Gala Placidia's activity

Questions Asked

We all have cooking tips and techniques learnt through personal experience or because someone else was kind enough to tell us.

Tue, 08/04/2009 - 05:07

ÌýA fairly comprehensive list of words related to food and wine has been prepared by a few of us. It still needs revision, corrections, additions and you may be able to help as it is a Wiki.

Tue, 06/30/2009 - 04:31

ÌýIt is official, the old Casino in Bagni di Lucca is reopening its doors after many years; however, it is going to be a modern version, more "little Las Vegas" style than its elegant and exclusive predecessor.

Mon, 06/29/2009 - 09:04

A few weeks ago I started a thread in the old forum about this topic. I still think that it would be great if we could all share our favourite recipes which our families and friends enjoy.

Fri, 06/19/2009 - 05:29

ÌýI think that there are quite a few members who have married overseas an ½ûÂþÌìÌà citizen; however, I am not quite certain whether they have registered their certificate of marriage before the nearest ½ûÂþÌìÌà Consulate.It is advisable to do this an

Tue, 06/16/2009 - 03:43

ÌýIt is most important, if you own a property, to have a clear description for it. That is possible through the "visura catastale" which gives you and confirms many facts regarding your title.

Sun, 06/14/2009 - 05:21

ÌýPolenta is one of those ½ûÂþÌìÌà dishes that you either love or hate. Considered in the past as the poor people's staple diet it is nowadays served in the best restaurants.Ìý

Sat, 06/13/2009 - 17:53

I have just seen on TV some images regarding the Treviso tornado. I sincerely hope that any members in the area have not suffered from this disaster. Ìý

Sun, 06/07/2009 - 16:44

ÌýThe base for many ½ûÂþÌìÌà sauces and dishes is the "soffritto" (sofrit in French, sofrito in Spanish), a mixture of some diced vegetables which are cooked in a heavy pan with three tablespoons of olive oil (although some other kinds of oil and fa

Sat, 06/06/2009 - 05:37

ÌýHi everyone, this is a warm invitation to joint this group and discuss ½ûÂþÌìÌà food, wine, regional cooking, recipes, tips, cooking utensils, history of cooking and any related subject you may wish to talk about.And welcome, Mimosa, glad to see t

Fri, 06/05/2009 - 08:28

Comments posted

Wed, 06/10/2009 - 11:27

ÌýPenny, I think that Ronald will be able to explain it better than I, but just to reassure you, I can see my own full name, date of birth, address, etc.; however, I cannot see yours or the confidential data pertaining to any other member. If I'm not wrong, there is an earlier post regarding this.

Answer to: Hello too
Wed, 06/10/2009 - 08:50

ÌýHello Ìýnils satis and a warm welcome. Best wishes with the renovations and tell us more about what you are doing. Your experience can help others. This is how we all start.There are a few members from Abruzzo although they have not started an area group as yet; however, there are other topics which may also interest you.

Wed, 06/10/2009 - 08:44

ÌýLantana grows very well almost unattended. It comes in beautiful colours: orange, yellow, mauve, pink and white. In some countries, it is considered a weed, so you can imagine how strong it is. There are many varieties for sale in Italy.Careful with oleander if you have children and pets around, The leaves are toxic.

Answer to: Garden Pests
Wed, 06/10/2009 - 03:04

ÌýHi Russ. I do not have personal experience with those little monsters, but I was curious and I did some search. If you go to the ½ûÂþÌìÌà Google you will find some information about them. They are called "Grillo talpa" in ½ûÂþÌìÌà from the species name (gryllotalpa-gryllotalpa). The organic way to deal with them is to find the nests and destroy them. For other methods, you may do a research through the normal google and you will find that the Americans have quite a few products to deal with them. There are also photos of the monsters. Not nice! You may have to go to a Garden Centre and seek advice there.Good luck and best wishes!ÌýP.S. Keep us informed, please.

Tue, 06/09/2009 - 13:22

If you are travelling with dogs mainly in Italy but also some information for the rest of the EU:ÌýÌý

Tue, 06/09/2009 - 08:42

ÌýPerhaps someone in your area may be able to recommend a local "geometra" who could do a report in ½ûÂþÌìÌà and your lawyer would be able to summarise the contents in English. On the other hand, could your lawyer make those arrangements on your behalf? Give him the instructions in writing and he should be able to work it out.... I think. Are you buying through a real estate agent who could make arrangements on your behalf? When we purchased our property there were a few problems with the roof and we were able to sort out everything through the real estate agent and the geometra.

Answer to: House renovation
Tue, 06/09/2009 - 02:54

I have been thinking about the problem.... If the mill is partly restored already, why are the connections missing? You would think that this would be amongs the most basic things to do when you start a restoration. To have water and electricity. Try to check why the owners did not do it. Are there any major problems? Find out how much all this is going to cost you before making a final offer on the property.Ìý

Tue, 06/09/2009 - 02:48

It is not an easy task to find one. Most ½ûÂþÌìÌà surveyors do not speak English and to do a full report you need a good command of the language. Perhaps, some of the Lunigiana members may point you in the right direction. Good luck!Ìý

Tue, 06/09/2009 - 02:42

ÌýThe 112 number is the emergency number throughout the EU; however, in Italy, 112 is the number to call the "Carabinieri". I have never had to call them; however, I guess they will interact with other emergency services.Here is a list of those EMERGENCY NUMBERS:112 "Carabinieri Pronto Intervento" (Emergencies, Carabinieri)113 "Polizia Soccorso Publico" (Police Emergency, dangerous situations and accidents)114 Ìý"Emergenza Infanzia" (Emergency involving children115 "Vigili del Fuoco" (Fire Brigade)1515 "Servizio Antincendi - Corpo forestale dello Stato" (Forest Fire Brigade)118 "Emergenza Sanitaria" (Health Emergency)1530 "Soccorso in Mare G. Costiera" Emergency at sea Coast Guard)1522 "Servizio Antiviolenza Donna" (Protection Service for Women subject to Violence)ÌýAll these numbers are free if you are calling from a fixed line or a public telephone.Perhaps someone may have experience calling from a foreign mobile phone. I guess that it will be necessary to enter the country code.

Answer to: Hello
Tue, 06/09/2009 - 02:18

Hi and welcome to the Community. I am sure that you will get plenty of help for your trip. We also look forward to receiving more news from you.Best wishes regarding your plans.Ìý