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Good one! :D Welcome to the forum.

Welcome to the forum, best wishes and good luck. Keep tuned in, you'll already have discovered there are quite a number of us now in that area, we're in San Vito also. Where about's are you.

Good luck again

Paula, Neal and family :)

Good luck and well done. I completed a few weeks ago and still pinching myself - we actually have a house!

[QUOTE=Ric]Hello Everyone!

Just found this forum. Myself and my fiancee, Rachel, are flying out to Brindisi tomorrow to complete on our place in San Vito Dei Normanni. :D

Looks like a lot of helpful info on this forum, so hope to be around here plenty more!

Ric :cool:[/QUOTE]

Welcome to the forum. Yet another for San Vito :) We too are in the process of buying in the area. There's quite a little community developing.

Welcome to the forum and `auguri` for the new house. By the way, where is this San Vito that loads of people live in? We live in Martina Franca in Puglia. Is it anywhere near us?

Hello The Smiths

San Vito dei Normanni is about 15 minutes from Brindisi, near Carovigno - so yes, it's nearby to you. In fact I've already got you down as my future dentist ... on recommendation I might add ;)

[QUOTE=The Smiths in Puglia]Welcome to the forum and `auguri` for the new house. By the way, where is this San Vito that loads of people live in? We live in Martina Franca in Puglia. Is it anywhere near us?[/QUOTE]

This is my first contribution so here goes! I'm hoping to complete at the end of this month aswell, and am buying a tiny flat in Ostuni. Have met a few Puglians already as I gatecrashed a party in October at Lyn and Alex's and work in London with a San Vito lady, elainecraig. You all sound like a very friendly bunch, look forward to hooking up sometime when I'm there.

Magsx

We about 2kms from San Vito dei Normanni ...been here since May 2005 and loving it....we are retired ( young...ish !!!!) and live here permanently.
Let us know exactly where you all are !!! :) :cool:

Morwe wonderful Puglinese friends, its going to be a wild wild summer party.
Welcome newies, and enjoy :D

Don't forget to count me in Elaine. What about a group barbeque on the beach?

And don't forget you're all invited to drinks at ours on New Year's Day!! Congratulations and looking forward to meeting you. Agreed, Elaine, roll on the hazy lazy crazy days of Summer!!

Kath

[QUOTE=Susan P]Hello The Smiths

San Vito dei Normanni is about 15 minutes from Brindisi, near Carovigno - so yes, it's nearby to you. In fact I've already got you down as my future dentist ... on recommendation I might add ;)[/QUOTE]

We`ll look forward to meeting you. If ever you`re in M.F. come & have a coffee with us. I like the beach BBQ idea!!

Some of our neighbours actually go and camp on the beach over the weekend during the summer !!!!....
Great idea after a mad BBQ with loads of vino flowing...we could all have a swim in the morning to cure the hangover ....and cook breaky over the BBQ !!!!...and not worry about driving !!!!...can you imagine !!!!....dead excited !!! :D
Alex is buying a generator so we could have our own disco !!!!...and the ole boy sings and plays guitar !!!!!..... :D
Can't wait ...... :cool:

[QUOTE=The Smiths in Puglia]We`ll look forward to meeting you. If ever you`re in M.F. come & have a coffee with us. I like the beach BBQ idea!![/QUOTE]

Will do thanks. Looks like Lyn likes the beach bbq idea too ... so it'll happen :D

[QUOTE=Susan P]Don't forget to count me in Elaine. What about a group barbeque on the beach?[/QUOTE]

And us too please Elaine! :D

[QUOTE=Ric]Hello Everyone!

Just found this forum. Myself and my fiancee, Rachel, are flying out to Brindisi tomorrow to complete on our place in San Vito Dei Normanni. :D

Looks like a lot of helpful info on this forum, so hope to be around here plenty more!

Ric :cool:[/QUOTE]
Hi!!
welcome to puglia.. i'm sure you will fall in love with this special country!! i'm italian and live very close to brindisi. i wish you the best luck!!

Hi everyone. Thanks for the welcome. We got back in the early hours of this morning. Quite a fascinating event, the closure was! Twelve people all siting around a table, and a bit of mayhem thrown in!

