Buildings in Italy...
This is Rudolfo, a general contractor who specializes in restoring old buildings and palaces. He works on site (wherever that is) and travels home to Sicily every month or two for a few days. We first met Rudolfo at a local restaurant. Paige and Savannah were always wanting to visit people at other tables. Rudolfo was eating alone and Paige asked to sit with him. The next time we saw Rudolfo he had candy for the girls. From then on, every morning walking to school (and many times on the way back) Paige and Savannah would stop at the community theater (a magnificent structure Rudolfo was restoring) so they could give him a big hug and kiss on the cheek. It didn't matter if he was meeting with others, Rudolfo would stop and excuse himself for just a moment.As you might imagine, buildings in Italy are very different from buildings in the United States. Italian contractors don't use wood framing and little (if any) drywall. (Of course, cement is everywhere.) The flooring and counter tops are usually hard surfaces (cement, stone, tile, marble, granite) with some wood flooring but no carpet. There's no central heating or air conditioning but rather radiators and fire places (also used for cooking). Windows (many times not very efficient) all have working shutters. Individual dwellings (whether house or apartment) usually run on three kilowatts of energy (this means that you can't run the washing machine and the microwave at the same time). Italians don't use clothes dryers but prefer to hang up everything (difficult during the winter months). One of the many amazing things about Italian life is their use of plants and flowers. You'll find little gardens of Eden everywhere. It's definitely worth slowing your pace to take in all that's around you.
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