FIrst visitors and a new name

 It has taken all too long to post this update.  We've been busy.

First and most importantly, we had Brian and Leigh Menold come for a visit.  They very kindly arrived the day after we did so we could get home and unpack a bit before they arrived.  It was a whirlwind 24 hours!

First, we are very fortunate to have Elena and Antonio working for us.  They have been taking are of the castle since time immortal and continue to do so today.  Well, maybe not that long, but you get the drift.  We would be lost without them and rely heavily on their judgement and assistance.  They had set up beds, a table to eat off and put the dishes I had previously purchased in the kitchen. We were in business.  We don't have a full house yet, but we can have guests over.  The wisteria is in bloom and the place smells wonderful!

We took a 4 hour tour of the castle and hotel to see the improvements they have made and that which wasn't done.  To say we were impressed would be an understatement.  I have heard nothing good about Italian workmen from the expats who live here.  They all told me how long it takes to get things done and we didn't feel that way at all.  Our major problems were fixed with the exception of those needing an engineer.  The wooden beams have all been treated and sealed. New copper gutters have been put up. (Big surprise here, they were cheaper than PVC pipe back at Home Depot!) This time they had Daniel with us to translate because I have been gone so long and they knew I wouldn't be able to cope.  Around 1 we had some lunch then continued the tour.  

I headed to the local market to get some food for us and breakfast things for our guests.  That evening we had a simple dinner and placed our first Berrocal.

We slept surprisingly well in the castle!  It's a new bed and not ours, but it worked for us.  The next morning I woke early, drove into Tavernella to pick up a few necessities like drinking glasses and towels.  We then set about unpacking and moving furniture around.  At 1 pm we picked up our guests and had a nice drive back home. 

We showed them where they would be staying and then George took them on a tour of the castle while I put together a lunch for us.  

We spent the afternoon chatting before heading to dinner in the city center. We have 3 rather nice places, and we ate at Lillo Tatini.  They both experimented with their dishes, the only one I remember is the rabbit.  George had pigeon, and I went for my usual quails eggs in pasta.  Top it off with a bottle of Amore and dinner was amazing.  (Food porn for Bill) 

I'd like to say we did exciting things, but we really didn't.  The next day we spent with the guys putting together George's new laser cutter and I took Leigh on a shopping trip from hades. I needed a washer and dryer and a big pot, table, and a valet stand for George.  I knew to run into Brava and order one for delivery.  This should have been an easy task. Unfortunately for me, the banking service in all of Italy was out of order because of a public holiday in the afternoon.  Now this is a hoot.  I purchased a microwave oven, George's valet, the big pot, a few other bits and bobs and a large table.  All of these had already been loaded into the car when we discovered that the cards didn't work.  Our solution, drive to the bank and another shop to pick up a few more things, then 20 minutes later go back to Brava and pay in cash.  This would have never happened in the States. Ever! We returned with the cash and all was well.  I must say, without knowing what had happened, I was terribly embarrassed.  I thought my card was not working because I had no money.  

We returned to the castle, had the guys empty out the heavy stuff and then they continued on with the work of the laser cutter.  

I decided to assemble my kitchen table So I had a place to cook on and prepared lunch for us.  We had a simple lunch of sandwiches and raw vegetables.  Both agreed that after traveling for a week they were happy to have simple food instead of the rich heavy pasta Italy is known for.  After lunch George took a nap while Leigh, Brian and I took a walk around Panicale and the surrounding area.

That evening we ate at Masolino and had another wonderful meal. I think we slept early that night. I know George and I were exhausted from the long trip and I think Leigh and Brian were grateful to just be able to relax and really do nothing. At some point, George gave them a lesson in juggling which was a real hoot.  Brian seemed to pick it up but he was a walker and couldn't stand still. Leigh didn't catch as many balls, but she was able to stay in one place while doing it.  Me? I watched.

The next day they packed up and got ready for me to take them to the train station for their return to Rome.  I have to say, I was impressed.  They each had a backpack stuffed with clothes for the trip and a small carryon bag.  I don't think I've ever traveled that way.  For the wonderful trip they had, it was a great way to do things.  I'm going to buy some of those compression bags they showed me.  

After breakfast we went to look at another piece of property in the area.  It was interesting and I'll say more about it if we are able to pull it off.

