Monday 14th April

We all got up early today ready to meet Eleanor, but our gardener Carabino arrived first. And for all those who have been waiting for a photograph of the gardener….. I’m sorry but he is not as either Leon or I had imagined. Carabino wouldn’t take up the offer of coming inside out of the cold and just paced up and down the portico apparently waiting for Eleanor. He seems sort of grumpy and is probably about 60 years of age, speaks no English and not real photo material!

Eleanor arrived about an hour later and introduced herself, all this time we had thought she was a German lady, but she turned out to be an expat American living in Germany for the last 15 years or so. Eleanor has invested in Italy and “Casa Cantante” is her second foray into the holiday Villa market.

We walked around the Villa with Eleanor and Carabino and asked as many questions as we could regarding the Villa and the surrounds, we also set a date for a future bottling day of last season’s wine harvest which we are eager to experience. Carabino also promised to come back at a later date and show us how best to use the wood fired pizza oven known locally as a forno legno.

Eleanor took us to meet our closest neighbour Christin, who is in fact a German lady the same age as us, Chrisitin is the manager of the convent Del Angelo, and runs it for her partner Maestro Gustav Kuhn. Christin and Gustav are the patrons of an Austrian music foundation that has its setup at the convent, up and coming movers and shakers of the European opera scene come to study under the Maestro’s tutelage and further their craft. Christin is a delightful lady and has been an invaluable source of information and support, and has lessened our stress by helping in many ways.

We spent the rest of the day getting to know Eleanor and driving around meeting the various service providers. Eleanor left us in Lucca and got the train back to Germany leaving us to the mercy of our unfamiliar surroundings.