Mumsnet Little Italy 6

[Rosa]

Ciao , Hello , Welcome .

It rained cats and dogs the whole morning here Rosa, still very humid though ...

Hope your mil gets all the tests she needs and recovers from her fall quickly.

Delgirl, Rosa is right. I think Viareggio is a good tip, you can have walks in the pineta and visit the beach

We had a thunderstorm too, just as I was picking DD up from school. Got absolutely soaked, the rain was horizontal and my shirt was a wash out. It's quite a bit cooler here now though (Franca, it seems that there are advantages to being in Brianza after all). So Rosa, I'm sure it's going to blow your way sometime soon, I've just checked the clouds and they seem to be going eastward.....

The weather is apparently going to be really bad this weekend, just in time for the F1. Monza centre is packed and it'll get worse over the next 2 days, they close a lot of roads and the traffic gets really bad. So I've decided I'm going to spend the weekend at the lake, just packed DD off with nonna and I'll go up later today. I really should rent out my place to F1 enthusiasts for heaps of money, but I don't think they'd want to spend loads of cash and look after 2 cats at the same time.

Delgirl, agree don't stay in Pisa, all there is to see is the main square, it'll take you 10 mins max. Get a train to somewhere else in Tuscany or even Umbria. The coast is pretty good too, loads of places to visit and the beaches are excellent for children. Alternatively you could go to a spa, did you know that Tuscany is the region with the highest concentration of spas?

at hunky ambulance men in a boat. Somehow being in a boat makes them sound hunkier. Do you have firemen in boats too?

Yes, the forecast is not good. ANd I'm stuck in Milan with the dc, dh is abroad for a conference and my mum and my aunt are away, friends will be all away, so I'm doomed

Thanks for the tips, will have a re-think. Maybe I will just stay one day/night then. The flight back is at 9.45 am hence wanting to be in the area but I can stop off somewhere else......Florence? Ok, where should I stay there? Not too expensive, any ideas. Many thanks for the help I will be in need of 'virtual' help when I move there.

I would like to visit a beach but it's not high on my list as I live on the coast here. When I stay in Lazio, I think i'll take a trip to the nearest lake and possibly the beaches. Is the east coast better than the west? questions questions

just read about the weather for the F1, my friend is honeymooning there as she loves Italy and he likes F1. I hope they don't get washed out. I know they've had a few good days so far in Venice and Lake Como so that's something.

Oh dear, how dire. I would suggest a trip to the Museo dei Bambini but there doesn't appear to be anything on at the moment. There really isn't much to do in Milan when it's raining, is there? There's always Play Planet if you were after a headache....

A friend of mine is stranded in London because of the channel tunnel fire and she is complaining. Poor thing can't find a flight, ferry or even a donkey to get back to Paris. I'm quite as I would love to be in London right now, it seems ages since I was in the UK.

West is best usually, only because the Adriatic is often not the cleanest of seas.

The sun has come out here so the F1 may not be a wash out after all. Don't suppose your friend wants to rent a flat in the centre with 2 cats to feed for an extortionate amount of money, does she?

Florence is usually horrendously overpriced. How about Siena? Much prettier than Florence imo. Probably horrendously overpriced as well though....

Storm on its way ( HERE NOW !!!) as Dh in hosp and dd asleep - MIL has had 1 x ray and now waiting an orthopedic ( SP SP alert) visit. Its busy there today I have this feeling that if it doesnt stop by 6 ish I will be getting wet -Heavens nothing makes me happy today but we are in urgent need of milk dont have any long life and dd would divorce me if I tried to give her water for breakfast ! Yes we do have firemen on a boat as well - some are hunky !!! I said to dh do you think they would carry me if I needed an ambulance in labour - He replied they would need a crane !
Delgirl Florence with a 3yr old does not appeal to me at all to be honest Siena a bit more but its a pain getting to on public transport. Where are you coming up from to catch the plane ?
Brang did you get shoes ?
Franca the bickering ?

No, no shoes alas, ended up having to go to super as had run out of dishwasher powder. Sigh, life is sooo boring.

