Rome is now home!

Well, I have just had my brains bashed by AC DC in the car on the drive down from Uk to Rome.
Well that's serves me right for having three boys and being out voted on most things.
We couldn't find anywhere to sleep we ended up sleeping in the car amazingly comfy or too tired to care. Next morning we saw loads of 24 hour night hotels. Do you ever feel life's having a joke with you?
Anyway we arrive 4pm at the boat, it was wet and rainy, and the marina was small with a cosy feel.
We had to climb over three boats to get to ours, which I know will become a problem.
We made dinner and settled down for the night. It was quiet rainy and difficult to unload the car.
We are in there somewhere!?


Well we have been here 11 days now and we have some very sunny days and some very rainy days.
We have had dinner in the Lady Rosa, and explored the marina area and the local town watched street entertainers by the beach with the best large ice-cream for only 2 euros. Love Italy!!!
We have cleared a lot of the boat putting everything we don't want on the boat in the car ready to take to Casali, our house next week.
The cockpit cushions were so bad we wanted to throw them out but we ended up in a maternal shop where the lady is going to make us new ones. See more details on jobs and cost in our work/ page

Dave got carry away as I didn't like the smell in the heads (toilet).
The septic tank is gone and so is the old sink.
And I have started sanding the port side of the boat ready for painting like the other side of the boat like we did it back at Grussan in France.
 Photos coming soon!!

Artie and Dave explored the Old Tug boat behind us as load of kids came to marina today for a morning school trip and to look around the old steam boat, made in England in 1905
Had breakfast at the marina cafe this morning just to get off the boat. We are getting to know people and get recognised
Its got a natural basic feel this place no airs and graces. Cheap and cheerful. A rustic wooden pontoon Just up my street.
The only problem with this marina its a bit too far to shops we have to go in the car. Found a great market place though with all fresh fruit and veg cheeses and meat.
There is always positives about a place, atmosphere or practical amenities or nice people but we are yet to find all three. Tecnomar there are some nice people in the cold Italian way and then there is the atmosphere a river is nice and the basic wooden pontoon small and cozy feel to the place. But once you leave here the shops and hard to find and when you do you wish you hadn't. Expensive! But that's Italy these days. So much more expensive 1.70 for fuel and food has doubled since we forst moved here 10 years ago.
All said and done its great to be back in Italy so we can sort boat out and the house out together.

Artie got up excited this morning with lots of balloons on his bed for his Birthday. He opened presents and went for a cycle on his new bike around the woods.


 Then we got him a happy meal at the dreaded Mc Donald's, which he loved and then back to marina to the cafe as they had made him a cake, a bit quiet but nice just the four of us. Now he is with his dad making his model red arrows airplane.  .

Well a lots been going on with the boat.
The heads are different no smelling poo tank.

Dave has moved the toilet over at a slight angle and putting a sink next to it which has been ordered and is coming tomorrow, Its all painted, very clean and pretty now with new curtains. more photos soon
We have also painted the forward cabin and cleared out the old stuff and made it less cluttered. 
Dave drove to casali yesterday to take all our stuff that we didn't want on the boat because  it was all over the deck and we couldn't move, just as well as it pissed it down last night and thunder stormed. He drove straight back last night. Taking him 7 hours in all.
Anyway we are going out for dinner tonight so Artie can have mussels and chips his favorite.
We are off to Casali on Wednesday so no blogging then.
New friend at the marina Tecnomar