
I first saw cardoons at the fantastic sunday veg market in Sant’Isidoro, a seaside fraction of Nardò, where I currently live. An entire stall was devoted to them and when I asked the stall holder what they were he said … Continue reading
I first saw cardoons at the fantastic sunday veg market in Sant’Isidoro, a seaside fraction of Nardò, where I currently live. An entire stall was devoted to them and when I asked the stall holder what they were he said … Continue reading
While there have been perhaps less properties coming onto the market in the last month or so, now is actually a very good time to look for property. Lots hit the market in the autumn for various reasons. Some Italians are … Continue reading
The public holiday on the 8th of December, known as the ‘Immacolata’ creates some confusion, among the less devout, about what is being celebrated other than, clearly, the start of the Christmas festivities (seeMore than 12 days of Christmas in … Continue reading
I have been out and about looking for properties for my new Puglia property investment fund (see previous newsletter for details). I have also had some requests for properties similar to Palazzo Cairney, so was killing two birds with one … Continue reading
Readers of my latest Property news will know that we have just finished work on a large project in the historic centre of Nardò and that it is now available for holiday bookings : We had nightmares with the chamber of commerce and the local council which meant that we had to delay formal bookings till now, so there are great last minute offers for August and September. http://www.palazzocairney.com
It has been an amazing, exhausting and exhilarating experience working on the house and Lorna (see below) has been the perfect client. I have to say, at this point, that the fact that the house is called Palazzo Cairney is my fault – I started calling it that as a joke and it stuck! Scroll down for before and after videos and visit the Palazzo Cairney youtube channel for more detailed room before and afters (with somewhat amateurish voice overs)… Continue reading
I have been somewhat quiet on the blogging front as, for the last 11 months, we have been working flat out on a large restoration project. The house was the first one mentioned in this article. Someone saw it on … Continue reading
The joys of living in a small town in Puglia are many, and you soon acquire your favourite places to eat and drink. Generally, meals are so affordable that you tend, like the locals, to eat out a lot and, … Continue reading
Zucchine, or courgettes, with mint is one of my favourite combinations and you find it a lot in Puglian dishes, like my favourite zucchine alla poverella. They say that the use of mint is due to the influence of Saracen … Continue reading
Many dream of a little, or even large, place in the sun. Owning a holiday home for your own exclusive use comes with it’s own problems though. It always seems as if at least the first few days of any … Continue reading
As a child I must have passed through Brindisi numerous times; as a family we used to drive down from Rome and get the car ferry to Greece. At the end of a long drive there was little inclination to explore … Continue reading