7 - 2....Can't be bad!

OK – so it’s not been the best month or so in my life – though there have (obviously) been worse times. But I really felt like having a moan at how the life had treated me on my last blog….

And things have started to get better now...

• The snow that we had crossed our fingers NOT to get – we didn’t! 1 - 0
• The continuation of the rain never materialised. 2 – 0
• RAI said I hadn’t owned a TV license for 3 years. I PROVED I had! 3 – 0
• No ICI tax to pay in December (Hooray!) I paid it all last June. 4 – 0
• Dates for friends Christmas visits now fixed…. 5 – 0
• Discovered where, when and how ‘Naughty Nina’ died! 6 – 0
• Discovered that her (Nina’s) sister in law lived to 97 and died in 1997! 6 – 1
• No.1 son flying over on the 11^th just to have lunch with me!!! 7 – 1
• Yesterday my dishwasher ‘died and went to heaven’ (blo*dything –
• just before Christmas too)! 7 – 2

So – I suppose all-in-all at 7 -2 I’m still on the winning side. The new dishwasher has been chosen and should have been delivered ‘sometime’ today – but HEY, come on now - we’re in Italy where ‘today’ could mean anytime this (or next) week really.

(I wonder how long before I run out of clean plates though?)

Tomorrow is a National Holiday – the Festa del Immacolata concezione di Maria – The Immaculate Conception of Maria. It is also the Festa of Sant’Ambrogio in Milano. But everywhere (well almost) will be closed and so NO dishwasher tomorrow either! Sunday? Nah…not in Italy. So that means fingers crossed for Monday and on Tuesday I’m not here – off to Bergamo for lunch with Sergio.

Just think, his return flight with Ryan Air cost a WHOLE 2 pence ( €0.27 or $0.04) – plus taxes of £21, but as he says “Mum, I can’t even travel the 36 miles from Maidstone to London for that!” So thank you Ryan Air….

I know a lot of people complain about the ‘cattle truck’ treatment, but hey…it’s not exactly ‘long haul’ is it? A couple of hours of resisting their (RA’s) get rich quick sales pitches during the flight and you’re OK.

posted by Carole B @ 5:45 PM 3 comments links to this post

Back 'On the ball'....

These last three weeks have not been the best time I've ever had. It was delightful to have Sergio and his partner here for an, all-be-it, very short stay. One (actually two) bright stars in my firmament. We enjoyed catching up with the news and gossip - even thought Skype is a great way of shrinking distances between friends and loved ones at little or no cost. Thank goodness that phones aren't like this anymore! But calls can never replace sitting across a table and chatting about this, that and the price of fish can it?

Of course there were birthday presents to give - Serge for his BIG 40 and Lynsey for the belated gift for her $%&(£"% th birthday (she said she would shoot me if I revealed her age...hahaha). I gave them both a gold chain and let them choose between two gold charms... one was of a new moon and the other of a sun similar to this one here






...Lyns suggested that as Serge is a night owl with his work, he should have the moon. Seemed like a good idea.

While they were here I got my birthday and this years (all in one) Christmas present too. They bought me - wait for it...it IS exciting; an external hard disc for my computer. It was something I had wanted (not to say needed) as my PC only had 18gig (?) of which 15.5 was used. It was so slow it almost got a parking ticket every time I switched it on (talk about 'snail mail'
- well that was my PC!). But this new gadget/widget/thingamajig has no fewer that 268gig - so that will probably last longer that I will!

But back to the last three weeks - well I had a cold when they arrived and I almost needed a dog licence for the 'bark' I had.... a really hacking cough. Then that turned to catarrh and breathing when one's 'dose is all bugged up' and your coughing - just ain't a whole load of fun.

Climbing the stairs became a real chore when allied to the increasing arthritis too. So all in all I felt pretty sorry for myself.... I wasn't a 'happy bunny' - no way no how!!! Going out was literally limited to a quick dash for a bit of shopping then back in the warm. Couldn't even get my 'flu jab until I was a bit better either.

Things have slowly improved and despite a whole week when heavy rain has just NOT stopped for a minute - where's the nut who said "Well we do need it"? (GRRR), I managed to get to Milan for my annual check-up. That all went reasonably well and I'm 'free' again for another 12 months (phew)! But now I'm so behind with my own schedule that I've really got to get my finger out and re-organise all the jobs I've not been able to do and had to put on hold... As the Italians say "Beh - la vita e cosi!" ("Yeah - life is like that!"!). But all I really feel like is finding one of these

and rocking away 'til the cows come home...


During this forced 'rest time' though I have profited by having Skype and managed to at least have a bit of company each day - very important if you can't get out. Last week I suggested that friend Heather and her OH, John should come to me for Christmas - the reply was "Well maybe next year"... Better than nowt, and something to look forward to I guess. Then two days later they called back and asked if they could come over from 20th December 'til 3rd January'" - can they come over? I ask you... Of course they can. I can't wait. It will be lovely to have people here for both holidays.

