December has arrived and with it cold (it's all relative I know) and wetter weather. And with that I am learning how to cope with it - and the fact that my house is not heated except with the fireplace. Sometimes it is warmer outside than inside my house. That comes when your house is made of stone/brick/concrete - anything that does not retain heat. A welcome fact in the heat of the summer but not so good in the winter.
The cooler weather actually arrived last month. So with each passing day I just added layers of clothes when I dressed in the morning. The temperatures now are in the 50's during the day but with the rain it is a damp and cold feeling. If the sun is out it is beautiful and the late morning and early afternoon hours are heaven. Some days I just sit outside and soak it up. Many Friday mornings I meet friends at one of my favorite bars for coffee and we sit outside enjoying the sunshine. Today, in between the rain, Angela, Luigi and I sat outside for an aperitivo at the bar next to the Parafarmacia in Bivio Acquavella. The sun shown for our brief hour get together.
Earlier in November I realized I may need to buy a small space heater. I could use it during the day in my office, the kitchen or the bathroom. In mentioning it to Angela she told me there was a spare heater in the upstairs house that no one was using. I was free to use it. So I started using that - mostly in the bathroom in the morning and in the evening or when taking a shower. Also fires in the evening became the norm.
A week ago I realized the small heater would not do the trick all winter. Building a fire during the day was inconvenient as if I needed to run out I did not want to leave the fire burning. So the next step was a bigger heater of some sort. I started to research them and also talk to Luigi. I am glad I did as he said the electrical service to the house probably would not handle the draw from an electric heater large enough to warm the main room. But maybe a heater with gas would do the trick? These heaters are very common here in southern Italy. So Luigi helped me buy one along with a first tank of gas. We took it home and Luigi put it all together for me. These are just like the heaters used for outside dining - only on a smaller scale and its on wheels so I can move it around. So now I have options!!! I love options. But more important Oscar and I can stay warm in our house.
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| Oscar very happy and toasty warm! |
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| And he loves our new space heater! |
Winter is just starting. We don't get snow in southern Italy - at least on the ground we don't. Today while having our aperitivo we looked up and in the mountains there was snow. I must say it was pretty but I say that knowing there is a small probability of any of it landing on the ground at the lower elevations - (she says with her fingers crossed)! I know it doesn't happen often as there are many winter gardens planted. Winter vegetables are many different types of broccoli, cauliflower, and the start of the artichoke season. I can't wait to learn some new recipes for artichokes (carciofi) from Angela.
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| Snow capped mountains surrounding southern Italy |
There are not too many signs of Christmas yet. The stores of course are decorated but not much else. The start of the Christmas season will start to ramp up beginning this Friday, December 8th for the "Feast of the Immaculate Conception". It is a National Holiday. I will be flying off to Germany for a fun weekend visit with my cousin Doria and her family. I am excited to go to the famous German Christmas markets. When I return I will be in the spirit and will decorate my house - inside and out. Looking forward to telling you all about the wonders of Christmas, here in southern Italy.
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