Meet my new neighbor, Julie Montagu, the Viscountess Hinchingbrooke
Ciao All! I wanted you to meet my new neighbor in Fivizzano. Much to my surprise, I received a direct message from a woman that follows both of us on Instagram. The message read, "You must meet Julie Montagu; she just bought a house in Fivizzano".How obscure, I thought. Our region is so unknown and yet this Julie person bought a house here during a pandemic? I did not think much more about it until I got a message from said "Julie".I looked at her name, and it sounded vaguely familiar. So I did what anyone would do, I looked at her instagram account. With a little more investigation, I realized I knew Julie from the very short-lived Bravo TV show, "Ladies of London". I mainly remembered her because she was so unlike the other "ladies". First off she is an American, and she is a renowned yoga and healthy lifestyle guru! Obviously, I wrote her back that we would need to meet up in Fivizzano.We texted back and forth until the moment we met. She really was like seeing an old friend; we shared a driver from the airport, and honestly, it was an instant connection. Julie is a delight, she adores Italy and even though she's a Viscountess, she's just a lovely lady from the Midwest. Being from the Midwest myself, I felt an instant connection.Julie is a busy lady. She's a mom to 4 children, and she has an incredible You Tube Channel and teaches yoga non-stop, all while helping to run her family estate, Mapperton House. She also hosts a show on Smithsonian Channel. If you're interested in English estates, you might want to watch it. She's charming on it. (It streams on Amazon btw)I am looking forward to showing her around and introducing her to our beautiful region of the Lunigiana. She, like me, is obsessed with interior design, so it will be fun to show her all my wonderful local vendors and flea markets. You know I love a project. We are even thinking about holding some Yoga Retreats and La Fortezza in 2022. Let me know if you'd be into it? I cannot wait to collaborate with Julie and share her amazing talents and energy!I asked Julie a few questions she was kind enough to answer them even though she's incredibly busy these days. Julie, I look forward to lots of adventures with you. x
Q: Explain your relationship with Italy.
A: Honestly, I wish I could say that even 1/100th of me had some Italian in me, but try as I might, I couldn’t find any. So my relationship with Italy is one of obsession really. What American isn’t, right? The food, the culture, the history, the arts, the coffee, the wine and I had better stop here because this could take all day. But equally, I’m obsessed with the language so I started taking online lessons at the start of the pandemic March 2020. I think I have around 120 hours of lessons under my belt but I’m still rubbish! However, that certainly doesn’t stop me from trying to fit in…. one day!
Q: How did you decide on Fivizzano?
A: My thirst for Italy wasn’t being quenched enough by Italian lessons plus not many people speak Italian in England! Therefore, I made a commitment to myself and possibly not to my husband…shhhh... that I would buy a property in 2020 somewhere in Italy. That somewhere zoomed in to Tuscany. I’m an outdoors gal, yoga, cycling, walking, skiing, boating so I knew that having some or all of that was where I wanted to go. I was told to ‘seek and ye shall find’ in Northwest Tuscany. I like to think that Fivizzano found me! Thank goodness too! I compare my experience of finding a house in Italy and finding this house in Fivizzano to that of my shopping skills: I don’t have the time or the energy to spend hours, days, months shopping. I know what I like as soon as I see it.
Q: Tell us about your house and your plans for the renovation.
A: My new favourite name for my house is: La mia casetta carina – My cute little house. In my eyes, that’s exactly what it is. It’s 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1 shower room, a sitting room and of course, a good sized kitchen! But the other feature that sold it to me was the roof terrace. I distinctively remember walking out onto the terrace in sync with the ringing of the church bells and the view of the spire straight ahead. All around me were the sights, sounds and smells of Italy – exactly what I had spent years imagining.I’m in the midst of the very beginning stages of renovation. The pandemic has of course slowed things down a bit but I’m American and am full steam ahead in my heart. I’d like to expose more the original, interior stone walls and incorporate beautiful Italian floor tiles throughout but keep the decoration simple and clean. However, living in England for the past 20 years has converted me into a bath girl! Long gone are the days of my preference to shower. So the bathroom must have an enormous bath that is big enough for me to lie completely horizontal. And of course, I’m really excited about heading off to the brilliant flea markets too as there lies treasures of one-of-a-kind finds.
Q: How much time do you plan to spend in Italy?A: How much time am I allowed?! I still have a young(ish) family, so I won’t be an empty nester for 6 more years BUT as soon as the last of 4 chicks have flown the coop, you can count on this mother hen spending as much time in Italy as she possibly can.Q: How is your Italian?
A: Probably considered rubbish by the Italians and decent by American standards. I’m still beavering away at my 3x a week virtual Italian lessons and will continue to do so until god knows when but the reality of truly becoming more fluent only happens when you’re actually in the country and speaking with ‘in real life’ Italians.
Q: Do you plan to host yoga retreats in Italy?
A: Not at my cute little house which only sleeps 4, but perhaps at yours? Let’s talk!
Q: Will you be my best friend?
A: Yes! As long as you teach me how to cook! ;-) I’m not sure who was looking down on oblivious Julie – but clearly, someone was and for that, I am eternally grateful. Who would have thought that in ALL of Italy, the paths of 2 midwestern girls would not only cross but become the best of friends, in a little town called Fivizzano.
Grazie Mille Julie! Here's to many hours spent scouring the flea markets and cooking, but mostly drinking and laughing on the terrace and of course hiking up and down the mountainside.. Ci vediamo a presto cara. Ti voglio bene x
P.S. Big Si Si to Yoga retreats in 2022, you teach the yoga, and I'll teach the cooking.