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
I do not think that it would be very easy for the Bolzano residents to get Austrian registration for their vehicles, as they will probably be asked for residence permits, or home ownership in the area... I wish that the EU will finally start regulating things like car registration within the Union...
Well, here is what the Police has to say http://www.foxpol.it/Intestazione-di-veicoli-cosa-e-cambiato-dal-19-gennaio-2013.htm
You could try to get a Permesso di Soggiorno as some Australians have done and this should enable you to buy a car. We are not residents, but we keep on driving twice a year all the way from Spain, with an overnight stop on the French Riviera. Not sure about comparative costs, but at least we avoid the horror stories that we hear about car hire.
We have used in the past homelidays.com and homeaway.com for our bookings and we always found what we wanted. Not only in Italy, but around the world. All types of accommodation.
I found this, which may help http://www.understandingitaly.com/living-content/motoring.html
Bruno, sorry, but I fail to see how this discussion is going to help drvee to locate his grandfather's birth records, particularly now that we know that he was born in 1893, which means that the Anagrafe was in place and fully operational. So the Comune or the Archivio di Stato are the way to go.Baptism and Church certificates would be helpful for those who need to locate records between 1861 (Unification) and say.... around the 1870´s. For those who are not aware about how it works, once the relevant record is located in the Parish church archives (generally large handwritten books), they photocopy or scan the contents and they deliver a certificate, which is then sent to the appropriate Diocese for legalization purposes. Parish churches do not charge for those services; however, a small donation will be appreciated.I notice an increasing number of American members with Italian ancestry who are interested in pursuing the Italian citizenship "jure sanguinis". There are numerous sites on the Web which give information on the subject; however, my advice would be to contact their nearest Italian Consulate for information and advice. There is a very helpful site with lots of information and even sample letters in Italian for those who need to contact a Town Hall, etc. This is www.italygen.comAlso, some official information from the Italian Foreign Affairs Department can be found here: http://www.esteri.it/MAE/EN/Italiani_nel_Mondo/ServiziConsolari/Cittadinanza.htm?LANG=ENIt is not an easy task, but it can be done. It requires time, patience and ingenuity. I would stress the fact that many old documents contain errors in dates, spelling, etc. To all those seeking to obtain the Italian citizenship through "Jure Sanguinis" I wish them luck. It is a rewarding experience, though!
I agree with the advice given by modicasa. One extra possibility. Investigate, if you have not done it before, whether you could obtain, because of your ancestry, Italian citizenship. You will need quite a few legalized and translated documents, but it would be worth a try. There is plenty of information on the topic through the web. Alternatively, contact your nearest Italian Consulate. You could also check the French maternal side. Both would give you the possibility of EU citizenship and the USA accepts nowadays dual nationality. Good luck!
The local Anagrafe should be able to help you, then. Good luck!
You can still find smaller towns around major cities which will give you the best of both worlds at a fraction of the price and in a more pleasant environment. Many have trains and buses which will take you to the city. It is a matter of doing some research. It took us a couple of years to find what we wanted.My advice is: do not rush!
Some interesting information about prices in the different regions may be found here: www.immobiliare.it