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Download the House Instructions
Fiorangela Money
HOUSE INSTRUCTIONS and LOCAL INFORMATION
2025
See also: The notes in the green Guest Book!
INTERNET PASSWORD:
xKX6bMcMPJPnFpa4
(To reset Router see House Instructions re: Internet)
CONTACTS by Text or Call:
House Manager: Fiorangela Money
Mobile: 39 333 239 6764
Geary Bensen
Mobile: 39 349 058 9464
Mary Lee Bensen
Mobile: 39 347 036 6304
Leslie Robinson
Mobile: 1 805 729 2262
MARSAN CHALET
Address: BENSEN “CASA DEL SOLE”
Franzione #5
11020 NUS, IT
HOUSE INFORMATION & INSTRUCTIONS
Updated: 2025
THE FLAT:
We refer to our “Marsan Chalet” as a flat or an apartment or sometimes even a house. It really is a condo in a complex with 4 other units. Our flat #5 is on the middle level of the 2nd building on the left as you enter Marsan from Nus. Go down the stairs to the door on the right, which says Bensen/Casa del Sole on the door. Our ownership includes the entry outside the front door, the balcony, the small terrace to the west of the twin bedroom and a small storage unit downstairs.ARRIVAL & PARKING:
When you first arrive, it is ok to park in front of our building to unload first at the top of the stairs. Then you can move the car to the parking spaces up the street and come back to take everything downstairs. The parking spaces are by the large trash bins. Despite the work truck that parks there, you can usually find an open spot. We back in, which is a little tricky but practice makes perfect.
There also are parking spaces down the street along the wall opposite our complex. Even though the road looks narrow, if you park close to the wall the cars on the road can get by. Worst case, you may have to park briefly further down the street, even though it is difficult to find a parking area that is not marked “Private”. (Be very careful, the neighbors are not tolerant about parking mistakes.)
COOKTOP, OVEN & REFRIGERATOR: appli
As soon as you get in, turn the refrigerator on to the #2. The dial is on the right just below the freezer. The refrigerator cools quickly. Do not put the dial higher than #2 or the items on the shelf below the freezer will freeze as well. It’s best to put veggies in the drawers to avoid freezing. There are small ice trays. We make ice and put it in a plastic bag or dish, then make more.When you check out of the house, please empty the refrigerator of all food, turn the dial off (or 0) and leave the door open.
If the cooktop does not light automatically, try lighting it with a match. You may also need to check the gas bombola that provides gas to the stove. There should be a bombola with gas in the enclosure and another full bombola as a spare in the linen closet. To turn ON the gas bombola only turn it a half to a full turn and no more. The blue bombola regulator is permanently attached to the back concrete wall of the enclosure (see picture).
The new flexible metal gas line requires 2 wrenches: the shiny new metal one to hold fast the line while our old wrench is used to detach the line from the bombola. Sounds confusing, but you will figure it out when you see it. You can exchange any empty bombola for a new one at the Hardware Store in Nus. If you have any problems with the stove, see Karin upstairs and ask her to call Fabrizio who installed the stove for us.
The oven should light automatically. If not, see above.
ELECTRICITY
The Breaker Panel for the house electricity is the gray metal unit in the wall opposite our front door. If the power is not on when you arrive, open the panel and locate the power box marked "Bensen". Flip the black lever in the center to the up position.The house can only handle 3 kilowatts of electrical power, otherwise the breaker shuts off. Of course, the refrigerator is always on when the house is occupied. The TV does not seem to be a problem. The oven and washing machine cannot be on at the same time and adding the coffee maker and a hair dryer at the same time with either large appliance can also trigger the breaker.
If the breaker switches off, go out to the power box outside and flip the black lever up again. If the power does not go back on immediately, go to the small interior power box which is behind the door between the Living Room and the Hall to the bedrooms. Flip the blue switch to turn the power back on. (I think it's the blue switch; you might have to experiment. This only happened to us once and our neighbors helped us figure out this additional power source.)
INTERNET & PASSWORD
The PASSWORD is: xKX6bMcMPJPnFpa4
Our INTERNET service provider is Vodafone. Our Vodafone Account Number is: 122596083. The ROUTER is: VODAFONE – A64685142. There is a cell phone number associated with our VODAFONE account: 34 703 66 304. The phone number that came with our Vodafone Account is: 0165-1856581, but there is not a land line.
