Anyone in northern Italy?

[miao]

or more precisely the Milan/Monza area?

Hello all, back again.
Rosa,been told that at dd's materna ratio is 1:25ish and speaking to colleauges with kids in Milan that is about average for them too.I find it bit worry too, esp. after nido when its 1:8/9. Hope she copes OK!
Brangelina and Rosa,I would agree on wanting alternative to nuns (as suffered them at home) but again Italian work mates insist that they are better teachers in the end.Boh!
dd now into Mister Men which takes me back in time.dd learning songs at nido with actions but naturally I don't have a clue what they are so she has to teach me them!

Don't give in Rosa, Cristina d'Avena is evil!!! (and she was discovered at age 4, singing il waltzer del moscerino at zecchino d'oro, lol about the enthusiastic maestra, you should have seen the one before, she was with zecchino d'ro for like 4o yrs)
I really wish I could reassure you re schools (and i have the same anxieties here, but have some english friends who are "supporting" me!). Thing is that I started primary in 1976 so many things have changed (unfortunately). However i loved going to school. Always went to state school, I met some bad teachers, but many excellent ones. We worked quite hard as well. The only thing that was missing, and I realize it only now, at least in my experience, was a bit of creative work.

If this can reassure you just a tiny bit, I really really can say that my friends in Milano with children in different asili pubblici, are all very happy. (was very envious becuase my friends daughter was taken to a miro exhibition...)
si, I think that was the restaurant. I was also told to go for aperitivo at hjotel excelsiorfor some celebrity spotting, but don't even want to think how much they charge you for an aperol!!!

Ciao Pippi (aka NoLongerNotSoUseless!). I wouldn't have recognised you in your new disguise! My dds love Pippi too - their childminder is half Swedish!

Ciao Rosa! Very envious of you living in Venice. Whereabouts do you live? We have friends who live in Dorsoduro, just behind the Guggenheim. Wonderful place to live, but their flat is tiny (and doubtless cost un occhio della testa)!

Total stronzi tonight at work -agghh-

Anyway speaking of Venice..anyone been to Castlefranco Venito?

Lol! my dad was born in castelfranco veneto!!!

what happened at work?

Hey! Some really good friends of ours live in (well, near... in a little 'frazione' whose name I've forgotten) Castelfranco V. Have been there several times!

"il mondo e' piccolo" my nonna would say!

I work in a pub on Sat nights Franca - nuff said

sorry just being nosey but my mum who i havnt seen in 6 years lives in como, whats it like??

CV sticks in my mind for some reason. I only stayed there for about two weeks. Got told off for jaywalking it's like a capital offence in Italy.

I'm laughing now at the irony as I remember my italian boyfriend at the time constantly going through red lights, holding his hands up in protest at my disbelief and saying innocently "There were no cars"

Oh Como is lovely! I had the best Bacci icecream in Como.

not sure where in como she is but apparently its quiet!

It's on the left fork, end tip of lake Como in the north. Lecco is lovely too though on the other fork. Oh I miss it!

There was this beautiful geographical phenomenon too I remember of the alps to the north and circling the Po basin looking like clouds on the horizon, but in every direction. Really beautiful - and confusing for a while until I realsied what they were

C veneto is lovely some great bars and a superb restaurant on the outskirts. Agree with Como its my fav of The Italian Lakes.

Franca good thing you did not try to get in the Excelsior to star spot at the film festival they only let residents in and the police block is massive to be avoided at all costs . In fact last festival I was out of Venice, 1st time in years best move I made ....Mind you Carnival is no joke this year it is heaving out there at the moment.

I will have to say that my favourite is Lake Maggiore, mainly becuase I used to go there as a child with my grandma and she made me believe that isola bella (one of the three borromee island) was mine! bless her.
Venice during the Carnival must be a nightmare. We came last year for new year's eve, as a dear friend of mine was living there for a few months. we walked to san marco square oafter midnight and it was littered by broken bottles. vergognoso!

My fave used to be Lago Maggiore too as some of my family come from there and I had a few fond childhood memories, but then I started to frequent lago di Lecco for watersports and was converted. Also, the last time I went to Stresa I was horrified, it's got even tackier with plastic tourist shops absolutely everywhere, there's not a normal shop in sight!

Ery 71 here, fancied a little name chage.
Como has to come first as there is hope of catching a glimpse of George Clooney who has a villa there. Should come last as its soooooo windy, even in summer.
I remember vaguely C.Veneto as been there with dh on one of his numerous fishing competition trips! V. exciting (the fishing not the place!).

The Clooney? In yer dreams girly!

He probably rents out the villa most of the time...

Califrau, what was Parma like and do u think it would be good with kids? Would love to live in ITaly...

Parma is beautiful, and apparently has a very good quality of life (it's a very wealthy area)

George is often in my dreams - sigh...... Appartently he hangs out with the old locals in the bar,drinking coffee.Lucky them!

Only passed through Parma but it looked nice ..cleaner then other places well thats what stuck in my memory.
On all my trips to Como have never bumped into George must have been frequenting the wrong bars...Oh well no harm in trying a few out !
Apparently there is a film star hiding behind a mask at Carnival and all will be revealed at the end of Carnival ..Or its a scam by the commune..and its a walk on person from an episode of Vivere ( isn't that filmed on Como?)No I don't watch it its on before TG5 !