Palazzo Pizzo

Pizzo Harbour Project (Update Spring 2013)

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Mon, 13 May 2013 02:00:00 +0000

oh, this looks so nice, crystal clear sea the harbour project of Pizzo in April 2013 but what is this? it's not finished! The harbour project of Pizzo, still unfinished. I introduced this wonderful project that kicked off in November 2010 here. It will add so much value to Pizzo. In my previous posts I also explained why the works were stopped. The new mayor (since May 2012) wants to continue though - however, as I understood, he also is reviewing the entire project....

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Our Renovation: Palazzo Pizzo (a summary)

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Sun, 05 May 2013 16:34:00 +0000

All began with falling in love with an over 200 year old house on a cliff in Southern Italy. The story, the renovation, this blog - it all started back in 2006. For several reasons it took us 5 years to renovate and decorate the palazzo. It is our Italian home, away from our expat home in Asia. Here are some milestones from our project: Press: The New York Times and the International Herald Tribune feature our renovation project in the article "Expatriate Bloggers chronicle details of Home Renovation" Facade...

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Spring Cleaning in May - about updating and closing blogs

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Thu, 02 May 2013 07:49:00 +0000

In searching for a translation of the German proverb: "Alles neu macht der Mai", I found "April showers bring forth May flowers". It is not a very close translation, but it has the same optimistic feeling of change. And that's what I wanted to tell you. I made a few changes on this blog, a kind of spring cleaning. Bougainvillea on the sidewalk, Bangkok I was not happy with my side bar anymore. It was too cluttered. I remember, I had split the side bar into two columns to accommodate advertisers. Ha ha, but my blog...

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We have a New Renovation Project!

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Yes, we do! We do have a new renovation project! In Pizzo! Again! I don't know where to start, I don't even know how it happened. I was against it. We just had enjoyed our first summer in our palazzo - how could I look at another house?! It felt like I would betray our beloved baby! - Which sounds stupid of course, especially to men. And it was men - my husband and Angelo, his father - who layed eyes on a new property. I looked at it once, I thought it was overpriced - and refused to discuss any further. The more they showed interest the more I was against...

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Arriving at Lamezia Airport and driving to Pizzo

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:04:00 +0000

Welcome to the International Airport of Lamezia Terme (SUF)! When there is not much traffic, you can enjoy a short walk to the terminal :-) When arriving from outside the EU you collect your luggage on the right hand side, where friendly customs officers await you to scan your bags. (One asked me to take him back to Bangkok due to lots of rain in Calabria in the last weeks.) It always takes a bit of time to get your luggage, even just one plane has landed. Luggage from the EU will be delivered...

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Summer Feelings in a special April

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:36:00 +0000

from left: pranzo in piazza, castle and beach, fruit scetch This April, the weather in Pizzo is much more gentle than last year. When the sun is shining, and it has been shining every single day for the last ten days - it feels like summer! We all agree, that for us it feels more special being in Pizzo in April, than in summer. There are only few tourists around. The Pizzitani are among themselves. Including us! We feel more like Pizzitani, inhabitants of Pizzo, now, in April, when socializing with the locals seems...

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Pizzo in April

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:43:00 +0000

Pizzo in April. Here we go again. I need to pack light. I mean really light. We cannot reach our house by car. The streets around are STILL not done yet. As reported before, the old historic center of Pizzo is under renovation. They started in November 2012 (!), I blogged about it here. The downturn of (the often praised) slow life. I guess, we need to carry our suitcases from the piazza down the alley. We might not even be able to pull the trolleys. In case it is raining, it will be messy and slippery ... Aaaah, what a contrast to our comfortable big city life in...

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Painting Progress

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 07:57:00 +0000

I finished the third bird. These happy paintings make me quiet proud. That's why the "cock on orange" and the two brothers, "number I" and "number II" get their own blog post to show off a bit: oil, acrylic and decoupage on canvas (2013) 40 x 50 cm oil and acrylic on canvas (2013) 40 x 50 cm oil and acrylic on canvas (2013) 40 x 50 cm My next project is already in the making. After I proofed myself that I can draw and paint, I am tying to get into the abstract painting, kind of Pop Art....

