Gala Placidia's activity

Questions Asked

I posted this information in the old "Northern Tuscany" group and I think that it was helpful.

Wed, 05/20/2009 - 12:50

Located less than a 100 m away from the Ponte Vecchio this centralli located trattoria is excellent value for money. You will find it on a narrow street called Via Stracciatella, to the left of Piazza di S.

Mon, 05/18/2009 - 09:13

It is that time of the year again! Plants see to thrive, but the terrible weeds do it as well.

Mon, 05/18/2009 - 04:16

I did not want to hijack Ronald's thread on Sardinia and the G8, but following a post on the same topic by Adriatica and my own commennt, I thought that it may be interesting for many to see what we are talking about.

Sat, 05/16/2009 - 11:10

A warm welcome to anyone interested in joining. We will have useful information, tips, suggestions and lots of help for everybody.

Fri, 05/15/2009 - 18:08

A warm welcome to anyone interested in joining. We will have useful information, tips, suggestions and lots of help for everybody.

Fri, 05/15/2009 - 17:35

Hi everybody! You are welcome to join this open group. We will discuss gardening and plants, particularly in the Italian context.

Fri, 05/15/2009 - 17:21

Comments posted

Wed, 06/10/2009 - 11:27

 Penny, I think that Ronald will be able to explain it better than I, but just to reassure you, I can see my own full name, date of birth, address, etc.; however, I cannot see yours or the confidential data pertaining to any other member. If I'm not wrong, there is an earlier post regarding this.

Answer to: Hello too
Wed, 06/10/2009 - 08:50

 Hello  nils satis and a warm welcome. Best wishes with the renovations and tell us more about what you are doing. Your experience can help others. This is how we all start.There are a few members from Abruzzo although they have not started an area group as yet; however, there are other topics which may also interest you.

Wed, 06/10/2009 - 08:44

 Lantana grows very well almost unattended. It comes in beautiful colours: orange, yellow, mauve, pink and white. In some countries, it is considered a weed, so you can imagine how strong it is. There are many varieties for sale in Italy.Careful with oleander if you have children and pets around, The leaves are toxic.

Answer to: Garden Pests
Wed, 06/10/2009 - 03:04

 Hi Russ. I do not have personal experience with those little monsters, but I was curious and I did some search. If you go to the Italian Google www.google.it you will find some information about them. They are called "Grillo talpa" in Italian from the species name (gryllotalpa-gryllotalpa). The organic way to deal with them is to find the nests and destroy them. For other methods, you may do a research through the normal google and you will find that the Americans have quite a few products to deal with them. There are also photos of the monsters. Not nice! You may have to go to a Garden Centre and seek advice there.Good luck and best wishes! P.S. Keep us informed, please.

Tue, 06/09/2009 - 13:22

If you are travelling with dogs mainly in Italy but also some information for the rest of the EU: www.dogwelcome.it 

Tue, 06/09/2009 - 08:42

 Perhaps someone in your area may be able to recommend a local "geometra" who could do a report in Italian and your lawyer would be able to summarise the contents in English. On the other hand, could your lawyer make those arrangements on your behalf? Give him the instructions in writing and he should be able to work it out.... I think. Are you buying through a real estate agent who could make arrangements on your behalf? When we purchased our property there were a few problems with the roof and we were able to sort out everything through the real estate agent and the geometra.

Answer to: House renovation
Tue, 06/09/2009 - 02:54

I have been thinking about the problem.... If the mill is partly restored already, why are the connections missing? You would think that this would be amongs the most basic things to do when you start a restoration. To have water and electricity. Try to check why the owners did not do it. Are there any major problems? Find out how much all this is going to cost you before making a final offer on the property. 

Tue, 06/09/2009 - 02:48

It is not an easy task to find one. Most Italian surveyors do not speak English and to do a full report you need a good command of the language. Perhaps, some of the Lunigiana members may point you in the right direction. Good luck! 

Tue, 06/09/2009 - 02:42

 The 112 number is the emergency number throughout the EU; however, in Italy, 112 is the number to call the "Carabinieri". I have never had to call them; however, I guess they will interact with other emergency services.Here is a list of those EMERGENCY NUMBERS:112 "Carabinieri Pronto Intervento" (Emergencies, Carabinieri)113 "Polizia Soccorso Publico" (Police Emergency, dangerous situations and accidents)114  "Emergenza Infanzia" (Emergency involving children115 "Vigili del Fuoco" (Fire Brigade)1515 "Servizio Antincendi - Corpo forestale dello Stato" (Forest Fire Brigade)118 "Emergenza Sanitaria" (Health Emergency)1530 "Soccorso in Mare G. Costiera" Emergency at sea Coast Guard)1522 "Servizio Antiviolenza Donna" (Protection Service for Women subject to Violence) All these numbers are free if you are calling from a fixed line or a public telephone.Perhaps someone may have experience calling from a foreign mobile phone. I guess that it will be necessary to enter the country code.

Answer to: Hello
Tue, 06/09/2009 - 02:18

Hi and welcome to the Community. I am sure that you will get plenty of help for your trip. We also look forward to receiving more news from you.Best wishes regarding your plans.