[QUOTE=paula hampson]Where about's are you.[/QUOTE]

I don't know the area very well...but when you drive out of San Vito Dei Normanni (in the opposite direction to Carovigno/Ostuni) and after a couple of kilometres there is a turning for Serranova on the left (just after the Ristorante on the right), and we're just off there!

If anyone is able to help us with a few bits of information, it'd be really helpful.....

- Does anyone know what is going on with Ryanair's flights? In the summer there was a daily morning flight to Bari, and daily evening flight home from Brindisi. This seems to have been changed to 3x weekly and the Bari flight now goes in the afternoon. Is this an 'off-season' thing, and will it return to daily in the spring? Are there any other flight options/carriers that people use?

- We are planning on completely re-tiling our house, redoing bathrooms etc, so the house is not inhabitable at the moment. Can anyone recommend a good clean hotel in or around the San Vito/Carovigno area?

- We've found some good kitchen shops, but nowhere that sells a wide variety of bathroom suites. Does anyone know a good place to go to find toilets/sinks/showers etc.

Phew! Enough questions for now. Thanks for any help!

Cheers,

Ric

There is Residence dei Normanni, just off the SS16 as you come out of San Vito dei Nornmanni going towards Brindisi.
They have a web-site. [url]www.deinormanni.com[/url]

The people are smashing and accommodation is self catering which is great if you are tooing and froing.Accomodation is really nice.
I understand that the Dad is a builder and is a mine of info about most things. His daughter runs the residence and speaks English which helps.We stayed there several times and loved it...even a swimming pool in summer!! :cool: I think this is basically 'round the corner' from where you describe your house is !!

Not sure about flights but think this is the winter schedule and hopefully will go back to 'normal' in april/may.

We were lucky to already have our bathroom in at our house but you could try Emmezetta which is not too far and they deliver. It is a huge store going north up the superstrada towards Bari. The store is well-signposted and is off to the right at Fasano. There is also Castorama at Bari...not been there myself as managed to get most things locally or at Emmezetta but a lot of people have used it.
There is Mercatoneuno at Brindisi and Francavilla .
Castorama and Mercatoneuno have web-sites for you to have a look and you can order catalogues from them.
[url]www.mercatoneuno.com[/url]
[url]www.castorama.it[/url]
There are lots of us descending on Puglia now and particularly in the San Vito dei Normanni and Ostuni areas , so i am sure that some of the others will be able to come up with some suggestions.
Hope this helps...if you have any other questions don't hesitate to shout and all the very best with the new house :)

Thank you so much, alex and lyn! :D Great info, cheers.

What a fab idea! How very 'Ibiza' clubbing and dancing on the beach, I'll bring my chill out Cafe del Mar CD and a large steak, dont want Alex and Lynn dreadful music spoiling everything....only joking chucks, gosh I'm in a naughty mood...must not listen to the voices :p

We couldn't find baths in mercatoneuo or Emmezetta. We found baths to be in Builders merchants there is one on the way to Martina Franca from ceglie, opposite a church they have an economica range as well as flash stuff. Very posh bagno shop on the way out from Ceglie towards Martina Franca its sign posted but have to wiggle round lanes following signs until you find it. There is also a show room in Martina franca. Sorry but I can not remember the names of any of them. Were also quite a few in Ostuni. The problem I find with the shops is you never see them until your right on top of them so need to really have a good look around, tend to be sold in the same shops as tiles.

Sort of helps I hope, took us ages to hunt some out.

[QUOTE=trullomartinafranca]We couldn't find baths in mercatoneuo or Emmezetta. We found baths to be in Builders merchants there is one on the way to Martina Franca from ceglie, opposite a church they have an economica range as well as flash stuff. Very posh bango shop on the way out from Ceglie towards Martina Franca its sign posted but have to wiggle round lanes following signs until you find it. There is also a show room in Martina franca. Sorry but I can not remember the names of any of them. Were also quite a few in Ostuni. The problem I find with the shops is you never see them until your right on top of them so need to really have a good look around, tend to be sold in the same shops as tiles.