The Router is the black rectangular box under the T.V.
*** After a period of non-use, the RESET BUTTON on the Router must be pushed with a toothpick for 20 seconds to restart the ROUTER. Wait for all 4 lights!
If you still have problems connecting to the Internet after the reset, please text Mary Lee Bensen at 39 347 0366304 or Geary Bensen at 39 349 0589464
RED LEATHER SOFA
Our red leather sofa requires a little TLC. Please be careful not to scratch or stain the leather with shoes, keys, pens, drinks, food, etc. Thank you!SHEETS, TOWELS & TOWEL RACKS IN ROOMS
There are extra bath towels and sheets in the Pantry/Linen Closet. There are towel racks in both Bedrooms and in the Bathroom. These work well to keep people’s towels separate while drying but cannot handle too much weight.SHOWER AND TUB
The shower is a little tricky to get in and out of because the tub is raised up from the floor. USE THE 2 GRAB BARS that hold up the towel racks to get into and out of the tub/shower. We like to hold onto both bars getting in and then use the left hand grab bar and the window sill getting out. Don't worry that the bars will come off the wall. It's all right to hang towels on the racks, too.Make sure the bath mat is secure on the bottom of the tub before putting all your weight on it. We’ve tried to find new mats, but the ones in the store are all very small for the little square-shaped Euro showers.
The folding doors work well although some balancing is needed to arrange them. We leave them ½ closed and then close just the last panel when showering.
SHUTTERS, SCREENS AND WINDOWS
When you arrive, you may need want to air out the house if it has been closed for a while. Open all the shutters (from the inside) and latch them to the outside wall to prevent them from being slammed by the wind. This includes the doors in the master bedroom and the blue bedroom with the twin beds. It may be a little dusty if no one has been there recently.Blue Bedroom Note: The patio outside this bedroom is a bit too small to be usable. If the weather is especially hot, however, it is helpful to open the side doors to let in air for ventilation. There are currently no screens for these doors. If you are there for a while in hot weather you can buy inexpensive screen material that can be attached on the outside of the 2 doors with Velcro to let in a breeze but not the bugs. Go to the “fai da te” “Do it Yourself” stores along the SS226 road to Aosta. When you are not at the house, however, be sure to close and lock the glass doors.
Bedroom Hallway Door Note: The nice breeze from the windows/doors in both bedrooms will often cause the door to the bedroom hallway to slam shut. We replaced the glass panes with plastic after a prior event, however, we like to put a heavy doorstop of some kind on that door to avoid the shock of it slamming in the first place. (We’ve used the blue plastic snow chains container on the top shelf in the Pantry/Linen Closet, which seems to work well).
Kitchen Window Note: The window in the Kitchen also swings shut in the breeze. Watch out for the items you put on the window shelf with the windows open or unlocked. The items must be heavy and/or unbreakable. (We've broken a plate and a salad bowl so far).
Bathroom Window Note: The window in the Bathroom can either open from the side (with a ¼ turn) or from the top (with a ½ turn). In the summer, we like to leave the window open at the top all the time.
STORAGE AREAS:
We have a small storage area under our flat. It is the second room on the west wall which contains two pressurized gas containers (bombolas).
There is a large Pantry/Linen Closet off the bedroom hallway for the linens, shopping bags, drying rack, cleaning supplies. It can be used to store some personal items. You may leave your things there, but we suggest that you label them. If you want to store skis, there is a room in the basement storage unit or you may want to purchase a ski locker that we can put under the house. The key for the basement storage unit is usually in a drawer in the living room.
TV, VIDEOS, MUSIC SPEAKERS
TV: The TV receives it service from a cable service, just like in the U.S. There are separate remotes for the TV and for the cable box that is under the TV.They work basically the same as here: Turn on the cable box with the small cable "I-CAN" remote. Turn on the TV with the LG remote, "POWER ON".
only use the I-CAN remote to change channels/volume. As of 2018, the English TV Channels are: 26 Spike TV, 27 Paramount Channel, 39 Topcrime, 70 BBC World News and 81 CNBC Financial News.Music Speaker: The small speaker on the book shelf is for an iPod, but there is also a cord so you can attach an mp3 player or other music source.