So now it's really a case of 'nose to the grind stone' and waiting for the joys of Christmas with some very, very dear friends....

posted by Carole B @ 3:19 PM 0 comments links to this post

I'm back now.... Sorry to have been so long!

Yes I've been somewhat remiss again (sorrrry) about keeping up with the blog. But I'm going to plead insanity - no no no...I didn't mean THAT! I meant 'inability' (but then again maybe I was right the first time hahahaha). I've just been unable to find a minute to myself this last month. The time has literally flown by. In fact the seemingly 'distant' visit of No.1 Son and Lynsey (his lady) is already here and nearly - but not quite - over.

The research for 'Naughty Nina' is finally producing results - I've at last found where - and when - she died! The latest episode of the 'saga' will be written shortly; I'm still waiting for a copy of her death certificate (God Bless the British Post Office and it's strike....). In addition my partnership genealogy site "Gente di Mare" is growing. The membership is increasing slowly, but the 'visits/views' are very encouraging. In the 4 months since we launched we've had nearly 180,000 views - and October was our record month at over 50K. Then the translation side of my time is slowly growing and will - I'm sure grow even more when my new all singing, all dancing "Alpine Settler Journal" website is completed - this will be hosted by http://www.gentedimaregenealogy.com/index.php
I'm really looking forward to that as it will encompass my various hobbies and pastimes together under one roof. I'm not rushing though - I want the site to be pleasant and welcoming to anyone who pays me the wonderful compliment of spending their own precious time reading about my mundane life and interests..... so while I 'm on that subject let me just say

"Thank you - your company here with me IS appreciated, and it goes a long way to ensuring that terminal loneliness will never find a seat at my table!".

Well it's now Monday morning....
'The visit' is done and dusted and the 'children' (bless 'em) departed yesterday evening. I didn't cry when I said goodbye , well not until their car was out of sight.... I know I often speak to them on Skype , but that is never going to be the same as us sitting down to a meal together or watching a particular programme together. This time I asked them to bring over the DVD of 'The Queen' and it was nice to have some company to watch it with. THAT is one (seemingly silly) thing that I do miss.....being able to comment on a programme/film in English and so stimulate some discussion. I wonder if other expatriates understand what I'm trying to say.

I don't envy Sergio at all this week - he will have got home last night (this morning) about 12.30am, and at 10am today he flies to Amsterdam - returning later in the evening. Then a whole day back in the office, before leaving again - this time for meetings in Washington DC and then New York. All being well he'll get home on Sunday morning... He also told me that he is going to double up business with a bit of pleasure on his first trip to Japan after Christmas. He will take Lynsey with him and visit (between the ever present meetings) Tokyo, Osaka and hopefully Kyoto too. They will be spending New Year over there too. What a wonderful experience that will be - I must confess to a little touch of envy here. I have always wished I could have visited Japan - not modern Japan, but the rural areas where some of the 'old ways' still survive.

I suppose it's a bit like many of us who are now 'living abroad' - many of us have chosen to live an idyllic rural life - away from the rat race we lived in before! No - for me the quiet life of an Alpine Settler still has it's attractions and I don't think that will ever change!

posted by Carole B @ 11:39 AM 2 comments links to this post

The angel with 'warm hands'.

This afternoon there was an unexpected ring on the door bell – and as I had not been expecting anyone a quick peep from the window showed it to be one of the ladies from the village. So without more ado – I welcomed her and we sat for a while chatting about ‘this that and the price of fish’ as one does during unexpected visits.

But she kept looking at my hands – clearly she was curious - and she finally plucked up the courage to ask “Do you have problems with your hands? Are they painful?” Well it wouldn’t take a genius to realise this as my wrists are swollen and on the back of both hands between my index fingers and second fingers there has been a swelling for some time - that my GP puts down to ‘using the computer’….. The swellings aren’t painful, but a little unsightly, but I also have (and have had for a number of years) a stiff neck and shoulder. So much so that I do find it difficult to turn my head to the left without pain and if someone holds my shoulder at the top I will yelp from the pain.

This was caused, I believe, when I took my son (then aged about eight) on a fast carousel – a bit like this one here, but with the ‘buckets’ alternating with two-seater motorcycles, one of which my son 'just had to go on!

This went very fast and I had to hang on, not just to me, but to him too… long story short – I damaged the muscles in my arm and shoulder. Within an hour my shoulder was twice the normal size. Visit to the doctor told me I was right – torn shoulder muscles “Put this cream on it and it will get better…..” he said. So I did and it did seem to. But over the years it has continued to give me some pain.

