Little Italy 26

[Rosa]

Siamo qui ... Ciao a tutti !

Lake, congratulations on your new home, how exciting! (though i agree that moving sucks!). I, on the other hand, would love to revamp our flat every other year, I should have been an interior decorator!

Alex, yes, bureaucracy is maddening. I have to say that it has massively improved here in Milan in the last 10 yrs, but still not as easy as in the Uk.

Ok, i am feeling more organised about the dc presents today. After having talked to ds, we have decided that he'll get a mobile, he seems very grown up about it. He will also get a leather football and a punching ball, books and bits of lego.
Dd would like an ipod and various playmobil and a ken!

@Bananagio I had never heard that lol that is nice though ;)

@Franca yes, I don't like moving but I like decorating too! This will be my first home in Uk (instead of rented accommodation) and it will be fun to paint and redecorate our home as we like, finally!

On another topic, can someone virtually slap me and I can get the heck out of the "illegaly-snatched-babies" online discussions? Please, slap me hard though!

Alex hope it all goes well for your ds and he settles in well. Lake great about the move and having your own place ( know the feeling) a flat came up in our old building that we loved . however doing a full renovation from scratch has put usoff ( and we don't have the spare money). We have done it once and that was enough for a while!!!
I bought a box of mince pies 6 for €9.50 . They weren't that good so I have got a jar of mincemeat and I will make my own. However, we are going home and the best ones my mum makes!!!!! I do a British Corner shop order when I am in Italy for xmas as it makes me feel better!!!
Have done some more shopping today and also will go tomorrow but I feel a cold coming on ..have a sore throat so will see how I feel!!!
We have the family 'cousins ' lunch on sat its an xmas get together but sil hasn't put the tree up or any decorations ... ( she offered to host it )Bit sad really!!!
Have to share I was given a chocolate filled with vecchia romagna today . I am hooked ( and I hate mon cheri and all that kind of thing). This was luverrrly

How lovely to have your first home at Christmas!

Glad to see you again Alex, I was thinking of the wee ones!

I am nearly finished my shopping. I've got DH, all of the DC, mi fratelli and cognati, just need to get my ma and MIL, and a few friends. Uffa.

I don't know how to make any British Christmas things We will have cannoli, cassata and cuccidatini. Last year we tried torrone but it was a disaster And my MIL gets obsessed with pannetone, so we'll be eating 1 a day from St Lucia...

Thanks for the good wishes for my ds2. I have high hopes of the new school, but I don't really expect him to settle in before Christmas, it will take him a while to get used to it.

I can safely say I have never had cannoli at Christmas, Annunziata! But the Greeks do make something quite similar to panettone, so I expect we'll have that. My MIL is also obsessed - last year we had to freeze it, she made so much, and we were eating it practically until Easter. I got fed up with it! I do like panforte, thinking of nice Italian sweets.

Rosa - I am jealous of your jar of mincemeat! I can't find it here, and I have to make my own. And it is a must! I have to have mincepies at Christmas!

Why are Christmas presents so hard? Ds1 has asked for a pet frog, and a pond, which he says we can build on the balcony (!), to keep it in. Somehow, I don't think he'll be getting that!

Lol lol at pet frog and pond, that has to be one of the best christmas wish I've ever heard of!

Let us know how it goes on Monday Alex, how old is he? Is he 6 or am I getting confused? (both yesterday and today I called 2 acquaintances with the wrong name )

I think you can find jars of mince meat at the british cornershop, no?

I was extremely happy when I found boxes of Bendicks in Esselunga the other day!

Is the British cornershop a thing in Italy?? Never heard of it. There isn't one here in Alexandroupoli, at any rate.

I nearly wrote that ds2 was 3. I still mentally think of him as my baby. But he is actually now nearly 5. He's in the equivalent of reception class, I'm not actually sure about the Italian equivalent, but I'm sure you can work it out! It's his first year of actual school, rather than playschool, or whatever it's called these days.

It's my other ds who is 6, going on 7, perhaps you remembered me mentioning him, Franca.

www.britishcornershop.co.uk/

Alex here you go they deleiver worldwide and delivery is on volume not weight. I put a limit on how much I am going to spend then fill up with large bags of crisps !!! Prices are not OTT . Also remember to save your basket each time ...it doesn't get updated automatically.

Nearly finished the shopping now!!!!

at the prices on there!

Snowing again in Scotland

@Annunziata Stay warm! :)

Wow, thanks, Rosa, I had no idea that website existed! Mind you, the delivery charge isn't cheap to Greece. I will have a good look at it. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, depending on how you look at it!) I didn't see your post until after I had already made the first batch of mincemeat. But I will know for next time!

Snow, Annunziata?? Wow. It never snows here. Unless I want to go up one of the mountains, I suppose, and see the snow at the top!

Alex, yes, I thought your boys were 8 and 6, apologies! Your ds2 would still be in his last year of scuola materna here in Italy.

We still have to put the decs up here. I wanted to buy a real tree, they sell beautiful ones at the local mercato, but I couldn't make it the other day. So I guess I have to go and get our old one from the cantina. I feel uninspired.

