Category Archives: Italy

Tourists who don’t understand Venice

Posted on October 10, 2017 by Myra

People never fail to amaze me. A couple of months ago I agreed to show some people I’d never met before around Venice, as it would be their first visit. They were very nice, pleasant company, and well educated, and … Continue reading →

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All’s Well that Ends Well (Apart from Chaos at a Bavarian Market)

Posted on June 19, 2017 by Myra

My car was a write off after the autostrada accident, and I had to wait anxiously for the verdict as to who was responsible for the crash. (Knowing Italians, I suspected that the easy explanation would be that I’m foreign, … Continue reading →

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“Incidente” in Italy. Lucky to be Alive.

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Myra

Our Grand Tour across Europe was later this year because of finding a care home for my mother, so we eventually arrived at the end of April. We expected the weather to be glorious, but it was the worst we … Continue reading →

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Italian Bills: paid or unpaid?

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Myra

Back in Newcastle I’ve been wondering about the yearly bills for the Italian apartment, and whether some minor member of the mafia has run off with our money. Asking around, it seems that the woman (shall we call her the … Continue reading →

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Embezzlement!

Posted on January 27, 2017 by Myra

Here we are, back in Italy where it is extremely cold but with clear blue skies and lovely views over frosty hills. The main reason for going was to check on how the flat is surviving in the grip of … Continue reading →

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Market enables bills to be paid for another year!

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Myra

After the previous weather disasters when I couldn’t have my Cose Inglesi stall either because it was pouring down (May) or too hot(July), finally I managed to clear the garage of most of my boxes with a wonderful day at … Continue reading →

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Vendemmia: harvesting the grapes

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Myra

There’s a row of wheelbarrows and baskets waiting when we arrive at 8am, together with boxes of disposable gloves and secateurs. We march out past the Friularo grapes, which will be picked later, to the yellow moscato grapes hanging in … Continue reading →

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Civic Vandalism

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Myra

The way they run things in Italy is often infuriating. As I write I can hear chainsaws at work cutting down the beautiful umbrella pines on one of the main streets in Battaglia. Apparently some inhabitants have complained through social … Continue reading →

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Another discovery in the hills

Posted on September 10, 2016 by Myra

I thought, having lived in this part of Italy on and off for 8 years that I knew all the local interesting places, but this afternoon I discovered another. The Santuario at Monteortone, only about five miles away, is half … Continue reading →

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The Saving of a Crumbling Castle

Posted on August 21, 2016 by Myra

On the fringes of my Italian village is the enormous Catajo castle which has almost sleeping beauty status, having been neglected for 100 years. It went up for auction recently but there were no takers, presumably because however cheap it … Continue reading →

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