"Alpine Settler": May 2007

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

But it's June in three days!!!

It's was no surprise I suppose to wake up to all this....
It's been raining here for several days and the temperature has been gradually dropping from the 'heady heights' of 38°C that it was ten days ago.

We've been getting some pretty long thunderstorms every afternoon, evening and nights too for the last six days. I know the farmers and fruit growers were desperate for rain following the failure of a snow melt of any significance this spring. But now there are worries about their hay drying - with so much rain, that already cut

will go mouldy where it lays. That will cause them problems with winter fodder! The problems for them do, at times, seem endless.

But back to my perspective on this weather. Being surrounded by the Alps, it was NO surprise to wake up this morning and see that the rain had fallen as snow above the 1200m (appro. 4000ft) mark all around me. I just had to take some pictures of my panorama as it does seem incredible to think that in three days time it's June, and in a little over three weeks the nights will start drawing in again!

The four photo's here are all taken from my terrace and are - top to bottom:
1. West over the top of Lake Como.
2. North up the Val Chiavenna towards Switzerland.
3. North East at the start of the Valtellina.
4. East, across the village towards Sondrio, Bormio etc.

Once again

it's mornings like this which remind me of just how lucky I am to live here. Not being a sun and heat lover, days like this don't cause me any problems at all!

Saturday, May 12, 2007

All done in two days!!!

My friend Deb, (here on the left with her pooch Bijoux)
from "Noo Joisey" (LOL) almost knocked me off my perch last Wednesday. We were talking about "this, that and the price of fish" (as one does), when she suddenly said "I think Joe (DH) and I will be coming over for a holiday soon. "Yes I know" - says I - "Next year or the year after - right?"

"Oh NO" she says....."This August!"

"WHAT? - OMG - What a wonderful surprise!"

Well we chatted for ages (almost two and a half hours) - plus several more times over the next 48 hours (thank heavens for SKYPE), and everything was literally 'done and dusted' by Friday morning!!! They often say that impromptu plans do work out better than those which are meticulously planned ages before the fact. Though I must admit that is the way I usually work. Lists for this - lists for that - memo's stuck all over the place - stuff ready to pack ages before it's needed. But the few times I've just 'upped sticks and gone' it has always worked just fine....

So in mid-August Deb and Joe will be here on Lake Como and I will have the pleasure of showing them some of the wonderful attractions here.

They will have the opportunity of exploring the lake on the wonderful 'batelli' (lake boats)

and exploring all the little 'alleyways' in places like Bellaggio.

Plus - they'll see the area where I live - my wonderful Valtellina!
Oh I'm just soooo excited!

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Shhh - Now she's gone.... Ha ha ha!

I told Paddy I would post this story.
Her reply was that if I did she would return and 'sort me out' ! Yeah, right..... Well now she's back in the UK I'm feeling quite brave (though not a lot I must admit).

But I digress - back to Paddy's embarrassing moment. Well we had gone up to Posallo where we held the "Como Get Together" in 2005. Paddy had been there before and enjoys the food and the company in this mountain 'trattoria' which has almost become 'my regular eaterie'.

We had a nice lunch and 'La Santina' (the elderly owner/cook) came out to join us for a chat after our meal. It was during this chat that Paddy 'needed to go' . I explained that the key for the 'you know where' was on the counter by the till. This gives access to a 'proper' toilet as the other two are 'alla turcha'. That is - a hole in the ground - which for ladies of our (mine and Paddy's) stature - is to say the least somewhat challenging! But please DON'T dwell on that thought for too long!

Santina and I continued our conversation (as one does), not noticing that Paddy had NOT reappeared...... Some time later though she did! Red in the face and trying to decide if she should be laughing or crying. She had, she said, been shouting for help for some time as she was unable to turn the key to unlock the 'loo door' (ha ha ha ha.... sorry Paddy). We were busy talking and never heard a thing (shame), so she continued to jiggle the key about until she finally made a successful, if embarrassed exit.

Well I'm sorry, but I couldn't stop laughing - I just saw the 'funny side' of it, imagining just how much Joe - her 'other half' would have given for the key not to have worked at all!!!

But then I really thought Paddy would indeed beat me up when I started singing..

Oh dear what can the matter be?
Poor old Paddy got locked in the lavat'ry.
She was there from Monday to Saturday.
Nobody knew she was there!

