Moving to a 200 Year Old Stone Villa

Moving from the United States to a 200 year old stone villa , in a 12th century village, on an island in the Adriatic Sea. My life has drastically changed and I’d like to share it with you!

I’m still not quite settled, but sometimes you just have to start writing and fill in the rest as you go. I’ll slowly backfill the story of the entire move (not for the faint of heart!) but if you have any burning questions that can’t wait for my slow writing, please feel free to ask away.

For now, let me introduce you to my new life in a small village, on an island in the Adriatic Sea.

My Mornings

I wake up each morning to the bells from the church in the village. At 6am, noon, and at 8pm, the deep tones ring in all their glory- as they have been doing for centuries- to remind believers that God is with us and to remember to seek Him in prayer. The rest of the day and night they ring on the hour and the half hour. No watch needed, lol. I haven’t been here very long and I’ve already become so accustomed to this sound.

After making some coffee, I take Winston out for his morning walk down the road toward the village. It’s difficult to describe the smells and sounds in the mornings, because when I write them out they sound too over the top to be real. But I promise- this is really what it’s like. Yes, the Adriatic Sea can be seen in the distance. Yes, the soft breeze truly smells of rosemary, basil and mint, so you can’t help but to deeply breathe it in. Yes, there are lambs grazing just below the house. They wear tiny bells that can be heard jingling as they move about the pasture. They let out the occasional “baaaaaaaa!” if they see us or hear us. So many song birds singing. Along the drystone fences, there are pomegranate, orange and strawberry trees (strawberry tree…it’s a thing) growing wild. I’ve already mentioned the church bells, and the sun is just beginning to splash on the mountain tops opposite of us as it will slowly make it’s way down to the vineyards and olive groves below. It’s truly one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever been.

When we get back to the house, it’s time to feed Winston and deliver a few treats to our neighborhood donkey who enjoys visiting us in the mornings (Yes…there’s a donkey!). It’s head scratches and pets for all, then time to start the day.

The Villa

The house is over 200 years old and was renovated many years ago. It is set about 2 miles from the sea shore. The main part of the house has the traditional orange roof (a color technique that dates back to Roman times), and the outdoor kitchen/fireplace area has an intricately layered, gray, stone roof (no mortar). Like all the other houses in the village, the shutters and doors are green.

Inside there’s a small kitchen, a living/dining area in one open room, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The main level floor is stone and the stairway and the upstairs flooring is wood. There are newer split-system heat/ air units and there’s a small wood stove. The washer is in the bathroom, which is the norm here, and clothes are dried outside in the fresh air. The house is simple and cozy. I’ll be sharing indoor pictures once I’m settled into the space.

Outside there’s a beautiful, multi-level, sprawling terrace with several seating areas. There’s a swimming pool, an herb garden, and a beautiful, traditional outdoor fireplace/dining area. Everything is simple, tidy and functional. There are many terracotta pots brimming over with herbs and the seasons last few blooms.

The Village

There is one small family- run restaurant just a few minutes walk from the villa. The family owns local vineyards and olive orchards. The food is amazing and I buy wine and olive oil from them as well.

The nearest grocery store is a little less than 2 miles away in “town”, on the straight, flat, very bike-able and walkable road that connects the town to the village. It’s a small store but usually has whatever you need, as long as it’s in season. There’s also a butcher nearby for the best meat, as well as a bakery where I can buy fresh sourdough bread. There are 3 other larger stores on the island but they’re about a 20 minute drive away. If I want/need anything more than they offer, it requires an hour long ferry ride to the mainland.

There is no Target. No Walmart. No delivery on demand. All of which I used heavily when living in Colorado! And while I don’t miss the stores per say, I do miss the convenience of just knowing WHERE to go to get what I’m looking for. To say that my life has changed drastically is an understatement of just how much it really has changed.

And I’m so grateful for it.

Life has been very hard for what feels like too long. Like…. “Survival Mode’ hard. And those hard things have not let up one bit yet. But being forced to change every.single.thing. about my daily habits and routines has helped to change my overall outlook. I’ve had to set aside the constant fear, the “what-if’s”, and the worst case scenario scenes that have crept in and kept me paralyzed. I’ve had to pick my head up out of the weeds and actually look around, because I can’t run on auto pilot here. I don’t know how to DO things here. The simplest things take at least 3 times as long as they did before, if I’m able to get them done at all. I’ve had to focus on just LIVING. Just boring, wonderful, every day living.

More Big News

I’m going to be a grandma! (A “Go Go” to be exact! ) Savannah and Enslin are expecting and they just got their first ultrasounds done. The entire family is overjoyed for this little blessing coming in the Spring. Our first grandchild and the first great grandchild. We are all just so excited! Savannah and Enslin work in South Africa for our charity organization Archangels Project. If you don’t already follow we’d love for you to see the work they are doing there! It will bring a smile to your face. Web/Blog, Instagram, Facebook.

I can’t wait to take you along on this journey and show you what life here is all about (and figure it out myself!). For many in the Western world, I feel like this way of living is going to be different, and I’m sure I’ll come across things that I’ll want to carry with me, no matter where life takes me.

You can pin any of these photos to Pinterest , by hovering over them and clicking on the Pinterest button and you can also find me there. I’d love to have you follow me in the LTK app. I’m working to curate truly useful content there and they’ve really improved the app to create more of a “hang out space”, and it just keeps getting better! Aaaaaannnd I’m also on Facebook if thats your jam! Anywhere you share my content helps me out so much, so thank-you!

Looking so forward to hearing what you guys think of all of this!

You might also like these:

A Morning in the Village

Lanterns Lambs and Living Slowly

A Midlife Hike to St Michael’s

Slow Living

Our First Christmas in the Village