Habemus Domus!

Normally looking for a house is a very stressful activity that requires a lot of time and a lot of attention. Imagine abroad where you are totally unaware of all the dynamics that revolve around this intent. I thought about setting the spending budget, the areas to take into consideration, the size of the house (1 or 2 bedrooms) the proximity to services and to the workplace (I didn't have a car so it had to be easily reachable). I started to browse through various ads and I noticed with great disappointment that there wasn't much offer of properties for rent. I understood that I had to be patient and also have a bit of luck. In my free moments I wandered around the town trying to see if there were any "for rent" signs displayed but without much luck. I walked a lot and during my walk on the seafront that led to Port Bannatyne I noticed a beautiful Victorian style house that overlooked the sea. I fell in love with it immediately and thought how beautiful it would be to live there, facing the sea with those beautiful "bow windows" so British; I could already see myself sitting on an armchair sipping a tea enjoying that spectacular sea. Too bad it was just an unrealizable dream.

February was the month dedicated to the frantic search for a house. I browsed dozens of websites online, the most disparate and unusual, hunting for a real estate ad. I visited a couple of apartments that to call dumps is a compliment. I literally ran away. I also found an ad for an apartment 200 meters from the Hotel that was owned by an Italian couple, Paolo and Angela, but unfortunately it had already been rented a few days before. But one day I found an ad from a lady who was renting a two-bedroom apartment facing the sea, her name was Liz. I picked up the phone and called her immediately. She had a very kind voice and we immediately set up an appointment for the next day to see the property. She gave me the address and the next day I set off with a good will to meet her. When I arrived at the place indicated to me I couldn't believe my eyes, it was exactly the house of my dreams, the one with the bow windows that overlooked the sea; I was over the moon. Was fate playing a nasty trick on me or was it my destiny to have arrived there? Was the house calling me or had I invoked it in my dreams? I met with Liz and she showed me the apartment on the first floor. I couldn't believe it, the house of my dreams was there and was just waiting for my yes. It was February 14, 2012. I took a lot of photos and sent them to Denis, just to see if he liked the house too. I fell in love with it straight away. Obviously Denis liked it a lot too and so I wrote an email to Liz to confirm that I would take the apartment starting in April since in March she still had to do some internal works. I was over the moon!

The flat was on the first floor of this beautiful 19th century house. It had two large bedrooms; the master bedroom with a sea view and facing East and in the morning I had the sun in my face that woke me up. It also had a beautiful kitchen, a dining room and a large living room and a very comfortable bathroom with a bathtub. At the back of the house there was a small garden with sheds and the possibility of hanging out the washing outside which was not a given in Scotland. The flat had been completely painted and was immaculate. It had been Liz's residence until her husband had become ill; now he was disabled they had moved to a cottage on the other side of the bay where he could move more easily; but their hearts remained there, clinging to that wonderful view. In April I moved to live there; I collected all my things from the Hotel and, with Daria's help, I moved. For me living there was a new beginning. After a couple of days my neighbor, a nice lady, showed up with a bunch of yellow daffodils and a box of chocolates to welcome me. Of course she immediately informed me about the tenant who lived downstairs, who had the reputation of not being a very friendly person. In fact, during the whole time I lived there she never made herself heard or seen. Every now and then when I went out or came back I saw her peeking out of her window. I also remember with great pleasure another lady who lived in the cottage next door and who walked along the seafront with her little dog. She also wanted me to speak Italian with her when she met me. She loved Italy very much and was very happy to have an Italian as a neighbor.

Liz also gave me a bicycle and it was a turning point for me. It was a beautiful black bicycle, in perfect working order. I used it to go to work early in the morning when it was dawn. It was beautiful to ride along the seafront, pedal slowly and enjoy the town that was slowly waking up. The van of the boy who supplied fresh milk to each house, the garbage truck that started its rounds, the first lights that came on in the houses had become habitual moments of every day. By now they were daily meetings and we all knew each other. When it rained or it was too windy I took the bus, whose stop was not far from home. One evening after leaving the hotel I took the bus and the driver greeted me with a big smile when I got on; I remember he said "no bicycle today?" and I was amazed. He had watched me come and go on my bicycle and he thought it was nice to let me know that he was keeping an eye on me. He dropped me off right in front of the house door as if I were a princess to be taken to the ball. These memories are priceless... The flat was very comfortable and I had gone round some Charity shops where I bought a tea table, some lamps, a tea set with dessert plates that I still jealously keep today. At that time I also frequented Elisabeth who was supposed to be my "English teacher" provided to me by the Council. She had been an English teacher and had retired to Rothesay after retiring. I liked being in her company. She loved art in general and we spent afternoons talking about museums and works of art or playing cards. Riding my bike, pedalling slowly, I breathed a new sense of freedom. I felt relaxed and happy. Looking at the sea from my window meant for me to recharge my body with positive energy. Watching the fishing boats return to the port in the late afternoon gave me a sense of peace and tranquility that I had not enjoyed for a long time. You cannot imagine my amazement when I realised that right in front of my house I had seals enjoying the sun when there was low tide. Denis came to visit me several times also with friends and Consuelo, his daughter. I had the opportunity to live with him some very beautiful moments in that house with memories that are still very much alive in my mind even though several years have passed. I wanted more than ever that he felt that house as his own while waiting for him to leave Italy for Scotland. But things did not work out, so once again fate intervened and we had to change our plans once again. In my next post I will tell you more about the Isle of Bute, posting several photos and tips for a visit to this beautiful island.