Leo

lovely photo and an artists inspiration :o)

Thank you Sanbaz! I tried to make him pose more alluringly, but I think he was having an umpty day. Like we all do.

I know the feeling ! Lol..He is a lovely cat..and is that your door ? Wow..stunning ! :o))

You know I love your house and I am fond of animals;0) ...
but I really like the planting in those pots, is that Coleus ?

Yes, Bloomer, that's our door - an original that sticks in wet weather! Did you notice the bell on the wall? Our house was once the village school.
Yes, Pimpernel - it is coleus. I found that elsewhere in the garden it was just too hot and bright for it, but these 2 plants seem to have done well here on the north-facing wall of the house.

it is a beautiful feature,Gattina,and yes,I did notice the bell...thought it was to summon Leo for tea ! Lol.

How long does the Postie wait Gattina...?

Ah, Pimpernel, you'd like it here - we have postboxes on the garden walls - no letterboxes to pinch your fingers. If Valerio (OH insists on calling him Vesuvio) can't raise us by ringing the bell because we have a package, he pretty much guesses where we'll be (creatures of habit) and flags us down in the village. I'm waiting for the day he shoves one through the cellar cat door. It helps if you have a pot of coffee on the go when he arrives, though.

I wouldn't mind coming for that pot of coffee,Kattina. I love the door and your cat is so sweet , but you can see by the look on his face ,he really isn't happy with you.You sound like you have an idyllic life there.Sorry , meant to say Gattina.

Love love love your door!

So do we, Angie, but unfortunately OH is down in the porch, trying to take it off it's hinges and shouting not-very-nice words. It has dropped, and we haven't been able to shut it properly for weeks and weeks now. The trouble is that the hinges are cemented into the surrounding stonework and have worked loose...........You see, all in Paradise isn't perfect! I think I'd better go and help.

I'm sure the postie would give him a hand,Gattina..bribe him with an extra cuppa ! :o)

What a lovely door! I so love old architecture and hoped we'd manage to 'twitch' the property that was on our ground into a livable home, but the winter after we purchased it fell down! Now we have a newbuild home which, in this area with its variants of weather, is probably the better way to go - but my camera is loaded with 'artistic' photos of bits of centuries-old buildings.

Ours was built in 1856 by the people who were going to live in it, not proper builders, and there isn't a straight wall or a right angle in the whole place. There are cracks everywhere, virtually no foundations, and we used to get nervous, but the locals, who have houses that are just the same, just grin and shrug and say "E' normale!" We reckon, if it's been standing for 155 years, it should hold out a little longer. Fingers crossed!

Looks lieka lovely house..love the door!

Our first one was even older Gattina, and no foundations to speak of, and cracks too...The first winter there were drafts coming from everywhere in one wall, and as fast we plugged them, they would find another way out...:))
The locals all came one by one to welcome us, and kicked our corner stones with the same comment as yours, and when OH would point out cracks, they would just dismiss his anx....as no problem...

What a stunning front door...looks like the entrance to a fortress! :))

It's the entrance to what was the old village school, Karensusan. (See the bell?) Not so much a case of keeping the enemy out as in! I think it's my favourite bit of the house.

Oh yes, I see the bell now! Did you convert it yourselves Gattina? What a wonderful place to live in...brilliant. I think I'll come for a holiday...I can just pitch a tent in your lovely garden! ;)

No, it was already converted, but we had quite a lot of updating and structural stuff to do. Most of the older villagers remember attending classes here, and there was the famous time when our neighbour Franco was told off by the teacher and escaped when she wasn't watching by climbing out of what is now our living-room window and dropping down via the roof of the pig-sty to the ground and running away.
P.S. No worry, we have a spare bedroom, Ks., no tents are required, or a rather nice summerhouse with electricity and
running water (outside-no loo unfortunately) and a view of the mountains in case you want your independence!

See, it pays to be cheeky! ;)) Your facilities sound top notch! Lovely story about the pig sty. :))

Sad, it's not there any more. When we raised a pig, we had to do it on friends' land!

Probably just as well Gattina...would be a bit pongy!

Too right! Very picturesque, though. I could have grown something up it. ;-)))

There is that. You could take a leaf out of Mossy and Rayd2b's books and build yourself a lovely folly to grow something up! :))