WASHING MACHINE
The Washing Machine can be used only as a clothes washer. It is not also a dryer. There are drying lines attached to the railing of the deck. There is also a drying rack in the Pantry/Linen Closet that goes out on the deck for drying during the day or inside the Living Room for drying at night. The clothespins are in a basket in the Pantry/Linen Closet. The good news is that the washing machine spins out much more of the water than a U.S. machine, so items are much dryer when the wash and spin cycles are over.Quick Start Instructions:
- Before starting the machine, pull out the drawer on the left side of the control panel. There are separate compartments for DETERGENT and for SOFTENER. Before starting the wash cycle, put the DETERGENT in compartment II (on the left). Add SOFTENER (if desired) in the center compartment *.
*DO NOT PUT DETERGENT IN THE CENTER COMPARTMENT. The compartment I on the right side is only to be used if you want to do a PREWASH. Close the drawer.
- Select the program OGNI GIORNO ("everyday wash") by pushing or turning the large round dial. This cycle is about 60 minutes.
For a DELICATE cycle of 44 minutes, select Lana (a Mana) ("Wool, by Hand"). For super fast, select Lavaggio Rapido ("Rapid Wash"), which is 15 minutes. Cotone (Cotton) is 2 hours and Sintetici ("Synthetics") is 90 minutes. There is also Centrifuga ("Spin Only") and Risciacqo + Centrifuga ("Rinse and Spin").- Choose the WATER TEMPERATURE by pushing the button repeatedly. For COLD all the LED lights may light up.
- Choose the SPEED OF SPIN CYCLE by pushing the Centrifuga button. 800 seems best.
- Choose a PRE-WASH or INTENSE clean or RINSE ONLY Option if desired by pushing the Opzioni button.
- Add your clothes to a MAXIMUM OF 3/4 FULL, loose. If the machine is too full, it may not start.
- Press POWER to turn the machine on and to start the cycle.
- Press AVVIO/PAUSA to pause the machine or restart the selected programs.
- There are Instructions in Italian with pictures on the shelf under the Bathroom sink.
Hang the clothes to dry on the drying racks outside. The clothes pins are in a basket in the Pantry/Linen Closet. If you are washing late in the day, most items will dry out on the drying rack even if the rack is inside the house overnight.
NOTE: After you leave, our house manager, Fiorangela, will wash the sheets and towels so you don't need to hassle with those. If there are large items you need washed, however, there is a laundry/dry cleaners (Maura's LavaSecca) in Nus. If you are going down the hill towards Aosta, it is on a side street to the left of the main street, and on the left down some little steps. You can see the sign from the road. You have to drive around the block to get to it. Unfortunately, we have not yet found a self-laundromat anywhere nearby!
Water Temperature: In the morning, there are 4 people taking showers upstairs in the unit above ours. This reduces the quantity of hot water for our showers in the morning. There is only one common water heater for all 5 units because…it's Italy.
For multiple morning showers, we take very short showers to conserve the hot water for each person, or turn the water on and off for lathering up, rinsing, etc. There is plenty of water in the afternoon/evening, for those who like to take their shower/bath before going to bed. Even at its worst, however, the water is lukewarm/cool not freezing, thankfully.
GROCERY SHOPPING
Carrefour Express in Nus is the most convenient for quick grocery runs. Conad in Saint Christophe and Gros Cidac in Aosta are larger grocery stores. Carrefour has grocery stores of various sizes and quality in the Aosta Valley.
The Carrefour Express grocery store is in Marsan’s newer shopping center “La Ferignola” on the frontage road between A26 (the Autostrada) and SS226. It is small but quite adequate for basics.
Carrefour Express Address: Via Circonvallazione Sud, 39, 11020 Nus AO Italy.
Directions: The easiest way to get there is to drive down into Nus, stay to the right and head west towards Aosta. At the roundabout, circle around to the left to double back onto Via Circonvallazione Sud. The shopping center is on the right. Parking is in a parking lot by the grocery store, on the side and in the back. Be sure to EXIT out the back behind the stores to return to Marsan. Turn left out onto Via Ciconvallazione Sud to get back to the roundabout. For some reason, at the stop light cars are not allowed to go straight across into Nus.
Our favorite pizza place IV Miglio (which we Americans call “the 9th Mile”) and our favorite ice cream, pastry and coffee shop Pasticceria Buzzi are in the La Ferignola shopping center along with various other local shops and services.
