abound.  But somehow, American producers still don't get the value of affordable, every day wine.  I love the jugs you take to the local cantina or vineyard throughout Italy.  It's so….practical.  So...Italian.  And there is always room to enjoy a special treat, like a great super-Tuscan or record-breaking vintage.  

Now.  About bringing wine home.  I've been working and traveling internationally for years.  Logged a lot of miles.  Brought back plenty of local 'spirits' (Guatemalan rum comes to mind).  But wine?  It just doesn't like to fly.  Even before current carry-on rules, I had come to the conclusion that wine never tastes as good after it has been lugged, boiled and frozen on the way home.  

I buy ceramics (never ship it home).  I buy olive oil (it's a year fresher than what we get at home).  But wine?  Nope.   I've anticipated too many bottles that have been flops because of their mistreatment.  I am committed (meaning that I just thought this one up) to installing a private wine storage area for each of the co-owners in our fractional homes in Italy.  Solar-powered, if that's possible!

So exactly why did I shuffle off to that flight at 4:30am with two bottles in my carry-on mess?

Sleep deprivation.  Packing frenzy.  Suitcase malpractice (no expandable zippers?!).  I was thinking logically…not practically.  I thought…here I am in Volpaia.  I like this wine.  Oh, look!  A Bolgheri.  Sassicaisa's close relative.  Yum.  Can't pack it, it'll break and ruin my white linen dress.

So, when I was stopped at airport screening, I was actually…surprised.  Then mortified.  I mean, really!

I can't describe how I ended up with the expensive bottle, leaving my Volpaia in Italy.  But let's just say that my extravagance and passion were both "reverently accommodated".   I know now that it's because someone knew what I would face in Dutch security.  Oops.

When I arrived in Amsterdam and discovered the joke, I made my way to the airport casino, asked for a corkscrew, and made three new friends.  All also appropriately reverent, despite the hour.  And it was lovely.  Worth every Euro.

About Carrara, LLC

Carrara partners with owners of luxury vacation homes in Italy, managing the conversion and marketing of these beautiful homes to fractional, shared ownership vacation properties.  We also represent buyers seeking the lifestyle of a European home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.

  

August 14 - Back in the Northwest

Italy is closed....I mean in August they lock the doors and throw away the keys.  Not even my lawyers are checking email!  But there is a lot to do.

I'm back home in Portland, Oregon with family and friends. The weather is warm and green.  

My 9-year-olds are ecstatic.  I need to take them with me next time, if possible.  Maybe one at a time.

But I gotta tell you, I seemed to manage juggling the job and love of life a little better over there.  With more grace and less anxiety.  Some long established Italian practices helped me:

- Meetings really were scheduled around meals.

- Multiplexing beyond drinking, eating and talking is not allowed.

- No one honked at me (they zoomed past at intersections, but no honking!)

- The only competition between women is over men.  Maybe visa versa, but I doubt it....there is football to consider.

- You walk everywhere instead of going to the gym (no offense, Yoda-trainer Troy).

Doesn't that sound healthy?  (At the moment we are forgetting the gelato habit)

Now, if you are like me, you have so many reasons to stay based in the U.S....children, grandchildren, schools, parents, careers, familiarity.  But oh, to be able to spend a part of every year letting your hair down and soaking in the lifestyle.  I am a fanatic.

So, I seek other fanatics.  And fanatics who have Italian vacation homes who want to share the costs through fractional home ownership in Italy.  

I believe that on some level this is going to be driven by the increasing desire to reduce carbon footprints....so I am researching "Green" certification for our business and properties.  

I am researching Italian homes for sale and rent.  As a result, I'm uncovering some areas that are very appealing.  Around Lucca and Pisa, for example.  Gorgeous.  Near skiing, beach AND central Tuscany.  Near the town of Cortona is another.  On my trip in September I will scout out some properties in those areas and post some photos.  I'm following up with the agents I met and properties that we are interested in.

I'm devoted to de-mystifying the intricacies of search engine optimization, spreading the word about what Carrara aims to do.  We have a very personalized approach...we will search in specific locations for clients, we are pretty picky about the homes represented, we will invest in improvements, and will stay involved.  Although affiliated with a listing agent, we are not a real estate firm.  We don't move properties so much as change people's lives.  That is the goal.  

Told you it would get dry...I'm trying to decide whether or not to divulge my episode in Amsterdam with my bottle of wine.  Don't ask how I got it on the plane in Roma.  Okay, I'll tell you tomorrow.

