Serge's activity

Perhaps somebody could explain.  Why foreigners buy the ruins and live in glorious isolation and Italians buy or build modern houses (including stone villas)  and flats near and in towns and villages.  Italians in Tuscany used to buy the ruins to create agriturismos.  Lots of grant money were available then for that purpose!This in an extract from an article  I found in http://www.buy-italy-property.com/news/  Italy’s appeal is changing Interest for Lazio, Puglia and Abruzzo increased between 2003 and 2007. Castiglia Masella"Scenari Immobiliari estimates that foreign buyers purchased 3100 second homes in Italy in 2007 – 8% of the segment – for an investment of over 1,1 billion euros: nearly twice as much as in 2003.Lazio has become the most popular destination attracting 25% of the investments against the 20% of Tuscany. Umbria with its 10% has held its position for the last two years. It is boom time for Puglia and Marche: the former passes from 3% of 2003 to 12% and the latter from 2 to 11%. Meanwhile, Abruzzo advances transforming its 1% of five years ago to 6%.The foreigner buying in Italy prefers stone houses, charming old properties and country houses - also in need of renovation – with an average budget of 370,000 euros and not rarely even over a million. In Lazio, after the province of Viterbo, the areas of Rieti and Ciociaria are also becoming popular."

The heat during early May was torrid we had an air conditioning system installed late May, otherwise the only place bearable in the villa is the basement flat!  Now I follow the example of the other half, who is Italian: outdoors between 6am and 9am and 6pm till late, when you can hear the mowers and streamers going all around the village!  The saying "mad dog is an Englishman goes out in the midday sun" no longer applies!  Coming from the tropics one is also brought up to avoid the sun, but sometimes the urge to go out outdoors under the baking sun prevails! Sensible clothes and a hat are all obligatory for our family, old and young, when going out in the sun, that is unless you want to get sunburnt (roasted). My Italian neighbour did just that everyday during late spring and summer 3 years ago and ended seeing the dermatologist.

The FTSE is also on the rise!

Sorry I have been meaning to reply to your post: I am very busy in the garden at the moment!  Anyway, here is the link for Vivai Margheriti catalogue http://www.margheriti.it/catalogo.htm.  It is free and contains 304 pages of invaluable information in Italian and English.  You can download it in PDF format. On pages 291/292 there is a list of some 200 plants that are drought resistant. I still have my 2004 catalogue when I was building my villa and coming to Italy at regular intervals.  I updated mine recently.   Although I had been doing a lot of gardening in the tropics as a young kid and in the UK as an adult, tackling a hillside in Tuscany was a daunting prospect.  I read a few books on garden design, marked out on paper the functionalities I wanted out of my garden: area for kids, area for dining, kitchen garden, olive trees etc.   Once I had decided on these I used my time in Italy to get them done and then back to the UK.  For example, once the lanscaping was done it was important to prevent soil erosion during the rain in the winter months, so planting the main trees and seeding the lawn were important tasks.  Even seeding the lawn took some time: I had to let the brought in top soil fallow to get rid of imported weeds.  If you have an existing garden the approach is the same: except you would have much less work to do.The planting of the shrubs and flowers came some 3 years later when I started spending more time in Italy than in the UK.  This was for one good reason: even drought resistant plants need watering in their first year to give them a good start and help them establish themselves.As regards your olive grove I would look at the website of seeds merchants or failing that even the seeds stand of your supermarket both in Italy and the UK.  They have an array meadow flowers.  Just throw them around and wait and see what happens, they may come or they may not, but it is a very cheap way of creating interest all year round.  You could experiment with all sorts of bulbs, particularly those that are easy to naturalise and like a good baking during the summer months.  Broadleigh gardens in Sommerset have an excellent website and a good catalogue: I have been getting my bulbs from them during the last four years.  Some of beautiful orchards in Dorset, Sommerset and other parts of the UK can inspire with different plants from the Margheriti catalogue.   I hope the above helps, if not forgive me for going on a bit!Good luck with your garden!  

