Hi Lunis We are in Passignano. Have had this apartment for 18months now ( seconda casa) We have just got here this week for a stay of 3 months. Are you just here for the Easter hols? Best wishes Portia
Dear Spirit Well, staying in Lucerne and an early start should get you to the tunnel before any traffic can build up. August 1st is a Sunday not a saturday. I have never travelled in August, but when there is a build up of traffic there are traffic lights and the number of vehicles allowed into the tunnel at anyone time is limited for safety reasons. We once had to go through the San Bernadino tunnel when the San Got was unexpectedly closed and it took condiderably longer not least because the route took us through Zurich and we had to stop at every set of traffic lights. By the time we reached Metz we were indeed frazzled. Portia
Don't worry about the journey Spirit. It's like any other you've done. We have been going back and forth from Essex to Perugia using Eurotunnel then across northern France, dropping down through the Alsace to Basle and through St. Gotthard tunnel and on into Italy. The roads are motorways and very well sign posted, good stops for lunch etc and hundreds of places to stay. It is almost impossible to go wrong. What are yourparticular worries re the tunnel? Portia
Thanks Michael for the reminder about BBC Italian 12 steps.I used it when I first wanted to learn Italian (house hunting time) but I was trying to accumulate vocabulary and relying on the written word. Have just tried it again and replaying it again and again hope to hammer home what is being said. But how they run their words together!
Hi ToniI smiled when I read your post because this is exactly what I have been saying to everyone I know. I too have learnt Italian grammar with Michele Thomas and think he is wonderful. I would write and tell him if he were still alive. We live part time in a condominium in Umbria and have very friendly neighbours and I struggle to understand what they say to me. It had not occured to me that they might think my Italian is better than it is. There are a small number of people I can understand better and after an evening with Italian friends I feel I have made a quantum leap forward. I came to the conclusion that I needed a formal Italian conversation class. Like the french one at school with Madamoiselle.I have been put in touch with an Italian teacher who runs various courses here in Uk and I am going to join with one of them when we return to England for 4 months this winter. I am of course terrified I will not understand a word they say, but must do it as I am determined to learn. I cannot bear not being able to gossip with my neighbours.
We have a English sky box and card in Umbria. The satellite dish is the standard 80/90cm. We do not get BBC chanels or chanel four, but all others chanel five, sky 1, 2, 3 etc. You do have to have a UK address. A Sky technician came to the house and moved the existing satellite round until it was pointing to the correct satellit. This took 5mins and cost 40 euros.I believe the reason that SKY does not permit use of UK box/card abroad is because they buy programmes and have contracts to broadcast over a certain area. The programme makers can then sell their series etc to other broadcasters. I don't imagine that Sky itself is much bothered, but they would be in trouble themselves if they did not forbid it.
I have just thought of another one ' A Veneian Affair ' Andrea Di Robilant this a true story of an impossible love affair in the 18thc (I quote)I shall certainly look out for Soffritto and was going to order The Savage Garden from Amazon but don't know what to do now. My husband suggest 'Secret Memoirs of a Renaissance Pope' what can I say.