Conad Address: “Localita’ les Iles (Loc, Aeroporto, 10, 11020 Staint Christophe, Aosta IT.)
The large Conad grocery store is on SS226 the main local (non-toll) road going towards Aosta. It is on the left along what is called the “American Mile” (due to the big box type stores). Conad has very good and abundant selections of cheeses, meats, fruits/veggies and breads.Directions: To get to the Conad store from Marsan, take SS226 towards Aosta, turn left at the sign to the Airport, then right into the Conad driveway and parking. Watch carefully for the turn! If you miss it – no problem - go to the next round-a-bout and make a U-turn to get back to it.
To Conad when driving from Aosta: To get to the Conad store if you are coming from the direction of downtown Aosta on SS226 (i.e., heading back to the house from the West): Turn right at the Airport Exit – you can see the store.
Gros Cidac in Aosta: There is also a Gros Cidac store in Aosta behind the train tracks that is like a Super Target in the U.S. Address: Via Paravera, 4, 11100 Aosta, IT. Use GPS to find it. It is a lot of fun if you enjoy that sort of place.
Grocery Bags: Bring some of the Conad grocery bags (in the kitchen drawer) and the "Self" multi-color tote bag (and/or the blue canvas bag) in the Linen Closet to use to bring the groceries home wherever you buy them (large or small stores).
Plastic Bags: It costs at least 10c a bag to buy bags at most stores; they are under the check out conveyor and you guess how many you need to purchase for your groceries for that trip.
Fruits and Veggies NOTE: You must use plastic gloves to pick up any and all fruit and vegetables. No bare hands. Touching lots of them to check for ripeness is frowned upon – because in Italy only produce that is ripe and ready to eat is at the store. Use the scales to weigh your own bag of items and put the sticky label on it before going to the checkout counter.
Grocery Basket Note: The grocery baskets work with a coin system at all the large grocery stores. Put a 50 cent or 1 euro coin in the slot on the handle of the basket and the coin will push out the "key" on the other side of the slot, thereby releasing the basket. When you return the basket to any stack of baskets, your coin will be pushed out when you put in the key re-locking the basket to the others. Cool, easy and smart.
Bread – Mica Pan-La Bottega: The very best bread near Nus is at Mica Pan-La Bottega in Fenis. Address: Frazione, Localita Miseregne, 91, 11020 Fenis Aosta IT. You need to go there early in the day, but it’s worth it. Go under the Autastrada towards the Fenis Castle. Drive by the Castle and keep going all the way through town. Mica Pan is on the right, unassuming looking place (of course!).
The local fresh baked bread is great, but it only is good for that day. If you want “sandwich bread” for next-day picnics, the pre-baked bread in packages like in the U.S. that we found at Conad is quite good and stays fresh. We found it in the aisle near the packaged crackers.
Eggs and Vegetables: Au Potager de Grand-Mere in Fenis is a farm selling (organic?) fruit, vegetables and eggs. Le Foyer de Grand Mere is an Agriturismo and small inn at the same place. Address: Localita Les Cretes, n. 11 11020 Fenis IT. There is a driveway to farm and restaurant on the left a little bit past the Fenis Castle (just after the school).
Cheese – Lo Copafen: There is a great cheese farm in Chambave near Fenis. Address: Azienda Agricola Lo Copafen, Frazione Septurmian, 60, 11023 Chambave Aosta IT. You can get a tour and a wide variety of fresh cheese made on the farm.
Autostrada TOLL ROAD A26 vs RTE SS 226:
On the Autostrada, there are tolls. At the toll booths, you either take a ticket or pay for the ticket you have. Watch for the Biglietta word/pictures to make sure you don't end up in the "toll tag" line. The cash and credit card lines are usually for both, unless it says “Cash Only”. The toll road from Nus to Aosta is about $15 each way, so we use SS226 the local road almost all the time (unless we're going straight to or from Mt. Blanc/Courmayeur).From Marsan to Aosta: Go west on SS226 and watch for the direction "AOSTA/MT. BLANC".
From Aosta to Marsan: Go east on SS226 and follow the signs to TORINO/MILAN. It won't say Nus until the round-a-bout that has the Nus exit. Watch out: there's one place where the right lane becomes an exit only for the Toll Road. If you get off there by accident, I think you can go around the circle and come back up onto SS226 – just watch your direction towards "Torino" if you're going home to Marsan.
