alan h's activity

Questions Asked

I'm planning my route down for a months visit in July.

Mon, 06/04/2012 - 08:13

I logged on this morning to my local webcam, to look at the snow on the ski slopes.

Thu, 01/05/2012 - 04:47

Loved the note about changing the locks!

Wed, 09/21/2011 - 09:20

I have just got back from my latest trip to Italy, and thought some of you might be interested to hear about a Swiss hotel that we stayed in on the way down.It is the Hotel Engel in Stans [near to Lake Lucerne, a few minutes from the motorway

Mon, 07/25/2011 - 05:21

For many years now I have used the likes of 'mappy', 'via michelin' etc for calculating different routes down to Italy - for us its a part of our holiday, so we don't always want to take the quickest/shortest route down.Ìý We prefer to vary the rou

Wed, 06/01/2011 - 09:25

Today I received an email from the Swiss Travel Centre.Ìý The relevant portion is;- "The GBP price for a Vignette will increase from 01 June 2011 and we wanted to give you the opportunity to purchase this years’ Vignette before the pric

Mon, 05/23/2011 - 09:45

I've just driven down and back for a [much too] short holiday, and feel that an update on how fuel prices look on the way down would be useful to fellow travellers The following is a good site for seeing what prices have been likeÌýÌý

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 05:02

P&O have introduced a new ferry on the Dover - Calais route - its called the Spirit of Britain. They seem to have a special offer on at the moment [on this ship only] I've just booked a return crossing [car + 2] for £60 - significantly less th

Sat, 01/29/2011 - 06:08

Does Tomato soup exist in Italy? We were feeling a bit under the weather when we went out to Italy 2 weeks ago.Ìý As part of the R&R process, I fancied some soup, and looked around the supermarket.Ìý There were lots of different soups, but I rea

Mon, 01/24/2011 - 08:29

The route/timings for next years Giro d'Italia have been posted Ìý My son rang me up to inform me that the route passes about 100m away from

Sat, 11/06/2010 - 07:04

Comments posted

Answer to: Community Spirit
Mon, 02/08/2010 - 05:01

As long as its not Wales, i don't care who wins Ìý [Had the pleasure of living and working in Cardiff in mid 70's when Welsh Rugby was 'rampant' and as a lone Englishman in the office - life was unbearable.]

Mon, 02/08/2010 - 04:51

Ìý I think when they say they 'cruise' to Genoa, they mean that they drive at a 'leisurely' pace rather than 'blasting down' - nothing to do with boats. To cut out the drive you could use motorail services;- Ìý but the Calais motorail services have been [permanently?] discontinued on cost grounds, so you would need to travel from Holland or Germany.Ìý The costs seem high, but once you take off the costs of hotels, tolls, petrol etc - they don't seem that bad.

Answer to: ENEL
Sat, 02/06/2010 - 08:15

Ìý"We've been advised by our builders we should considerÌýusing cork linning on the internalÌýperimeter walls in the older sections of the house before plastering/skimming. Has anyone used this method of insulation and has it made any difference to the heating costs?" Don't know about cork - but I lined a very cold bedroom's walls with rolls of expanded polystyrene [in the 1970s] - had to turn off the radiator - boiling hot in the room!!!

Answer to: Community Spirit
Thu, 02/04/2010 - 08:56

Dear Colonel, Ìý In the days of the 'old forum' it was a lot more like you mention it is elsewhere. However, after time it degenerated into a number of members trying to 'bully' anyone who posted anything they disagreed with.Ìý It became very 'nasty' at times and several frequent posters left.Ìý In those days we had a 'Thank You' facility [Grazie button], where you could add your name to the bottom of a post to show you agreed/welcomed/or whatevered, the posting.Ìý Some members opened new accounts under names like 'turdle go home' and 'turdle is talking rubbish' so they could thank every post by turtle and really mess the system up.Ìý Others decided [through another forum] to bombard the system with unkind PMs and new postings, to overload the system, and the whole thing degenerated into chaos - creating the need for a more 'sedate forum - and causing us to lose what was, in many respects, a superior forum [when it worked] to this one. Personally, I miss thinks like the Friday Joke, but accept that more boring, but less antagonistic forumÌýis better for those who want info etc. What I don't miss are postings like [lifted from a quick scan of the old forum];- "..... everyone knows you do it - but no one will ever tell you to your face that you're a sour faced gossipmonger who is intent on malevolently claiming to see something flagitious where no such thing exists."Ìý and " ...... please try to be more attentive as the men in white coats may be just around the corner if you insist you can see things that aren't really there"

Answer to: Bidets
Mon, 02/01/2010 - 10:06

ÌýParty time - fill with ice - wine chiller

Answer to: Naples
Mon, 02/01/2010 - 07:14

Ìý"°Õ"The warning about Neopolitan thieves seems to be a universal one." I must admit - when I visited Naples, on the way to the Amalfi coast, I felt very 'unsafe' as I walked through the streets.Ìý It may just be reputation, but it had a threatening atmosphere, as far I was concerned.Ìý I kept thinking of that phrase "See Naples and die"Ìý [Wrong context, I know, but thats how it felt to me] However, the Amalfi coast was fantastic.Ìý Spent a week walking the coast - absolutely shattered at the end of each day, [pathways were at the top of the cliffs - hotels at the bottom], but what a coastline! Positano was wonderful, and Sorrento wasn't thatÌýbad [apart from the hordes of UK pensioners on cheap holidays who seemed to spend all day discussing which Hotel did the best breakfast].Ìý The area around Sorrento itselfÌýis beautiful Capri, once you get out of the main square and start exploring the island is fascinating [wonderful coastal pathway] - a great day out

Mon, 02/01/2010 - 04:37

ÌýLike others, can't post on an opening post - so here is the text;- Ìý Interesting article in today's Grauniad about how British lecturers were denied a fair wage by ½ûÂþÌìÌà universities Hopefully, they'll get their back pay ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Ìý[within the next 30 years or so, knowing how the ½ûÂþÌìÌà system works!]

Answer to: Limoncello
Sat, 01/30/2010 - 06:11

Make sure the lemons are 'unwaxed' when buying them

Fri, 01/29/2010 - 17:08

Not bad in stews either

Mon, 01/25/2010 - 13:44

ÌýWhy not see if any local farmer wants to graze his livestock - you might get it free!