Our Experience buying a house and learning a new life in Umbria, Italy
Casale Gelsomino, now renamed Casale Giulietta, has great structural bones but needs some updates, a few more critical than others.
This site is designed to share our experience across the home buying process, including taking ownership, renovations, and making friends.
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3 Generations of Strong Women in Italy
In May 2022, once I had working bathrooms and a kitchen, my daughter, Jessica, and my mom, Nora, Grammie, traveled to Rome and stayed through the end of the month at our new home,…
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Tellaro
Once per year, if not once per trip, I like to reward myself with a little getaway. These are typically weekend beach getaways to grant myself a little relaxation time in between all of…
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Excited to Return to Italy – Spring 2026
I love my home in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). My family & friends are here and I have a strong community around me. But my heart pulls me back to Italy time and time…
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Featured on Smart Move Italy
I have have been a member of the Smart Move Italy family since the Fall of 2021 when I signed up for their Move to Italy Bootcamp. I didn’t need help in finding a…
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Presepi in Italia
Winter holiday time in Italy is quite magical. Everywhere you look, nativity scenes (Presepi) are present of all shapes and sizes. In my frazzione (Hamlet) of Santa Maria, they start building it at the…
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Bella & Baby
SOoooooo, not being a cat owner I experienced the wonders of a cat in heat this spring (2025). For at least a full week, there were more cats at my house than I could…
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Cats, Cats & More Cats
Italy is a country full of cats. If you are near the water, particularly a fishing village, the number of cats multiply exponentially. Seriously! The picture above is a snapshot of a portion of…
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Siena – Il Palio
The Tradition The Palio is the most important event in Siena, taking place on July 2 and August 16 every year. In the Palio, the various Sienese “contrade”, or what I would call districts…
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Garden Spaces – Part II
In 2024 Andrew had taken a few of the remaining pallets left behind by the workers and constructed a plant stand for me, which I then painted in the Fall. While I didn’t plant…
Italian Adventures - We Bought a House in Italy! 