Little Italy 24

[BananaGio]

Ciao tutte!

Footlocker is extortionate! Deacathlon is my first port of call for the dc's shoes. Their walking boots have been the only pair of shoes ds used during the autumn/winter!

Hmm I feel a trip to Decathlon coming on soon here too!
Sorry to hear about your flooding Euro.

Warmer I think my per una M&S coat will only have a few outings again as its going to be too warm...Bugger. Oh well anything is better than the cold damp wet ( just remind me of that when I start to complain about the heat and the humidity please). We were going to get the AC installed late May but me thinks it might be wiser to do it sooner !!!! This house is s much warmer than the other ......

Don't forget the weather has been dreadful in May/june in the last 2 yrs. I remember last June going to my cousin's wedding, it rained cats and dogs and there were just 15 degrees!

Hee hee I have found a way to deal with the b!@#&s from TeleTu who phone me every other day to try and sell me a phone contract. I put DS on the line, he will "talk" to anyone on the phone.
Well at least I get some amusement that way!

Lol lol lol, excellent strategy Sputnik!

Brilliant whata good idea!!!!
I remember the drop in temps last year will see what happens . My M&S order arrived yesterday phew... I have a change of trousers as my winter ones were really getting a bit much. Have lost a fair bit or weight now but still don't have the courage to shop in Promod etc !!!!

Rosa, complimenti for sticking to your regime and having lost weight. Are you still doing your class at the gym?
I am gutted as tomorrow morning is my yoga day, but I have to go to the dentist, che palle!

Yes complimenti, really. I can't manage it!

Yes twice a week diddn'tgo yesterday as had a meeting with teh other rapp di calsse and it was oo pesante I came out with such a headache... I still have a fair way to go weight wise and its tough ....also I am fed up and with Easter coming its going to be impossible.
Now Guys I need help. DH has asked the usual parenti round for Easter - he is working Fri / Sat & Sun so they are coming on Easter mon. WHat do I cook ?. Franca I did your radicchio and speck lasagne at teh Befana. I have done the traditional roast. I won't offend them by trying fish and I don't have loads of prep time..... eeek suggestions please.

Mmmmm not easy. How about lamb? Roasted lamb with mint sauce, roasted potatoes and a nice salad with nice insalata (there are so many excellent insalate di stagione at the moment), tomatoes, cipollotto etc which is so primaverile?

A torta pasqualina to start with?

Or, if they don't fancy lamb, a nice roastbeef, mil made a fab one the other day, she rubbed it in salt and garlic before popping it into the oven.

Hmm Rosa, it's pasquetta, no? How about pretending it's a picnic and do loads of quiche type things you can prepare beforehand?

Asparagus soup is also great this time of year (ok, it's a little early but if you want to splash out...) I make it with just asparagus, veg stock, scorza di limone and a little panna.

I like the idea of an indoor picnic, lots of quiches (and I also suggest a torta pasqualina), salame, focaccia, fave and pecorino maybe?

I also will try the asparagus soup, I usually end up eating asparagus with eggs, this could be a welcome change.

Gorgeous day here today, so sunny, just perfect really.

Bloody Berlusconi. I wish I was in Rome and went to the protesta.

I had to laugh the other day at Berlusca's antics in Lampedusa!
Gorgeous here too.I wish it was like this all year round, weather wise!

Oh sorry excess of !!!s again :)

Oh yes, the Casinò in Lampedusa was the cherry on the cake

Yes, this is my ideal weather, and I too wish it could be the same all yr around (bar one month of solid snow, when you can go skiing! and one month of really hot weather when you can go to the beach and roast... Am I asking too much?)

Ah and what about the barzelletta to those mayors asking him NOT to destroy the abusive properties in some areas of Campania? Honestly... and

oh I missed that, what did he say?
Yes, one month of cold and one of hot would be acceptable.

Basically, some mayors from Campania had a meeting with B., mostly to ask him not to destroy some costruzioni abusive (and this is the most disgusting piece of news, imho)

But the cherry on the cake was Berlusconi ending the meeting telling a joke: tg24.sky.it/tg24/politica/2011/04/02/silvio_berlusconi_barzelletta_sindaci_campani_pdl_video_repubblica.html

I don't believe it - FGS from the Premier ........ Go man Go go go ..I dtill don't know who voted for him everyone I meet complains about him .

I forgot to say I hate the smell of lamb cooking ! It turns my stomach. I have been trying to persudae dh to do a small grigliata on teh terrace - we won't all fit on there but he could cook a few things I got a No , then a NO way then a ma sei matta.. SO given up on that idea. I would love to do a pasquetta type of thing but I just don't think it will go down well at all......
Went and di shopping for the dds today ... H&M - DD1 outfit perfect , trainers too big ( tears) , Minirosa won't take hers off .
Oviesse everything I got for minirosa who is now 29 months is massive - I bought 30 mese. Like 4 inches on the leggings - that also fall down so bugg*r am going to have to go back - thing is she will grow into them but she needs things now !
Arrggghhhhh - Also a pair of Zara trousers for dd are a bit big as well..... I am loosing my touch !

I watched the joke open mouthed. All credit to him he never ceases to surprise me. Just when you think he cant sink any lower.....
Annoying re clothes Rosa. I have been losing my touch recently as well, I think ds is smaller than he is. Perhaps it is wishful thinking, wanting to keep him small...
Been in a foul mood the last week, we had our usual apartment in Follonica all booked and believe me when I say it is the only thing that kept me going in the last few months with pressures of work. And then we had a phone call on Sat saying that very sorry but have sold the apartment. Gutted!! So cue me spending entire day firing off a zillion emails to other possibilities and get very frustrated when they all came back unavailable or hugely expensive. Problem is we have spent so little over the last few years (350 pw in aug fgs) that everything seems extortionate in comparison. I have no sense of perspective re what is reasonable to spend and because I am freelance it is always really hard to calculate what I should allow myself to spend if that makes sense.
OK rant over

Oh Gio, no, che palle! Have you looked into le Marche? Perhaps not as close to you as Toscana, but they are just as beautiful, people are very friendly, great food and cheaper.
I recommend to look into Fano, Senigallia, Grottamare, San Benedetto (perhaps too big)

Oh children's clothes are a nightmare. Ds will be 9 in July and the H&M section for his age now looks straight out of Avon Barksdale wardrobe. And ds is tall but very skinny, so nothing fits. grrrrrrrrrrrr

Or even further down Sirolo and Numana ...They are very pretty. Persaro is a bit big and Senigallia is nice but there is a train running down teh centre of the place so look for accom abit away from that ...MInd you its not abusy route.
I have heard a few people that this has happened to as well.....Good luck with yoru search.
Minirosa started pipi training at home she has it sorted and is doing very well. At school she wet herself 3 times . Then she was in a state when I got her and she wouldn't pee in the nido loos but as soon as we got outside she did a massive wee in a drain . Then another about 2 mins from home..... Ai AI Ai .
I dodn't like teh H&M older stuff to be honest its too hip and trendy and not my scene. Zara is nice for some things but give me next and M&S any day!

Yes, most coastal villages in Le Marche are run through by the railway, but I am so used to it now, I forget about it!

Yes, I agree re H&M. Zara used to be prettier I think, now it's too trendy for my liking. I've never been a fan of next though, and our local M&S didn't have a big stock. I am stuck with the children's clothes, I bought a few things on nordickids, because they had a 30% off thing 2 months ago.