February 2011

We are almost five years on now from when I first stepped onto the patch of overgrown hillside that was to become Villa Benara.

The past few months had found me thinking about what elements were outstanding and the more notes I made, the more obvious it became that a visit early in the new year would be needed to move things along.

It was important though, in order to make the most of the two days Mimi and I had planned to spend there, that some preparation was necessary and I pre-ordered a spare swimming pool filter from 'Nuova Agrotecnica' and, with some considerable help from an Italian friend, Rossella, a 'sopravasca' (shower screen) for the guest bathroom.

Flights booked we headed to Nice on the morning of Thursday 24th, collected the hire car from Budget (Avis) and, being in no rush, set off east along the 'moyenne corniche' to Italy.

After a quick food shop at CONAD in Latte, just over the border from Menton, we picked up the 'sopravasca' from 'Borea' and then the filter. I also managed to speak to Federico Allavena to arrange a meeting at villa for Friday afternoon to talk about the landscaping.

We arrived at the villa late afternoon and proceeded to sort some things out, the most important being a small issue that we had with the electrics, post the change to a three-phase supply.

Friday morning saw us in 'Centro Esse' buying loads of random stuff for the villa including some shelving (well spotted by Mimi) for the 'ripostiglio' as we needed to make sense of the stuff we had stacked on the floor.

The weather was fantastic albeit a little cold at night but the radiators are efficient and the villa was soon warm enough.

Whilst Mimi set about tidying and organising I was outside dosing the pool with a shock dose of chlorine and making a bonfire, this being one of the few times each year when it is safe to do so without the threat of causing a 'forest fire'. The fuel for the fire was all the wooden construction materials and pallets left over from the build.

Later, inside the villa Mimi started building the shelving whilst I started drilling holes in the bathroom walls to mount the frame for the shower screen. In between we hung a few pictures and re-arranged the furniture in the 'soggiorno'.

During the day Andrea Guglielmi had been repairing the electricity meter hut that had been knocked over a few days earlier by some, as yet, unidentified rogue! Paolo arrived at 4pm and with Andrea already there it gave me a good opportunity to discuss some small building works I had planned.

I have always liked the idea of having an 'aioula' built around two olive trees at the bottom of the track leading to the villa. We discussed that and the need for two very low walls built to frame the areas to be grassed and planted. In addition I have asked Andrea and Lorenzo to quote on a small 'villetta' for the swimming pool pump and equipment accessed by some simple block steps.

Federico Allavena arrived at 5pm and we talked about the planting. Having previously decided on using grass seed we have now decided to pay extra and get an instant effect using turf. I am reliably informed that Federico's firm are the best in the area!

Here is the picture of the shower screen folded back against the wall.

Trip to villa over, Mimi and left late in the afternoon on Saturday 26th and went to a palazzo in Seborga to attend a 'Peace, love and grooviness' party hosted by an old friend, Mark Dezzani, before arriving at Nice airport just 30 minutes before our flight departed!

Can't wait to get back to Perinaldo in April to see how much has changed!

... but this is the view for now!