½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Thank you so much, John. It is particularly worrying to see the spread of the disease. I always thought that it was more confined to the south; however, I can see through the map that there are already some spots in Tuscany and near us. I will certainly get the collar.As for stray cats, unfortunately they quickly spread any diseases. Being an animal lover and having given a home to a few stray cats, I hate to see how these animals are so easily abandoned to their fate.An extra "grazie" from "Tequila" 

Hi Pilch, how are you doing and how is your beautiful tower? I do hope that the tremors will not be causing further damage.Best wishes,

I advise you to do a search through google.it using the words "riparazioni forni gas umbria" and you get a list of companies which do that type of repairs in your area. Unless somebody knows of someone locally......

I was discussing a similar matter with some ½ûÂþÌìÌà friends and I was told that the concept of "prima" not only translates as the first house but also to the principal place of residence, meaning the house where you effectively live.

 Yes, Carole, polenta is a specialty in your area and your recipes very authentic. I loved the photo!Zocco, there is nothing wrong with adding the stock cube, it is an excellent idea. Also, it is great to accompany meat or chicken. I sometimes boil a few small crowns of broccoli until they become tender and then I slowly add polenta to the water stirring at the same time until the polenta cooks and mixes with the broccoli. Once it is cooked, I add some butter and grated cheese. Delicious! This is a recipe that was given to me by some people from Puglia. You can even fry leftovers and they look very nice.My main problem with polenta is that I burnt myself rather badly once trying to prepare it. I will recommend everybody to wear long sleeves, cotton gloves and use a wooden spoon with a very long handle to stir.

 I agree with Zocco's recipe, it is practically identical to the one I use, with the exception that I also add some lemon juice once the meat has been browned.  Sometimes I also marinate the lamb cut in the fridge for 24 hours using a mixture of 1 tablespoon of olive oilthe juice of 1 lemonrosemary, oregano, garlic slices, salt and pepperI use the marinade to baste the lamb.Also, the shoulder is tender and juicy.Nevertheless, I also agree with Zocco that the presentation is not up to dinner party standards. It is more appropriate for an informal meal. 

 It may be advisable to take a few pics of the condition of the replacement car, particularly those dents and scratches and to forward them to Hertz with a cover letter reminding them that this is a second complaint. It will reinforce the first one and it would be considered a written and graphic proof that those damages were in existence when Hertz delivered the car.

 Hello Kevin and welcome to the Community. Congratulations on getting the ½ûÂþÌìÌà citizenship.Best wishes regarding all your future plans.

Hello and welcome to the Community.There are similar problems with transport throughout the EU and I would dare to say throughout the world. Last night I saw a special report on Spanish TV about this problem and it is true that carriers are cutting down on the number of services provided because of a decline in the number of passengers. Airlines, in particular, are closing down certain lines which they offered before and which have proven to be a loss for the companies.Let's hope that as the economy improves, and it is said that we should notice some changes in the future, all these measures will be reversed.Beautiful place, Lake Trasimeno. Part of my husband's ½ûÂþÌìÌà family comes originally from Panicale, so we go there quite often to admire the great scenary . Panicale is one of the most beautiful towns in Italy.It is great to have you amongst ourselves and please write about your own experiences. This helps a lot of people. Join groups, write Restaurant Reviews, there is plenty to do in the "Piazza".A presto. 

 Paul, I fully understand you. My late father was a genealogist and artist (illuminations art - painting on parchment) and I was brought up in an environment where things such as ancestral homes and anything which used to belong to the family, such as furniture, paintings, photographs, etc. were and are treasured. There were a couple of ancestral homes that I would have loved to be able to restore; however, these were huge projects, classified buildings which are nowadays in the hands of the local government as it is impossible for an individual to tackle them. But I keep an eye on them, visit them whenever I can and I simply love them.In your case it looks as if you have a similar dream and it is within your reach. I would say.... go for it. Make all the enquiries needed to make sure that there are no major problems, both legal and structural, but try to go ahead with it if it is at all possible and within your means. As you say, it is not all black and white, there are many grey areas and through those you can find the light.I remember a house we purchased a few years ago in Granada (Spain) I must confess that at a certain stage we were concerned about our decision to buy. Our neighbours and the tradespeople who were working thought that we had gone mad as we started pulling down walls and opening up a house that was just a succession of little dark rooms. When it was all finished, they used to come to admire the new house. The granddaughter of the original owner came and cried.... we did not know how to react to this, but she simply said: "My granny loved this house but she would be so proud to see how beautiful it looks nowadays"Because of family circumstances, we had to move from the area and sell the house. We got back not only the money we invested in it, including all restoration and improvements and we also made a small profit. Much better than putting the money in the bank....We also had a great time with the project, particularly my husband as an architect. After this successful experience, we have continued doing this as a hobby. We enjoy the challenge, working together to achieve something tangible, finding furniture and fittings which will suit the style of the house.... it is a full time occupation, but a very enjoyable one. And being an ancestral home, the joy and the rewards are even bigger.I will send you a Private Message about our links with San Francisco.Best wishes and regards,