Sort of helps I hope, took us ages to hunt some out.[/QUOTE]

Thanks trullomartinafranca. We did find a couple of tiles shops, but they only had a small range of bathroom kit in stock. Will try and find that one between Ceglie and MF when I go back. Cheers ;)

[QUOTE=elainecraig]What a fab idea! How very 'Ibiza' clubbing and dancing on the beach, I'll bring my chill out Cafe del Mar CD and a large steak, dont want Alex and Lynn dreadful music spoiling everything....only joking chucks, gosh I'm in a naughty mood...must not listen to the voices :p[/QUOTE]

Don't bother bringing your Cafe del Mar CD, I'll bring my Tom Jones collection. Don't you just love him? I can't stop singing 'The Green, Green Grass of Home'. It's got so bad Cliff made me go to the doctors. "Doc, I can't stop singing 'The Green, Green Grass of Home". "That sounds like Tom Jones Syndrome". "Is it common?" "Well, it's not unusual". Boom, boom :p

Just for that I'm going to bring my Dean Martin collection Lainie :D
Loved Tom joke.....

And if you forget it Lyn I'll bring my Dean, Sammy and Frank compilation. I'll fetch my Al Green and Cat Stevens too, really get the place rockin. ;)

[QUOTE=Ric]
- Does anyone know what is going on with Ryanair's flights? In the summer there was a daily morning flight to Bari, and daily evening flight home from Brindisi. This seems to have been changed to 3x weekly and the Bari flight now goes in the afternoon. Is this an 'off-season' thing, and will it return to daily in the spring? Are there any other flight options/carriers that people use?
[/QUOTE]

It's an off-season thing and a d*** nuisance too. BA fly into Bari but again only during the season. Haven't found any other alternatives yet

Try [url]http://www.skyscanner.net/map/[/url] - only works with low cost airlines but might bring up something useful for you.

[QUOTE=Ric]Thanks trullomartinafranca. We did find a couple of tiles shops, but they only had a small range of bathroom kit in stock. Will try and find that one between Ceglie and MF when I go back. Cheers ;)[/QUOTE]

Apart from my typo bango instead of bagno! :o There are two shops one opposite builders and another signed just outside Ceglie round the lanes, sorry if my post was confusing.

We found a huge warehouse like shop near Brindisi that sold baths, tiles, sink everything and they can order in for you. I'm get the reciept tonight and give you the address on Monday if thats ok. It also had a smallish collection for kitchens. Oour entire bathroom fittings, new suit, tiles, bathroom furniture (taps, shower etcetc) £1300 unbelievable.

Hi Elaine

That information will be helpful to quite a few people I would think. Thanks.

Hi Susan, it was actually Vincent who took us to this shop. It's on an industrial estate just outside Brindisi and is much cheaper than all the other places. They don't speak english which may be a challenge, but we bought the swankiest stuff they had - the sort of stuff that would cost 1000s in the UK - and couldn't believe how cheap it was. They had more tiles than I've ever seen and had every style of bathroom imaginable. Not everything is on show - but they have catalogues for hundreds of things.

We ordered it all and the plumber will be collecting it, so no hassle at all for us.

Will look for that receipt to get the name (or will remind Elaine to look for it LOL).

Kate

[QUOTE=KateG]Hi Susan, it was actually Vincent who took us to this shop. It's on an industrial estate just outside Brindisi and is much cheaper than all the other places. They don't speak english which may be a challenge, but we bought the swankiest stuff they had - the sort of stuff that would cost 1000s in the UK - and couldn't believe how cheap it was. They had more tiles than I've ever seen and had every style of bathroom imaginable. Not everything is on show - but they have catalogues for hundreds of things.

We ordered it all and the plumber will be collecting it, so no hassle at all for us.

Will look for that receipt to get the name (or will remind Elaine to look for it LOL).

Kate[/QUOTE]

we'd be very interested to know the name / address of the shop.

Yes, sounds great. Look forward to hearing the address. Thanks Elaine and Kate. :D

Forgot to look up that address, will endeavour to do it tonight. Also forgot to say that it sounds like you're a neighbour, Ric. We're just off the San Vito/Brindisi road as well, v. close to the Residence dei Normanni (their sign post off the main road is our turning). So we can meet for beers (or should I say Primitivo)

Kate

Damn I knew there was something I had to do sorry chaps I'll bring it in tomorrow... :rolleyes:

Kate note I am now a senator!

