Have you been wondering why there haven’t been any new blog posts lately? Well, here’s the story.
Living in a place often means you have little control over your surroundings. This year in Chiavari has been particularly stressful and noisy.
About 11 weeks ago, my downstairs neighbor began renovations on his 600-square-foot apartment, which features marble flooring. Each weekday, I was abruptly awakened at 8 AM by loud pounding and hammering that felt like it was coming from above me. This noise persisted day after day for WEEKS. At first, there were two workers, but eventually it was just one who took an hour-long lunch break during which I enjoyed a brief moment of silence. He then resumed work until 5 PM, mixing concrete indoors and tearing out walls, the bathroom, and the kitchen—all of which I could clearly hear.
On two occasions, he turned off all the water in our building, leaving me without access to my own toilet for two days. He even cut the wire to my intercom system, which controls access to the building. One day, I had to run down about 80 steps to let people in, doing this six times.
As a night owl, I typically can’t fall asleep before 3 AM. The constant noise has been torturous.
After eight weeks, the owner came by, reprimanded the worker, and fired him on the spot that Friday. However, by Tuesday, the noise started again, with new workers maintaining similar hours. Sometimes, they even work later into the evening now.
Then, workers outside spent three days building scaffolding that reaches the roof above the 6th floor. They bang and drill for hours every day, starting between 8 and 9 AM. Just this past weekend, they woke me up at 8:45 AM with their drilling, which feels like it’s directly over my head while I’m in bed. They create an unbearable racket until around 11:30 AM, right before they leave to enjoy their weekends. I’ve learned they are doing roof repairs. If this were happening in the USA, the work would wrap up in less than a week. Yet this is Italy—the country I love, but where things move at a leisurely pace. “PIANO, PIANO,” as they say. I have no idea when this mess will finally be over.
This is the reality of living in Italy. Those of us who choose to call it home must let go of our preconceived notions about how things should operate. It can be a struggle, especially when compounded by sleep deprivation.
I find it hard to think with constant pounding scrambling my brain. I often seek solace by walking in Centro Stoics and along the sea, but when I’m sleep-deprived, even walking for miles becomes a challenge.
And as recently as a week ago, even the beachfront was under construction.
Heavy boulders are being dumped into the sea to help prevent flooding, and this work starts early in the morning, too. The noise travels into my apartment, and I live just a five-minute walk from the site. Walking along the seashore and sitting by the water has lost its charm amidst this chaos.
Nevertheless, I will stay here. It’s important to remember that nothing can be a paradise 365 days a year.
On a brighter note, my sister is coming to Italy for a visit! I will be meeting her in Rome and will be away for a little while.
Only time will reveal what will be completed—and if anything gets done—by the time I return. Oh, did I mention that my computer is also acting up? PAZZA.
Expect more enjoyable posts soon.
A dopo!
