alma's activity

I think it's a wonderful plan to make the journey into an adventure. We always fly now for time and cost reasons but my favourite journey to Italy was our first one over 20 years ago in our 2CV. We didn't camp but found little B+Bs en route and stopped to explore if anything took our fancy. I love setting out in the morning and not knowing where I'll be ending up in the evening, but I must admit I've become less adventurous as I've got older. I'll have to take a leaf out of your book. Actually, I've just realised it's because of the internet I dont bother leaving things to chance now. It's so compelling searching out all the different interesting, quirky looking places that are possible to stay at when we have "holidays" within our holiday in Italy. 20 years ago it was easier to just take your chance. Have a great journey!

A similar thing happened to friends of ours a few years ago. Their hire car from Avis broke down (in the Lunigiana countryside) and, after ages getting through to anyone, a tow truck was sent to get the car. The driver had no interest in what would happen to my friends. As it was Sunday the nearest Avis office open was at Pisa. Luckily we had a car we managed to squeeze them into (making 6 people in the car) and could take them to the La Spezia office the following day to collect another car. We thought then how difficult it would have been if there were young children/elderly parents/masses of luggage, all abandoned in the middle of nowhere in the scorching August heat. We actually managed to laugh about it and decided it had actually been booked on Avis' dodgy sister's site, which we christened Mavis, and decided to steer clear of "Mavis" after that. It could have been much, much worse though. Are there in fact any car hire companies that offer more assistance in the event of a breakdown? By the way we have also had an Advantage car that only just made it back to the airport.

Very nice added to prosecco. My stepdaughter made both the cordial + champagne for her wedding and guests could choose which to add to their prosecco (well before the actual meal), according to how potent they wanted it to be.

What do you do when the car hire company say they haven't got any snow chains/tyres, as happened to us last Dec. and will probably happen this Dec. as well? Surely they are breaking the law not to provide them.

Can you PM me too please Joy?

A 10th body has been discovered and there may be more as the debris and mud is cleared. Some inland villages have suffered as much as the coast. The situation is still critical and more rain is expected. I dont think it's as simple as researching the lie of the land before you buy. Liguria is well used to rain, but I dont know anywhere that could remain unscathed after 20 inches, considering 3 inches is considered a lot. It is like the whole of Cornwall being in a state of emergency with many parts still cut off. I cant believe the papers have shown no interest here, considering the rubbish they do print. At least they seem to be getting a lot of help and support from other parts of Italy.

I wanted to post this on the thread about the current floods, but cant find it anywhere.I cant get on to page 2 of the threads. It's just that I'm amazed there seems to have been so little media coverage of this disaster in newspapers + on tv in England (there is a lot on the web) and most people I know are not aware there is a problem. It is an IMMENSE ongoing catastrophe, not just on the coast but in most of the province of La Spezia in Liguria, and part of Lunigiana in Northern Tuscany. It has been declared a State of Emergency.Bodies are still being found and more missing, animals dead, many people still without drinking water, whole communes cut off on all sides by landslides, houses and bridges destroyed in many area, many people still homeless. I know I am particularly concerned because my house is in that area (luckily undamaged and dry, but now only accessible on foot as the 3 bridges on the road leading to it have been washed away. In fact at present all the roads in the area are blocked), but nearly a week after the 20 INCHES of rain in a few hours created all this havoc, I would have expected to see more than just one brief mention on the news here. It has been described as an inland tsunami. My consolation is that I think maybe we will get a better road down to our hamlet, and that if our house can come out unscathed from that it must be situated in a good position. My heart goes out to those who have lost members of their family in appalling circumstances. One of the latest victims to be found had been in her car on the motorway when it was crushed by a pile of masonry from a collapsing house. Historic centres have been decimated. The area affected is bigger than most earthquake zones. I hope any community members who have a house in that area (not many in that part of Liguria I think) have escaped the worst of the damage. The government are donating emergency aid and there are sites on the internet open to receiving donations if anyone feels they want to help a little. If anyone can put this post on the correct thread, about the flooding, please feel free to do so.

Thankyou Spostroni + Gala for the links. Our house is in that area + it's really worrying. I wonder if the reason  no-one from Lunigiana/eastern Liguria has posted is because they have no electricity or phone lines? I do hope my neighbour is safe.

Why has this become a slanging match? I thought Flip's post at the top was quite witty and not a bit offensive. I'm afraid I'm one of the "guilty" ones who doesn't contribute much, spending most of my time in England, but I do like to read about things happening in Italy by people who know a lot more than me. I'd like to write something interesting but I've already exhausted my story of being rescued from a monastery toilet by a pilgrim by telling it to all my friends, and I'm not sure it would be all that useful to anyone else, apart from to warn them not to turn the key in that particular convenience unless they were certain that their OH, unlike mine, would not be completely deaf to shouts, bangs and his mobile phone. On the plus side, the pilgrim in question was young, tall and handsome.Iit was just a pity it was not a tall tower I was being rescued from, by letting down my hair or something. Loos dont give you quite the same street cred! The loo was in the Badia di San Salvatore di monte Corona, by the way.

I'm sorry, back to Ryanair again. I noticed they have now advertised next summer flights to Pisa from the north of England. The flights from East Midlands, our most convenient airport, are very reasonable, (well below those of Jet2 from not so convenient Manchester). As we always go about the same time and as you can still use any prepaid mastercard to avoid fees until the beginning of Nov, I have booked my next year's flights. The more I read about the new Ryanair payment card the more I want to avoid getting one. Just thought I'd mention this in case anyone else is in the same position and hadn't realised the summer flights had been released. Dont know how good flights from and to other airports are but I have paid about £300 pounds less than I would have paid on Jet2 for 3 return flights for 2 people.