About Carrara, LLC

Carrara partners with owners of luxury vacation homes in Italy, managing the conversion and marketing of these beautiful homes to fractional, shared ownership vacation properties.  We also represent buyers seeking the lifestyle of a European home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.

Day 7 - Fractional Home Hunt (ed)

Exhibit 1 - a local wild boar.

Let's be honest.  I am puzzled by why I seem to resemble a game animal in Italy.  I've gone jogging during boar hunting season, only to find out later that all of the local hunters had my bouncing baseball hat in their scopes.  

Is it the moon?

Exhibit 2 - the moon.

Is it the alcohol?

Exhibit 3 - Wine.

Or do I just "belong" here?  

While on an Italian style power-walk in the groves and vineyards the day before yesterday, I happened upon a potential victim and her mate, only to find out that hunting (yes, deer hunting in prime tourist season) had just started.  Coincidence?  I don't think so.

Look closely at the photo above.  Does this look like a human?

Although in my mind one of the local gazelle-like, very scared deer has more kinship to me than a wild boar, I really think our hair color is off enough to make a hunter pause.  Yes?  Mas, non.

So last night, I was blissfully walking around with the fireflies in the moonlight, albeit ignorantly, thinking that hunters go out in the morning.  Right?.  Au contraire (I'm going to have to look that one up).  Non es justo!!!?  Turns out  that hunting season, if anything, is just another excuse to hide in the brush, drink grappa, avoid chores and scare people.  And scare they did.  I fell/stepped/collapsed into the soft dirt, and as the "boys" were laughing and trying to pick me up while I stuttered in Gaelic (OK, I don't speak Gaelic, but it was NOT Italian), they seemed to think that grappa was the best thing for me.  They were right, of course (it WAS homemade), and insisted that they would never have actually shot me...but I am still a little miffed.  Like I've said before.  Gotta love Italy.  I mean it.  I do.

I have new sympathy for the indigenous "large rodents" that eat the blooms off my roses in Portland.  I will never shout obscenities or throw rocks at them again.  I will pay my twins to do it.

About Carrara, LLC

Carrara partners with owners of luxury vacation homes in Italy, managing the conversion and marketing of these beautiful homes to fractional, shared ownership vacation properties.  We also represent buyers seeking the lifestyle of a European home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.

Day 8 in Italy - Leaving your heart in Chianti

This morning, I experience the overwhelming sense of certainty and relief that our clients will have when they own a fractional home in Italy.  Leaving is so much easier when you know that you will return. Again and again.

The ceramics that I am hauling back will have stayed in their Italian home.  The wine will not break or spill in their suitcase.  Both will grace parties in their Italian home for years to come.

I've logged 3-4 hours in the car every day.  Our fractional home owners will log time at the pool.

I'll be back next month to look at approved properties.  The content of this blog may get a little dry this month, as I beef-up the Carrara website content, work on contracts, etc.  But we are out working for you, if you dream of Italy as I do.  Follow this blog or our website, www.carrara.us.com for continued updates and upcoming trip blogs.

Looking forward to that long trip home.

About Carrara, LLC

Carrara partners with owners of luxury vacation homes in Italy, managing the conversion and marketing of these beautiful homes to fractional, shared ownership vacation properties.  We also represent buyers seeking the lifestyle of a European home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.

Day 6 in Italy - In the Zone

What a treat today.

I drive to Signa, outside of Firenze, to meet with a prospective partner.  In addition to representing homes for rent and for sale 

in the area, they have a cooking school in a family-owned villa, arrange tours, wine tastings, chef services, many of the amenities that Carrara's fractional ownership clients want.

I am treated to a five-course

lunch, prepared by the chef and two American students, and their cookbook so that I can replicate the mouthwatering Spring Vegetable Rissotto and tiramisu made with Vin Santo at home.  Something tells me cooking with Vin Santo would be a very Julia Child-like experience, or as my Scottish mother says when she makes haggis...one shot of scotch in the pot, one down the pipe!  But it was heavenly, that tiramisu.

After lunch, we take a tour of the villa as we discuss our synergistic businesses and clients.  There is so much overlap that I leave with not only a full stomach but exciting partnership concepts to be considered.  We agree to follow up next week.

