A Day Trip to Naples...

The trip to Naples with Luigi and Anna was one of the highlights of the entire trip!! While Guardia is calm and serene, Naples is an explosion of the senses!! A bustling port city full of sights, sounds, and delicious food!

Luigi knew the back way to get into everything and knows Naples (and it seemed like everyone in Naples!) like the back of his hand. 

Anna & Luigi Orso 

We started our day walking through the market in Naples and weaved our way through miles and miles of specialty shops, street vendors and little cafes and restaurants.  

mmm the bread, the pie!

"Everything for the Baker"

Really interesting antique shop.. not sure if I went in I would ever be able to come out!

Every kind of seafood 

It was a nice sunny day.. so laundry day in Naples

Next we went to the Via San Gregorio Armeno to the mercado del presepe.  This is the Christmas market in Naples where they have beautiful hand crafted manger scenes.  The region is famous for its very intricate and elaborate mangers.. far beyond what we have in our typical manger scenes .. the "cribs" include very detailed scenes of entire villages.  I imagine you build your own a little at a time, adding a few pieces each year. 

Anna & me in front of one of many beautiful presepes

One of the more elaborate presepes.

Entering Via San Gregorio

 

Luigi!! always adding a laugh!

The small start of our family presepe

 After all that walking and shopping.. we were hungry and Luigi knew of this little place where we could eat the best pizza and the freshest seafood.. sooo good!!!  My mouth is watering just thinking about that meal!!

The cook came out to show me how fresh the seafood was.. it was still jumping!!

And 45 minutes later .. Wallah!!!

and its Naples so you have to eat Napolean style pizza!!

At this point my phone died so sadly I have no more pictures but I can tell you all about it.. After pranzo, we headed over to the port side and ate a gelato while looking out into the Gulf of Napoli where you can see the Isle of Capri in the distance as well as the Amalfi Coast .. all the way to Salerno.  It's a stunning view!

Next we went to the Castel dell Ovo, which is a 12th century fortress, surrounded by some of the nicest hotels in Naples as well as little shops and restaurants.  It's really a lovely area to take a stroll and soak in the sites.

Stock photo of Castell dell Ovo

..and this finished up our day in Naples.. we made a few stops on the way home because Luigi knows a place that has the best fruit, and another place that has the best cheese and so we made our way back to Guardia, everyone laughing and smiling about the memories we had made that day. 

Thank you Luigi and Anna for a most wonderful day!!

Tanti Auguri!!

Buon Natale and Capodanno Everyone!

I've been in Guardia for a week.. I'm not quite sure where the week has gone, I know I've been busy but it has been leisurely and restful at the same time. Mostly spent catching up with old friends, celebrating the Holidays and birthdays and getting a few things done around the house.It seems like there was something to go to every night...

Christmas Festivities in Guardia

I think what I enjoy the most about being here in Guardia is that I feel that I'm really living life as its supposed to be..la Dolce Vita!! . new tastes, touch, sounds, sights. I've been back 4 times now and every time I am amazed at how people take the time to talk and enjoy life!! (It seems like a bit of a lost art at times in my daily life back at home!) 

Dinner with friends in Casa Kestler

I have somehow gone through most of my time here and forgot to take hardly any pictures!  but I thought I would share a bit of the trip ..


New Years Eve Pre Party at the Tanna Del Orso.. Champagne Toast!!

Followed by 6 hours of eating a 6 course delicious meal and drinking wine, singing and dancing at the White House Restaurant..

Course #1 -- and then 1 forgot to take pictures of the rest

Our great Italian neighbors in Gropola Groche!!
Francesco and Gigia who are always there with a friendly welcoming smile!

New Canadian neighbors and friends in Guardia .. Happy Bday D!!

 The parties are always so much fun!! but I think this is what I love the most.. sipping a giant american mug of espresso while looking out of my kitchen window... followed by a nice walk through the piazza.

Or learning how to make Gnocchi with Anna Orso... yum!!

I finally went to visit the Palace in Caserta.. It was amazing!!  It went on for forever!! and I feel like I would like to go again in the summer and see the gardens

and went on a personal tour of Cerreto by my wonderful neighbor Gigia!! We saw a beautiful art exhibit by the talented Luiza Muzi from Rome at the Commune

El Commune de Cerreto

Concert at the Church in Cerreto

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I'm off for a personal tour of Naples tomorrow with Anna and Luigi Orso.. I can hardly wait!  

Buonanotte from Guardia!!

Holidays in Guardia

Christmas is 3 weeks away and I'm incredibly excited that I'll be returning for a visit to Guardia just in time for New Year's!!  After the whirlwind of activity to get the house ready for the entire family this past summer, it is now time to get back to the long term plans of maintaining and renovating the house at a more leisurely pace. The basics are all there, but my wish list is long and I'll have to take my time with the rest of these wish list projects.

