I'm planning my route down for a months visit in July.
alan h's activity
Questions Asked
I logged on this morning to my local webcam, to look at the snow on the ski slopes.
Loved the note about changing the locks!
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. We prefer to vary the rou
Today I received an email from the Swiss Travel Centre. 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
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 like Â
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
Does Tomato soup exist in Italy? We were feeling a bit under the weather when we went out to Italy 2 weeks ago. As part of the R&R process, I fancied some soup, and looked around the supermarket. There were lots of different soups, but I rea
The route/timings for next years Giro d'Italia have been posted  My son rang me up to inform me that the route passes about 100m away from
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" .. geological survey .....Pools literally weigh many tonnes when full, and our 'pool people' reminded us to get this done prior to digging the first hole in case we had to have vv expensive concrete piles dug down to the bed rock. If this was required then we would have scrubbed the idea as it would not have been economically viable." I was taught at Uni that when you dig a hole for a swimming pool, the weight of the soil excavated normally exceeds the weight of the pool plus water when completed - and as the soil doesn't collapse under its own weight, it shouldn't collapse under the weight of the pool structure plus water. [unless a lot of the pool is above water].  Localised soft spots can cause problems - differential settlement leading to cracking, but these are easily sorted out, without using piles [mind you =- there's a lot more profit in piling!!!]
According to     the Furka is open June – September, so it might shut when you want to traverse it  This site also gives info [in German]Â
double posting - see below
What you describe "Ìýlooks like the rubble from building crushed up" sound a bit like what we call 'hardcore' in the UK. Hardcore, which is literally the old building broken and used for ground 'stabilisation'. Crushed hardcore is useful, when spread and compacted as a base on which to build [usually as a base for casting concrete flooring/foundations on].  hardcore usually consists of any part of a building excluding the 'organic' parts [timber etc] that would rot and cause voids. The "white/cream looking mush" stuff you mention is probably things like plaster rising to the surface during compaction, and shouldn't cause too much of a problem - the strength lies in the crushed stone/bricks/concrete below For more details see - try Googling "hardcore building". BUT, don't just Google hardcore - you'll just get porn
You could ask customer services at Calor Gas;-Â Â
"Lighting by candles is not the best when trying to cook though!!" You might want to consider buying a cheap 'inverter ' for future power cuts. They convert 12v DC [car battery] up to 240v and can supply enough power to run a few lights etc Typical example [in UK] is;-       which supplies up to a max of 450W [but continuous use of 150W] and costs about £40. Assuming energy saving bulbs, you could get plenty of lights going, although its best to just have 1 or 2 to extend the battery life
"Are English electric blankets safe in Italy or can you buy them locally?" Yes and Yes
“Can anyone help me with an idea of how much it might cost to heat a small 2 bed apt over the winter,  ……………………….All suggestions to maximise efficiency and reduce costs will be welcomed.†I’ve been thinking about how to make the place warmer, and would suggest that you consider the following points, to see if they apply to your place’-
 Hope this helps
Snow causing problems elsewhere
We use 'bog standard' convector heaters at our place - we have ones that can heat at either  750W, 1250W or 2000W. This allows you to run 2 or 3 at a time to heat more than 1 room, but also allows you to 'blast' a room you want heating quickly Most effective in Winter to help heat the place up until the CH takes over on its own