Driving back, I take a wrong turn (or rather miss the right turn) on the Firenze autostrada, finding myself on the way to Bologna.  Hm mm.  Isn't this where Elizabeth Gilbert found the great food in her book, "Eat, Pray, Love"?  Tempting, but I'm getting seriously off my map.  Taking the nearest exit, I explain to the attendant in the toll booth, who charges me 3 Euro to turn around, does not give me a receipt, so that when I finally exit to return to Chianti, I am charged 5 Euro for making the mistake and am given a ticket for 51 Euro for "Altro"...meaning "other".  Ah, scusa?  I do not discover this until back in the hotel room, alas and gulp.

Once back on "familiar" turf, I stop at a few more agencies and find my way past Poggibonsi (the tourism office should pay me a royalty), past the fields of sunflowers and towards to my temporary home (have I shown you the hotel?).  At this point I know all the popular tunes on R-Italia, but none of the artists.  There are 10 popular tunes on R-Italia, cycled over and over again, and I sing them all.  Badly but with great enthusiasm.

I spend the early evening revising contracts (yawn) and working on Carrara's Facebook account.  Mas che caldo!  It's been a long hot day.  I take the plunge and expose my Celtic skin at the pool to cool off.  

Tomorrow, off to Roma and a flight home.  But tonight belongs to me.  A breeze has cooled things off, and the moon promises to be full and bright.  Maybe a final walk through the surrounding olive groves before packing.  

Question for the day:  Does anyone out there know how I can move the photos around on the page in my blog composition?  It has me stymied.  What's up with that, as my kids would say...G'nite.

About Carrara, LLC

Carrara partners with owners of luxury vacation homes in Italy, managing the conversion and marketing of these beautiful homes to fractional, shared ownership vacation properties.  We also represent buyers seeking the lifestyle of a European home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.

Day 5 in Italy - Marathon in Paradise

Oops - late entry.  Dead laptop battery.  And yes, there are Apple Stores in Tuscany!

Back to Day 5.  I'm beginning to think I am breaking records for hours spent driving around Tuscany and Umbria. I'm actually beginning to 'autopilot' my way around Poggibonsi.  That's got me a little worried.

I have three scheduled stops in Chianti today, and promised a client that I would look at properties near Radda in Chianti.  So after my ritual cappuccino and cornetto on the patio, off I go.

Taking an accidental wrong turn means that I show up in Radda first.  I can't resist a stop at the home of a wonderful ceramic artist, Angela. First referred to me years ago by Gina, my adoptive grandmother at the small espresso/bar/deli/grocery in nearby Volpaia, Angela paints all of her pottery freehand, and fires it in a kiln in her own home.  You can watch the work in progress.  Relatively undiscovered by tourists when I first raided her stock, I now notice a swimming pool, some new designs, and pleasantly, the same attractive prices.  We talk about the tourist trade, and her new baby.  I make a small (ha ha) purchase and head to the local agency.  We discuss several houses and I drive over to one of them (see above).  Radda and Volpaia are more wooded than other parts of Tuscany, very lush and green.

I stop in Volpaia to say hello to Nonna Gina, but alas, she is napping.  A quick lunch at her daughter Carla's restaurant, La Bottega*, and drive to the next town.

At this agency, everyone is welcoming and interested, but I confirm once again my belief that foreign owners are going to be most interested in what Carrara is doing.  Italian owners tend to want to deal with other Italians, with Italian contracts, and Italian law, something that most American buyers will not feel comfortable doing.  But getting the word out never hurts, and they refer me to a German-owned agency in the same town.

It has finally occurred to other residents at the hotel that I am foolish enough to be working while here....they are amazed.  They also want a report at the end of every day.  Many of these families return to Italy every year, but are tired of the hotel scene.  Parents are a little tired of constantly having to ask their kids not to yell or splash in the pool.  Couples are tired of listening to kids running in the room over their heads.  In short, everyone would appreciate some privacy!  So we compare notes, oohs and aah's over the houses and towns that I have checked out, over a glass of Cinzano or the local house wine.  It's good to have the positive feedback and several guests have asked to be on our mailing list.

* La Bottega di Carla Barucci is in a shady terrace overlooking the valley between Volpaia, a small hamlet dedicated to producing a popular Chianti, and Radda.  The food, including Torta della Gina (see above, half-eaten), is like eating dinner at an Italian home.  Hearty.  Down to earth.  From the garden and local farms.  It is always a delight.

About Carrara, LLC

Carrara partners with owners of luxury vacation homes in Italy, managing the conversion and marketing of these beautiful homes to fractional, shared ownership vacation properties.  We also represent buyers seeking the lifestyle of a European home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.

