Don't mean to be entirely off topic here, so....welcome again!I agree with your comments about the contrasting driving styles. There's no doubt that in Italy you know exactly where you stand..or sit (whichever!). In Ireland and in the UK we still expect a certain level of courtesy on the road..like cars letting you out at junctions, or not expecting someone to just pul;l out in front of you etc. and when we don't get it that leads to road rage incidents that are harboured and seethed over. In my experience of Italy everyone expects everyone else to cut them off and pull out in front of them and certainly no-one expects anyone to let them out at a junction; God forbid! Driving in Italy is a competition, a race. Once you know that you don't expect anything different and road rage just doesn't arise. So from that point of view I can empathise Beeryspice.Also I saw Jeremy Clarkson on a repeat programme about Italy the other evening asking an Italian gentleman "Why is that everyone in Italy drives so fast and yet no-one is ever on time?". The elegant answer was "In Italy to drive fast is an expression of freedom; to be on time is a dictat of slavery."
Anyone affected by the mudslides in the south? I see that more rain is forecast. Not sure that there's anything practical I can do to help and I'm glad that there doesn't appear to be any fatalties. Hope it's at an end.
Glad to see that property prices might be making a comeback!-(ANSA) February 16 - A neoclassical tomb in Rome's monumental Verano cemetery fetched the price of a super luxury apartment in the city's first Web auction of otherworldly assets. The tomb, described as "classical style with decorative elements in white travertine and Carrara marble, able to house ten," drew a flood of buyers to the www.amaroma.it site, boosting its value from an asking price of 150,000 euros ($206,000) to a winning bid of 940,000 euros ($1.3 million).
Thought this story from today's Irish Times might be of interest given its italian angle:- Solicitor struck off for misconduct A LAWYER with a €273,000 deficit in his client account used €96,000 of the money for his own personal use, the High Court heard yesterday before striking him off the roll of solicitors for misconduct. David G O’Shea (42), formerly practising as a partner in O’Donavan Solicitors, Capel Street, Dublin, was found guilty by a Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) of misappropriating funds including €80,000 from one client’s account, which was given to Italian lawyer Giovanni de Stafano’s Studio Legale Internazionale in November 2006. Mr O’Shea was dismissed from O’Donavan’s in March 2009, and had also been suspended from working as a solicitor. In an affidavit, Mr O’Shea said Mr de Stefano introduced him in July 2008 to a family in Killarney, Kerry, who had to sell their home arising out of High Court enforcement proceedings. He said he handled the sale and when Mr de Stefano demanded €80,000 in fees, the family refused to pay. Mr de Stefano then threatened the safety of Mr O’Shea’s two infant daughters if he failed to come up with the €80,000, Mr O’Shea said. He said he panicked and eventually handed over a bank draft for that sum at Dublin airport to Mr de Stefano’s son, Michael, using money from another client’s account. President of the High Court Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns struck Mr O’Shea off in relation to the misappropriation of funds.
Felt sorry for Tess but glad she found friendship in the end. I hope things are working out for her and that she's left her low point behind her. As regards this and other forums isn't it time for everyone to apply a "two nations" solution and just move on?
Compared to a decade ago £80 is still a cheap flight to Italy. Given the trouble that most airlines are in and the likelihood of fuel prices increasing I'm afraid the glorious period of incredibly cheap flights and various flights options is over.
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Don't mean to be entirely off topic here, so....welcome again!I agree with your comments about the contrasting driving styles. There's no doubt that in Italy you know exactly where you stand..or sit (whichever!). In Ireland and in the UK we still expect a certain level of courtesy on the road..like cars letting you out at junctions, or not expecting someone to just pul;l out in front of you etc. and when we don't get it that leads to road rage incidents that are harboured and seethed over. In my experience of Italy everyone expects everyone else to cut them off and pull out in front of them and certainly no-one expects anyone to let them out at a junction; God forbid! Driving in Italy is a competition, a race. Once you know that you don't expect anything different and road rage just doesn't arise. So from that point of view I can empathise Beeryspice.Also I saw Jeremy Clarkson on a repeat programme about Italy the other evening asking an Italian gentleman "Why is that everyone in Italy drives so fast and yet no-one is ever on time?". The elegant answer was "In Italy to drive fast is an expression of freedom; to be on time is a dictat of slavery."
Hi Beeryspice and welcome. You're the first person I've ever heard coming to Italy for the good drivers!
Anyone affected by the mudslides in the south? I see that more rain is forecast. Not sure that there's anything practical I can do to help and I'm glad that there doesn't appear to be any fatalties. Hope it's at an end.
Glad to see that property prices might be making a comeback!-(ANSA) February 16 - A neoclassical tomb in Rome's monumental Verano cemetery fetched the price of a super luxury apartment in the city's first Web auction of otherworldly assets. The tomb, described as "classical style with decorative elements in white travertine and Carrara marble, able to house ten," drew a flood of buyers to the www.amaroma.it site, boosting its value from an asking price of 150,000 euros ($206,000) to a winning bid of 940,000 euros ($1.3 million).
Thought this story from today's Irish Times might be of interest given its italian angle:- Solicitor struck off for misconduct A LAWYER with a €273,000 deficit in his client account used €96,000 of the money for his own personal use, the High Court heard yesterday before striking him off the roll of solicitors for misconduct. David G O’Shea (42), formerly practising as a partner in O’Donavan Solicitors, Capel Street, Dublin, was found guilty by a Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) of misappropriating funds including €80,000 from one client’s account, which was given to Italian lawyer Giovanni de Stafano’s Studio Legale Internazionale in November 2006. Mr O’Shea was dismissed from O’Donavan’s in March 2009, and had also been suspended from working as a solicitor. In an affidavit, Mr O’Shea said Mr de Stefano introduced him in July 2008 to a family in Killarney, Kerry, who had to sell their home arising out of High Court enforcement proceedings. He said he handled the sale and when Mr de Stefano demanded €80,000 in fees, the family refused to pay. Mr de Stefano then threatened the safety of Mr O’Shea’s two infant daughters if he failed to come up with the €80,000, Mr O’Shea said. He said he panicked and eventually handed over a bank draft for that sum at Dublin airport to Mr de Stefano’s son, Michael, using money from another client’s account. President of the High Court Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns struck Mr O’Shea off in relation to the misappropriation of funds.
Welcome to the forum. Hopefully 2011 will come around quickly for you.
Felt sorry for Tess but glad she found friendship in the end. I hope things are working out for her and that she's left her low point behind her. As regards this and other forums isn't it time for everyone to apply a "two nations" solution and just move on?
Not sure how reliable an index Italian wages would be. If depends on whether "unofficial" wages are taken into account!
Good luck with your search. You've sent the request out into the universe and no doubt the universe will respond!
Compared to a decade ago £80 is still a cheap flight to Italy. Given the trouble that most airlines are in and the likelihood of fuel prices increasing I'm afraid the glorious period of incredibly cheap flights and various flights options is over.