FromNowOn's activity

 Colonel - are you one of the administrators of this forum posting under a nom de plume? What's the Italian equivalent of nom de plume?  I just language-googled it and it did not give me a translation. Have you been recruited to liven things up?  If so, it's working. Years ago I was listening to a local phone-in "solve your problems" programme on the radio where an agony aunt dished out advice.  There was a regular caller we listeners looked forward to hearing from, it was a bit like a TV soap, where we got updates on a traumatic relationship.  Well, one evening, the agony aunt unknowingly broadcast her private conversation to the producers asking for her "notes on the story". Well ........ that was the end of that agony aunt.  She lost all credibility and was taken off air permanently and a new Marje Proops (you have to be over 40 to know who she was) was brought in!  Don't be offended by my question, I like your postings, and I certainly don't want you to go "off air" in a huff.  We had a long debate a few weeks ago about one of the posters on the forum, was Tess a wind-up or was she not?  Eventually, we discovered she was indeed genuine, and had made friends on another forum.

I am so glad to know that Tess, or Almond as she's known on this other forum, has found some friends there. 

  Yes, in fact tess did come back.  She logged in once, and only once, just over a week ago.  She did not post a reply.  Maybe she was put off by so many hurtful comments.

I have just checked on "Member List" to see when tess last logged on and find it's when she made her second posting.  If, as some people think, this is a wind-up, then tess is taking no joy from it, as she hasn't seen any of the comments, helpful or otherwise.  Is it so crazy to drive out at night to try and make contact?  Perhaps, but when you are desperate, action has a way of lifting the spirit. I wish you a happier New Year tes, if you come back to us.

Here is a Limoncello Trifle recipe I made over Christmas with ingredients from Waitrose supermarket in the UK, yum yum .....  (don't know about ingredients availability in Italy, perhaps someone can suggest alternatives for any difficult to come by). Raspberry and Limoncello Trifle Madeira cake spread with lemon curd, dosed with limoncello liqueur and all topped off with raspberries and a mascarpone custard – the perfect end to the perfect meal. Preparation time  15 minutes   Serves: 8 Ingredients Madeira Cake (plain sponge) 2 tbsp Zesty Lemon Curd 2 tbsp Santa Marta Limoncello Liqueur 300g pack Frozen British Raspberries, defrosted 250g pack Galbani Italian Mascarpone 500g tub Custard 300 ml tub Whipping Cream 2 tbsp pistachio nuts, chopped Method 1.Cut the cake into six slices, then spread each slice with lemon curd and make 3 'sandwiches'. Slice each pair into quarters, then place in a 2-litre glass bowl. Drizzle the cake with limoncello. Scatter the raspberries over the cake, reserving a few for decoration.   2.Using an electric mixer, gently whisk the mascarpone and custard together until smooth. Spread the custard over the raspberries. Whip the cream until the whisk leaves a soft trail, then spread on top of the custard. Scatter the top of the trifle with the pistachios and the reserved raspberries.   Cook's tip Ready in 30 minutes or less http://www.waitrose.com/recipe/Raspberry_and_Limoncello_Trifle.aspx  

Hi Capo Boi - we have got Allan interested now.  I asked him to read our postings and then comment.  This is what he said:"The bit about the share of costs being proportional to floor area does seem to be the general outline, but there are any number of complications.  I believe that it is all laid down by law and the administrator carries around a big handbook which tells him all the percentages that apply to all the different parts of the building.  In the case of this particular terrace, it does form part of our garden so we pay the largest share.  But on the other hand it is the roof of the communal garage so everyone pays their bit as well.  The phrase "lastrico solare" keeps coming up, and broadly this seems to be the top covering of the building, whether it is roof, terrace or whatever.  A quick Google search for the Lastrico solare seems to show that it is the source of endless discussion and hair-splitting."Looking our garden terrace, you would not guess that there was any problem underneath in the garages.  I just want to make sure we get value for our 5000 Euros when we pay it, and that the problem is rectified.              

Good advice and it's more or less what my husband says too.  I didn't know the contract was with the flats and the builder only, I thought we might have some say as we are the ones shelling out!  This makes my mind easier, I don't have to worry if there is anything I should have done/said if there is a problem later on.  Thanks for your help Capo Boi.

Thank you everyone for your advice, it seems we have done the right thing in leaving the water and heating turned off in the flat in our absence. However, I don't know what my old mum would say about using bedding and clothes that hadn't had a good airing in the airing cupboard. She'd say we'll catch our death of cold!Hopefully not, the flat's only 8 years old and the radiators when turned on pump out a ferocious heat, so getting everything warmed up on arrival shouldn’t take too long.I think what was playing on my mind was the memory of an unfortunate flat we viewed earlier this year when we were property hunting, Admittedly, it was on the ground floor of an old stone house, and the electricity had been cut off for a few months, but the lovely furnishings were stained with streaks of mould and there was a cold, dank atmosphere, like you’d imagine you’d find in a newly opened tomb. I ran out of that flat like a shot – had I viewed it on a summer afternoon I am sure my impression would have been very different.We’ll soon become old hands at property owning in Italy. We've lived abroad before, but this time we're the ones footing the bills, so we want to avoid silly mistakes like leaving the water on when there's an Italian law against doing such a thing when a property is uninhabited for a while ....... which, horrors, might invalidate our insurance!

What do you do about your clothes and bedding?  Do you suffer a damp bed the first night?

I was house hunting in Lunigiana this year immediately after the New Year and it was extremely quiet.  I was surprised that the town centre 4* hotel we stayed in for 2 nights had no other guests!  I have been told that some of the family run restaurants put on a meal for the locals and that you would probably be made very welcome to share the festive set menu.  Rarely can you find anything advertised on the internet, so probably it is a good idea to enquire around as soon as you arrive.