sprostoni's activity

Questions Asked

I have tried to contribute, I have taken advice, I have given (hopefully) advice, I have tried to generate discussion, I have now given up, good luck to the rest of ya !S

Sun, 10/21/2012 - 17:27

Does anybody know more about this ?SReform of Italy: "40 provinces, 10 metropolitan areas"Rome - More than half of the Italian provinces are going to be cut and 10 metropolitan areas introduced.

Sat, 07/21/2012 - 11:25

How bad can life be..........desperate.........Ancona - Two illegal immigrants have been found dead, one almost dead and two in a coma on the Superfast ferry from Greece. The ferry docked at Ancona this afternoon at around 5.30 pm (CET).

Tue, 06/26/2012 - 03:44

Can anyone explain in simple terms, where all these BILLIONS of euros actually go? We now have Cyprus saying 'Can we have some?' This is the 5th eurozone country so far to say this..............Will I recieve a few hundred grand soon? S

Mon, 06/25/2012 - 15:31

We have just returned from a driving trip (slog!!) to the UK, and on the way back, we booked into a BARGAIN IBIS hotel in 'Grandate'.

Sun, 06/24/2012 - 11:47

I KNOW WE HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE...........Is anybody getting UK TV (and maybe SKY) here in central Italy OTHER THAN via the Internet ?If so............please let me know howThanks in advance,S

Fri, 06/22/2012 - 16:52

Afetr 4 years of 'bliss' (!?!) here in Le Marche, I recently took my four year old car for it's first revisione. A few hours later, I got back the paperwork, with an appropriate stamp.

Mon, 03/19/2012 - 11:46

I know we've been here before but...........Italian tax men blitz the chic in ski resort raids Italian tax agents donned skis, gloves and goggles to launch an unusual blitz in the chic ski resort of Courmayeur, two months after a similar raid on

Tue, 02/21/2012 - 02:05

I have seen that the Italian Government is eliminating some public holidays in 2012 and/or moving those that occur mid-week to a Sunday.Does anyone have a link reflecting whether or not this has been officially confirmed ?Thanks in advance,S

Thu, 02/16/2012 - 05:56

Whilst snowed in here in Penna San Giovanni, I was looking for some bright spots in the financial world.

Fri, 02/03/2012 - 02:08

Comments posted

Mon, 05/09/2011 - 05:16

adriatica..................however am willing to be told differentley by someone that has got stuck by a six month rule which to be honest i have never heard of.......... This is indeed not correct, you can get residency much quicker than this (as I did), the taxes that you mention are also in line with my understanding............ S

Sun, 05/08/2011 - 11:59

Sorry about St Andrews' weather, great sunshine & 25 in the shade here...but gets cooler in the evening............must check for fireflies tonight ! S

Answer to: Lovely Lizards
Thu, 05/05/2011 - 14:32

Thanks for the feedback, We are in our 3rd spring here and certainly there seem to be more vole (holes). Re the moles, imagine a 2 metre long railway sleeper................. I have one here that was lifted at one end by 3-5cms and then the typical volcanic mound of earth appeared. They obviously are pretty fit ones here. Our (single, but has friends! ) male kittykat enjoys the odd WHOLE lizard, but seems a bit 'laissez-faire' (what is the Italian equivalent ?) about the vole and mole digging army. I'm hacking the 'lawn' (ha) in the next day or two so this may help. S

Answer to: Porcospina
Thu, 05/05/2011 - 07:25

We are at 399 metres (yes!!), but not seen any fireflies yet this year, but I suspect the improvement in the weather will bring them out. I am VERY envious of the Storks in the sky..............wow...................any babies due ? (Ha!) S

Answer to: Italgas
Wed, 05/04/2011 - 12:45

Hi TheItalianLife, how much is the gas? I am expecting to get some soon and am sort of thinking it will be circa 95 centimi per litre (after reductions).............gulp!! S

Answer to: Porcospina
Wed, 05/04/2011 - 12:28

With the greatest respect, we DEFINITELY see fireflies here (Penna San Giovanni) in May, certainly for the last three years we have, we usually have a few friends around here in the second week of May and they are all delighted to see them. I LOVE the idea that someone thought they were LED lights in the bushes HA!!! S 

Answer to: Porcospina
Wed, 05/04/2011 - 04:22

I agree TheItalianLife, life here AND the wildlife here is great, (not sure about the scorpions, grass snakes and vipers !!). All is well, as this year we have seen a 'pack' (?) of 6 cinghiale ambling in the fields 20 metres below our house, and we regularly see deer (not sure what type they are - white/cream stripe across their bums ?) and much less regularly porcupines. Havn't seen any fireflies yet? A few days ago I was having a cuppa on a bench that we have in the garden and heard this (sort of) barking type of noise behind me.............nervously looking around ...........it was a big deer 30 metres away, leaping through the grasses 'roaring' as it went............ Wow! Also, one of the birds that we get here (Le Marche)is the Hoopoe............what a beauty!!! S

Answer to: Lovely Lizards
Thu, 04/28/2011 - 09:19

elliven & Angie and Robert............ Thanks for your responses, me thinks you are correct...........we have a decent sized rockery, that explains the volume (probably the increased volume is due to that we now have a (as in one) cat, instead of in previous years a number of ferals. A few mole hills have appeared recently, one of which LIFTED (only by an inch or so), a two metre long railway sleeper ! I suppose I now need to find a way of reducing the vole population............ Thanks again, S

Thu, 04/28/2011 - 06:04

Well done and thanks adriatica, very full and thorough ...........great, we did have some (significant-ish) work done on the property a year after we bought, as part of the project I again requested and received an updated agibilata, complete with latest plans from the Comune. I shall rest !! S

Wed, 04/27/2011 - 09:43

adriatica, good to hear your thoughts, and thanks for the support. I think it was more luck than wise..........! As mentioned earlier, I wonder though how often one should (for want of a better word) 'update' it. I have this feeling that maybe in 5 years or so, if we were to sell, someone would say ah-ha............that certificate is out of date............it 's (8) YEARS OLD ? As Ram said earlier, once you have one it is ok and not time related ? S