"Alpine Settler": June 2006

Friday, June 23, 2006

They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa

Mad? MAD....? Too bloody right I'm mad!

It's Tuesday 20th June and I've just spent the best part of the day running around like the proverbial 'blue ar**d fly'! If you're sitting comfortably (and can be bothered to listen), here's how the day went.

At 0815, 'bright eyed and bushy tailed' - I arrived at my Doctors surgery for prescriptions for my 'sweetie supply' ! I'm first, which is nice - no waiting... then after the 'niceties' she hit me with this - "Sorry, but ASL (like the NHS) at Lecco has removed you from my patient list"!

I 'kid you not' - I nearly had another bloody heart attack! I had applied to retain her as my doctor when I finally moved my residence from the Province of Lecco to that of Sondrio (in my case a huge distance of 1.5 miles away - but nevertheless in another Province).

All the 'request' paperwork was completed and deposited at the SO - ASL office in March. It then has to be adjudged by their Medical Council for approval or rejection. (They would have to pay LC - ASL for my doctors services). I was sent a copy of their 'favourable decision' made on the 13th April. This was dated 5th May - (well we ARE in Italy you know!!!!). I mentioned this to my doctor at the time and she said "Great - we'll just carry on as normal then...."
Little did we know!

So on Tuesday she is informed of my removal - so in effect I now have NO doctor.... What to do? First stop - local ASL office in Colico... "No" they say "you should still be with your Doctor. Phone THIS number at the Lecco ASL and tell them you have the agreement letter".
"Can't you phone them"? I stupidly ask...."No - you don't show on our computer any more!"

Told you it was fun. By now I'm getting very near to being 'carted off' to the funny farm.

So, back home to speak to the slowest, most stupid clerk that the Good Lord put on this earth! Don't they teach their clerks to let the customer explain the problem first - and THEN try and solve it for them???? He interrupted me throughout, to such an extent that I just stopped talking. It suddenly dawned on him that he was listening to his own voice and said "Are you still there"?
"Oh yes" say I..."I was just waiting for you to stop interrupting me by telling me that the problem was mine for NOT following 'the guidelines'. So WHAT must I do now to get my doctor back and some medicines before I have another heart attack"? As you may well imagine - by now smoke is coming out of my ears! I can hardly even 'think straight'.

They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa .... I know it!

No - wait. It gets better.
"You'll have to go to ASL at Sondrio and tell them that they should have asked us FIRST (?)"
Do I detect that his feelings have been hurt? I bloody hope so!

So before setting out for Sondrio, I chance phoning the office where I made the original request in Morbegno.... where a 'delightful lady' listened to the problem, said she remembered me and that the OK from the Lecco Medical Council had arrived in their office THAT MORNING! Just come over, see me and I'll organise everything straight away"......she says!
I can't believe it - in the midst of all this chaos I have found some 'Efficiency'!!

Well within 20 minutes I'm at her 'sportello' (window) and she tells me that 'Il sig. Impiegato Stupido' from Lecco has just phoned her and told her that 'his office' (not 'him') had not noticed that they had already accepted my request. He added that she was likely to have a very mad Englishwoman arriving before too long! She also told me what she called him, but I don't know how to write the 'dialect' for what she said!!!!!

So after just 10 more minutes and I have all my documents in order and I'm back on the Dottoressa's list.
Phew!
So perhaps They're NOT Coming to Take Me Away after all - Ha-Haaa!

Neighbours in the garden!

Well it's Monday and as expecting the builders arrived this afternoon with this enormous 'digger' (the machine was pretty big too! LOL). But the new neighbours Eros and Paula won't be moving in fo maybe a year....
Once the digger got down to the lower part of the land below mine they will have a huge hole dug for their underground garage plus of course all the normal drainage services which must be provided.

They did, as we agreed, try to remove the three trees of mine without damage, but only managed it with one. The other two they will replace with

trees of my choice (a fig and a cachi - I hope).

Here's the start of 'the hole' - which is, I'm sure, going to be 'gi-normous'. But I am so pleased - as I knew 'where' the house would be positioned before I bought mine - that once built it will hide the carpark you can see in the photo (shame....), but won't detract at all from my wonderful view of the mountains!

More photo's will follow - I'm sure!

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Well 'What do you know'!