Now the reason I’m telling you this is that this neighbour ‘told me’ that I had injured my shoulder (?????) and that though I did have some arthritis, a lot of my problems were with the nerves and tendons in my shoulder, arms and hands! There she is sitting on my pouffe next to me and holding one of my hands. That was when she started to ‘rub’ my forearm very hard with her fingers, which seemed very hot, and suddenly I felt a searing pain and literally ‘yelped’…. “Ah” she says “there’s ONE of the problems, now let’s find the others!”

She then explained that she would have to start at the top of the arm and she dug her fingers into my shoulder! Well I didn’t yelp this time – I damned nearly hit the ceiling!!! Geez – that really hurt… But she continued with this kind of massage and I could actually FEEL the pain easing. After nearly an hour of this she said it would be best to rest now and she would come back in a few days to continue working on the ‘inflammation’ that I had in my one shoulder and both arms. But in just that hour the swelling on my left hand has almost disappeared and I can now turn my head more that I have done for at least thirty years. She reckons that given a bit of time it will be back almost to normal. Both hands and fingers feel so much freer than for sometime and far less tender/painful to the touch……

Honest it was like a miracle. I have heard of people with these powers but have never believed, or disbelieved, in them. But after today I’m really not so sure. After the session we had, as we always do when she visits, a nice cup of English tea, and she refused me flat when I offered to pay her for what she had done. We arranged that she would come back on Tuesday afternoon – so, fingers crossed there might be some more improvement!

She did 'let slip in conversation that she had tasted some 'Grand Marnier' and liked it, so I think for starters, at the very least, a bottle of that next Tuesday will be in order.

posted by Carole B @ 1:06 AM 6 comments links to this post

Time flies when you're having fun!!!

Well it doesn't seem possible, but Paddy's (aka 'friend Pat') visit has already come and gone. I picked her up at Orio al Serio Airport (Bergamo) on the 23rd for her (what has now become) 'autumn break' here with me.


We hadn't made any specific plans about what to do - just as long as we went over the Spluga Pass to the village of Splugen to visit the 'Piz Tambo' for our favourite Swiss rosti.

Once we were home on Sunday the first job was for the 'mutt' to go bananas 'cos Paddy had come back.... he does his kangaroo impression every time someone he knows returns! Then Paddy unpacked her case which (as per usual - bless her) contained such treats as 1lb Lincolnshire sausages, Brussels pate, 250g English County salted butter, packs of Coleman's Chili con Carne mix and Coleman's English Mustard (the new squeezy bottle)! All very welcome indeed - a little bit of dreamed of satisfaction for my taste buds!

The weather on Monday was 'fairish' (see the photo above) - a bit overcast, but not cold. We went out and did a bit of shopping. That's Paddy's pastime- show her a shop and she's like the proverbial pig in ****! She's a self confessed 'shop-a-holic'!!! While we were shopping I actually went into a jewellers - much to Paddy's delight - as I am still looking for a suitable gift for No.1 Son for the 'Big 40'! He has since told me that he will be able to get over for a long weekend on 1st November - not quite on his birthday - but hey....it's just nice to have him here. I bought his card some (long) time ago back in the UK and wrote it this week. Paddy is going to post it for me from the UK to be on the safe side.... when I had written it I read what I had said and we both ended up like a sobbing mess for quite a few minutes! Sentimental - that's too often my problem...

So Tuesday arrived and so did the rain. It actually started late on Monday evening and was heralded in by one enormous clap of thunder about midnight. Then this is what we woke up to on Tuesday morning - snow above the 1400m line.....

In fact there was a decided 'nip' in the air and as the day went on, the rain continued and it just got colder and colder. So there was nothing for it but to turn the heating on - in SEPTEMBER - in ITALY!


But on the Wednesday morning we woke up to this wonderful sunrise - I couldn't resist taking a picture













Well the week, weather wise, didn't change at all, but I managed to shift her thoughts of 'shopping' to a new interest.....GENEALOGY! She had read my 'Naughty Nina Saga' and we chatted about what was entailed in following leads to find ancestors. She asked if that could be done for her family too? Of course it can be done for any one's family and as I am a paid up member of 'Ancestry.com' that is a good place to start. So we did! Within minutes we discovered that her great grandfather had joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1914. We found his signing on papers and there were a few tears as Paddy saw his actual signature for the first time. Result? Yes you've guessed - she was well and truly 'HOOKED'. From then on, apart from our meals and one or two visits to a restaurant or a shop, plus of course the evening dose of 'Eastenders' - we were searching away to find details of many of her 'long lost' family. I must say we were pretty successful and Paddy is now going to continue searching now she's back home.

But we both agreed (her family is the same as mine) that our forebears created a real minefield with their habit of giving the same name to at least one person in each generation..... AND it is surprising just how many people have exactly same name, at the same period, but in different towns and even countries! That really does cause confusion to novices like Paddy and I.

