FromNowOn's activity

I am so glad to get your confirmations - it just goes to show - always ask a local for their opinion!

See my earlier posting today recommending Mondo Convenienza http://www.mondoconv.it/  As well as stores in many areas they have an online catalogue. 

It looks as though you have typed your message in the Subject (heading) rather than in the Comment box underneath. Please post your message again SconesAndTea so that we can all read it..

Thank you everyone - I now know that salt can be found in large packets on the bottom shelves of Italian supermarkets, not high up in little barrels like you find in England.  I love the stuff; I need it sprinkled abundantly on my home fried chips, in salad dressing, in hand rolled meatballs, and of course,  it's good for dipping into with mild raw onion and eaten with cooked white beans in tomatoes and olive oil.Yes I know it's not good for the blood pressure, but without it, food is not at its best.  Natural flavours are enhance with wonderful SALT in the correct measure.

Hello Romilly, yes we know the area you live in.  We started our house-hunting in the Sestri Levante area but quickly realised the prices there were out of our budget. Earlier this year we were in Tavarone looking for some flats with a wonderful view that we had seen on the internet.  We found them, and Taverone.  The snow was just beginning to melt, and we had to be careful on the slopes.  The views were fantastic.The reason we are so interested in the Sestri Levante area is that Allan's great-grandfather came from there, and we spent several years successfully tracking down the family branch left in the area.  This invovled making appointments with local priests to go through their registers with them.  (No mean feat when Allan's Italian language skills were in their infancy at that time!).  One priest took us down into his church's private "museum" where he had stored all kinds of ancient religious paraphernalia.  We have a great interest in family history and have set up a website containing a database of original historical legal documents relating to people in England and Wales who entered into any kind of legal agreement http://www.familychest.co.uk/  If anyone is researching their family history, our website might be helpful, as it contains lots of personal information on the people involved in the transactions.In the end we bought an apartment with garden in the North Tuscan area of Lunigiana.  It's not too far from Sestri, and very close to the wonderful coastline of the Cinque Terre.  We are much newer to home owning in Italy than you, as we are about to visit the apartment for only the second time next week.It seems that family history has not taken off in Italy, I suppose it is because families are inclined to stay together in the same area, and everyone knows all there is to know about their own family.  Or at least they think they do.  Allan's family are not quite convinced about the English side, despite hard evidence!      

Hello Sparky - would you mind if I ask you a question please? We have just bought a flat.  It has an electric oven which looks fairly new, but the estate agent warned us that it didn't work.  Nevertheless, I couldn't resist trying it out.  It appeared to heat up without any trouble, but at the exact moment that I switched it off all the lights went out - ie. the circuit breaker for the whole flat had tripped out.  (No permanent problem - just reset the circuit breaker and everything is ok).  I should mention that all the kitchen appliances - oven, fridge/freezer and dishwasher - are simply plugged into an expansion block lying on the floor underneath the kitchen units.  For the moment, never mind that it probably isn't safe, the question is whether this is the cause of the fault.  Or can you suggest anything else please? We are very new holiday home owners in Italy, and don't have any contacts yet.  What's the best way to find a qualified electrican in our area (Villafranca in Lunigiana, North Tuscany)? 

The last I heard the jackpot winner had still not come forward, allegedly afraid that the 'criminal underworld' might be interested and want a 30% share.  What about other lottery winners in Italy, have they managed to stay anonymous? I think if I had such a huge amount of money within my grasp, I'd be tempted to pay them off and hope they did not bother me again after I had invested my remaining millions in a business, a house or two, and had a share-out with my family and friends. The mayor, Gianfranco Lazzeroni, said a million euros would be enough to transform the fortunes of Bagnone, which has a population of less than 2,000 and, like so many Italian villages, has been bleeding inhabitants since the 1940s.  Perhaps the winner could give most of the money to the major to invest in the community, and let him worry about the thugs.  He could then sit back and enjoy all the new civic benefits to Bagnone and be everyone's friend, whilst sitting comfortably on a few million in the bank  - no worries!   

For the last couple of days I have been reading with interest about the villagers of Bagnone who are sharing in their unnamed neighbour's joy at his win of the Lottery Jackpot.  It seems they take for granted the village will benefit from the win, and the mayor has already expressed a view that a new "community building" would be beneficial to all, and a good way of spending 1 million of the 148 millions the winner has pocketed.  I hope they are not disappointed.  I agree a new community building would be useful.  I attended an onion festival in their current building on the outskirts of town earlier this year.  The whole town seemed to be visiting throughout the day.  Food and produce was on sale, and in the upper hall, benches were set out, and everyone was sharing the cooked food and pastries on sale.  They seemed a very happy lot, laughing and joking, and very welcoming to us, the only foreigners visiting at the time.  I bought some local olive oil, and would have bought some onions had I been staying longer, but we were going home the next day. Bagnone is a lovely place and very close to the apartment we have just bought.  I hope they are still celebrating when I arrive next week.  In such a small town I suppose many of the residents are related, will have known each other all their lives, and so there can't be many secrets.   I hope they don't tell the identity of the winner so that he can continue to live in Bagnone unmolested.  (I doubt it!).

Thank you for telling everyone THEY DO HIDE THE SALT - I don't want everyone thinking I am a nit-wit.

Good - I am looking to expand my gift ideas for the neighbours, so I'll add on M&S biscuits etc.