Parking in Aosta: When you go into Aosta, there are various parking options. But first … ***You must have change for the parking meters! ***
One option is to park in the large parking lot for the "Gondola to Pila" on the east side of Aosta just before you get to the town center and walk into town from that direction. Look for signs to Pila.
Another parking option is the pay parking lot on the south side of the town center of Aosta in Piazza Plouves (you can put this name in your gps): Go around the Roman Arch roundabout as you enter Aosta on the east side of town, go south (left) on Vialle Garibaldi, turn right on Via Torino and go about 4 blocks, the parking lot is on the north (right) side of the street just past Via Vevey. This parking lot puts you right at the Porta Praetoria where the Tourist Information office is.
Also, there is pay parking on the west side of the Aosta town center in the Piazza della Repubblica (use gps): continue on Via Torino past the Piazza Plouves for several short blocks then turn right on Vialle Partigiani and right into the Piazza della Repubblica. You then walk into the town center from the west end of town.
There seem to be new parking lots opening (and others closing all the time). It can be a challenge to find the entrance to the parking lot and a challenge to figure out the parking meters (for those of us who are not fluent in Italian).
TRAFFIC CAMERAS in the Aosta Valley:
Warning! Traffic cameras have arrived in the Aosta Valley. They seem to be ubiquitous and efficient. If you park in a no parking spot, or disobey the time allowance, or drive in a restricted area, or go the wrong way on some tiny little ½ block street especially in a rental car, YOU WILL receive a ticket in the mail in the U.S. from the Police Department of Aosta. The ticket will have a picture of your car. You will have to pay the ticket in Euros by wire transfer or some other money transfer site. The amount of the ticket will increase if payment is not made immediately. (And, yes, the Robinsons have received all these tickets over the past few years.)
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WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOUR VISIT TO OUR MARSAN CHALET: We would appreciate it if you would leave notes about your adventures in the Valley of Aosta in our Guest Book. New trails, restaurants, castles, markets, and discoveries are always welcome. Plus, of course, please let us know if there is anything we can do to make your visit to our Chalet del Sole in Marsan more enjoyable. THANK YOU!
CLEANING: Please leave the Chalet clean and neat for our next guests. Fiorangela Money (Frazione Marsan #6) will wash the sheets and towels; sweep the floors, dust the furniture and clean the bathroom. Please leave her 50 Euros in cash on the kitchen table before you leave.
PRIOR TO YOUR DEPARTURE, PLEASE FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS:
- Wash and dry all dishes and replace them in the kitchen cabinets.
- To avoid ants, clean off and wipe down the kitchen countertops and sink and sweep the kitchen and living room floors. Use ant spray if necessary in the kitchen.
- Throw away any open food containers, unless it is a dry food product that can be kept in a tightly closed bag in the cabinet.
- Empty refrigerator of all food, turn it off and leave door open.
- Empty all trash baskets (including newspapers, bags, kitchen, bedrooms, bathroom, etc.) in the dumpster and recycling containers up the street on the right.
- Place used sheets on each bed and place used towels in the bathtub.
- If used, replace the air bed in its box and return box to closet.
- Turn off all lights, including the outdoor light by the front door.
- Turn off all heat.
- Close and lock all doors, windows and shutters.
- OWNERS: There should always be an extra bombola for the stove. Please exchange the empty bombola(s) for a gas-filled one at the Hardware Store in Nus.
If a house key was obtained from Fiorangela, please leave the key on the table for her. THANK YOU AND SAFE TRAVELS!
The “House Manager”:
Fiorangela Money Cell/Mobile Phone: 39 333 239 6764
Frazione Marsan #6 (down the street on opposite side)Fiorangela does not speak English. She speaks French and Italian. You can text Fiorangela and she can use Google Translate to understand and reply to you.
At the end of your stay, Fiorangela will clean the flat and launder the linens. Please leave her 50 Euros for her service. Fiorangela’s husband is Franco.Neighbors in our complex
Upstairs: Karin and Fabio Girolano; son Pietro and daughter Ludovica
Across the stairway: Tania and Fulvio; sons Nicolas and Christopher. Grandson: Dominique.FOR ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS:
American Partners who live in Italy: Geary and Mary Lee Bensen
Geary’s cell: 39 349 058 9464 Mary Lee’s cell:39 347 036 6304
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