Читать книгу A Girl’s Tuscan Dream - The Girl - Страница 2

This book is about how a forty-year dream landed me in one of the most unspoilt and beautiful areas of Tuscany. As I start writing I am sitting in my dream home looking out towards the Mediterranean Sea. The Tuscan sun is still strong at this hour, and the soft light reflecting on the hills makes the olive trees a vibrant grey green. The Love I found along the way is busy doing DIY projects. We will soon have an Aperol Spritz, some fresh basil, mozzarella and tomatoes from the garden. We will listen to the silence of the village. We will sleep well tonight and not awake until we hear the toll of the church bells or the late rising rooster. Not a sound will trouble us through the night, we may dream or not. What was a long dream for me is now a reality. How did I get here? Well, this is the tale of a Girl with a forty-year dream and a seven-year search to find her bliss. Are you ready to find your dream?

Can we make our dreams come true? Is it luck or is it a choice? I believe everyone can and should make at least one of their dreams come true. My dream was to find a place to to spend the next chapter of my life, in a manner completely different from the past thirty-plus years of working. As a woman of a certain age, much younger when the dream started, and 55 when the dream was realised, there were moments I thought it would remain an obsession in my head. Over the years the dream altered, got sidelined, wavered a lot, and even fell off the radar a few times. It became something I would only whisper to myself, or sometimes joke about with friends. I wonder if they ever believed me? Despite months and even years passing by, the dream was always there however, a slight hope, a small whisper, never too far from my thoughts.

Many of my friends would say my life has been a whirlwind and full of adventure and challenges. Whilst happily employed and enjoying the challenges and opportunities of a career both in Canada and abroad, I felt it difficult to imagine staying in one place. I turned down some jobs, not because of the work, but rather because I would make the “life choice as opposed to the career move.” Lucky, as it afforded me experiences in various parts of the world some individuals would never see. I was given an opportunity to experience new cultures and yet I fully appreciated that I come from one of the most privileged places in the world. I moved numerous times both within and without Canada. I was once told at a Decanter wine dinner in London, United Kingdom that I was “searching for the otherness.” At the time I was not completely certain what this stranger meant. He owned a California vineyard, perhaps he had achieved his dream! But I give him credit, despite having just met me, he could see that I was wanting for something “other.” Whilst loving and living the full cup of life, I was still seeking something. One thing I dreamed of, or something that I often thought of as a young girl Rust out of me one day when I told my mother, “I need to live in a place where they do not speak English, I will live in Europe one day!” Paris was on my mind at that time, not because it is more lovely than Rome, but I had yet to experience Italia at the tender young age of sixteen. During this time, I spent a summer in Europe. I initially had a job near the Bodensee, let’s just say I was not well suited to the particular type of work. Further, I did not want to eat Apfelsalz and sausage every morning. So one day I left and ended up travelling around the continent via the train system. I spent a lot of time in Germany, Switzerland and northern Italy. But the influence of the time was mainly Paris. I ate too many croissants, gained a lot of weight and several months later returned home a little plump but I was a happy Girl. I announced that I must live in Europe, that I must retire on “the other side of the pond.”. Frankly until this day I do not remember a time when the pull of Europe was not with me, perhaps from another life or simply that ongoing search for the “otherness” that stranger had noted. I would travel back to Paris and other cities of Europe every chance I could afford. And eventually Italia was at my doorstep. I was enchanted not only by the language but the climate, the light, the food, and the art. I was full of energy in Italia and I felt at home. I had not forgotten France, but to compare the two countries is really like comparing apples and oranges. There was something about Italians however, in their joy of living, the music of the spoken language that to this day I marvel at. Following a first discovery of Roma and several trips later, I met an Italian. We dated a little. It did not last, but my love of the country endured.

Years later I was lucky enough to live in Rome and when I returned to Canada I knew I needed to focus on making my dream come true. It took several more years however to actually get moving on it. Life takes over, and whilst I was thoroughly indulging in all that life offers, I new I had to “shit or get off the pot” at some point. It is this, the time and effort of a dream that often overwhelms us, but it is exactly what is required for anyone hoping to realise their dream. So, although I knew Italia a little, I needed to start doing some research and really choose where I wanted to live. Whilst my budget did not allow for Roma I knew I wanted to have access to this fabulous city. I was also determined to find tranquility and convenience. The energy I once thrived on, to be in the endless traffic of life was diminishing. I had worked for 30 years 24/7 on pagers, phones, or blackberries. It was time to get off the train and slow down. I also knew, as a Girl on her own at that time, that I could not be completely isolated. So my real search began in and around 2011 whilst living in the UK. I knew the goal was immense and I told myself to never assume I would find my dream property quickly. What an understatement!

I still wonder if friends believed I would make this dream come true or I was just one of those people who travelled, saw a place and then casually spoke about owning property one day in amother country. I do not fault those who dream but never achieve their goal. It is bloody hard work and it takes a ongoing commitment of time and money. It takes you away from your everyday life and yes, while it may be exciting and you get to travel, often you view a multitude of properties and return home disappointed.

Do not get me wrong, it is fun to look. There is a danger and obsession in this, similar to trying to find a love interest. There is the addiction of the search and finding the potential……. but also wondering if the next one will be better. The area of Tuscany I finally chose, yes after sniffing out ,Amy “potentials” was not one known to me or many of my friends. It surprised me. However if you love nature, the sea, history, food, wine, mountains, this may also be the area for you. Think of medieval hill towns, friendly people, rugged coastal paths, unspoilt landscapes and lively festas! This small area remains not yet fully discovered by the masses. The future may change this, but I hope not.