Annec's activity

My default position is that everything is an OWT unless I happen to agree with it, in which case it's a flash of brilliance.That goes twice for anything on an interweb forum........To add my own non-expert views: in the Middle Ages everyone drank beer.  Water only came from dirty rivers and filthy wells and wasn't nice to drink.  I don't think they knew about germs then, but they knew they didn't like water.Eastern countries, on the other hand, drank tea.  Boiling the water obviously made it palatable and killed off the bugs.My neighbour Luigi must be a bit of a hangover (!) from those times - he only drinks wine - never water.  He's 77 and still out in the fields every day.  OTOH - Maria his wife is teetotal and just as hardworking.

Agreed on the car hire.  I go over every month and given everything said above it's still more economical - and you get a spanking new car every time and no worries about it when you're not there (And you can rally it down the white roads.......shh)

I was told that it is possible to get a zero-interest loan from Italian banks for PV installation. And I don't see why you'd need batteries - I understood that you feed into the grid and are credited accordingly.  Hence the old story of your electricity meter running backwards!Or have I got it wrong

Da Nella in Comunanza used to do it, but it's no longer there. Can't remember where else I've eaten it - but I'll remember to specify in advance in the future - thanks Angie

Vincigrassi is the best IMHO - because the pasta layers are very thin and the whole thing is therefore a lot lighter than other lasagne.Although (a bit like spag bol) I like the fact that you don't need to be "precious" about lasagne, and you can continue to invent your own favourite

Reinforced whatsits are all very well, tasso, but if we're talking cinghiale, where do you get the watchtowers and the machine guns??

For a start, you'd have to get rid of that pesky Napoleonic code the continentals insist on using and get them all used to our far more antique Roman system

Could it be a sparrer?? Or lots of them?http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/t/treesparrow/index.asp

If I was italian and I thought Berlusconi would be voted in again I'd emigrate.  He's done nothing for anyone but himself and doesn't even manage to do that with style.  he is grotesque, and I only hope that , as in the States, the tide turns.  I won't hold my breath though.

Thanks Andrew Amazed it was ever due to start so early - I always thought late starts the norm over here.See you there behind the vindaloo wagon Anne