[QUOTE=KateG]Forgot to look up that address, will endeavour to do it tonight. Also forgot to say that it sounds like you're a neighbour, Ric. We're just off the San Vito/Brindisi road as well, v. close to the Residence dei Normanni (their sign post off the main road is our turning). So we can meet for beers (or should I say Primitivo)

Kate[/QUOTE]

Sounds good.....!

[IMG]http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/5863/beer13fm.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://img415.imageshack.us/img415/328/beer20jv.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://img415.imageshack.us/img415/898/drunk2tc.gif[/IMG]

How did you do the moving icons thats really cool :eek:

Find an animated image you want........

When you are posting a reply, click on this image: [IMG]http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/images/editor/insertimage.gif[/IMG] and insert the web address of the image in the box.

[IMG]http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/2153/drunk24ze.gif[/IMG]

In Contrada Gaeta on the road to Serranova, out towards the beach...

Best wishes

David

another, welcome, we really need a Puglia map now to indicate where everybody is :D

..from us as well.....the summer party looks like being HUGE !!! :cool: Hope you are getting organised Elaine !!!!! I'll bring a packet of crisps and a Bottle !!! :D

Humm well hopefully by next year we will have re-plumbed and got a posh bathroom, so everyone is more than welcome, need to get the pizza oven going then we can really have a treat to remember.

Now then as promised bathroom shop: head on the SS16 to Brindisi, turn off at Industrial zone and the follow the signs all the way, it will eventually lead you there:

Colaianni Mario & Co
72100 brindisi
Via A Arton 24/26-21
0831 572328

No crisps just red wine, eating's cheatin' :D

[QUOTE=paula hampson]another, welcome, we really need a Puglia map now to indicate where everybody is :D[/QUOTE]

How's this for a start?! : [url]http://www.frappr.com/italymag[/url]

You can zoom in on Italy!

Add your tag!

(maybe if people like this map, we should start a new thread with the map link and make it a sticky??)

[QUOTE=Ric]How's this for a start?! : [url]http://www.frappr.com/italymag[/url]

You can zoom in on Italy!

Add your tag!

(maybe if people like this map, we should start a new thread with the map link and make it a sticky??)[/QUOTE]

Like this - just added us but as we are going to be living in the middle of nowhere had to put Lecce as our nearest city (well it's only about 20km away)

[QUOTE=paula hampson]another, welcome, we really need a Puglia map now to indicate where [b]everybody[/b] is [img]http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif[/img][/QUOTE]

Sorry Paula but we're not all in Puglia - or even Abruzzo[img]http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Here's one Northerner [both in England (originally) and Italy] who has hijacked the map[img]http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/images/smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

Just added my details - gives a great idea of who's where.

[even if my 'spot' is about 20 miles from where the house really is]

Just put ourselves on the map.....great idea!!

[url]http://www.frappr.com/

Fantastic idea chuck, now I can nosey at everyone elses property ;)

Hi just added myself to the map...didn't want to post a picture of my boring student accomodation....so i gave you all my favourite view in Verona. The view looking towards the Teatro Romano....(better than this Puglia place anyday!!) (joke of course ;) ;) ;) )

Sally

[QUOTE=elainecraig]Humm well hopefully by next year we will have re-plumbed and got a posh bathroom, so everyone is more than welcome, need to get the pizza oven going then we can really have a treat to remember.

Now then as promised bathroom shop: head on the SS16 to Brindisi, turn off at Industrial zone and the follow the signs all the way, it will eventually lead you there:

Colaianni Mario & Co
72100 brindisi
Via A Arton 24/26-21
0831 572328

No crisps just red wine, eating's cheatin' :D[/QUOTE]

Thanks Elaine. We went there last week. Spent an hour there armed with a dictionary and our feeble ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ, but thanks to the patience of a chap called Fernando, we mananged to sort out what we needed and wanted. Really cheap prices! Great place. Thanks again. :D