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?

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!

Need a translation?

I posted this on my 'links' sidebar here on the 'blog', but someone said to me "Why don't you write a post about it?"

About what? Well about my sort of part time translation service.... "Alpine Settler Translations". It ticks over quite comfortably and keeps me fairly busy. I do quite a lot of genealogical translations, but also certificates and other documents, flyers, brochures etc.

If you want to know more - just pop in and have a look. I'm right at the top of the sidebar on the right - listed as : New "Alpine Settler" Translations - just click on that.....


I don't go in for those large commercial translations, but prefer the 'little jobs' that others can't be bothered with. I love doing this, especially the genealogical research ones which often are a real headache to decipher the old fashioned Italian handwriting..... sometimes you can do it all....and others there are often bits which unfortunately just cannot be understood.

But when it comes to modern day certificates, well they are almost a 'doddle' but not quite such fun!

Sorry......

I have been decidedly remiss about keeping the blog up to date recently. No excuses - I've just NOT got round to it.... so here's a start with the 'tail' of the Deb and Joe visit.

I definitely got the impression that:
a.) They had a good time
b.) They enjoyed the cuisine.
c.) Deb loves Alpine cows....
d.)They will be back again pretty soon!

One huge sigh of relief for me was that they did like the (now downsized) Meridiana Hotel which I had recommended. But if you ever get the chance to stay there too you will understand just why they liked it and why I have stayed there for years.... and still visit often for a nice lunch or with friends for supper.

Our visit for them to Lake Lugano was a nice start to a day out which culminated with a drive over the Spluga Pass into Italy. Deb was ecstatic - her love of Switzerland and the Alpine terrain could be heard at every turn of the road....I think she took at least a zillion photos that day (shh...mainly of chocolate and cream coloured cows!)

But the pleasure for me was to be able to show them parts of Italy and MY Alps that many tourists never see. In a coach or a train you can't just say "Oooo STOP - I want to take a photograph!"


In a car - you can! And we DID!!!



















Shiela and John, another two friends that Deb made on the 'net' - retired Brits who live near Geneva - drove down to spend a day with them and we all met up and went for supper up to Mama Santina's for the usual mountain fayre.... And you will never believe it - Deb got herself locked in the same 'lavatory' that Paddy did.... What is it with my visitors and the 'loo' at Mama Santina's?

Our 'Last Supper' was at another of my favourite mountain retreats "Il Capretto" http://www.agriturismoilcapretto.it/home.html
Here they wanted to try the roast goat, plus the 'tagliata'
- we shied away from the pizzocheri this time as both Deb and Joe wanted to try the home made 'dolci' (puddings to you and me....). Then to finish up - the host Bruno - always puts a bottle of their home made Crema di Limoncello on the table.... it IS pretty potent but as neither Joe OR Deb were driving that night, they did rather enjoy it. It is drunk from small icy cold 'shot' glasses - see the results...
















and you can see who really REALLY enjoyed it???

But their holiday - alas - is over - they flew out on the 29th and I bet that all this already seems a long time ago for them. But they do have, I'm sure, some wonderful memories and that feeling that most people leave with having visited this part of 'The Boot' ....

That it is most definitely a place to come back to -
and may it be soon!