½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Used to be amazing, when I lived in Saudi Arabia, that the "honey wagons" were out in the morning around 6.00 a.m. spraying the shrubs etc. on the central reservations. Plants always looked really good though and healthy ........... pong was bad though as you passed by at that time!!!

8000 euro for painting internally, just emulsion on walls, no gloss work for doors etc, for a 180sqm house. Is this a reasonable price? Do it yourself, we did and saved loads. There is always the excuse in the price that they will make good all the imperfections, but another rip-off. Paint is more expensive for sure, but for a few hundred euro, not worth paying a "decorator" here, and filler is quite cheap. The problem is normally the builder or window installer will fit them and just leave it rough on your newly plastered walls, so his decorator mate charges more. Replacing windows and doors 25000e plus, no outside shutters or mosquito screens and all in pine. We have 20 windows that measure 0.85mx 1.25m and 6 that measure 0.5 x 0.28m, plus 2 sets of French doors. A company in Tolentino quoted nearer 20000e but not clear if this includes fitting and if they supply own ladders to fit the windows on upper floors or if they expect to have scaffolding in place. Our ½ûÂþÌìÌà is very poor! Would get a lot more quotes. Remember these companies are not getting much business now, and so are getting greedy. We have German double glazed units x 16 ( bought here ) that came in at well under 10K with the shutters. OK they are UPVC in cherry wood finish, but they do look like wood.

Sorry Angie if you don't like my comments. The San Ruffino Osteria has gone really downhill and we used to eat there a couple of times a week.  Since it moved and after only eating in it a few times since then, where before it was good, it is now only passable. I now prefer Vecchio Moro on the other side of the road. Is pizza such a compliment for the other one especially for a Guardian food critic, or do we have to rely on these "experts" as most do not know what they are talking about. How many pizzas has he tasted? Farfenze: Have had one meal there, lunchtime with about 8 other customers in the restaurant. Forgot my fillet steak order, when we were served. Waited another 15 mins and ate it after the other 2 people I was with had finished their meal. They could not even cook it rare, let alone blue as asked, could not even finish it, as probably unfrozen and then cooked. Then to find on the bill a E3.50 cover charge per person on top.  Le Loggetta have not tried that I know of, so will not comment. As an additional point with the Osteria. when I went there with a couple of ½ûÂþÌìÌà contractors working on a contract with me, there was an excess of food served, not so much  when going without them.

Apologise Flip. I should have said Marche, although on my work travels I have had eaten in Tuscany as well, and even our friend of over 30 years who lives there ( for 20+ years) said the food has gone downhill and is overpriced. I must admit I have never found pasta to die for. We have Chinese restaurants here and to be quite honest the food is tasteless. Having been to many Chinese, Japanese, Cambodian, Vietnamese and Thai restaurants in my life, then I know what to expect and Italy has never given the same and never will in my opinion. That's why I order my own ingredients online to get authenticity. P.s. The first ½ûÂþÌìÌà food that I ever ate was after 55 years of age, as it never impressed me, but living here there was not much option. My view has still not changed. Even my wife who said it was fantastic from her time in London has come to the same conclusion.

I must admit that with over 6 years here, that it is very monocultural, unless you take cars into account. There the ½ûÂþÌìÌÃs seem to prefer German/ Japanese models, probably because the reliability is better. As regards to food,in Central Italy there is very little choice and all virtually the same taste whether you go to  a cheap or expensive restaurant. I would prefer as in other European/ world countries that I have a range of places and cuisines that I can eat at and not be stuck with overcooked and dried meat. One of the restaurants we go to always asks how we would like our steaks cooked, ( and even asks us to make sure they on the grill the right time) as we prefer them blue, but in another the fillet came out as well cooked, despite the request, so they need to adapt to tastes of people. Yes, we do order from an ½ûÂþÌìÌà online site our Thai food and other ingredients, but we are being multicultural in having a change, as we would in any other country. I do not just want to eat Big Macs which are rubbish, or samey ½ûÂþÌìÌà food for years to come. Just an example of different habits, in Thailand, the ½ûÂþÌìÌÃs mainly go to restaurants geared to their tastes, as Ram says they cannot accept another countries food, so they miss out on the delicate flavours of another country. Lebanese also integrates French influence. I am sure many of us did not just go to ½ûÂþÌìÌà restaurants in the UK, but perhaps Lotan you are the exception and did not eat any English food.      

The euro is not condusive to buying for UK residents, maybe for Russians or other Euro denominated countries.

Well, no comments back from Lotan in arguement, so the thread will come to the normal dead end!!

Anything constructive come from the Amandola meeting szq?