Oh dear for your MIL. Is it likely she has broken something? Will you have to have her at your place during convalescence? Lol at your DH and the crane comment, DP said the same thing about me when I was pg (is still saying it alas). At the time we still worked together and I had to designate 2 people who would be my "guardians" in case of a late pg fainting fit or whatever and he was worried about having to carry me down the stairs to the infirmeria.

erm Brangelina probably not, sorry, I suspect their accomodation is sorted but if they get stuck, i'll let you know .

Rosa, I'll be coming back from Rieti area so pretty central. I don't mind where we go but I was going to dump the hire car back to Pisa and have 3 days without a car but nothing is booked yet. Possibly a place with plenty for dd to do would be good actually.

Delgirl, I do apologize as my brain is in mash , but I need a detailed description of your next trip to Italy, how many days, when, where etc so that I can think of something.... as i said, unfortunately I'm not an expert on Tuscany (only know the area around Volterra, which is superb)...
I will have to disagree with Brangelina though () as the many locations on the Adriatic sea in Le Marche have a blue flag for clean waters...

Rosa, today no bickering.... mainly because they didn't spend anytime together . I picked ds from school at 12.30 and together we picked up dd from materna at 4. We went to buy a present for a friend's birthday and now they are both at another friend's house playing until 6.30. They are usually all right with other children around...

Still incredibly hot here, despite this morning thunderstorm.

Delgirl, we'll comfort you in your moving, I promise

Thanks Franca. I'll come back when I've got more detailed plans, i.e when and for how long basically. But I will start and end in Pisa and spend the majority of the time near Rieti as i'm hoping to move to Rieti/Poggio area next spring. I say move, I mean stay for 3 months or so to try it out.

France. To be fair I did say "usually" and "often". I have seen clean Adriatic water at Fano so I know it's not everywhere. I'm just a bit scarred by 3 months at Lido delle Nazioni in full zuppa di fagioli season[yuk].

Or even Franca.

I've been writing rather a lot of emails to France today, hence my slip.

. I was being campanilista, as nr Fano is indeed where I spent my childhood holidays (and where we were for 1 week this summer, best fish I've ever eaten!).

Delgirl, . I'll ask a good friend (epxert in tuscany) a few tips re pisa for you.

Hairline fracture of femure.....will need to be operated on- At our place its 40 stairs up. However as I only have 1 child and dh has more spare time than BIL. I am betting that it will be DH that will go and stay with MIL.
No idea on recovery etc etc I am feeling a biy guilty as she was sort of launching to catch dd who was in hyper after finishing nursery. Mind you I am sure she tripped on paving its pretty uneven .
Tuscany delgirl I would hang on to the car hire rather than try 3 days in Pisa without honestly you will be bored . How about San Gimignano / volterra way with the car lots of lovely places to see.

Oh no Rosa ! So sorry for your mil! How old is she? Often the recovery depends on age, I think. Do you know when's she booked in for the operation? gosh, non ci voleva

when's? where does that come from ?

No idea when - SIL came back to get things for MIL so am guessing DH staying there till she gets settled on the ward etc. No non ci voleva x niente . SIL will now go OTT re hosp vists and dopo cura - I just want to escape back to the Uk - I know its sounds really selfish but Since being back I have found it really hard - The waddle has started and I gave to go slow on everything.
Oh well it could be worse. Its still humid but I must admit a bit fresher so thats a positive !

Thanks, I mean I will only start and end in Pisa as that's where i'll fly too but I don't have to stay there I could spend the afternoon there perhaps when we get there, will that be enough?

Rosa, I agree, I always find it difficult to settle back to daily routines after a long summer. I'm already tired after only one week of schoolruns!! I hope no one expects you to be the most active in hosp visits etc . You need to look after yourself and store up some rest for the first months with new baby.

Delgirl, you can probably visit Pisa in less than one day. If you are interested in the area around Volterra (you'll need the car though), I can recommend a lovely agriturismo on the hills.

Well - as I thought. The ward she is on ( immobile ovbiously) you can go in from 7 am -8.30 - so you help with breakfast !! Then from 11.30 - 3.30 and then from 18.00 . Dh was there at 7 and he went back at 11.30 . SIL had hairdresser this morning but can go this afternoon and has already been going OTT about cure, operations and moving MIl to another hospital etc. Thankfully DH has said we do nothing until we get all facts from Primario etc on Monday and then decisions can be made. DH is working tom - hurrah. Have ironed for 1 hr back is in agony and as for rest maybe an early night!!!!!