Mumsnet Little Italy 6

[Rosa]

Ciao , Hello , Welcome .

Rosa, just think positive, you'll be able to add another skill to your CV "expert sourcer(ess) of obscure boat parts". Sounds like a lot of money in the UK, does it cost that much in Italy? Remember the euro's strong now plus you won't be paying VAT if you get it invoiced to your DH (he does have a P.IVA, right?) so maybe it's not so much after all? If you get them from the US won't you have to pay customs?

What a pain for you anyway, sometimes it's a curse knowing English. My DP gets me to translate listings on ebay and correspond with sellers and it always has to be done immediately. If we ever split up his ebay career would effectively be over ha ha! And he can apck his own knickers this time too.....

Gio, are you leaving tomorrow? If so, have a brilliant time. I hope the weather holds up, we're supposed to be having more storms this weekend but after that it should go back to normal. And if you do see George, give him one from me.

I would love some of that nice mizzle please. It is much too hot. BTW Brange, I know all about those Siberian winds as I grew up on the edge of the Fens near Cambridge.

Your FIL sounds a nightmare Gio, hope you can sort out your housing, though obviously nothing will happen til september now. Our househunting is on hold again, as we are betting on prices coming down so it would be silly to take on a big mortgage atm.

Am getting part less at the moment. Thing is the part does not looks as if its in the Uk and has to come via the US so trying to get the European depot to bypass Milan ( as Milan shut for August ) is impossible. So called the main comp in USA and asked them to help.
WIll have to pay customs I think if we can find a USA supplier that has one in stock but thepart is cheaper in the USA anyway so it might work out better. ALl I know is I am going round in circles at times - skype is getting a battering.
I feel for you really all in the hot horrid climate MIL is really finding it hard in this last block - May the fresh winds blow soon - France had some thunder yesterday.

Yes leaving tomorrow! Hurrah! Got to be up in 4 hours for flight so buonanotte tutte e ci vediamo fra 2 settimane!

Is this thread closed for Ferragosto then?

I think so, just like everything else.

I've managed to get an infection in my thumb and it's very painful, kept me awake last night etc. Now how to find a doctor in provincial Lombardia who's not on holiday..... The locum for my doctor isn't answering the phone and stupidly (or maybe cunningly?) hasn't written his address on the foglio on my doc's door. I feel a bit embarrassed going to pronto soccorso for a thumb but the pain really is atrocious and I keep banging it and making it worse. Ah, the joys of an Italian summer in the city.

Maybe they'd give you something in the pharmacy, at least a cream or something? Our local one is very relaxed about giving you prescription stuff if they know you.

FIngers and toes are pains - If it gets worse you might need a jab so if it does go to pronto soc.
I have found the part - Imagine the main supplier cannot get it to us before Sept . But if we go via an Americal dealer we can have it in a week .. I think this calls for a letter of complaint quoting the 'we are so fab' mission statement on the web site..Tossers !! Sorry but they are!
Ferragosto ---- We have the water here for teh fights in the form of rain might try a picnic possibly !!!!

Found a doctor miraculously and have now got various potions to try out, as well as a prescription for anti-bs should I feel the need. I tried the asking at the pharmacy but got directed towards a doc as how could I be sure it was an infection? It could have been a nail fungus (despite the seat of infection being quite some distance from the nail...). I usually manage to prise something out of them but got a real jobsworth this morning, must have been the holiday cover.

Rosa, that's amazing that you can get the part in a week from the US! Is it cheaper too? You simply must let the company know they're worse than useless. Also the Italian warehouse, but you'll probably be greeted by a shrug and the phrase "ma siamo in Italia..."

Sputnik, are you not going anywhere this month or have you already been?

No not going anywhere for august, we have our pool up and here is quite a nice place to be in the summer. DH has just been off work for a month's enforced break (without pay, so we are skint too).
As soon as low season kicks in in september we are off to Ischia for a whole 4 days.

I am lobbying for a Greek island next year though. We have not been anywhere apart from Ischia with the ILs or my folks in UK since the summer before DD was born - 2003.