A friend with another 'blog' did a 'Personal Dna Report' on herself and posted it....

I thought it looked like fun so I did one for myself, which I found not only quite revealing but funny too. I've posted it here for your amusement - so sit back and have a 'chuckle' at my expense!!!!

My Personal Dna Report

Want to do your OWN test? Well that's easy, just click here, open and begin:

Personal Test

So - what did you think?

Monday, June 12, 2006

Before and After!

This was the house when I first saw it in it's dreadfully delapidated state!

Everyone - No.1 Son included - said "You must be nuts"!
But I just knew I wasn't...I could see in my mind's eye what I wanted and how it could be.

Following long discussions with the 'geometra' and my nieces husband (a builder) the work started; and though not completely finished outside - the results were all I hoped for!

As you can see, the difference is quite considerable and to say I'm 'pleased' with the results is perhaps

just a tiny exageration!

I'm working now on a pictorial record of all the 'befores', and 'afters' of the story of 'N0. 519', and when it's finished I'll find out how to add it as a seperate item on the blog.....

This afternoon the young married couple who have been given the piece of land below me for thier house (by the family I bought the house from), came and said the builders will start excavations next week. So that will mean that their new house will be essentially below mine and will block my view of the car park below me (what a shame.....). But as I knew, it will not block my views of the mountains at all - and that is the main thing.

Friday, June 09, 2006

A bit late - but here's the Swiss day out.

Here the beautiful 'cascata' at Piuro just before the border.
Enter the church in th foreground to view the waterfall through the totally glass wall behind the altar!!!

Nearly there....

The 'local' daily rag....

Almost Home!

A typical Swiss village - unchanged no doubt for centuries .

Take a closer look at this house built around a large rock.... It's one of several around here!

20 yards to go and then Italy another 20!!!!

The Swiss Border Customs Post at Castasegna.

Only 22 miles now to 'home'!

Now coming back towards 'home'...

The Alps looking from Switzerland towards Italy!

Castles, castles - everywhere!

A nice way to warm up!

Here are Heather and John enjoying a nice Swiss hot chocolate - nice enough to warm the 'cockles of your heart'. As it was a somewhat 'chilly day' this was most welcome!

Some more of Switzerland.

Photo's of the 'Engadina' - the vally which leads to San Moritz.

On the way to the 'Maloja Pass'

Wonder how long this rock fall has been there? I remember it at least 40 years ago...

'On the road to San Moritz......'
Sounds like a Bing Crosby, Bob Hope film title!!!!

The beginning of the Maloja Pass... enlarge the photo and look carefully - you can see the road borders as you climb the side of the mountain....from botton to top the Maloja has 21 hairpin bends!

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Sunday Mini GTG

Well

here is the final episode of the Expats in Italy Monster GTG

- or at least the Northern Branch and it's goodbye.....

As arranged Jennifer B and her husband Davide joied us at my house before setting off to Posallo for the meal. Jennifer and Davide live and work in Vigevano, but also own an apartment on the shores of northern Lake Como - just 5 miles or so from me....

I had booked us into the same venue I went to for my nieces 25° Wedding Anniversary - Il Pecadero which is a family run agriturismo.

Two hundred yards past the restaurant the mountain 'dirt track' (memories of Villa San Michele in Greve in Chianti) peters out and there is just mountain woodland!!!!

Here having an aperitivo (very select - they only had white wine - no bar) are Annika and Lori.

And finally the group making up the 'final mini Expats GTG of the weekend....
Annika, Lori, Jennifer B, and her DH Davide...

The meal was, although good mountain food, fo me a bit of a disappointment. This because when I booked they didn't tell me that we would be the ONLY guests!!!

The family who own the place were joined by some friends at their table, but I felt that it was a bit unconfortable being the only others there. If a place is full- the atmosphere is so very different. So when I next speak to them I will express my disappointment. Not so much for me, but for the other four, especially Annika and Lori. But if nothing else the views almost made up for it!!!!

Now I must catch up with the photo's from the recent 'hop' over into Switzerland on the 24th May!!!!

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Sunday - going home!

Well after picking up Annika at her hotel and saying goodbye to Laurie there, we left for the drive back up north. The traffic was much lighter than on Friday, but thank goodness we were travelling in the morning and so avoiding the general meleè that was sure to materialise later in the day!

