Construction Update # 9

Wow it’s so hard to come to grips with the passage of time.  My last post was April of 2017.  The final construction process was much slower than expected so there was not much to say.  My last visit before COVID hit was Thanksgiving of 2019.  Construction was back on track and I had hopes of completion in the spring.  The rest is history of course.

I decided I needed to return as soon as I was able, so in February, I jumped at the chance to use the new “bridge to Rome” sponsored by Alitalia and Delta.  The requirement is a negative PCR test 72 hours before departure, a negative rapid test at the airport, and a final rapid test upon landing.  If all are negative, you are free to enter with no quarantine.  It worked perfectly.

Entrance walkway with pillars and railings installed.

The final final construction is centered on the master bath.  It turns out that the space is larger than the tile artisan estimated, so we need more tile.  These are all hand made in his solo workshop, so I visited there.  Giampiero is an amazing artisan working alone in a small “laboratory”.  Here is his website: https://www.studiodarteceramicarossi.it

Giampiero’s workshop is filled with the objects of his imagination.

This trip I found a charming apartment through VRBO and met a wonderful couple who manage several apartments in Lerici and live in Parma. Renzo keeps a boat in the marina and offered me a water tour. I had no idea how interesting the topography south of Lerici is on the way to Tellaro 3 Km away. The undulating coast has many small beaches, grottos, and caves to explore. These can reached by boat or finding the appropriate path down from the road.  There is even a sunken Roman ship that can be viewed by swimming close to one alcove.