A Twist in the Road

Our trip to Punta Ala was postponed so instead we went for another long walk and I decided to make this second blog post for the day. This afternoon it was forecasted to rain, so we bundled up and I put on my new rainhat from Siena. It was a little blustery but not bad. We wandered through the twisty roads of Cittavecchia trying to get lost, but failing. I had the idea to find the way to "The Garden House" but Ira found it without any trouble. The one road we took up the hill ended in a dead end, so we back tracked and found ourselves at the gate to Chiesa di San Francesco.


The church was originally built in the 12th century when St. Francis visited Maremma, only part of the nave and the apse remain due to the collapse of the land it was built on. By the 18th century, the nave had been shortened to one-sixth the original length. It reminds me of the church in Pienza,  unfortunately, in their case it's the opposite end that is sinking, so no option to shorten it. 

Inside this church is the tomb of Binduccio, the son of Nello Pannochieschi di Pietra and Margherita Aldobrandeschi. You may recall the Palazzo Malfatti, where we are staying, was built for her.

The final twist of the day was information on "The Wow Project". We were provided with details on the original plan and a final price for one half of the top floor that came in at the lower end of the range we were given, which was great! The twist was they also provided us with another floor plan to add approximately 35 sq meters on the backside for 30% more. This would allow us to split the plan into two one bedroom apartments, live in one and rent the other. 

So now, our original idea of having a rental property is back on the table, but is the cost for the extra space worth the rent we would get for a one bedroom apartment on the backside of the building. Why not then try to buy the whole top floor? Potentially, rent on half the floor might be a better investment. A third option might be to propose taking the front two thirds of the top floor and splitting that half into two one bedroom apartments. Jeezo.

😕😵😮.

I guess you know what we'll be thinking about tonight.

A dopo!


Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 9, 2024 at 12:28 PM

    Wow so many interesting things happening! Love all the descriptions of where you are visiting!
    Lots of options to consider on where you may live. We are so enjoying following your adventures ❤️

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DarleneFebruary 10, 2024 at 8:52 AM

      Thank you, we are having fun blogging and happy that you are enjoying reading it.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Few New Updates (#250)

Image
This morning we went over to the apartment. We made sure to go early since there's no electricity or lighting at the moment. Many of the rooms look the same, aside from the pile of old doors and materials that have now been cleared. The biggest change by far was the terrace. From the guest bedroom, you can see the progression: what it looked like last spring, what it looks like now...and the rendering of what it will someday become. Notice that the old bathroom is completely gone--you can now see straight through to the terrace. Guest bedroom Spring 2025 Guest Bedroom Winter 2025 (minus the terrace bathroom) Guest bedroom rendering Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they've been able to save many tiles. Our original plan was to repurpose whatever survived into a medallion or faux rug in the foyer. So...we may be moving on to plan B. Tile demolition Below is the view looking out through the former bathroom door--soon to be a window--looking out on the terrace. The thickness...
Read more

A New Lunch Spot, A Little Bonsai and a Lot of Contractors

Image
Just when we started feeling a little smug about knowing our way around town--having our favorite cafes and go-to spots--something happened to remind us how much we still have to discover. Today we had lunch plans with Tim and Izabella. We told them to choose the restaurant, and they picked one we had never even heard of: Villa La Boccia.  There are no signs pointing you there, no flashy advertising, nothing to catch your eye as you drive past--which we apparently do regularly without ever noticing it. So naturally we were curious about this "secret" local spot.  When we arrived, the parking lot was completely full. Completely. The restaurant itself was large, with indoor dining and a courtyard, and every seat seemed taken. We were stunned. How had we missed this place? Luckily Tim had made a reservation--he told us he had tried before without one and failed to get a table. Good thing he planned ahead.  Inside, the place was buzzing and the menu was extensive. It was hard...
Read more

A Busy Last Week in San Diego

Image
Our last week in San Diego arrived faster than expected, and David is feeling the pressure to get as much bonsai work done as possible. If he'd had his way, Ira probably would have been working every daylight hour and only released at night. Unfortunately for David's plan, we already had a few things scheduled. One of those plans was a long-anticipated trip to the zoo with RC. With everyone's busy schedules, this was the first day that worked for all of us. And really, we had to take advantage of our annual pass, right? Kai arrived proudly wearing the gorilla shirt we'd bought him the last time we visited the San Diego Zoo . He was eager to show us how fast he could move and had a great time climbing and weaving his way through the polar bear exhibit.  This time the polar bear was just as active. It definitely pays to visit early in the day. Sadly I stopped recording too soon because right after he jumped into the water, swam toward us, climbed out, and shook himself dr...
Read more