Day 4 in Italy - House Hunting and Driving

I'm getting the hang of driving 130km/hr on small country roads.  Okay, maybe not that fast, but the roads are built for fun (when you are not driving circles around Poggibonsi - see Day 3).  It doesn't take me long to get in the Italian frame of mind.

My day started with a walk through the olive trees, and at 8am it's already hot.  I'm staying at Hotel Pescille* outside of San Gimignano.  The garden setting is beautiful, there is a large pool that I have yet to use, and I've talked the barista into making my cappuccino for me rather than using the automatic machines like everyone else.  Spoiled and happy.

A meeting at an agency in San Gimignano went very well, and I headed to Panzano where two more agencies are my targeted victims.  The first meeting led to lunch, of course,  this time at a local trattoria.

After Panzano a stop at another agent in Colle di Val d'Elsa…no one home, but the agent is the mother, of the girlfriend, of the desk clerk, at the hotel.  When I return he assures me that he can make an appointment for me.  Networking is everything in Italy.  Everyone seems very interested in what we are doing, anything that promotes tourism is fine with them.  It's pivotal in a region where they struggle to keep their young people employed and near home.

At last, a quick dip to cool off, a session with the hotel's WiFi (you will find it at all hotels and many restaurants, most often for free), and off to town to buy a camera (my ancient Cybershot just bit the dust).  This in itself was an adventure, the shop owner and I met somewhere in between English and Italian and had a wonderful time.  While we looked at cameras, a wine-tasting festa starts in the plaza, complete with men in tights and blaring trumpets.  Gotta love it.

Then dinner, this time at Ristorante Hotel Belsoggiorno** with a sweeping view of the valley to the east, reflections of the sunset, swallows diving on their way to the towers…a view that could not be captured on film.  Arugula salad made to spec, a nice steak, and of course my cantucci, and home to bed.

And okay, I tend to talk more about food and getting lost than the houses, but wait and see! 

*Hotel Pescille, www.pescille.it, is housed in a large villa with a tower overlooking the towers of San Gimignano 8km away.  Half of the rooms are in a newer wing, but all are nicely furnished and air-conditioned.  There is a snack bar by the pool, and a small bar and enoteca where you can relax while watching the sunset, or taste the local wine.  Reasonably priced, lots of multi-room suites and foldout beds for families.

**Ristorante Hotel Belsoggiorno, www.hotelbelsoggiorno.it, was great.  Tables by the window are perched on the edge of a sheer drop-off, with Chianti stretching out before you.  The food is simply prepared, but elegant.  And a 4€ glass of Nobile di Montepulciano?  How can you resist?

About Carrara, LLC

Carrara partners with owners of luxury vacation homes in Italy, managing the conversion and marketing of these beautiful homes to fractional, shared ownership vacation properties.  We also represent buyers seeking the lifestyle of a European home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.

Day 3 in Italy - Law and Ordering

Today began with getting lost, again.  All roads in Tuscany do NOT lead to Rome.  They lead to a small town called Poggibonsi.  I swear once you get into this town you cannot get out.  The signs direct you to the left about 50 times, until you finally get desperate and use your gut to find the Siena-Firenze road.  So I am late to a meeting with our attorney in Castelignione del Lago, on Lago Trasimeno, near Perugia.  An apologetic arrival, a productive meeting, and an in-depth dissection of Italian law.  I am very thankful that we have someone with Marco's expertise.

On to lunch "a casa" with an agent I met while house-hunting last year.   Again a very good meeting, lively discussion, at his home and office.  Entirely sustainable, with solar heating and sensor activated window shutters, his home is an example of some of the ways Italians are modifying their homes and lifestyles.  He is excited by our project and we will likely work together on properties in Umbria and southern Tuscany. 

A stop at two more agencies and dinner with a chef who is interested in providing cooking services for our co-owners.  

We ate at a most amazing restaurant in Badia a Passignano*.  After an appetizer of 3 types of olive oil (really), my meal consisted of fiori di zucca prepared 4 ways (zucchini flowers stuffed with fresh tomatoes and zucchini, canolli with zucchini flower ricotta, lightly fried zucchini flowers dressed with zucchini flower sauce and a salad of rucola, red rose petals, and zucchini flowers!).  Dessert, of course, is Cantucci con Vin Santo.  Yum.  Tonight was my first foray on this trip beyond house wine (which is always ridiculously good and inexpensive), and I'm in heaven.  Giovanni is engaging, passionate about cooking, and eager to work with us.  Time well spent.  But I'm stuffed.

