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Great information, Flip! Thank you.

I agree with Flip. Not only in Italy, but everywhere. It is a terrible waste. At least, Esselunga at Ponte a Moriano has a container to deposit old plastic cases... Only problem, you have to remember taking them with you when you go shopping....

Good to hear again from you, Phil. Happy New Year!

Thank you, Flip, your message explains the problems we were having with reception.

No idea, Mike, but I had a look at their Webpage and it sounds interesting. We may investigate what they offer when we go back to Bagni. Thanks for the tip.

Cari auguri di Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo. Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Sorry, Ram, but I have to disagree regarding Athenian "democracy" and figures back this opinion which is not only mine. During the 4th Century BC there would have been some 300.000 people in Attica. Of those, citizen families, the only ones who enjoyed "democracy" or the "people's power" would have amounted to some 100,000 and of those, only 30,00 would have been adult males entitled to vote. Slaves accounted for most of the other inhabitants. Not all of the people entitled to vote would exercise their rights. Slavery was widespread and there were plenty of "mettics", the descendants of citizens and slave women, who were not entitled to any citizenship rights. Anyway, the so called "democracy" was replaced by an "aristocracy", which, at least was not so hypocritical...

I have to bring back to life this all thread as another chapter is just starting:

As we all know, in ancient Athens, the birthplace of democracy, women, foreigners, and slaves were denied the vote. People of power or influence weren't concerned with the rights of such non-citizens. It was more of an aristocracy (the power of the best, or those who consider themselves to be the best...) It looks as if things have not changed much in the past 2,600 years......

There is a very good article on this topic which quotes some advice from the Spanish IDAE (Instituto para la Diversificación y Ahorro de la Energía). Unfortunately, it is in Spanish, but they recommend: 1.- Ventilate by opening all windows for 10 minutes every day. 2.- Turn off heating at night. 3.- Switch on heating in the morning after ventilating the house. We have a stone watermill on the river, which is a 4 storey high with many different levels. The only place where we have had a few problems in the past was a cantina in the lower level where the previous owner had made some repairs which did not work. We removed all the false walls, left the natural stone to breathe and we combine ventilation and heating whenever we are there. It works!