We had arranged to collect Lori from 'outside' Linate Airport at about 12 noon - easy for her to reach by bus from Milano and easy for me from the 'tangenziale' (Milano ring road)....
But - why is there always a 'but'? - she phoned to say that the usual frequent daily bus service from Milan centre to the airport wasn't 'frequent' on Sundays! (ONLY in Italy.....) and that the last bus was so full the driver wouldn't let her on???? The next bus was not until about 1.45pm. So I quickly arranged with her to meet at Stazione di Lambrate which we both knew...
So having the 'full load' we set off for the lake, stopping just outside Lecco for a pizza which Annika seemed to enjoy - professing that she 'couldn't possibly finish it all' while slowly demolishing it anyway (hahaha).... The on up 'lakeside' - no tunnels for a quick arrival today - and I suggested that they might enjoy going on the 'car ferry' accross the lake from Varenna to Menaggio and then we could complete the journey home up the northern side. So the photo is of Lori and Annika at the front of the little ferry with Menaggio in the background.
As you can see, now we were nearly home it had become 'warm' ...sod's law I guess, after the cold yesterday!

And yet more!

Gia-Gina and Judith (now almost out of hiding!

Alessandra, Julia and ????

Bob (the artist) and...and (?) sorry I can't remember....

Some more people....

Mentha and Judith (in hiding)

Sarah (American Girl in Italy) and Alice and a 'friend'.

Here's 'Sweetie Pie' again - now looking surprised!

Now for some people!

Alice Twain and Annika!!!!

Laurie from Torino and The Boss (aka Cristina)

Friday evening (reprtint...)

Well for some reason the last entry wouldn't print this photo.

So here is Lila with her 'minder' - Mum Yael!

Now just tell me that this isn't a face full of mischief!

No, no, no....Lila. Not Yael! (but then again...)

Friday 2nd June

Well the day started when I left home with the 'mutt' at 8am. We headed for Milano and he was left there in his 'holiday residence' (aka niece Daniela's home) for the duration..... Then it was back on the road and off down the notorious A1 Milano-Bologna - Napoli autostrada. The plan was to meet up with 'bardigiana' and her son Nick at the Cantagallo services near Bologna at about 12 noon....Yeah, right - NO WAY! The traffic was 'stop start' all the way, and via cellphone we both realised that we would meet up if and when the traffic permitted. Storms were looming over Bologna but apart from a few gi-normous claps of thunder and some pretty spectacular bolts of lightning, the rain didn't really materialise where I was! Mind you, I could see it was chucking it down not too far away. Well we finally met up, but the 'services' was like San Siro stadium on a World Cup Final....you couldn't move! Bardigiana and Nick had already eaten a snack, so we continued to the next services - which had now - for me - become a matter of necessity!!!!
Well we finally arrived at Impruneta at about 4.30pm, and after driving around what at the time seemed like half of Toscana, we found our B&B (no '5 star' for us)

See the photo above. It was very nice and after a 'wash and brush up' we set out to find Villa San Michele at Greve. Except it wasn't IN Greve but about 6km from there. But we found it at the end of a 2km dirt track in some beautiful surroundings.
Into the bar - where else(?) for an aperitivo and to be approached by this lady on the left with a 'little doll' in her arms.....yes here was Yael with the person - who for me was the "Star of the GTG" - her daughter LILA!

Now I confess, I don't usually (well almost never) like 'babies'... they annoy me and seem to have little or no personality whatsoever . For me babies emit rubbish from both ends - ot so I thought until I met Lila.....Oh what an absolute sweetie! Sweet, smiling and with a repertoire of facial expressions "to literally die for". For those of you who were there and met her for yourselves, you will know just what I mean!

We all ate together at the 'villa' that evening and apart from a few 'screwed up noses' when she decided that a jar of Piselli e Zucchini omogienizzati was never, ever going to be as good as what Mum and Dad had on their plates - she just entertained us with her gorgeous personality. Complimenti a Yael and Stefano for a super baby 'Expat'!!!

Morning Has Broken!

THE Day Is Here....

I was so excited I couldn't sleep.

The day had finally arrived!!!

But who would have thought that such a breathtaking view of the sky and our beautiful surroundings would be on hand to welcome us to this momentous day......

The "Monster 'Expats in Italy' GTG" day is finally here!