The city of Lucca has always been my favourite. Not only because it is only 25 minutes away from our home and I go there at least two or three times a week, but also because you do not feel like a "tourist" there.
Gala Placidia's activity
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In this icy cold weather, hot drinks and comfort foods are a must. Preparing and consuming them are good ways to spend time when we cannot venture outdoors.
Wed, 02/08/2012 - 06:10
The cold weather is affecting most of Italy and creating difficulties concerning energy supplies. Russia, the most important supplier, has been reducing the provision of gas up to 30% due to increasing demand in their area.
Tue, 02/07/2012 - 02:22
The San Francisco Chronicle publishes today this most interesting article:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/
Sun, 02/05/2012 - 12:45
Whenever we are in Italy, we love to visit antique and vintage markets and fairs, looking for that special piece that we would love to have. Sometimes, we find it...
Wed, 02/01/2012 - 02:47
One of my favourite activities in Italy is to visit those markets that sell antique and vintage items.
Tue, 01/31/2012 - 06:38
Some members may have noticed that I have been fairly quiet for the past month and a half. The reason for this was that we have been visiting our daughters who live in San Francisco (CA).
Fri, 01/20/2012 - 02:59
The new Italian government has been announced and it is obvious that we will have a fight between technocrats and politicians.
Wed, 11/16/2011 - 14:24
A lot has been written about the dangers of overheating Teflon coated cookware. Toxic fumes can be extremely dangerous for our health. Personally, I have never liked that type of cookware and I do not buy it anymore.
Sat, 10/29/2011 - 06:24
In another thread, we were discussing Tuscan herbs and "funghi porcini". Tuscany is a paradise for herb lovers and many varieties, such as rosemary, sage and "nipitella" grow wild.
Thu, 10/27/2011 - 11:23
Comments posted
See if you can find something through www.worldvitalrecords.comGood luck!
Opportunities for qualified native teachers of English as a second or foreign language seem to be better than for other professions; however, you will have the problem of getting a work permit, although finding a sponsoring teaching centre should help. I have heard that salaries are low. Opportunities outside the larger cities will be scarce. You could consider teaching in the city and living in a smaller town with good transport (preferably train). I found this site promoting a book written by a teacher, which is available through Amazon and I think that it may be worth reading it http://www.teachitaly.com. Good luck!
I agree with the previous post and I would add that anyone wishing to get a job in Italy without a EU passport should consider the problems that an Italian - in this case a nurse, but it could be any other profession - would have trying to get a job, or a visa, in say... The USA, New Zealand, Australia or countries which are not part of the EU. Italian nurses, although highly qualified, have plenty of difficulties trying to get a job and the UK and Germany recruit some of these unemployed or under-employed professionals to fill up their vacancies. Also Italy has a reputation of excellence in the medical field and some of the best research centers on diseases such as diabetes are located in Italy.i must add that I feel a bit annoyed when I see comments regarding Italy, which seem to be based on stereotypes. This is why, I am posting again this link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LaXqHU32bm4
The reviews on the product published by Amazon Italy ( in Italian) contain 3 remarks mentioning the need for an adaptor. There is also another review which gives the product a bad mark simply because it did not have an adaptor and they had difficulties finding one ( rather surprising as they are available even at supermarkets....)
I have never had problems with British appliances and I have used them in Italy, France and Spain. The adaptor is all what I need.
From reading the reviews, the plug is British, so an adaptor will be needed (Amazon also sells them). Alternatively, take it to your local electrician and he can change the plug.
You can orden one through Amazon Italia http://www.amazon.it/Crock-Pot-cooker-digitale-colore-lucido/dp/B007XEJ4G2/ref=pd_sim_k_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=1VWF2GNPC1FN0F1DF2KZ
Although Italy is suffering from high unemployment this is also happening in quite a few countries as a consequence of the world crisis which started in 2008. As for ENEL, it is no longer a fully state owned company and deregulation is helping to introduce more providers into the country; however, the high cost of electricity in Italy has to do with higher production costs. This article explains some of these issues http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enel
You will find the answer in the card itself and most of those are redeemable only in the country of origin and within the participating chain stores. Even gift cards issued by Visa or AMEX have geographical limitations.
Finding a job in Italy is difficult. Also getting a work permit adds to the difficulties. Here is some information which may assist http://www.ipasvi.it/static/english/infermieri-stranieri.htm