alan h's activity

 .......You could always try DIY http://www.3men.com/spitroasting.htm or http://bbq.about.com/cs/lamb/a/aa032704a.htm http://www.ehow.com/how_2145452_roast-lamb-spit.html  Me – I’d prefer roast pig [with lots of ‘crackling’….]

You need to talk to a financial expert [for Italy] before you sign anything. ---------------It does seem that the INARCASSA scheme is for Engineers and Architects, and it appears to cover social security and Pensions for those people.  It does appear to be legal and above board, from the little that I've found outI wonder if , by getting you to pay into his pension fund, this is a way of him avoiding [but not necessarily evading] income tax.

As usual - Adriatica is correct. Get a local geometra [ask around for recommendations] - he will be able to give you a rough guide as to what it will cost, and how long it will take [assuming it can be done].  If that's OK - then get him to do the plans, submissions to the Commune, and get the estimates for the work. Don't fall into the trap of getting an outsider as the geometra, [even if he does speak English] - a local geometra knows how to work the system - a priceless asset. Good Luck! 

"I know that the fast train out of Pisa reaches Sarzana and Villafranca but what happens with Fivizzano? "The nearest stations to Fivizzano  are about 6Km or so awayhttp://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Fivizzano+train+station&sll=53.46189,-4.042969&sspn=11.812827,28.168945&ie=UTF8&hq=Fivizzano+train+station&hnear=&radius=15000&ll=44.206573,10.094376&spn=0.10484,0.22007&z=12

A few years ago we 'did' one of the ATG walking holidays  [Umbria & Assisi], when we walked from Todi to Assisi over about a week.All the overnight stays were in Hotels apart from one night, which we spent at the Agriturismo San Felice  near to Giano dell'Umbria. Its a bit out of the way - but we had a superb overnight stay, and the evening dinner in the restaurant at the agriturismo was superb. Based on that regrettably short stay, I can most highly recommend the place  [but you definitely need a car]http://en.agriturismo.com/farmhouse-accommodation/agriturismo%2Dtenuta%2Dsan%2Dfelice%2Dgiano%2Ddell%2Dumbria.asp If you are visiting Assisi - try to stay at least one night in the city - the place empties of tourists [thousands of them] about 1700hrs, and its a delight to stroll around after they've gone.  We stayed a couple of nights at the Hotel Subasio - right by the Basilica di San Francesco - superb hotel with a terrace restaurant that overlooked the plains below http://www.hotelsubasio.com/homepage-en.php

I speak terrible Italian, but I reckon if you asked for   "Mixture - Stone from 10 mms to dust"     [for me thats  "miscela  -   pietra da dieci millimetri a polvere"]   that should do it You might want to drop the upper size a bit [say to 8mm] if, when you look at a sample, it seems a bit lumpy [but its really the mix of big and small, rather than the max size, that's important]

 A If you want a good surface to a gravel terrace you need to use a self binding gravel which will bed down well – it’s a mix of different sizes of stone, including dust, that tends to lock together – unlike single size gravel that is always easy to move about   [see  http://www.pavingexpert.com/gravel05.htm  for some outline info]  -  Self binding gravel is a commercially used mix, so should be readily available in Italy - if you know what to ask for,   [which I don't!!!!]

Two things to say

1. Thanks for the response Ronald
2. I like the new [much more non-confrontational] format - it has its problems, but I'm prepared to give it [lots] more time.

Their website says you can recharge the pass by phone  [see near the bottom of the page] http://www.sky.it/corporate/pagine/pacchetti_servizi/schede_servizi/servizio_altri_servizi/altri_servizi_skypass.shtml  

 How about edging it with bricks or something fancy like 'faux marble' and covering the terrace with a couple of inches of fine white stones?