Yes Penny it is called A Death in Tuscany by Michele Giuttari, but personally wouldn't recommend it as a bit dry and full of superflous detail about police procedure etc. as might be expected from an ex detective.Some one has mentioned Tim Parks a great read, and Miss Garnets Angel- loved it. A lot of Shirley Hazzards novels are set in Italy and worth reading. Have recently read Iris Origo 'War in Val d'Orcia' this is wonderful and highly recommended. Also interesting but less well written is 'The Trasimen Line' by Janet Kinrade Dethick. And then there is Henry James; The Wingsof a Dove, ThePortrait of a Lady. The Italian Hours etc. My husband has just finishes Goethes ' Italian Journey' have yet to try that. I would welcome any suggestions written in English. I just love talking about books
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Hi Lunis We are in Passignano. Have had this apartment for 18months now ( seconda casa) We have just got here this week for a stay of 3 months. Are you just here for the Easter hols? Best wishes Portia
Dear Spirit Well, staying in Lucerne and an early start should get you to the tunnel before any traffic can build up. August 1st is a Sunday not a saturday. I have never travelled in August, but when there is a build up of traffic there are traffic lights and the number of vehicles allowed into the tunnel at anyone time is limited for safety reasons. We once had to go through the San Bernadino tunnel when the San Got was unexpectedly closed and it took condiderably longer not least because the route took us through Zurich and we had to stop at every set of traffic lights. By the time we reached Metz we were indeed frazzled. Portia
Don't worry about the journey Spirit. It's like any other you've done. We have been going back and forth from Essex to Perugia using Eurotunnel then across northern France, dropping down through the Alsace to Basle and through St. Gotthard tunnel and on into Italy. The roads are motorways and very well sign posted, good stops for lunch etc and hundreds of places to stay. It is almost impossible to go wrong. What are yourparticular worries re the tunnel? Portia
Molto grazie Beery, love it, love it
I don't know much but what I do know is down to Michel Thomas.Whatever you do after start with MT
Thanks Michael for the reminder about BBC Italian 12 steps.I used it when I first wanted to learn Italian (house hunting time) but I was trying to accumulate vocabulary and relying on the written word. Have just tried it again and replaying it again and again hope to hammer home what is being said. But how they run their words together!
Hi ToniI smiled when I read your post because this is exactly what I have been saying to everyone I know. I too have learnt Italian grammar with Michele Thomas and think he is wonderful. I would write and tell him if he were still alive. We live part time in a condominium in Umbria and have very friendly neighbours and I struggle to understand what they say to me. It had not occured to me that they might think my Italian is better than it is. There are a small number of people I can understand better and after an evening with Italian friends I feel I have made a quantum leap forward. I came to the conclusion that I needed a formal Italian conversation class. Like the french one at school with Madamoiselle.I have been put in touch with an Italian teacher who runs various courses here in Uk and I am going to join with one of them when we return to England for 4 months this winter. I am of course terrified I will not understand a word they say, but must do it as I am determined to learn. I cannot bear not being able to gossip with my neighbours.
We have a English sky box and card in Umbria. The satellite dish is the standard 80/90cm. We do not get BBC chanels or chanel four, but all others chanel five, sky 1, 2, 3 etc. You do have to have a UK address. A Sky technician came to the house and moved the existing satellite round until it was pointing to the correct satellit. This took 5mins and cost 40 euros.I believe the reason that SKY does not permit use of UK box/card abroad is because they buy programmes and have contracts to broadcast over a certain area. The programme makers can then sell their series etc to other broadcasters. I don't imagine that Sky itself is much bothered, but they would be in trouble themselves if they did not forbid it.
I have just thought of another one ' A Veneian Affair ' Andrea Di Robilant this a true story of an impossible love affair in the 18thc (I quote)I shall certainly look out for Soffritto and was going to order The Savage Garden from Amazon but don't know what to do now. My husband suggest 'Secret Memoirs of a Renaissance Pope' what can I say.
Yes Penny it is called A Death in Tuscany by Michele Giuttari, but personally wouldn't recommend it as a bit dry and full of superflous detail about police procedure etc. as might be expected from an ex detective.Some one has mentioned Tim Parks a great read, and Miss Garnets Angel- loved it. A lot of Shirley Hazzards novels are set in Italy and worth reading. Have recently read Iris Origo 'War in Val d'Orcia' this is wonderful and highly recommended. Also interesting but less well written is 'The Trasimen Line' by Janet Kinrade Dethick. And then there is Henry James; The Wingsof a Dove, ThePortrait of a Lady. The Italian Hours etc. My husband has just finishes Goethes ' Italian Journey' have yet to try that. I would welcome any suggestions written in English. I just love talking about books