JaneFAB's activity

We have just driven to the UK and back through France, without the requisite breathalyser. As said previously, the kits are not on sale in any motorway service stations (daft or what), and according to our friends who live in France, the maximum the gendarme can fine you anyway is 5 euros! So by all means buy them if you come across them but it is not worth stressing about!

Esme No - we're actually in Caserta province in a small town called Castel Volturno. At the moment we are not allowed our own sindaco ( along with Casalei di Principe and another town) because of misappropriation of funds -  what does that tell you about the area we live in? And the guy that headed up the town planning last year is now no more because he got caught-up in a building development scandal involving the Camorra and laundering of 250 million euros! Although cleared he has now been moved sideways and we await the arrival of somebody from Caserta....hhm how long will that take? By the way you gave me directions to a place on the Amalfi Coast - haven't forgotten to go there, just last time we went we did AC from the other way round and ran out of time. Will let you know when I do finally make it!  

Thanks Al - your post really cheered me up and yes, we are lucky enough to have plenty of friendly neighbours aside from the prat. And my partner arrives back this evening having done the long drive over form the UK (in the van this time - Harley safely with me) so we shall takle our 'shed problem' with renewed vigour - I like the idea of a shed on wheels! Will let you know how we get on.....  

With my post, 'the legality of building a shed' it may seem we don't have any nice neighbours. But, apart from the one mentioned, they are a delight. They have always been friendly when we used to visit for  1 or 2 months every summer, but since we have moved here they have been even more generous. We have woken to find huge bags of tomatoes and zucchini flowers tied to our gate, we have had suppers cooked for no apparent reason and they are always interested in what we do and where we have been. They think it so funny my partner can't speak Italian and tease him that after so many years he only knows 5 words, but they love him too because he is always friendly and open and will help any one of them out if he can. Elderly neighbours have let us use some of their land, at no cost, to grow vegetables; keeping a watchful eye at every turn. They didn't want any of the produce - just canny enough to know if we used the land we would keep it clean and free of weeds and save them the cost of clearing it every few months! Our 'star' neighbour tho' must be Franco who lives across the way. Tailor by day (although officially retired) and theatrical entrepreneur by night he has taken us under his wing. Our relationship is quid pro quo - we drive him to the shops when needed and Dave is forever making/mending things in his 'laboratorio' and house. Last year we helped him with the show, by making the scenery,getting shop-keepers to stick-up his publicity posters, putting out chairs and generally running around after him to make sure everything was in place on the night. He paid us the highest accolade by having our names on the programme and giving us a special thank-you at the end of the show - welcoming us as part of the town rather than 'stranieri'. He has cooked for us more times than I care to remember, put on dinners when we have had visitors and always thanks us with a "un bel caffè" for our time. So we may have one horrible neighbour, but he is eclipsed by the rest, who our now true friends as well as neighbours!  

Grateful for all your answers - think I am having a case of the 'Italian blues' at the moment! We have had the house for 7 years but only lived here permanently for 20 months and the neighbour is a real sticking point. Nobody likes him which is some comfort and the majority of the town are lovely and have welcomed us with open arms, but there is alwalys one isn't there! Probably would be easier if we went for a pre-build but my partner is a builder and won't have any of that! Anyway he returns from the UK this weekend so we will then have to decide our future here. If you know of any cheap buildings to restore or land in Liguria would love to hear. Thank-you for all your support, nice to know we are not alone in over here!

We have tried the friendly smile and in fact he has no reason not to like us apart from the fact he wanted to buy our house (before we saw it) to make more parking for his house but offered the owners only a tiny amount of money to do so. I think he may also be upset cos he is an architect but we didn't ask him to do our plans. Bit difficult for us to have done that as we had no idea he was an architect at that time! I once thought I had made a breakthrough with his wife last Nov, when she actually smiled and said good morning in response to my smile and greeting. But then we got a solicitor's letter from her 10 days later telling us to cut down our trees (see my previous post!). I think we will be selling-up here as we know if we do any more building he will just complain or get the commune come along to fine us. All the other inhabitants get away with builing more storeys and then using them (illegally) as bedrooms but if we know if we were to do this he would be straight off to the commune to complain! So even though we know what the laws around here for what building works are allowed and what isn't and we have planning to build what we want we aren't allowed to use it as we want! That sounds rather Irish I know but that's the way it is here. The final straw is therefore not being able to replace our demolished shed so that my partner can store his Harley in the winter months. Anybody want a house in Campania..............?!

Thanks, but really that isn't the best bet! This is not a personal rant against you because I know everybody tries to help each other on this forum but... It was the commune who didn't write to us to tell us our planning had been rescinded - because we had an English address. It was the commune who gave our builders the boards they had to put up before starting to do the job without checking they had in fact rescinded it, and it is the commune who have changed their minds yet again on what we are allowed/not allowed to with the rest of our building works. And it was our geomet who gave us the thumbs up to say we could go ahead and then just apologised and said the commune hadn't written to him either when we had to tear down what we had already done - foundations and pillars - (jealous neighbour who also happens to be an architect complained). And several conversations with other geomets/architects in the town have shone no further clarity on the matter. Possibly doesn't help that we live in a very corrupt area of Italy and people of stature (i.e. our neighbour) hold a lot of sway with the commune. So, I was hoping for a definitve answer, link to an Italian law that I could wave under our neighbour's nose when he (which he surely will) complains about us putting up a shed. Phew - rant over!!

I live in Campania and received mine in January - it lasts for 5 years. Meanwhile, my partner, who became a resident at the same time as me still hasn't received his!

Will certainly follow this one up Esme...

Well, the plants are doing well, and we have taken onboard all the advice given. We are constantly inspected by our neighbours, the people that own the allotment, the guy who has a strip of land next to ours and the lady next door. All provide advice and encouragement, and tell us how well we are doing in our first year! Yes Castel Volturno is disadvantaged to say the least and not nearly as posh as Tuscany (more Mafia, mozzarella, prostitutes and rubbish) but it is a great base to get to the Amalfi Coast/Pompeii/Ercolano/Vesuvius etc, etc and you can't fault the friendliness of the people! Must dash - now got to sort out IMU payments, insurance for the motor on our boat,  disputes over permission for buildng work because of a jealous neighbour etc.etc.etc. All part of living in Italy - hey ho! And yes we read up on as much as we could before we moved here and keep doing our research over here - but much of the intricacies and bureaucracy of Italian life are beyond even the locals understanding!!