Annec's activity

Thanks for the update Chris, especially the cake-shop recommendation! Hope the Gotthard is open by June - we're booked in to stay the night there!

Agreed you can find "bog standard" Italian plants at the market and I wouldn't dream of bringing out a rosemary or a lavender.  But many "bog-standard" English plants just aren't available.  And I do mean absolutely bog-standard, tough as old boots, plant'em and forget'em types.  I'm not into anything fancy or frail. It's not a criticism, in rural Marche gardening is mostly contadino-style: it's for food and flavourings with geraniums for colour in the summer and a couple of stalwarts which have stood the test of time (back to lavender and rosemary).  Why spend money on plants you don't know and therefore may well fail. But I can think of several Uk stalwarts which I'd like to add and can't find. The problem with the Forestale nurseries is, guess what, the bureacracy!  Around us at any rate you can't just walk in and walk out with the plants you want.  It's all about filling in forms (must be before September) then receiving a letter in the Spring to which you must respond within so many days. Not being there all year round I of course wasn't there to respond to the letter in time! So my "native" hedge is instead made up of whips brought out from the UK and planted in a snowy March in haste before they shrivelled up.  They've survived so far!

I'm planning to bring out a whole load of plants from UK.  And have brought out seed in the past.  There doesn't seem to be any notion of providing small young plants which will actually recover more quickly from the transplanting and end up better plants. I did have a conversation with the guy in the Tourist Office in Visso about how they ought to package and sell seed from the mountain flora.  He was kind enough to listen politely but I'm not holding my breath!

The Assassin looks a real character - and you can tell he was once a boxer!

Many thanks all - Dinant it is then.  Your deliberations reflect mine exactly Alan, and the tip about priority boarding is v useful.   Only prob I can see with eating on the boat is wanting to go to sleep afterwards (Yes, we have reached that time of life) May just forgo any formal meal, snack on arrival or en route and stock up on breakfast the following day.....

Thanks Tartuffa - that's only a few clicks further on and looks quite pretty right beside the river.  How was the parking situation?

You may already know of them but these people say they now deliver to Europe.  I'd never considered alcohol free wine before but having looked at their site I'm quite tempted.... http://www.alcoholfree.co.uk/index.php

Check out Phil White (coseperlacasa on here)   http://www.philipwhitefreight.com/Phil_White_Freight/Welcome.html

Don't know exactly where you are but Leroy Merlin by Pescara airport would be a good place to start.  Or any large B&Q"-type store

They say birds sing differently in different parts of the country, and it's certainly true that their eating habits can be different. When I lived in the country the tits got through acres of peanuts.  The townie birds I feed now completely ignore them - but go wild for sunflower seeds (the ones with the skins still on - they're not bothered by those already peeled) Never saw a goldfinch/redpoll/redwing/fieldfare feeding in the countryside, but they all come to feed in my garden now.  No nuthatches though...