margaretbirney

Our Eccentric House

Our house in Anghiari is a tower, probably a watch tower originally as it overlooks the Tiber Valley. Living in a tower means living with stairs leading from one floor to the next, two sets of them in our case. Living in a tower built in the 1300’s means that it has undergone a numberContinue reading “Our Eccentric House”

Florence-Magic and a Little Mayhem

Post II So following an interlude of re-nesting in Anghiari, we headed back to Florence, this time driving all the way so that we could make a quick visit to Montebeni where Terry had lived as a student. The tiny, two street hamlet sits atop a hill a short distance from Florence and remains todayContinue reading “Florence-Magic and a Little Mayhem”

Florence–Magic and a Little Mayhem

Part I With the approach of September, we bounced between the yin of having to leave Anghiari and the yang of exploring Florence. We hadn’t yet completely settled into our home and leaving would draw us away from matters waiting to be finished. Not only did we have that long held reservation from a yearContinue reading “Florence–Magic and a Little Mayhem”

Settling In

As we continued to unpack and put away dishes, books and clothing, we were also mindful that in less than a month, we were scheduled to go to Florence. We had rented, and paid for, an apartment there a year ago when we had yet to envision the fast track our plans would take. AtContinue reading “Settling In”

Moving Toward Moving In

We checked into our hotel in Anghiari on July 13, happy to have finally arrived in the place we had chosen to live. The hotel was on the edge of Piazza IV Novembre across from the theater and our new home was nearby. We were given a top floor room with a large terrace whereContinue reading “Moving Toward Moving In”

Here we are in Anghiari

As we drove up the street toward Piazza IV Novembre we were pleased and somewhat surprised at the beauty of Viale Gramsci, which led to our hotel and nearby new home. In January, when we were last in Anghiari, the chestnut and sycamore trees lining the street were dormant, and gave no hint of theContinue reading “Here we are in Anghiari”

End Game

It was time to wrap up phase one of our plans to move to Italy. We had sold our car, moved to another and final hotel in Fernandina and now just waited for our passports to be returned, hopefully with the Elective Residency visa stamped inside. As we approached the ninety day limit that theContinue reading “End Game”

May Madness

Seeing the locked and sealed shipping container about to depart with our household furnishings brought on my first moments of nostalgia and a few tears. But, as I said to my neighbor when we hugged good-bye, “we won’t have what we had here, but we will have something else that promises to be good.” OnceContinue reading “May Madness”

Breaking Down the Household

With the trip to Miami and our visa application completed, we turned to the next tasks confronting us. First, and more a pleasure than a task, we closed on the sale of our house in Fernandina a week after going to Miami. Closing day is always a good day and it’s even better if youContinue reading “Breaking Down the Household”

Going to Miami

As the date of our appointment at the Italian consulate in Miami approached, I finished organizing all of the documents gathered in the last few months. Everything was categorized and put into a tabbed notebook. I purchased two stamped, Express mail envelopes, filled out the application forms, attached the photos, and hired a dog sitterContinue reading “Going to Miami”

And What About the Dogs?

Terry would have been happy if I had regarded our move to Italy as an opportune time to find another home for my two dogs. Not that he suggested it, but Terry is a reluctant dog owner and only tolerates them for my sake. Of course for me there was no question as to whetherContinue reading “And What About the Dogs?”

Applying for the Elective Residency Visa

Since our intention was to live in Italy, not just visit for a while, we needed to apply for the Elective Residency visa. Some readers may remember the good old days when anyone wanting to stay long-term in a European country simply crossed into a nearby country for a day, returning to home base withContinue reading “Applying for the Elective Residency Visa”

A Flurry of Paperwork

Almost immediately on our return home, life kicked into high gear. I had arthroscopic surgery for a torn meniscus, we were showing our house and hoping to receive an offer on it, and all the documentation required to buy the Anghiari house needed to be completed. I was inundated with paperwork and other tedious, sometimesContinue reading “A Flurry of Paperwork”

Book Flight, Pack Bags, Go to Italy

Now that we had seen a number of houses and apartments on line that appealed to us, we really needed take a look in person. Even we were not impulsive enough to buy a house online. But a few properties we liked had been sold as we waited to go to Italy so we wereContinue reading “Book Flight, Pack Bags, Go to Italy”

It’s time to tell our friends and family

Now that we had more or less decided to buy a property rather than rent, we began in earnest to see what was available. Terry, in particular, spent hours looking at real estate sites, especially Romolini where we had made a connection, but a few others as well just to cast a broader net. InContinue reading “It’s time to tell our friends and family”