Hi PennyThis is the link for the "UK in Italy" website (British Embassy website in Rome) where you will find the Italian Ministry of Health Circular (English Version) dated 3rd August 2007 available for downloading.http://ukinitaly.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-ital..."A permanent residence certificate after at least 5 years' residence in Italy""An EU national who lived on the national territory legally and on an uninterrupted basis, except for short periods in accordance with relevant legislation, acquires a right of permanent residence which entails a permanent registration with the NHS.To be registered, the individual should produce the residence certificate issued by the relevant Local Authority and stating that he/she is entitled to permanent residence."The bold letters are in the circular.  The paragragh goes on to discuss periods of absences etc.The UK in Italy website contains invaluable information for UK citizens visiting, working or living in Italy.  It has always been my first port of call when researching information

What could you have done if you had bought the flat? Nothing I suppose!!! In the UK I am told "quiet enjoyment" is not so simple.  You or your landlord would have had to complain to the local authority and they would send a noise compliance officer to monitor the noise level.  If the noise exceeds a certain level that they consider acceptable they would send a compliance notice.  What could the Local Authority have done?   Perhaps they could ask the neighbour to soundproof the toilet room partition wall or install a noiseless toilet valve.  They could ask the complainant to soudproof the partition wall if the noise were acceptable but still causing a nuisance.  Soundproofing and repainting a toilet partition wall cost a lot less than the lost deposit.   Legislation about the soundproofing of floors in flats and, where necessary patition walls, have only recently been introduced in Italy and all newly built flats have to comply.  The position is exactly the same in the UK.  I am told that a distinction has to be made between a public and a private nuisance in the UK.  Can the toilet noise be heard by all the people in the other flats in the condo, if so, then clearly it is a public nuisance and will be dealt with as such.  In any case, you will need evidence of the noise.  Try and record it as it is keeping you awake and then have a conversation with the landlord.I am not up-to-speed yet on landlord/tenants law in Italy.  Natural justice indicates that it would be unfair for the landlord to market the flat now and get a new tenant immediately to replace you and to pocket the deposit.  He will be much better off with you gone than you staying.  You should try and put him in a position of no loss. You could negotiate with him that you pay for the agent's fee to get a new tenant and pay for the rent for the void period.  If you say demand is good for flats then the agents should have no problem finding new tenants.  Staying is a better option, if you say demand is high for flats: the new flat you get may be one nobody wants (next time you rent ask how long the flat has been on the agent's books)! As for the repairs if you decide to stay tell the agents you will get some estimates to have them done.  Present them to him and say they if the repairs do not get done within say a fortnight you will get them done yourself and take the money from the rent. (they control the deposit they can get you at the end of the contract). You could also offer to put quiet valves in the toilet next door (it is not that expensive, talk to a plumber)!  I presume the flat belongs to your landlord.  Pay him to do so. It is a lot less than losing 3000Euro!Do not sub-let you will be breach of your contract terms!Good luck!     

I was looking for an antidote for viper bites at the pharmacy the other day and I was told that they did not sell them anymore.  The pharmacist proceeded to tell me that there were more deaths in Italy from wasp stings than viper bites! 

I do not think I would be able to reach the UK border? I do not think they would allow me to board the plane, train, boat or coach in Italy without a valid current passport and appropriate visa (if needed by the destination country).  The carrier, I think,will be liable to take me back if I did not have the appropriate documents.  I do not think I will be able to get passed the check-in or immigration police or authorities, let alone board the plane, train, boat or coach.   The Italian identity card that I got on obtaining Italian residency is only valid within Italy!By the way, if you are a British Citizen applying in Italy for a visa to enter India, I was told in March 2009, by the Indian Embassy that I needed a letter of introduction from the British Embassy to get it.  The British Consulate in Florence confirmed this and said they (the Bristish Government) had made representations to the Indian Government.  I wonder if the position has changed?

Have you tried your Embassy Italian website?  Should contain most information you require.  The UK Italian Embassy website does!   Good luck!

This is an extract from the Italian Ministry of Health circular dated 3 rd August 2007 (Office II Ref No DG RUERI/II/12712/1.3.b."As regards health insurance for EU nationals covered by a private health insurance, such insurance should meet the following requirements:- be effective across Italy;- provide a comprehensive cover of health risks (art 7, para 1) items b) and c) of Directive no 2004/38);- have a yearly term of validity, with a clear indication of the starting and expiry dates;- indicate the procedures to follow to claim reimbursement (e.g address; contact person; telephone and fax numbers; and any e-mail address);Also, when applying for registration with the Registry Office or for health services the person concerned must provide a translation into Italian of the insurance policy.  Clearly, he/she will also be required to produce a new insurance policy in the event of changes in his/her family.A private insurance policy gives no entitlement to registration with the NHS." One needs to remember that health care will not be free in Italy unless you are working or has filled one of the following EC Forms:- E106, E109 (or E37), E120, E121 (or E33)(there may be other exceptions): so if you have taken early retirement or isself-sufficient comprehensive health cover is imperative.  If you have left the UK you will not be able to get free medical treatment in the UK unless you move back to the UK.  I am told that if you are more than 2 months away from the UK you will need to de-register from you GP!  I do not think many people do!