Maralyn's activity

I agree with Santamarinese, you really do have to think differently about the way you drive and drive the same way the Italians do. When I was first driving in Italy I was driving exactly the same way as I do in England, abiding by speed limits and road laws and waiting for a good gap in the road before turning into a junction etc.,  Now I do what they do.  I have learned that when going up a viaduct hundreds of feet in the air where there are double lines in the middle of the road, loads of bends, that the signs of a red car on the left of the white car means that if you have a red car you can overtake a white (or silver) car on the double lines and on the hair pin bends!!!!  In fact that seems to apply to any colour car, lorry or even police car, especially in the tunnels!!!!! I now find driving in England a little frustrating at times and as said above, I also nip in here and there where before I was more cautious (in the UK). Best of luck.  You will soon get the hang of it.Maralyn

Hi ConradMy husband was also in the RAF and was posted to Latina, sort of west of Rome.  He vowed he would eventually live in Italy one day as he was totally in love with the country and people. Also like you, we went on a cruise and visited Rome and the Italian Riviera which confirmed that Italy was the country we loved the most.  Fortunately my sister in law is Italian so over the years we have stayed with her and my brother in their house near Atina (Frosinone) and three years ago, after numerous visits in various places in Italy, we bought our house in Picinisco, near Cassino.  No regrets whatsoever.We intend to move over permenantly as soon as possible but have to sell my art business first and settle other property matters.  I returned from there yesterday after 10 gloriously hot days well into the high 30c (over 40c in Rome last week when I was there) and heard all about the torrential rain and the "Durham Canyon" that has appeared nearby due to the excessive wet weather. (Thought the UK was going to have a heatwave this year).We have been accepted into our community totally which is wonderful.  In fact we were there this past week because last weekend was the festa for Santa Giuste and our house was chosen as the place the saint was taken to and our house was blessed.  A wonderful occasion with a brass band, dignitaries, the mayor, chief of police, priests, crowds of people all coming up our long driveway into our piazza.  Fabulous.  As it was about 8.30 and getting darker I brought out all our large green bottles and hung candles in them to light the way.  Looked great.Now I am back to work but have a healthier looking skin colour.  Cannot wait for 6 September when we return.If you want information on our area (prices are still good but rising) which is the Abruzzo, Molise and Lazio National Park, let me know.Maralyn

My husband Ron has just returned (Monday) from our home in Italy and driving there six weeks ago and returning, he travelled on Norfolk Ferries Dunkirk/Dover.  He said it was a lovely easy ferry route, not overly full and easy both ends getting on and off with the car and our dog, the staff being very friendly.  And it was 30 euros for the car and two passengers (but the customary £30 for the dog).  Cheaper on the Dover/Calais route.I will make a note of the Luxembourg leg of the journey.  He went through Belgium, past Brussels to Liege on one of the best roads he has every seen (we used to live near Liege about 35 years ago - so memory lane for him) and then into Germany (via Holland I think) and Austria, then Italy.  Not such a boring journey as last year when we did France from Mont Blanc to Paris.  Great roads but so boring!Maralyn

Lovely dog Simon, but you had me totally confused!! I read your post and thought it must be a baby who is nine months old.  Then the old imagination had someone holding the 9 month old baby kicking a football. Then the bone was mentioned!!!! That threw me. Saw the photos of Bertie and all became clear. He is obviously the light of your life.Maralyn

Sleep tight.  No more back aches!!!Maralyn

I notice that the Italian mattresses seem to be shorter than the bed with quite a gap.  Is this to help with making the bed or what?  The IKEA topper , although longer, didn't cause any problems.

John, so sorry to hear about Chicco's death. But he died knowing he has been loved. Our dog Tink, a Westie/Jack Russell cross was also a rescue dog in the UK.  She had been locked in a bathroom for the first two years of her  life because "she didn't get on with the family cat". My daughter in law saw this this pathetic, excitable, scraggy dog being "walked" one day and the woman said if you like her that much you can have her!  Tink (named Tinkerbell by our granddaughter but Ron had to think of his street cred when calling for her in a street hence Tink!) came to live with us. We never really wanted a dog but after a good groom and only a week with us, this little dog who used to try and get inside your skin she was so insecure, seemed to be learning very fast how to behave. Now she walks without a lead, does exactly as you want her to, adores Ron and is like his shadow, doesn't get up on the furniture, doesn't jump up and down and annoy people, scrounges food a bit but if you say no, then she moves away, doesn't lick us on the face (I personally hate that) and never barks unless our home doorbell goes. AND SHE AND OUR 15 YEAR OLD CAT ARE BEST FRIENDS AND SLEEP AND EAT TOGETHER !!  She will not leave a room until you say "come on" and then she will go out of the room - we think this is a throw back to when she was most likely told to stay in the bathroom. She comes to work (when she isn't sunning herself in Italy!) with us in our gallery and is the best marketing tool ever! Right now she is with Ron in Italy, returning next week after six weeks there, as she was last year.  She has the life of Riley, is loved by everyone because she is such a character.  After two awful first years of her life she is now enjoying herself. Maralyn

I bought a mattress topper from IKEA in January (Naples IKEA) as my matress was too firm.  What a difference!! I paid about 150 euros (it could have been a bit more, not sure) for it but it was well worth it. Maralyn

Andrew, are you serious about roasted porcupine in Colleferro (which isn't too far from us).  I already have some quills which we found on the road. Very beautiful but sharp!Spoke to Ron this evening and got another description from him and it sounds like a civet.  He is back in just under a week so will show him this thread. We both think it is great to have these animals all around us.It definitely wasn't a were-rabbit though. We have them in the back garden here in the UK!!!Maralyn

Obviously as I am still here in the UK I didn't see it but from his description the civet sounds about right, ie the dark thick tail and pointed face.  What sort of size are they?  I will show him this thread when he returns next week and see which one it was.. This is the wonderful thing having the house out in the countryside with a river not far away, we see all sorts of animals and birds which we don't see in the UK.  Last year, driving home about 11pm, a few hundred yards from our house on the road was a huge porcupine. We were one side of it in the car and a neighbours dog was the other side and the poor thing looked terrified, its quills all pointed upwards.  I thought it was so beautiful and much bigger than I ever imagined them to be.Thank you everyone for your help.  I will let you know what it was.Maralyn