So now I'm here on my own again - not that this is a problem - back to talking to everyone via Skype and following various translations and family researches - my own included - with Nuccia (aka Amie) my friend and partner in Toronto.

Debra tells me that she is almost back to normal (but I don't really believe her...) but now has an album of about 400 photos to remind her and Joe of their Italian experience. So it seems it's now all systems 'GO' for their planned future retirement to (maybe) Bellano. Now that would be nice!!!

Another nice surprise came too from Heather and John this week - a lovely photo of the house from the 'mountain stream end'.... Don't usually take photo's from there. John took this one and it does make it look nice now it's painted.



So the time for my 'visitors' is over for another 'season'. Just Sergio and Lynsey now for their 'quick dash' in and out of Italy and then I'll settle back and wait for next spring and see who that brings to my door....

"Cant wait!"

posted by Carole B @ 5:45 PM 2 comments links to this post

Nearly the end of the 'Visitor Season' - alas!

Well here we are at the end of the summer. This morning it was only 14°C at 10am and that is quite a drop over recent days. There is a decided 'chill' to the air these days and last night I had to get out a ''light trapunta" (eiderdown) for the bed. I have what are called 'mezza stagione' (half season) ones which are just right for early autumn and late spring, then of course the heavier "duvet's" that are either 'twin' TOGS that can be separated and the heavier 13TOG ones. But that light trapunta was really welcome last night - it's not frosty (yet) - but I sense that frosty mornings aren't too far away... I always sleep with my bedroom windows open and the 'persiane' (shutters) closed. NO heating either...so a good trapunta or duvet is really a neccessity.

But tomorrow sees the arrival of Pat (aka Paddy) for a week here with me... it maybe her last this year. I might have to turn the heating on for her - only set at maybe 20°. I don't want her getting a cold. Mind you - I've got a real 'stinker' at the moment. I got cold on Tuesday when we had some pretty awful storms here - accompanied by high winds. Something hardly ever seen hereabouts. We do get - at this end of the lake - a breeze every afternoon about 4pm. It is called 'The Breva'. Each part of the lake gets a breeze like this and all have their own local names for them - like the 'Tivano' found only at the southern end of the lake at Lecco, and from time to time the north wind called the 'Vento' or 'San Vincenzo '... as you can see here these winds are great for para surfing and sailing - but can be treacherous too....

Just four weeks ago two 15 year old boys from my village were canoeing when a sudden violent gust blew their canoe over - one managed to swim ashore - his friend didn't. His body was found the next day. A tragic moment for his family and for us all here in the village. Both boys were brought up 'on the lake' so to speak and despite their young years were very aware of the dangers - but this time the 'Breva' beat them!


I've never known a country so taken with giving names to 'winds' that always arrive from certain directions.... A few that Italy has/uses are the Scirocco, Bora, Libeccio, Mistral and the Levantera!


But leaving the weather aside for a moment - tomorrow (Sunday) it's a nice easy journey (no weekday rush hour traffic) to Orio al Serio airport at Bergamo to collect Paddy. She's flying this time from East Midlands airport instead of Stanstead. EM is better for them as they live near Banbury - but we'll see what advantages there are over Stanstead.....at least I know that Jozef (DH) won't have to get up in the middle of the night to get to the airport in time. The EM - Bergamo is a later flight and gets here at 2.55pm!

Paddy is my last 'scheduled' visitor this year. Though No.1 Son is due some time in October. It's the "BIG 40" for him on 10th October, but he will be in London then. He'll celebrate with me later in the month - who after all wants to be reminded of the 40th? Not him, I know....and certainly NOT me as his Mum!

Geez - FORTY YEARS - where HAVE they gone?

posted by Carole B @ 11:07 AM 1 comments links to this post

The 'Naughty Nina Saga?

For anyone who may have found an odd couple of minutes to spare - and who used them to read about Naughty Nina (my maternal grandmother) - you may like to know that after several months there is a little bit ('but not a lot') of new information about her early life! I've now written Episode Two to the 'Skeleton In The Cupboard' and it is getting quite interesting now.

I do suspect however that Episode Three is going to involve quite a lot of research as it is going into the realms of Public Census' taken from 1911 onwards that are not yet available to view by the public. So without access to those it means a search for a person, bless her (not) whose sole aim for the last years of her life was NOT to be found by her daughter... I now know that she might/could have been using any one of FOUR different names during this time and that alone makes the research, if not difficult, then very long winded!

Here's the link to Episode Two....N.B. If you missed Episode One just scroll down to see it!

http://www.caroleinitaly.com/thenaughtyninasaga.htm

Hope you enjoy it!

posted by Carole B @ 9:06 AM 2 comments links to this post