This year I had the unbelievable opportunity to visit the heart of Tuscany, Pistoia, Italy. My membership and designation I.R.E.S. (International Real Estate Specialist) afforded me the consideration of Lorenzo Ratazzi, creator of Buy In Toscana. This trip, consisting of 22 "buyers" and over 90 "sellers", was created to share the real estate available in Tuscany, thus which is difficult to advertise largely in part due to their lack of an MLS-similar system. The experiences, sites and memories are all amazing and I can't wait to share it all with you!
I knew immediately that the flight would be long, in which it was, considerably, on the way to Italy versus the trip home. We flew from DFW airport, to Atlanta, and then to Paris, while finally landing in Pisa. The flight was in the middle of the day, (noon) so by the time we got to Paris, it was 7:55 am (Paris time), which was 2 in the morning Dallas time. Being a night person, I of course, hadn't slept yet. Normally, that's my bed time... but no, we had to get off the plane, deal with a 2 hour layover, and then add a short 2 hour flight to that! On an incredibly bumpy "hop-a-long" plane, we landed in in Pisa, Italy at 12 in the afternoon... of the next day...! By this time, as all the "buyers" congregated for the first time, we all realized we were exhausted. But, it was the middle of the day, and we had an agenda to keep!
When we stepped outside in Italy, I was absolutely AMAZED. It was like someone turned the sound off to the world. I couldn't believe how quiet it was!! No, cars, horns, people, dogs, music- it's unbelievable how used to background noise we all are... eventually we don't even hear it anymore. So, we shuttled to Pistoia (about an hour and a half away) and were taken to the most quaint, old-world style, advanced (I know that doesn't make any sense but I'll explain it later!) hotel I have ever seen. The true quality of Tuscany, restoration to uphold the original designs and styles makes the feel and architecture amazing to be a part of. Of course, it's 2009, so it has to be equipped with entry to your hotel room by a simple sensor, your "card" must be inserted into another sensor on the wall to have the lights on, and oh my gosh! I forgot! Europe has bidets in the restroom! I have a lot to figure out in this room.
But, we're to dress and attend an Introduction and explanation of the rules in 2 hours, so it's off to work. The hospitality is absolutely amazing. I, of course, a Dallas-ite, am used to eating around 5 or 6, so I was ready a little early and wandered around the main lobby. Immediately I was asked if I would like a cappucino and biscotti. Completely provided, they just whip up the most amazing (not Starbucks, mind you!!) Cappucino I've ever had in my life. The fresh bread, biscotti, crackers... well, they're just amazing, and soft! I'm so used to them being hard like, well, crackers!
After our Introduction, we were ushered across the hall for dinner. (This is about 8 pm for those who are still keeping track) The appetizers were served downstairs, with of course, wine wine wine. Then we went upstairs to the loft where we were served this 5 course meal (and of course a different glass of wine with each course). I expected Tuscan food to be pizza, pasta, Italian (boy, dumb) but it surprisingly consisted of a lot of vegetables and pork. I felt they were mostly puree type dishes, that you couldn't ever quite decide what the ingredients were. But still, everything tasted amazing.
The meals were so long! I had to excuse myself to use the restroom at 3 different occasions... because after the dessert course (oh my GOD) they came around with the espresso and SHOTS of HARD LIQUOR! After all that wine? It was midnight by the time we made it back across to the hotel, and stumble, mind you, on NO sleep for 2 straight days! And although we had to be ready for the Workshop at 9, I HAD to get up early and go out "exploring". (You'll find this to be the case on most of my travel stories; my nickname is "Dora"!)
So, with the sun,I got up, strapped on my backpack and camera and was off to see the sites. The first day I had been drawn (there's no better way to explain it) to this magnificent home on the hill behind the hotel. But with many failed attempts at climbing over hills, fences and stone walls, I could not get to it, so I headed on foot to the town of Pistoia. The roads were narrow, so you hugged the shoulder and stopped for passing cars... the perfect opportunity to take pictures of the fields enclosed by barbed wire and vines... old wood fence posts... beautiful vineyards and farms... The town was complete with "opening duties" being performed by the shop owners and fresh markets.
Finally forcing myself to return, I headed back to the "mess hall" (haha) where I dined, alone, on the freshest fruits, eggs, bread, and freshly squeezed juices of every kind. (Oh yes, cappucino as well!) Maybe it was so quiet because I didn't know if anyone spoke English or not, and I just kept to myself, other than "Bonjourno!" Every "buyer" was given their own suite on the first floor of the hotel, and the "sellers" in Italy, traveling from far away towns, rushed in one after the other to share their homes and properties with you. My translator, Martina, was my god send. She was a young college student, and this was her first time translating. I think she had fun, but kept apologizing if she didn't say it completely right in English. Bless her heart, to me she did perfect.
The homes are mostly restorations, or they have already received "permissions". In Italy, it takes about 3 years to gain permission from the government to restore a building, and as far as the exterior goes, most of it has to stay the same. (The small rectangular windows, the siding, etc.) But most of the interior is traditionally restored as well. You had to not be surprised when they told you "el prezo" (price) - they were all mostly over $1 mil and all the way to the $3 mil. I think I counted maybe 3 or 4 out of the hundreds being in the $7-800,000s. But, considering the inclusion over acreage, guest houses, rooms... it is definitely worth it as a rent house! You could rent out approximately 10- 12 suites (all of the homes were built that way, because you had more than one family living there) and have some great cash flow! The homes consisted of a "house for nobles or royalty" and the "house for the farmhands", and of course, almost all of them had a vineyard, oil trees, and even what we could call a house for trees (lemon house) where they would store the trees in the winter.
We also got to meet with the city commissioner, who described the history magnificently, and I was honored by getting to meet the President of RE/MAX of Italy. On the 3rd night, the last night we were there, we had a little free time, and so we went, by taxi, to a pizza place in Pistoia. It felt like you were going down alleyways (and you were!) to get there, but it was magnificent. True Italian pizza, music (and no one understood what we were talking about!) Imagine trying to explain (Can you split the bill?) Truly, truly, an experience you will never forget, so add this trip to the list of "musts" in your life!
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