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my ART GALLERY

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:31:00 +0000

ART GALLERY, a set on Flickr - click on the pictures for details Welcome to my ART GALLERY, and please have a closer look! Some are watercolour paintings, most are all oil on canvas. On my flickr set you will find more paintings and details. Since 1985, when I just failed the admission to the art school "Kunstakademie Stutttgart", I thought it wouldn't happen, me, an artist, this life. However, almost three decades later, I am into it. Without academic background in arts. But with a lot of passion for art. Beside photography, I have always loved...

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Windows with a View

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 01:00:00 +0000

A home pleases me when it has a view! It is important that a house or apartment looks appealing from outside. First impression is important. So is the entrance. But I realized, what I like most, is the view from inside out of a home. It doesn't have to be Manhattan's skyline, or the Tour Eiffel. It could be the neighbour's lush green gardens and some old tree. And of course, sea view is one of the best views! When inside, the window is our connection to the outside world. Henri Matisse, the impressionist, painted lots of interiors. Very often...

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Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:53:00 +0000

This blog exists because I love to be creative. However, lately, I have not been so creative in writing blog posts. My apologies. And thank you to all of you for still sticking with me. For those who want to know - and maybe the new reader, I will explain, the reason(s) why I was reluctant to blog: Lack of idea After having finished 99% of our renovation and decoration project, there is not much left to report about the palazzo. Also not living in Italy permanently, does not provide me with many new stories from the...

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Renovation Reloaded

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:00:00 +0000

I am not talking about a new project. We are renovating in our house again. We are renovating the renovation. Or are we re-renovating? Maybe, I should say repairing. Before we left Italy this summer, I walked through the house and noted all the tiny and not so tiny things that needed small repair or even big make-over. Angelo, Tonino and Mimo, our workforce, went back to work. Starting from adding rings to several door hinge-joints (to avoid abrading on the floor) to restoring entire walls. The latter is documented with photos below: preparing...

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Upholstery: Sofa and Armchair ! Before & After !

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 18:10:00 +0000

I wrote about the inherited tiger sofa, the 7 different dining chairs and the funny baroque armchair before. All in need for upholstery. Then, I confused my readers and myself while searching for the right fabric - but knew how to measure and calculate the right amount of fabric. But it is all good now. Almost. First, I had to travel to Italy this summer. I packed all the chosen fabric from Thailand into my suitcase. Before arriving in Calabria we stopped in Venice for a wedding. Then, I repacked the suitcase. The fabric...

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What is the Charm of an Italian Village?

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 06:15:00 +0000

What is it that makes Italian villages so charming? Italian, French, Greek or Spanish villages, it does not matter which Southern Europe country you take, many have that attraction, that appeal. But what makes an Italian borgo, paese or villagio special? When I blogged about the restoration projects in the historic center of Pizzo, that are meant to give back the "fascination", the "charm" to our village, I was wondering: Isn't Pizzo already very charming? - Yes, but why do I feel that way? Can a restoration add charm? - Or does it...

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Restoring the Charm of old Pizzo

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 03:46:00 +0000

new scenic piazza - in progress - in Pizzo old town With great interest we have been following reports from Pizzo about the recent public renovation projects of the historical center, centro storico. The new major, Sindaco Gianluca Callipo, a young motivated citizen of Pizzo sees Pizzo's potential. During the election campaign he promised - among others - to finally start long awaited projects to restore the charm of this picturesque village. We are pleased to see, that the renovation of the alleys - an off-road car...

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Sweet Memories of Summer

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 09:26:00 +0000

pesce tabbachiere Summer is over. But we have sweet memories. Lots of friends came visiting us in Pizzo. Friends from Bangkok, Stuttgart and Munich. And we met old friends in Pizzo and made new friends. We ate great food, fresh fruits, lots of ice cream and went to the beach almost every day. Life in Pizzo is different from life in the big cities. One likes it - or not. I am glad, our visitors seem to have enjoyed the slow life in this little fisher village deep down in the very South of Italy. As I said before, here is not much to do -...

