Gala Placidia's activity

 Welcome and best wishes.

 Congratulations Elliven! As they say "Piano, piano si va lontano" 

 Hi Colonel! Naples is a fascinating city and in order to fully enjoy it, start reading as many history books you can find on the place. Naples developed from Greek times to what it is today through a very complicated pattern of events and under different influences. To understand how all of this shaped modern Naples is vital in order to fully enjoy your visit. My husband and I always do this whenever we visit a new city and it helps us enormously. Besides, preparing the trip is practically as much fun as travelling.

 Hi Jimmy and welcome. Sorry to hear about your wife's health problem and my very best wishes go to you hoping for a speedy recovery. It is true that when you have to face illness everyone starts questioning your current lifestyle and how could you improve it; however, you need to sort out many things before you will be able to make a decision. I would not worry much about the children. Because of their age it will not be too difficult for them to adapt to a new school and language. Nevertheless, try to send them to some Italian lessons before leaving as this will build up their confidence. Your wife is the one who needs more attention and you are going to have to find out about medical facilities in Italy near your home which will be able to assist. The Italian Health System is excellent, but you have to compare it with the level of services she is currently getting in the UK and also check about the length of the treatment she will have to go through. Another problem related to health is you Health Insurance Cover. Particularly because your wife will have what it is considered a "pre-existing condition". Health Insurance agreements between EU countries only fully cover people over retirement age (65) and I think that you must be younger than that. It is almost certain that you will be requested to take up private insurance and here you may have some problems. If you start a business in Italy and start making contributions to the Italian Social Security, then it would be a different case. But check all this before. If you do a search through this site using the words "Health - Tessera Sanitaria" you will find plenty of useful information. Regarding rentals, it is difficult to advice not knowing your region. You will have to make a thorough search to see what happens in your area and be able to calculate what type of income you could expect. You could also look at the possibility of starting your own small business, which could diversify your investment. This is a difficult area and you will have to deal with the Italian bureaucracy which is a bit of a nightmare. On the other hand, you may find local professionals who could guide you through the maze. Another think that you must ask yourselves before taking the plunge is why do you wish to leave the UK in the present circumstances. Do you have family members or friends who would be very valuable in helping you through this stressful time? Do you have friends or family in Italy who could do the same? Help is generally needed in similar situations and perhaps it would be wiser to wait a little until you have a clear picture. We all have dreams and we want to fulfill them, but it is important to ascertain their feasability. You have a lot of work to do and I do wish you all the best with your plans and that your wife will fully recover as soon as possible. Keep on thinking positively and you will be right. Very best wishes

I remembered a discussion we had about this topic some months ago in the Gardening Group. This may be of help http://http://www.italymag.co.uk/community/post/patate

 You are right, Michael, the Spanish version is called "morcilla" and there are several different varieties, but basically it is the same preparation everywhere, however, the final taste is influenced by the spices and vegetables used. I think that the name for the Italian version is "Buristo", at least in Tuscany, and it is highly praised. You can find it through specialised butchers (generally and depending on their particular recipe this is the best one). Always remember that these products should not be overcooked or they will loose in flavour and texture. They are delicious on the barbecue, but cook them very quickly.

 Although I have not grown them in Europe, I used to have quite a few hoya plants in Australia. Propagating them was very easy and I used to put the leaves in a glass of water. In a matter of a few days they would start growing some roots and they were ready to plant.

 Hi Steve and Denise and welcome to lovely Bagni di Lucca. Great choice. We have a holiday house there which was a working watermill for quite a few centuries. It is in downtown Bagni and we are practically on the river (my hubby fishes for trout from the "cantina" windows and last September he caught a fish (after many efforts, I should say as the trouts are very clever....)We do not live there permanently, but we go there to spend time whenever we can. If you have any questions, just ask. I will be happy to help.

I agree with Gromit, it does taste a bit different but this is the case in many countries throughout Europe as recipes vary according to local traditions. Try it accompanying lentils.... delicious! And very healthy!

 Here is a basic recipe which can be varied by adding some pieces of seafood as well. INGREDIENTS: 1kg mixed, white fleshed(non oily) fish, scaled, cleaned and cut into thick slices. Try to use fish varieties which do not have too many bones. 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 large yellow-brown onions (or 3 medium ones) cut into chunks 2 cloves garlic, chopped 4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into dice 4 large or 6 medium potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces 1 small bunch of aromatic herbs (bouquet garni) 6 cups fish or vegetable stock (preferably home-made) You can use all the bones and the heads of the fish. 1 cup dry white wine the juice of 1/2 lemon salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 stale bread stick cut into thick slices PREPARATION: Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot. Add onions and garlic and cook for 2 minutes without burning them. Add potatoes and stir over medium heat for 10 minutes, until they start changing colour. Add the tomatoes and herbs. Bring stock to the boil. Pour over vegetables and add wine. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add fish, the large and firmer fleshed ones first. Simmer gently until it is half cooked. Add remaining fish in time to have all the fish cooked at the same time. When fish and vegetables are tender, remove them with a slotted spoon to a warmed soup tureen and keep warm. Discard the herbs. Return the stock to the boil and cook uncovered until it reduces to a thicker consistency. Season to taste and keep warm. Toast bread and keep warm. Serve everything together. You may vary this recipe by adding some seafood (prawns, calamari, mussels, etc.....) according to taste and availability.