HA HA HA!!!

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Spluga Beauties - No. 1!

Three small sets of photo's follow here from the Spluga Pass which, as you will see, is so variable in spring time. These alpine flowers are beautiful and like all 'alpines' it is totally verboten to pick or take cuttings or roots from them. Some may try but if it is ever noticed that you have any of these alpine flowers growing in your garden I understand that the penalties are very stiff!

Spluga Beauties - No 2!

Spluga Beauties - No. Three!

A Chilly Day on the 'Spluga'

This was the scene that greeted us Thursday morning in the Val Chiavenna - dull, grey and decidedly damp. So we made the decision to go over the Spluga Pass as the forecast was that the weather was OK up there and a bit better over in Switzerland (Why do I ever believe these forecasters?)

Once up on the pass it was a bit grey, but the sun did try to break through (though not too hard I'm afraid). We got up to Montespluga (approx. 6000ft) where there are a couple of small hotels with bars and where hot chocolate is often the 'order of the day'. But we were well above the 'snow line' here and it got colder by the minute as you may well imagine.

Another Day together!

Not too good a day weather wise on Tuesday, but no reason why we couldn't sit 'lakeside' and enjoy an aperitivo.

It stayed overcast most of the day so Paddy and I just sort of whiled away our time looking for that elusive Italian Count she was intent on finding (allowing, of course, that I didn't get to him first...)

Wednesday turned out to be almost as gloomy at the other days, but Paddy (by now) was suffering 'withdrawal symptoms' through lack of eating regular 'Italian Ice Cream' - so it was off to the nearest ice cream parlour for a rather large dose of gelato con frutti del bosco.... Ice cream with 'fruits of the forest'. It looked delicious and though I say it myself - I was very good and resisted either ordering one myself OR tasting hers. Mind you - I was pleased that I was wearing my bib!!!

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Paddy's Back In Town!

A bit late I s'pose, but 'friend Pat' (aka Paddy) is back over for a few days holiday.....or as she laughingly puts it "A few days away from the old man with the freedom to shop 'til I drop".

She does get a bit miffed (he-he-he) with me though because on the shopping front we are literally 'poles apart'. You see - she is a shop-a-holic an I loathe shopping...

Paddy will stop and look in every shop - especially jewellery, shoe and clothes shops....Whereas I carefully write a list of exactly what I want BEFORE I go anywhere near a shop. I know what I want and buy only that. Shop keepers, I'm sure, hate me, and friends tell me 'I'm not real'!!!

Honest I'm not mean - just careful and if I loath shopping I think I can blame my Mum (Bless her) she was the World Champion Window Shopper, and throughout my childhood I got dragged behind her. In and out of everywhere fro 'Woolies' to Mence Smith's and Timothy Whites. Then on to the International, Freeman Hardy and Willis and a load more shops that I can't remember.
But the upshot is that nowadays I'm in and out of shops so fast they barely have time to swipe my Bancomat to get their money.

But I digress - back to Paddy's visit. She arrived Saturday morning and it's rained everyday since Sunday. It's due, I notice, to improve by the weekend, so I've blamed Paddy for bringing it with her! Mind you we did really need it (the rain) as things are really getting desperate on the water front.

On Monday we went back to a favourite restaurant of mine at Bellano - the Hotel Meridiana. They have recently 'downsized the hotel and created a large condominio on the site, but they have retained their restaurant. This is at lake level and the views are stunning as you can see. Though it was a bit dull with a pending storm hanging around.

Later after lunch, we went down to lakeside at Colico for an afternoon 'aperitivo' and to watch the 'passeggiata' on the holiday Sunday. The 1st of May (Tuesday) is a national holiday here and many Italians take a long weekend (Sat, Sun, Mon and Tuesday) to get away from their everyday lives and enjoy themselves.

The lake was busy with small sailing races and the stiff wind, called The Breva here was really whipping up the surface and forcing the yachtsmen to use all their skills to stay aboard their tiny craft

There were also a number of intrepid 'para- surfers' too...they are really exciting to watch -especially on their turns as the sudden change in direction often means they actually 'take-off' and then somehow or other (sometimes) manage to land safely and continue.

But all in all it was a nice start for Paddy's holiday, and the rain held off until we got home in the evening - by which time we didn't really care what the weather did.