It all happend on one of them Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Days

Bing'd it! 


As we embarked on our journey, our car was a treasury of essentials and oddities alike: pots and pans for culinary adventures, towels and soap for unexpected spills or swims, cleaning supplies for tidying up our temporary abode, and rugged attire fit for the countryside. The silver Peugeot, a recent acquisition for this very adventure, was filled to the brim. 

As we set off, Bing Crosby's voice serendipitously filled the air, singing "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay! My, oh my, what a wonderful day..." It felt like a heralding of good fortunes as we began our voyage. With a playful "Choo choo," Michael and I were off, leaving Berlin behind, heading towards the Italian sun.


Car filled to the max



Our journey to Italy was steeped in a mix of excitement and solemnity. In 2015, after my father's passing, Michael and I unexpectedly found ourselves as the owners of a house in Italy—a bewildering fortune that came with little knowledge of either the house or the Italian language.

The drive to our new Italian hideaway took two days in the spring of 2018. We made a pit stop in Switzerland, enjoying the brief respite before continuing on. Upon our arrival in Casoli, we were greeted by torrential rain. The downpour was so intense that we had to retreat back to our hotel, postponing our much-anticipated moment of arrival by another 24 hours.

Torrential Rain in Casoli

Nestled high in the mountains, approximately 30 minutes above the sea resort of Viareggio, Casoli is a quaint town. Viareggio, with its historic sea baths, where men and women from Florence once took the train for a weekend by the sea, swimming and enjoying meals freshly caught at night, would be a tale for another time. Our story was just beginning as we reached Casoli, uncertain of what awaited us. To avoid any unpleasant surprises, I had booked a room in the nearby town of Camaiore, ensuring we had a comfortable place to retreat.

The rain had stopped over night as we began our ascent to the house early that morning. From the street, a daunting 115 steps stood between us and our new abode. Back then, I wasn't much for technology; capturing the moment on my iPhone was the last thing on my mind. Yet, I vividly remember reaching the top of those steps for the first time and did manage to create some remembrance.

Michael seemed overwhelmed, not knowing what to expect. I, on the other hand, held fragments of memories from my childhood visits. Together, we stood on our terrace for the first time, overlooking the valley and the distant sea. It was May 16th, 2018—a moment in time we would never forget.




Casoli at Night


Reaching our house in Casoli is straightforward. You have several options: you can fly into Pisa Airport, or take a train to Viareggio, or if you're driving, you can take the route to Verona, then onto Parma, and finally through La Spezia. Camaiore is the city you are aiming for. Casoli is 15 minutes above in the mountains. 

















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Location: 55064 Casoli LU, Italy

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