karenr's activity

Just because your income is paid into an English Bank account doesn't exempt you from paying tax on it here if you are resident here.  I work part time for an English Company and income is paid (below UK allowance) into an English account but I still have to declare it here and pay tax and INPS on it.  Talk to Michael Murphy he is an expert on this.  He is often referred to on this site but if you are not able to find contact details I can let you have them.

Tufo is much cheaper than the concrete blocks suggested by Andiamo (we paid less than 1€ per tufo stone as opposed to around €5 per concrete block).  We have used both and also feel that the Tufo looks nicer as it ages and you don't need to buy plants and wait for them to cover the ugly concrete.  We have used Tufo to terrace our Orto.   We also have railway sleepers which we bought from our local "scrap man", this was about 2 years ago and he had removed them from a local farmer's land.  Not sure if legislation changed within that time.  Before we came to Italy my husband owned a reclamation company in Suffolk and imported sleepers from Russia.  Big, big demand for them and at that time there was not a complete ban, just couldn't be used in places like schools.  Given the height required the Gabion's would probably be the most cost effective??  This is the only type of retaining wall we haven't YET used.  We found a company that supplied them, but could never get them to give us a price as we didn't need that many. 

We have not actually met a porcupine but found a spine from one on the road by our house.  No problems with vegetable garden being devoured (other than the lizzards eating the strawberries last year!).  We hope to one day see the actual creature as we really enjoy witnessing the local wild life.  We have deer, badger (the cutest badger young were wandering along the road back in January), Golden Eagle, fox, mink, that we have seen and hoof prints that look like boar occasionally appear.  I suspect from the noises at night there is much more out there that we have yet to meet.  We live at Ripatransone, Marche.

We use both the red and white stabilizzante on the road down to our house (red on the bends).  The road is 650m, windy and steep and this stuff does what it says - it stabilises the road.  3 years after moving in and twice re-surfacing the road we now have a very solid road that copes even with the latest prolonged rain.  Don't complain if that is what you have as it is very expensive - much more costly than just stones or rubble.

We have an Italian friend who's German husband shared an office with the local Sindico and thus was aware of 4 sites (one being also immediately adjacent to his house).  Said site was also on one of the most beautiful "tourist routes" of this area but suddenly the sign to that affect disappeared!!  Meetings were held, petitions signed but to no avail.  Good luck but I fear if it is already approved you too will be unsuccesful.    

Michael used to advertise here (possibly still does) and has been very helpful to myself and my husband.  We do not have same circumstances but he and his Italian Commercialista partner Antonio seem to have the English/Italian issues covered. (I work for a UK company on a self-employed basis and live in Italy - scared most Italian Commercialiste.)  Michael/Antonio will give advice and prepare all returns as required and they do not charge silly amounts unlike some "professionals" who take advantage of the fact that many of us do not understand sufficient Italian and need English speaking professionals.  Worth contacting them!!  In the first instance mail Anna at  anna@mjmurphyaccounts.com  Good luck with the venture.

For those that know me I haven't suddenly turned into a biker.   Chris has used my "name" to submit the message.

We have renovated one property and completely rebuilt another.  We also have many friends/clients who have renovated property in this part of Marche and the tradesmen have all been excellent. 

That's what we were told here in Marche and duly have erected around our land.  Unfortunately doesn't stop the b******ds coming right up to your fence and waving their guns around.  I hate this time of year as dare not let the dogs out unless supervised even in our own garden.  My husband has a very old metal wheelbarrow that gets "hammered into shape" everytime they come anywhere near us and it can take hours to straighten out said wheelbarrow:-)  I'm not a vegetarian but object strongly to murder for fun!

I've tried growing it the last 2 years but it always goes to seed before producing enough leaves to use.  I know it can't be allowed to dry out and I have tried planting in different locations (even put some in a very large pot by door and watered it twice a day to ensure didn't dry out) but never successful.  Though I do have a large supply of seeds now for cooking!!  I suspect it is just to hot here for the variety of seeds I have (from England) so will have a go again with a different type of seed.  Got the lemongrass covered - stewardess friend "picked" us some on one of her jaunts to Thailand and it is now growing like grass:-) Sprouts covered too - grew our own last winter though they are readily available in most supermarkets now.  Yes my son and I are the ones who like sprouts:-)