Gala Placidia's activity

Careful! Apart from all the obvious risks, there are also restrictions regarding the amount of cash you can carry in and out of an EU country: ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/customs_controls/cash_controls/index_en.htm 

 Hi Ewen and welcome to the Community. San Casciano in Val di Pesa is a nice area in general; however, without further details and the precise location it is impossible to ascertain whether it is a good investment or not and I do not think that anyone in the Community would dare to give you that kind of opinion. The advice is always the same, visit as much as you can the area you like, look at facilities both for holidaying and permanent living, compare prices with similar properties.... There are also personal factors to take into account, whether you like the property or not and whether you see yourself living there.Whatever you decide to do, best luck and wishes,

 Not a puppy, but still gorgeous. Congratulations!

 Let's hope and pray for a change in the weather. Don't be disappointed. You are doing a great job.

 I was told by the bank that transferring more than 5000 euros at a time attracts too much attention. If it is not justified through the purchase of a property or a similar situation it seems that it is better to make smaller transfers. We transferred a large amount when we purchased our property, though, and there were no problems. But I am sure that they keep an eye....

Hi Paula and welcome to the Community. The Cinque Terre is lovely and unique; however, I must warn you that rental places are scarce and generally expensive, particularly during the high season. This site, may give some idea of what is available:www.monterosso.info/bookings/default.php If you can't find anything suitable, look also into the surrounding areas, although Lerici and Porto Venere are expensive places as well.Alternatively, you can also look into the Northern Tuscany area (Pisa, Lucca, Massa Carrara) which are very close to the Cinque Terre and you can easily go there for day trips. Another warning, the Versilia Coast is also very expensive as Italians holiday there.Best wishes,

Good to hear again from you, Phil. 

 Where are those recipes? Don't be shy! Now, here is another favourite. Although it is a traditional Ligurian recipe, and a special dish served at Easter time, it is a great pie to serve in summer accompanied by salad. I already gave this recipe in the old forum in a special thread which included traditional Easter food. TORTA PASQUALINA (Ligurian Easter Pie)Ingredients:1 Pkt phyllo pastryOlive oil as needed400 gr Spinach or Swiss Chard400 gr Silver Beet2 bunches of rocket2 tablespoons lemon juice2 whole cloves3 tablespoons breadcrumbs1/2 Cup Milk1 Cup Grated Parmesan CheeseSalt & Pepper (you may also add a bit of nutmeg)500 g Full Fat Ricotta Cheese1 medium onion, diced and sautéed in some butter until transparent1 jar artichoke hearts, quartered6 Eggs PREPARATION:Cook the spinach, silverbeet and rocket in a large pot with water, lemon juice and the cloves.Drain, squeeze dry and chop. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Soak the bread crumbs in the milk, and then squeeze dry. Add the crumbs to the spinach in a bowl, and add the Ricotta,Parmesan and onion. Add the quartered artichoke hearts. Mix well. Beat two eggs, and fold into the mixture. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Brush a 25 cm baking dish, or, preferably, a spring form pan with a little oil, and drape the first sheet of pastry over the pan, allowing an equal amount to overlap the rim. Brush with oil, and continue to cover with another 6 layers, brushing oil between each one. Put the filling into the pie pan on top of the layers, smoothing it evenly. Make four hollows evenly spaced around the filling, and carefully crack the remaining 4 eggs into the hollows. Cover with 7 layers of phyllo pastry brushing with oil between each layer. Roll and press the edges inward. Brush the top with oil, and prick the top very carefully avoiding to pierce the eggs. Bake for about 60-70 minutes, or until the pie is golden brown. Serve warm, or at room temperature.Some extra advice:You can replace the raw eggs by hard-boiled eggs and perhaps it is better to use these if you are cooking the pie for the first time. It will not greatly affect the final flavour. The number of eggs you may use is for you to decide. Originally, and in the case of the Easter recipe, there were 12, one for each of the Apostles, or 13 (the central one representing Jesus).My recipe has a mixture of greens, because I think that this way it gives more flavour to the dish; however, others use spinach or silverbeet only and some ommit the artichokes. Again, it is a personal choice.

 Serge is right, some time ago... I think it was around 2005... France started to complain about other EU nationals under retirement age (less than 65 years of age), who moved to their country, starting to use all the health care available and becoming a burden to their health system. Other EU countries did some research and found that they were in a similar situation. After that, they started to apply tougher policies for anyone who is under the age of 65, does not contribute to the Health system in the country where they reside and who are not invalid pensioners. What you must look at is the Italian directives as they are the ones who decide on this matter. 

 Hi Maria and a warm welcome. Montecatini is a beautiful place. Whenever we go to our old mill in Bagni di Lucca, we go there to visit and to have a meal or a coffee, particularly in the old area, high on the hill. I particularly love that old theatre and the shops that sell beautiful arts and crafts.Good to hear that your renovations are practically over and that you are going to start enjoying the place, at last!We have two groups that may interest you, one is "Gardening", where your experience in growing fruits and vegetables in an organic way will be very much appreciated and the other one is "Northern Tuscany" and I think that geographically you are in our area.I am sure that we are all looking forward to hearing more from you.