When we finished there, George and Brian helped with the chairs.  One of them has an upside-down back support that will drive me insane for the rest of my life.  I think this set will later be sent to the apartment downstairs so it is out of sight.  At 2:30 I drove them to Chiusi so they could get the train to Rome. All in all, it was a great visit even if it was only 2 days.  We loved having them here and thanks to Brian, now have a kitchen table and a laser cutter up and running.  They promised a return visit to see things when the work is done.  I do hope they will keep that promise.  Next time we see a bit more of the area!

On to the naming of the new place. While we love Puzzle Palace, it does not really fit the new location we will be housing the collection in.  Additionally, it doesn't fit with George's expanded dream.  So we have decided upon the following:  The entire collection of buildings will be known as "The World Puzzle Center".  It will house the "Miller's Mechanical Puzzle Museum".  George chose the name for the center, and the winning name for the museum comes from Primativo.  We decided upon his name as it just really explains what is in the museum.  Mechanical puzzles. Not jigsaws, not kids toys.  Mechanical puzzles.  As for the name of the complex?  Well, We have puzzles to be played, to be repaired, and now more importantly, to be designed.  George will be setting up shop on the ground floor, or maybe in another secret location if our negotiations go through. He hopes to lure people here to design and develop new ideas.   And as for the center of the world, we are close enough. In 1864 the center of the world was thought to be Giza.  Now it is considered to be in Kırṣehir, Seyfe Village Turkey. During the time of the Roman empire the center was Terni, a town a mere 1 1/2 hours south of here.  Today it is known to be at Ponte Cardona in Narni. Close enough for government work.  We are Officially the World Puzzle Center. 

We would like to thank everyone who sent in their ideas.  We had a very long list to pick from.  We hope to have our doors open sooner than later, but the Italian Bureaucracy is insane. But more on that in the next posting. 

New Jersey and Virginia

After we left Rob's home we headed for West Berlin New Jersey to meet up with Brian Menold and his  partner Leigh.  We were supposed to arrive around 3, but the traffic was terrible.  Finally we arrived about 6.  I texted Brian along the way and let him know what was going on.  He guaranteed me there would be a glass of wine waiting for me and when we walked in the door, he handed it over.  

Steven Kirk  was there too so we had a double fun night.  Brian gave us a tour of his workshop and of the new workshop he is putting in.  

We had a few glasses of wine and a very lovely lasagna made by Leigh for dinner.  It was really a pleasant way to spend the evening. I got some great video of the guys geeking out as guys do.  I also really enjoyed talking with Leigh.  It was really a wonderful evening.

I got a chance to try Kirk's box and gave up after a bit.  Later on, Brian and I solved it.  Steven had to leave around 9 as he lives 2 hours away, and George went to bed.  I stayed up and enjoyed the conversation.  All too soon we were yawning.  The next morning Brian made breakfast for us.  he even made me a sunny side up egg.  When I giggled about it, he told me he reads my blog!  How sweet of him.  I guess around an hour after breakfast we had to leave for our next stop in Virginia.  Thankfully, it was only a few hours drive away.  As we left, Brian gave us a large box full of donated puzzles for the museum.  His shelf is really filling up. And did I forget to mention the t-shirts that were waiting on the bed for us?  What a guy!

Our next stop was with Andrea and Bill Ritchie. We arrived at a reasonable hour and managed to have a chance to sit down and chat.  They first showed us to the cabin we would be staying in, then we went on to the house to get a tour and a lot of ideas for the castle.  Thank you Andrea!  Bill gave us a talk about the start of the Binary Arts company and it was in 4 parts.  (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4) They very kindly gave us a copy of the very first prototype for Hexadecimal, and showed us a number of other puzzles made by the inventor of that puzzle.

Bill took us to see his shrine room and then we had a lovely dinner.  Again, it was a lovely evening that ended all too soon.  The next morning Andrea had to get up to go to an appointment early and George and I had a bit of a lie in.  Around 9 we went over to the house to say our goodbyes to Bill, but ended up spending another 2 hours chatting with him.  

When we left, we drove another hour and a half to meet with Genesis Chapman who had 13 puzzle sculptures ready for us to pick up.  We thought we would be later in the day, but by this time, I'm so far off on my scheduling that it isn't funny.  After we arrived and saw the workshop, 

we walked to Dots and had a nice lunch (I had eggs and bacon yet again. I just can't get enough of those!)

Upon our return to his house, we went inside and saw the puzzles and began to box them up. It took about an hour as many had to be disassembled.  

George had a nap on the sofa while Genesis and I chatted.  I even managed to snag two aliens that he hadn't shown me before.  They are so cute!  

Around 5 we took off for Georgia and our next puzzle party.  What a wonderful, crammed full of puzzling 3 days this was.