alan h's activity

Questions Asked

Tesco and Eurotunnel[Copied from another Forum]If you shop at Tesco you'll probably be rewarded with Cash Vouchers.  What you may not know is that you can exchange these for 3x their value with Eurotunnel.

Sun, 03/18/2018 - 16:50

ITALIAN GENEALOGYI am researching my family tree [all UK based], and belong to a Genealogy Group here in the UK - its part of the U3A [an organisation for 'retired persons who want to do things rather than sit at home all d

Wed, 01/04/2017 - 05:24

Cancelling a Eurotunnel Booking I have had to cancel a return trip on Eurotunnel [Car + 2 + Dog], as I have to go into hospital for an op.The booking was 'non-refundable'.I rang them to cancel and they confirmed it was non-

Thu, 05/26/2016 - 08:00

IMU - Its still around I thought this had disappeared in the new tax system, but my Comune website says the first payment for 2014 is due by 16th June Paid it via my bank today - emailed them the F24

Fri, 06/13/2014 - 08:56

Looks like the days of the easy/cheap trip to italy through Switzerland are numbered. Apparently, the Swiss government has decided to raise the cost of the vignette to 100 Swiss Francs for 2015. They are introducing a two month vignette for 40SF,

Sun, 09/01/2013 - 15:58

Petrol prices in France are now comparable with the UK, except on the French Autoroutes.One option is to fill up at the L'Eclerc superstores with their SP95 E10 petrol [its a petrol with some ethylene in - generally used in France - which is OK fo

Thu, 07/11/2013 - 04:25

For a change this year we drove down to Italy via Besancon  [avoiding most tolls by taking some good french non-motorways.]However - Besancon roads are in total chaos as they are digging them up to lay tram routes - this will take about 2 more yea

Wed, 07/10/2013 - 16:44

Can you help?I've just completed making a 'variation' of Limoncello. The only change is that I dispensed with the lemons, I and substituted Sloes that I picked here in the UK at the end of last year.

Sun, 01/20/2013 - 09:10

In today's GuardianRyanair have announced their credit card will now be liable to the same charges as other credit cards - so the end of no charge bookings

Sat, 11/10/2012 - 09:07

Comments posted

Answer to: Community Spirit
Mon, 02/08/2010 - 05:01

As long as its not Wales, i don't care who wins   [Had the pleasure of living and working in Cardiff in mid 70's when Welsh Rugby was 'rampant' and as a lone Englishman in the office - life was unbearable.]

Mon, 02/08/2010 - 04:51

  I think when they say they 'cruise' to Genoa, they mean that they drive at a 'leisurely' pace rather than 'blasting down' - nothing to do with boats. To cut out the drive you could use motorail services;-  http://www.seat61.com/Motorail.htm#Auto but the Calais motorail services have been [permanently?] discontinued on cost grounds, so you would need to travel from Holland or Germany.  The costs seem high, but once you take off the costs of hotels, tolls, petrol etc - they don't seem that bad.

Answer to: ENEL
Sat, 02/06/2010 - 08:15

 "We've been advised by our builders we should consider using cork linning on the internal perimeter walls in the older sections of the house before plastering/skimming. Has anyone used this method of insulation and has it made any difference to the heating costs?" Don't know about cork - but I lined a very cold bedroom's walls with rolls of expanded polystyrene [in the 1970s] - had to turn off the radiator - boiling hot in the room!!!

Answer to: Community Spirit
Thu, 02/04/2010 - 08:56

Dear Colonel,   In the days of the 'old forum' it was a lot more like you mention it is elsewhere. However, after time it degenerated into a number of members trying to 'bully' anyone who posted anything they disagreed with.  It became very 'nasty' at times and several frequent posters left.  In those days we had a 'Thank You' facility [Grazie button], where you could add your name to the bottom of a post to show you agreed/welcomed/or whatevered, the posting.  Some members opened new accounts under names like 'turdle go home' and 'turdle is talking rubbish' so they could thank every post by turtle and really mess the system up.  Others decided [through another forum] to bombard the system with unkind PMs and new postings, to overload the system, and the whole thing degenerated into chaos - creating the need for a more 'sedate forum - and causing us to lose what was, in many respects, a superior forum [when it worked] to this one. Personally, I miss thinks like the Friday Joke, but accept that more boring, but less antagonistic forum is better for those who want info etc. What I don't miss are postings like [lifted from a quick scan of the old forum];- "..... everyone knows you do it - but no one will ever tell you to your face that you're a sour faced gossipmonger who is intent on malevolently claiming to see something flagitious where no such thing exists."  and " ...... please try to be more attentive as the men in white coats may be just around the corner if you insist you can see things that aren't really there"

Answer to: Bidets
Mon, 02/01/2010 - 10:06

 Party time - fill with ice - wine chiller

Answer to: Naples
Mon, 02/01/2010 - 07:14

 "T"The warning about Neopolitan thieves seems to be a universal one." I must admit - when I visited Naples, on the way to the Amalfi coast, I felt very 'unsafe' as I walked through the streets.  It may just be reputation, but it had a threatening atmosphere, as far I was concerned.  I kept thinking of that phrase "See Naples and die"  [Wrong context, I know, but thats how it felt to me] However, the Amalfi coast was fantastic.  Spent a week walking the coast - absolutely shattered at the end of each day, [pathways were at the top of the cliffs - hotels at the bottom], but what a coastline! Positano was wonderful, and Sorrento wasn't that bad [apart from the hordes of UK pensioners on cheap holidays who seemed to spend all day discussing which Hotel did the best breakfast].  The area around Sorrento itself is beautiful Capri, once you get out of the main square and start exploring the island is fascinating [wonderful coastal pathway] - a great day out

Mon, 02/01/2010 - 04:37

 Like others, can't post on an opening post - so here is the text;-   Interesting article in today's Grauniad about how British lecturers were denied a fair wage by Italian universities http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/31/british-lecturers-italy-pay Hopefully, they'll get their back pay         [within the next 30 years or so, knowing how the Italian system works!]

Answer to: Limoncello
Sat, 01/30/2010 - 06:11

Make sure the lemons are 'unwaxed' when buying them

Mon, 01/25/2010 - 13:44

 Why not see if any local farmer wants to graze his livestock - you might get it free!