Gala Placidia's activity

But Italy does not need a "satirist" or a clown. Italy needs a democratic and honest government that will be able to introduce all the reforms which are long overdue. They possibly need someone like Renzi who has an excellent reform program. Unfortunately, the old guard in the PD thought differently. And here are the consequences. Grillo and his M5S is just another protest party  that stemmed from Hessel's protest manifesto. Italy is no exception, there are a few similar movements in other EU countries, but besides protesting, they have achieved little or nothing. Grillo has been more successful because he is using very well the electronic media. OR perhaps it's Casaleggio. And which are Casaleggio's role and ambitions in all this? What is the future of this protest movement?Italians are good at protesting. They voted Cicciolina a few years ago as a "protest" vote or a joke. But the current situation is not fit for jokers, satirists, clowns, or opportunists. 

Very sorry to hear the bad news. Bacterial encephalitis is common amongst rabbits and leverets.

The Valdarno breed is considered to be the Italian equivalent of the "poulet de Bresse". At least under the culinary point of view. It is a Tuscan breed and I guess that it would be available... Where? No idea.  Buona Pasqua!

Yes, Alan. This is because cash payments above 999.99 € are no longer allowed (they say that this amount may be lowered to 300 € in the near future. What are they going to do with the 500€ notes??? Not that you see many around. Also, any operation above 3000€ is reported to the Central Bank. Yes, money laundering and the "nero" will be affected... or made more difficult. And similar regulations are being applied everywhere. Safe heavens will soon be a thing of the past. Swiss banks are already disclosing lots of data which was "secret" not so long ago. Tax evasion will soon be Ancient History.

Expat Britons? They are not the target. Anyone living in any country with financial or banking problems can be the target. Some countries are already asking residents, both natives and foreigners to declare overseas assets. Nothing new. The Cyprus crisis is creating uneasiness. But then, any country where the banking sector is 7 times their GDP, who pays higher than average interest rates and has lower taxes is a recipe for disaster... unless we are talking about Liechtenstein. Expat Britons? I am sure that the Russians are more affected by these troubles.

Maggi, oleanders would do very nicely and need very little care. Bay is very popular for hedges and does very well. Forget the English-style gardens. You will only get a headache, although roses seem to do very nicely as well.

Thank you Rachel. I was thinking at buying an unlocked phone from Amazon. My Huawei MIFI only costed me 79 € last year, not 200. I bought it from the local TIM dealer. Perhaps I would buy a cheap unlocked phone. My problem is that I will have three of them, a black one for SPain, a blue one for the USA and I yhink that I could buy a pink one for Italy....

I guess that you want to trace your grandfather's birth certificate to obtain the Italian nationality "juris sanguinis" . To start with,you must obtain your grandfather's birth certificate and to do that, you would need his date of birth (at least approximate). The "Anagrafe" of the Comune will be able to issue this document. If he was born before 1865, they may not have a Register of Births and you may need to contact the local parishes in order to get a Baptism certificate. From then on, you need to prove the "lineage", so you will need grandfather's marriage and death certificate and a statement from the country where he migrated stating that he did not renounce to his Italian nationality before your father's birth. then you need your father's birth and marriage certificates and your own birth certificate. All foreign documents must be legalized (The Hague Apostille) and translated into Italian by a certified translator. It takes time, energy or money to pay some agency to get all that paperwork. Check with your local Italian Consulate, as they will be able to provide you with a list of documents, certified translators, etc. IT is time consuming, but good luck!!

I am considering buying a dual card unlocked phone which will allow me to keep my mobile number at home (Spain) and use a TIM card in Italy. ANy thoughts or advice? Thanks.

Well done, Sabina. You have done something wonderful for the pups and I am sure that they will bein the best possible hands. it would have been very difficult to find them homes in Italy with the current crisis. our own doggy was once an abandoned one. She is now 17 years young, in good health and we hope that she may keep on going for a long time. And she enjoys going to Italy with us because the neighbours also love her. We did the right thing when we collected her from a refuge and I must add that we did not adopt her, she adopted us.