 *Osteria di Passignano is a very elegant restaurant with vaulted ceilings and wonderful food.  A little off the beaten path, the town has that Tuscan charm (photo above).

About Carrara, LLC

Carrara partners with owners of luxury vacation homes in Italy, managing the conversion and marketing of these beautiful homes to fractional, shared ownership vacation properties.  We also represent buyers seeking the lifestyle of a European home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.

Day 2 in Italy - Transported

I'm always struck by the diversity of this part of the world.  Yes, we have it in the U.S., but you drive for hours to experience it.  Every corner of Tuscany and Umbria have their own unique landscape, crops, scenery.  Every bend in the road brings a suprize.

My first stop today was an agencia immobiliare in Orvieto….and a warm welcome.  The real estate market is very slow here for whole ownership, like most places.  Agents who respresent foreign owners are very interested in the opportunity to move property that fractional ownership offers.  I saw a beautiful home nearby.  

Orvieto is in Umbria, but just south of the Tuscan border, it is within 1 hour of major Tuscan attractions.  The home I saw needs new interior paint (I am not a big fan of red walls) and a pool, but unlike most homes it has never been rented and has been furnished exquisitely.  Well within the guidelines that we are looking for.  I would live in this house in a heartbeat.  The owners are in Rome and I hope to meet with them before I leave.

I drove from Orvieto to Umbria, near Spoleto.  It is hot.  The sky is the bluest blue, and so is the clear spring at Fonte dei Clitunno …the source of the river of the same name.  I'm eating, sweating and laughing with my architect and new friend, Martin.  We talk about our projects, solar power, building permits, housing prices, our respective presidents and….life in Italy.

After a visit to another agencia in Sinalunga, just southeast of Siena, I've checked into the Hotel Pescille outside of San Gimignano.  I'm now mesmorized by "una bella luna", hanging bright but soft in the pastel sunset above the hills, eating the sweetest "melone" in the world.  Another great family restaurant*, but also very romantic.  In Italy, the two seem to go hand in hand.  I have decided that our boisterous twins have a ways to go to be as loud as Italian boys.

The sky has turned from powder, to azure to deep Roman blue.  I can't stop channeling Dean Martin.

Time to go back to the hotel before I embarrass myself.

* Trattoria Borgo di Raccione - really a wonderful place.  Great service, good food, outstanding location.

About Carrara, LLC

Carrara partners with owners of luxury vacation homes in Italy, managing the conversion and marketing of these beautiful homes to fractional, shared ownership vacation properties.  We also represent buyers seeking the lifestyle of a European home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.

Day 1 in Italy - Carrara on the road

Some say that you need a map to explore Venice.  Others say a map spoils the fun.  But today I am certain…Orvieto is a town where possessing a map makes things worse.

Not to say that being without a map helps.  Having visited Orvieto several times in the past, I boldly drove into "Il Centro" forgetting that my complimentary upgrade at the car rental agency* was probably due to the fact that no one wants big cars here.  Great on the autostrada, but in towns, skinny cars rule and speed doesn't count.

After no less than 4 locals directing my wishbone 180 on a one-way street (think Woody Allen in Italy), I came to a precise halt in front of the Hotel Maitani, where the friendly staff (again, 3 people in attendance) took me to a gorgeous corner room with a view of the Duomo ½ block away.  Breathtaking.  But I'm hungry!  This is an ongoing sensation whenever I land in Italy.

A nice meander (read lost again) through the town brings me to back near the Duomo for an early dinner.  A 'real' pizza at L'Antica Piazzetta** and then a big crash as my head hits the table.  Time to sleep.  I am lulled to sleep by the opera in progress at the local theater, and wake about 11pm with a violinist serenading an empty piazza with Vivaldi.  Ah.  Italy.

 *I never go wrong with Maggiore/National…They wear nice blue uniforms, smile a lot, and always give me a good rate.

 ** This pizzeria has a wonderful covered patio, with a nice breeze for a 37.5C evening.  Great for families and friendly service.

Bonus:  I waked by an open gate with a "ruined" building and courtyard beyond.  Guess what?  Not ruined.  The most interesting restoration I have ever seen.  Done in a fashion where it still looks decrepit, but somehow chic.  It now houses dentist and medical offices.

Tomorrow searching for properties for Carrara and my clients begins!

About Carrara, LLC

Carrara partners with owners of luxury vacation homes in Italy, managing the conversion and marketing of these beautiful homes to fractional, shared ownership vacation properties.  We also represent buyers seeking the lifestyle of a European home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.