Sabina's activity

I can fit a quintale into the boot of my Renault clio without putting the back seat down...that said, as people have already said - much depends on how fresh - or dry - the wood is!  If it is for a wood burner - all fresh wood is a disaster best is obviouslydry / seasoned wood preferably cut a full year ago but 2 or 3 years old even better.  The drier it is, the lighter it is.  Dry wood produces more heat than fresh wood - but burns quicker.  In my wood burner, sometimes I put one fresh log in with a couple of dry logs as a sort of compromise.  The fresh one takes longer to "catch" and gives off more resin / residue so cleaning requires more elbow grease on the glass - and blocks the tubes quicker. Here, they won't deliver less than a certain amount (usually 5, sometimes 10 quintale) but that might be different where you are.

OK, I admit I am awful at anything technical, so this is probably a really stupid question - but please bear with me... You say you scan for channels...on other channels. I have Italian sky...and DO know where the other channels option is...so do I literally just click on that option and then "search" or something, or does the satellite dish have to be moved too? Any idiot proof advice very welcome. Thanks!

Last year's recipe that worked out really well... again - everything needs to be sterilised...glass etc washed and then heated in the oven like jam jars - and if you use plastic bottles at the end, soak  in water with a bit of bleach in and then rinse well.   pick approx 35 flowers... dissolve 2.5 kg of sugar in 5 litres of boiling water, leave to cool a bit, then add 2 more litres of cold water,  plus the flowers, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, juice and zest of 5 lemons and 1 orange (but expect you could substitute the orange for some grated ginger).  Leave it in a bucket covered with a clean cloth for 2 days - it should start bubbling a bit - but if not, add a pinch of dry baking (bread yeast). Give it a good stir, then leave, covered for another 4-5 days. Strain off through muslin  then leave to settle for a few hours or overnight (you'll get a lot of sediment sink to the bottom) then siphone off and put into bottles. Ready to drink after 1 week. If you use plastic bottles do keep an eye on them - and if they start bulging let the gas out...last year, the first bottle I did that to practically exploded and the "champers" flew up and hit the ceiling - would have been great on an F1 victory podium!  I realised it was better not to fill bottles right up to the top - and to open them up every so often anyway.  Even so - 6 months later it was all still fizzy! It has a very "fruity" flavour...and in fact I used a bit less sugar than the recipe called for, and it was not overly sweet...if I made it again I might even use a bit less 2kg or just under. It was very popular...but quite potent - so be warned!

Wish I could take them on....but my 2 are enough! If you have a good vet, you could post a notice in his / her surgery... Depending where you are in Campania, you may also want to try the US Naval Base in Naples... I wish you luck and hope you find good homes for them all

I've never been sure if its hypochondria or greater knowledge! In the UK, people might "feel a bit dizzy / odd"....over here, they will tell you that their blood pressure dropped (which never occured to me on the rare occasions I have felt dizzy).  Other Italian friends will let me know, from time to time, that they are off coffee and certain rich foods because their kidneys are inflamed (Have you been to the Dr. then, I used to ask, somewhat naively - no....I just know).  Others have problems with their liver so are drinking special tisane to sort that problem....and so it goes on. My GP laughs at me if I complain of "tummy problems"...and asks me to be more specific!  Ah...you mean problems with your large / small intestines he says when I've explained the problem to his satisfaction... On a more serious note...in all the years I have lived here it has always been evident that mothers keep their kids off school for the slightest thing - although staying at home doesnt mean they can't play outside, eat as normal, go out shopping with mum etc.  When I was little - I hadn't a hope in Hades of staying off school unless I was really ill - and on the rare occasions I did stay at home, it was in bed, with no TV / anything fun - just to ensure I wasn't tempted to try it on another time! Sadly, this staying at home for no real reason carries on to when they go off to work...I have worked for various Italian companies and know only too well that people phone in sick " because I feel a bit under the weather / I've got a bit of a headache / I didn't sleep very well last night / I've got my period   (3 - 5 days off for that one!) I might be coming down with a cold (might???!!!) and so on. Italian bosses usually just have a bit of a moan and then shrug their shoulders....but really don't think they would get away with it in the UK / elsewhere.  They do have to bring in a doctor's note after even 1 day off - but the truth is, most GP's will write one without bothering to investigate / verify...

This is - I believe - Easter Monday...which is a public holiday in Italy - although strangely enough, Good Friday isn't....  

if you check out the websites - you can also see the comments made by those making use of volunteers and the volunteers myself.  Checking through it, I certainly found residents I know, and their comments were genuine (I checked!) so no reason to think the others are anything but honest and accurate either.

Just to add another thought....I'm told that in other countries (USA, S. Africa, Australia etc) many people now have solar-powered pumps  / filters  for their pools...apparently they work very well - and simply involve a fairly small - dedicated "panel" closeby.  Likewise for well-pumps...(and of course pool heating that most people are familiar with anyway). Although I think I might be  a bit worried about maintenance repairs etc - it might still be worth considering buying such a pump / filter elsewhere and bringing it over...I haven't ever seen them advertised here - but you may be able to track them down Electric water heaters are one of the major culprits for high bills....when I first moved into this house, and had to use one for the first time, countless people told me the cheapest way to run it was to keep it going the whole time, so that it only ever need to top up the temperature.  Idiot me believed them! As finances are tight - a few years ago I decided to lower the temp of the water heater, so that basically when showering I didn't have to add any cold water at all.  For washing up - I boil a kettle to make the water that bit hotter.  That certainly brought the bill down - but the difference is even more noticeable now that I only turn the heater on overnight / first thing in the morning (in the summer I get up about 5a.m. so its not a problem!) so that the water is hot by 7a.m. when I turn it off.  One way or another, my elec. bill is now half what it was...Oh yes - I also try only to use the washing machine on a Sunday - at the cheapest rate - not always possible, but...

Another point for anyone selling a house here to bear in mind - if your buyer is taking out a mortgage, there are often occasions when you won't get your money on the day of the conveyance / rogito.  The theory behind this is that it takes a while for the notary to get everything recorded as it should be, and in the interim, if very sneaky, dishonest etc, you could sell the house to a second buyer on the quiet!  Although I found / find  this explanation quite astonishing - I am assured it is true, so - if in that situation, you need to raise it with your estate agent / buyer / notary in good time, to see if something can be worked out.  Basically it is at the notary's discretion....so it can sometimes just depend on how accommodating he wants to be.  Essentially the mortgage co. / buyer give him the cashier's cheques (assegno/i circolari) you are owed, and he holds onto them until he has done all the necessary paperwork. I do know people who have had to wait 2 weeks for their money...but when I bought my first house here, with an italian mortgage, we were able to get around the problem...as have others I've known too.  But - if the subject comes up - don't think or assume that someone is trying to pull a fast one...they're not!

as others have said, you can only pay the "resident" rate on the one house - but what a lot of Italians do - and some foreigners too...is to put the different houses in different names - e.g. husband owns and is resident in house no. 1 whilst wife owns and is resident in house no. 2. There are several foreign couples I know in this area who have done just this....it means that they only pay the 3% tax on their holiday home (and one of them becomes legally resident) and get the cheaper elec. rates etc etc.  Also worth considering if you want to be eligible to apply for any of the "aggevolazione" (grants) for restructuring the property or fitting solar panels etc.  It does however mean you can't sell the house - without buying another one where you will "continue" to be resident for ...can't remember if it is 3 or 5 years (otherwise you are liable to pay the outstanding 7% tax plus interest on the original house you purchased). Some notaries actively encourage foreign buyers to go this route - others won't allow it...as always in Italy, it just depends!