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The Guest Residence

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 16:31:00 +0000

The guest residence is inaugurated! Tested and approved, by our test sleepers from Germany! The bed is comfortable, the shower works, and no mosquito bites :-)* copyright Palazzo Pizzo *

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a not so lucky day

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 13:49:00 +0000

Yesterday, after the storm, two "minor" accidents happened in our family, independently from each other, at different times of the day and at different sights. In the morning, my mother-in-law tried to cut bread for breakfast. Italian bred, especially if it's older than a day, can be very hard. Very. It was a tiny rest of bread she wanted to cut, and the knife slipped, and she cut her finger, deep. In the afternoon, she decided to show the wound to a doctor. He send her for stitching to the hospital in Vibo Valentia. It was late evening when she was waiting to get three...

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A Rainy Day

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 12:32:00 +0000

Tonight, there was a big thunder storm. Directly above our house... at least it sounded like it. And it sounded like in a bad sound study, too loud, too much echo, unreal - but still scary! Lot's of lightening. Power failure included at some point. And lots of rain and wind from Northeast. Usually these summer storms are heavy and short. But even now, 2 pm in the afternoon, the sky is still grey and temperature low. And laundry has to dry inside, as raindrops keep falling... It is good for nature, it was not raining here for many weeks. They say, it has not rained...

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Buongiorno di Pizzo

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 17:02:00 +0000

We are here, in Bella Pizzo, already in our second week, and I have not posted anything here on the blog yet. It is more a technical issue. First I could not connect to the Internet. And even with my mobile phone I constantly lost network in our house with many one meter thick walls. Until one sunny afternoon, when the Irish gentleman, who is Pizzitano since many years and chances to meet him in one of the bars in the piazza are good, told me that almost every bar in the piazza has wifi, and he knows all the different passwords from "franco62" to "iloveicecream". Maybe I...

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Fragolandia

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 10:07:00 +0000

A strawberry festival in piazza in Pizzo last Sunday - warm sunshine, loud music, red balloons, and hundreds of kilos of delicious strawberries in all kind of variations. Good life can be so sweet and simple. strawberry balloons (life is easier when not aiming perfection) Photos courtesy by R.F.* copyright Palazzo Pizzo *

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Gianluca Callipo is the new mayor of Pizzo

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:12:00 +0000

Two weeks ago, Pizzo has elected its new sindaco, mayor Gianluca Callipo. This young man, who turns 30 next month, and his team achieved an impressive victory with over 56% of all votes. - Congratulations!!! With his campaign "tocca a te" ("it's your turn"), and a "play button" icon symbolizing it's now time to push forward unfinished projects, he was able to win most Pizzitani. After studying his program and website, I discovered the beautiful little trailer of "mettiamoci al lavoro" (let's start the work), an artwork itself. Francesca Procopio,...

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How much fabric is necessary for armchair, chair and sofa?

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Tue, 15 May 2012 23:00:00 +0000

80 cm fabric for dining chairs I did not plan to write yet again about finding the right fabric, or how to calculate the amount of fabric that is necessary to do an upholstery job. But today, when I finally went to buy our, I almost made a mistake. For the sofa, I was convinced that we need 4 meter and just made the guy cut the fabric. For the silk fabric of the armchair, I also asked for 4 meter. Then however, just before the salesman started cutting, I made him stop. I asked him, what he thinks I would need for an armchair. His prompt answer was "6...

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The Story of a Sofa

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:16:00 +0000

And then their is this sofa.... It needs upholstery too (like the armchair and the 7 dining chairs). I do not really know what to say about that sofa. I do not even know exactly how we ended up with it. Some might say, what is wrong with this sofa? Why it needs a new fabric? It looks very elegant. - Yes, it does. And it fitted very nicely in the entrance of my mother-in-law's house in the Veneto, Northern Italy. The leopard print is absolutely her style and that's how she upholstered the sofa after having found it at her favorite antique dealer in...

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Upholstery for an Armchair

noreply@blogger.com (- Suzie -) — Thu, 10 May 2012 07:03:00 +0000

Or how much a husband can accelerate fabric shopping... When I was looking for a fabric for the 7 chairs that need repair and upholstery, I also was thinking of how to upholster an old baroque armchair and a sofa. The baroque arm chair we found at an antique shop in Vibo Valentia was actually a pair of armchairs. We did not choose the above one, but the one that was already stripped off the remaining upholstery. We were thinking of getting a bold fabric, maybe kind of Paul Smith like stripes and paint the wood with silver lacquer. I love to browse our Jim...

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