Gala Placidia's activity

Questions Asked

We all have cooking tips and techniques learnt through personal experience or because someone else was kind enough to tell us.

Tue, 08/04/2009 - 05:07

 A fairly comprehensive list of words related to food and wine has been prepared by a few of us. It still needs revision, corrections, additions and you may be able to help as it is a Wiki.

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 04:31

 It is official, the old Casino in Bagni di Lucca is reopening its doors after many years; however, it is going to be a modern version, more "little Las Vegas" style than its elegant and exclusive predecessor.

Mon, 06/29/2009 - 09:04

A few weeks ago I started a thread in the old forum about this topic. I still think that it would be great if we could all share our favourite recipes which our families and friends enjoy.

Fri, 06/19/2009 - 05:29

 I think that there are quite a few members who have married overseas an Italian citizen; however, I am not quite certain whether they have registered their certificate of marriage before the nearest Italian Consulate.It is advisable to do this an

Tue, 06/16/2009 - 03:43

 It is most important, if you own a property, to have a clear description for it. That is possible through the "visura catastale" which gives you and confirms many facts regarding your title.

Sun, 06/14/2009 - 05:21

 Polenta is one of those Italian dishes that you either love or hate. Considered in the past as the poor people's staple diet it is nowadays served in the best restaurants. 

Sat, 06/13/2009 - 17:53

I have just seen on TV some images regarding the Treviso tornado. I sincerely hope that any members in the area have not suffered from this disaster.  

Sun, 06/07/2009 - 16:44

 The base for many Italian sauces and dishes is the "soffritto" (sofrit in French, sofrito in Spanish), a mixture of some diced vegetables which are cooked in a heavy pan with three tablespoons of olive oil (although some other kinds of oil and fa

Sat, 06/06/2009 - 05:37

 Hi everyone, this is a warm invitation to joint this group and discuss Italian food, wine, regional cooking, recipes, tips, cooking utensils, history of cooking and any related subject you may wish to talk about.And welcome, Mimosa, glad to see t

Fri, 06/05/2009 - 08:28

Comments posted

Thu, 08/23/2012 - 15:04

Welcome and enjoy the Community.

Thu, 08/23/2012 - 15:03

Hi Ani-Boo and welcome. Best wishes regarding your future plans. You are doing the right thing by taking it slowly and having a trial time. then, you will know for sure whether Italy in general and Sicily in particular could be called "home."

Thu, 08/23/2012 - 06:13

Sorry, I had problems with my tablet and my previous post. I am continuing here. Have a look at your EHIC conditions and requirements. If you google EHIC, you will get plenty of information. also, have another search using the words ITALY RESIDENCY PERMIT. If you intend to stay more than 3 months in Italy, you have to register with the local police. Citizens from EU countries are allowed free circulation and stays of up to 3 months i any EU country; however, after that, you have to apply for a permit and show availability of funds so that they know that you are not going to become a burden. Amongst those matters that you will have to justify is health insurance or its equivalent. Now, if you request the UK  to transfer to Italy your health entitlements and you return to the UK after a year, you may have to wait for up to 6 months before getting back your full benefits. My advice would be to plan for 3 months only and see how you go. Perhaps you would like Italy so much that you may decide to live there permanently; however, that would be a different matter. In any case, best wishes with your plans.

Thu, 08/23/2012 - 05:58

Hi Ceejaylo and welcome. Congratulations on your forthcoming anniversary. We are also members of that group of couples who stay together for a long time, as long as we can stretch it (43 going on 44 years in our case) and still feel that there is plenty to celebrate. IMO, we deserve a medal!!!! Going back to your plans, I am going to play devil's advocate, as there could be some hidden problems, even if the idea is wonderful and worth considering. You mention your husband's medication and treatment. Only your doctor would answer your question. It is something that they can do; however, whether they would be prepared to do it or not, is a different matter. I have been able to obtain chronic treatment medication from my doctor in Spain for up to 6 months, but she knows that I travel a lot and she is a very nice person, but I would say that 6 months may be the limit , as there are residency implications. Your EHIC card would allow you to get treatment overseas for up to 6 months at a time, but be very careful about this, as many countries are only allowing free emergency treatment.

Answer to: Greetings all
Tue, 08/21/2012 - 17:14

Welcome and best wishes.                      

Thu, 08/02/2012 - 10:57

Sorry to hear about what has happened, Anne. A warning to all. Did the renter pay a deposit, as it is usual, or the full amount?

Tue, 07/31/2012 - 10:52

Thank you, Charlotte. 

Sun, 07/29/2012 - 11:00

Well, just an update, my daughter bought yesterday her new Fiat 500 POP, a gorgeous little black car with sunroof and air conditioning. According to the FIAT people, she will only spend some 1800 USD in gasoline a year. She also got a great deal, as they reduced the cost of the extras. She was thrilled! While we were there, they sold three more cars, so they are doing very well. According to the information, the transmission comes from Italy, the engine is American and the assembly is done in Mexico. I think that it will be very positive for FIAT. And now, all of my daughter friends want to own a FIAT 500!!!!

Fri, 07/27/2012 - 18:21

I think that FIAT may be flooding the American market, I do not think that Chrysle will have the same sort of opportunities in Italy. I wanted to post the FIAT ad shown at the American Super Bowl, but I am having problems pasting it. You can findit very easily in You TUbe using the search words FIAT USA SUPER BOWL SEDUCTION. Great advertising!!!

Thu, 07/26/2012 - 16:00

Glad to hear that you arrived safely and that you enjoyed the journey.