Glad fingers and parts are sorted.

at pool in the garden. Actually at garden. I'd probably not bother going anywhere if I had a pool and garden, I hate going away in August as it's usually shite, pre DD we always did holidays in June/July and last year but one we did September, but the sea was quite cold (in Sardinia)

You're very brave going on hols with ILs, I take it you get on well with them?
Greece sounds good, it's been a while since I last went. I would have gone again this year but DP was intent on driving (to save air fare for stepson, the stingy so and so) and I didn't fancy hours of traghetto followed by twisty mountain roads. Maybe next year when we're SS-less[hopeful emoticon]

Double Brang at the garden and pool - Dd is happily pouring stones from one bucket to another in G parents garden - happy as larry.This morning we did massive puddle jumping she got soaked after 1st 2 and lucky did not go face down in another. Had some big short rain storms but this pm windy with sun .
I also hate August going anywhere purely as the Italians en masse is too much for me - they all have to 'do' the same thing. COuldn't do greek ferry either sorry its the loos am such a snob also as last ferry I took crossing was rough and there was too much vomit !!!
Part is double in cost - old one has been put back in and we are now waiting to hear if it holds up to pressure. Have looked at getting dh back but its a new ticket cost basically so thats a no no. Oh fun and games !

Well the pool is pretty small and our garden is about as child-hostile as it's possible to be, consisting of a flight of stairs flanked by jagged rocks, one very very large rock with those spiky agave things that can take your eye out, and a few parched aiuole. It is south facing so unbelievably hot. Then there is the porch bit, which is nice, but the gate we made between that and the stairs doesn't seem very DS-proof. Round the back is a shady bit full of zanzare. If you throw a ball a bit too enthusiastically it disappears into the near vertical bosco, and you have to take your life in your hands climbing down to get it.

Not complaining but I can't really let the DCs out unsupervised. I think longingly sometimes of my parent's huge garden with soft child-friendly lawn etc.

Visions of Sputnik with jungle net as she heads off into vertical woods to rescue DS favourite ball. - Put ping pong balls on the spikey plant - my friend did that as she loved her plant think it was an aloe vera a huge one but kids kept scratching themselves.
Are you still thinking of moving into Rome or has the thought of teh heat and no garden put you off ????

We have decided to wait for property prices to go down, as we will need to get a big mortgage (we can't stand to sell our current house). So they better bloody well go down now!

Actually we saw a lovely ground floor flat with a nice garden, I had almost reconciled myself to moving.

at all this talk of gardens

Lol at the vertical bosco, it so reminds me of my relly's pad in Umbria where if you get out of the pool on the wrong side you roll down the very steep hill. Lots of snakes and scorpions too[shudder] that come in the house too[double shudder]. Do you have those too?

hello girls!!! just to say that I'm still alive! comp isn't though hence my disappearance! miss u all. what's new? will be back from hol on the 6th of sept with comp.
hope u are all well.
hh given birth yet?

Hi Pipi, good to hear you
Was wondering too about Hot.

No snakes here but scorpions galore, and I found a geko in my kitchen sink today.

Blimey Pippi, we did wonder where you had go to. So where re you going on holiday after all? Was it Greece?

I was wondering about Hot too, she's probably taking it easy these last few weeks.

Umbria -scorpions I lived in a country place for a few months and I had a phone directory always to hand - WOuld drop it on them and then wait for the caretaker to come and remove them- Tried putting cups / pots over them but the floor was too uneven and they got away . Always after a rain storm as well.Pippi glad all ok - HH due the 24 sept I think . I have ballooned to massive this last few weeks and have gone up 2 bra sizes ( back width) but seeing as they go up in 2's I guess its 4 .Bump goes from right under boobs!!!!

ciao, hijacking for Sputnik mainly, hope you don't mind.

Sputnik, i've decided that Poggio is probably the place for me and dd. I shall aim to spend a couple of weeks there this year and hopefully go for a few months in the spring. I just wondeered if you could possibly put some feelers out for me at the nursery that you mentioned.

I liked the idea of Casperia but can't do without a car and I like that Poggio is on the mainline for the trains.

any help would be much appreciated and perhaps we could have an MN poggio meet up

oh and if you happen to hear of any 1/2 bed apt/villa with outside space/terrace pref not too high up with internet access and a washing machine, please let me know

mi dispiace (sp) grazie

Delgirl think Little Italy are all on holiday for Ferragosto .......but I thought Sputnik was around.Sure we will all be back soon !!!

thanks Rosa , I know August is a quiet month in Italy. I'm so looking forward to getting out there now not least to get away from the English summer .