The hills above Rapallo leap quickly to a height of about 600 meters (about 2,000 feet) at La Crocetta, the pass above Rapallo, this in the space of perhaps 2.5 miles as the crow flies (a lot longer as the car drives). In the olden days when there were no cars people navigated between points on ancient roads or paths that connected all the little towns. Many houses were built in what, after the birth of the auto, became completely remote and inaccessible locations. So, if you buy a rustico and want to restore it, how do you get your materials in place, given that you’re perched on a steep slope and there is no road to your rustico?

Easy!

We were enjoying a calm breakfast when the peace was shattered by nearby rotors. They got very loud, then they got slightly softer, then they got very loud again. It turned out the helicopter was ferrying construction materials to a worksite on the hillside across from us.

It sounds like an expensive and impractical way to move material, but in about six trips over the course of half an hour the helicopter brought in mysterious supplies encased in large white plastic bags, as well as some steel. Someone will soon have a beautifully restored rustico. But will they need to use a helicopter to reach it??