It's wonderful to think that the place is all set up and ready to go at a moment's notice.  I'm paying the utilities via credit card monthly and the total cost for water, electric, phone and internet is running a little over $100USD per month. Approximately $70 is for the phone and internet, which I absolutely need to work from there, so there are more economical ways to set up a house.

Can't wait to get the fireplace in the kitchen started!

My project manager, checks on the house periodically and lets me know of any maintenance issues as they come up, and gets the house ready before we arrive (ie beds made, pilot lights on, refrigerator plugged in). Setting up, and maintaining a house in Italy from Texas has been relatively stress free and a lot easier than I would have ever imagined! 

Several of the people that recently purchased houses will all be gathering in Guardia at the end of the month, and as usual we are all getting excited about getting everyone together and the new memories we will share.  It continues to be a very diverse tight knit group that has been an incredible support system for me and countless others, as we each live out our own adventures and share our common experiences.

Several new house hunters will arrive between now and the end of the year, and I wish them the best of luck in finding their own slice of heaven, and hope they're able to join us for New Year's next year!! (LF, PF and GR.. you know who you are!!)

So for now, most of the planning involves deciding where we are going to celebrate Capodanno, visiting the Christmas markets in Naples and some antique furniture shopping to finish putting the house together.  The rest of the time I'm hoping to fill sharing good wine with good friends.

This antique store near Naples is full of treasures.. (thanks Glenn for the tip and the pictures!!)

Buon Natale everyone!

2nd Airing of the House Hunters International Episode

It appears that the House Hunters Episode that started this story aired again a few weeks ago.  There has been a flurry of activity as a wave of new House Hunters begins to make its way to Guardia.  This blog has all the information you need to find your way there.

If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan.

And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”

Jim Rohn

The Unofficial Guardia Sanframondi Guide

One of the recent arrivals to Guardia Sanframondi, Eric Swanpoel, from Scotland has put together what I believe is the most thorough and comprehensive information available on Guardia Sanframondi and the House Hunting process.



I thought I would share the link to his website for those of you thinking about venturing to Guardia for yourselves.  Thanks Eric! Think many people will find this information extremely helpful.

The Unofficial Guardia Sanframondi Guide (click on link)

What's Happening in Guardia this week

Since I can't be in Guardia now, I love keeping  up with what is happening through emails and facebook.

It rained a bit this week....

Picture courtesy of Guardia S Normano

A couple groups of people arrived in Guardia to start their own House Hunting adventure....

... and this weekend, they were celebrating The Festa di Sant Antonio de Padova 14 & 15th of September  (click on link)

Rockets over  Guardia  - Picture courtesy of Garrick Maguire - 9/15/13 Guardia Sanframondi

                                                                                           The event ended with a classical music concert and fireworks.

Night Sky over Guardia - Picture courtesy of Garrick Maguire - 9/15/13 Guardia Sanframondi

For such a little town, the Commune of Guardia (click on link) hosts many events and activities, especially during the summer. 

Guardia Sanframondi - FAQ's, additional blogs and helpful links

As people continue to arrive in Guardia, I always ask them if it is what they expected.  One of the first things people mention, is that Guardia is not abandoned as Wikepedia and even the House Hunters episode refer to.  In fact the more modern part of the town surrounding the ancient Centro Historico has a lively hustle and bustle with small shops, pizzerias, coffee shops. All of this is just a few blocks away from the older Centro Historico

Some of the Shops on Corso Unberto - Guardia

La Meridiana - a favorite eating place for locals and vistors

 The Centro Historico has many houses that have been abandoned, but the streets are quaint and well lit, and the people that still live here, for the most part lived their entire lives in Guardia.  These older residents are very curious and welcoming to the new arrivals to guardia and feel passionately about preserving the traditions and restoring Guardia to its former glory.

Streets of the Centro Historico at night (picture courtesy of Joe Casey)

People also ask frequently if there are still homes for sale.  The answer is yes.. as of now, there are still plenty of homes in a range of sizes, prices and state of repair.  For as little as 30,000 euros, it is still possible to buy, pay closing costs and complete repairs to have a your own little slice of heaven in Guardia.  I have no idea how long the prices will stay this low, but I have noticed that the prices are starting to increase as more people arrive and purchase homes.  

My new Canadian friends recently purchased a beautiful home in Guardia just around the corner from our house this summer. They've started their own blog, and I am enjoying following other people's stories as they go through this adventure.
Check out their blog here    

In addition, our newly formed non-profit group Guardia Magica, organized to help with the intercultural exchange between Gaurdia and visitors has its web page up and running.  Please take a look, and feel free to contact us with questions or suggestions.
 Check out the Guardia Magica web page here