Stay warm Annu! It's very foggy here today.

Love the frog and pond idea! Best wish ever!
We went to see Babbo Natale on Sat in Piazza Navona. Letter was duly delivered. Went to cinema to see Blue Jasmine yesterday. Fantastic film, Cate Blanchett is just incredible.
So Renzi, what do we think?

Gio, I saw it on Saturday (and in original language!). I really enjoyed, she is phenomenal. But I actually loved all the cast, especially Chilli.

Renzi. I voted Civati. But I am quite looking forward to seeing how he does. The PD needs a new course.

Voting have I missed something ?

Cinema something adult ...not a hope. my 2 are counting until Frozen comes out!!!!!
Really cold here right now !

we saw it in original language as well. There are certain films I can't watch dubbed and Woody Allen's are one of the categories. Agree that whole cast were brilliant.
I am also looking forward to seeing what Renzi does. Similar to how I felt with Blair, he is not my natural choice but I think he is what the party needs at this moment in time. So will watch with interest and just hope he doesn't invade some middle-eastern country on a lie as well....
Off to the UK on Thursday. As ever am not remotely ready and have loads to sort including washing half our wardrobes by the look of our overflowing laundry basket aaahhhhhhh.

Nah, he won't invade any country. Not even sure he will ever win any election. Feeling pessimistic with all these forconi thing and Grillo's fascist posts on his blog.

I wish we'd never left the uk. Sorry, but I am feeling very worried.

Hmm, Franca. That is how I am feeling today about Greece. We are all very worried, very pessimistic. I daren't even watch the news any more, in case we all slit our own throats afterwards with all the doom and gloom. And if I see another Golden Dawn related article... Couldn't we put them and Grillo on a space ship to start a colony on Mars or something?

In other news, ds2 has had two days at the special school. It's going to take a while for him to settle in, but he does seem to be coping better with the activities. I'm cautiously optimistic!

Alex thats great news lets hope it continues!
Dh voted for Grillo. He says he did it in sheer desperation that the others would wake up and see the light . That Italy cannot live on corruption, lies, auto blu and one of the highest VAT in Europe as the politicians have to have massive pensions and really don't give a shit about jo public. what we need is a politician who is new and thinks out of the box a bit like Papa francesco IYKWIM.... Without going total extreme and looking stupid like Grillini. Mind you the speech the Grillino did after / during Berlusconi saga was superb. I am just thankful that I don't vote here. i will be votingin the next Uk election however.... I just have to sort the paperwork out!

I have finished all the xmas shopping well I am missing 2 online and then a couple at Gatwick airport !!!!

Oh I was thinking of you today Alex, glad it went well.

I am worried too, this Scottish independence thing is a shambles. I don't even know what to do if it went through, we can't come back to Italy.

Santa at Piazza Navona sounds wonderful though

Glad it went well Alex, that is good news. A lot of friends of mine voted for Grillo for the same reason as your DH Rosa. I just hope Renzi does what he has stated he will. I am an eternal optimist and we can but hope! Said through fixed smile and gritted teeth!
Annu am watching the Scottish Independence news with great interest and concern as well. My Dad is born and bred in Shotts and he is anti independence on the whole but certain things that are happening nationwide I think would make him think were he to still be there and have a vote. He would still vote No in the end though. I just don't see how Salmonds figures add up.

Gio have fun in the Uk how long are you going for ??
So many people I have heard will vote no to the Scottish thing . I have a couple of relations who are worried about what will happen if yes gets in as well .
Well final haul on shopping today also off to take clothes to H/M for a voucher and old books to the book store . Am so looking forward to finding my Christmas spirit in the Uk . even though I seem to be quite organised I am just not 'feeling' it yet !

ALex, happy to hear he is getting settled, keep us posted!

I don't trust Grillo at all, I read his economic program for the last elections and it was nor here nor there. He wanted tutto e il contrario di tutto. I am also fed up of "politicians" who think they are God!

But we'll see.

Gio, have fun in the Uk, how lovely.

I need to read more about Scotland, I am terribly ignorant about what's going on.

They really don't banana. They are saying that we'd have to pay another £1000 tax a year, and that all the food prices would go up too! And yet all Salmond ever says is 'no it won't'!

They want to be independent but keep the pound, the queen and the BBC, what sort of independence is that?! I wish it was over already.

We are putting up our Christmas tree today

Annunziata - We have just put our Christmas tree up!

Ds2 has now finished his first week at the special school. It is going well. He does cry a little bit in the morning, but the teacher tells me he soon settles down, and she thinks he will be fine. He has even made a friend, another little boy who funnily enough is also from a bilingual family (Greek-Russian).

I am at last beginning to relax about ds2 and school - he wasn't at all happy in mainstream, and I worried about him every day. Here they understand his physical problems, no one pushes him over in the playground, it's not too much effort for someone to help him open his lunchbox. It's all the little things that count. And I don't feel that he's unwelcome, there's a much better atmosphere for him. Hurrah!

Enjoy your holiday, Gio! I am very slightly jealous, I don't mind admitting I haven't been back to the UK for several years now!