Buona sera tutti,I will try not to break too many conventions on one of my first posts on this forum- be kind!A brief intro: My OH is ½ûÂþÌìÌà and is spending most of the summer with our baby out in Italy with her family.
 Hi Poetica I stripped all the plaster from my walls recently and was looking for some similar info regarding the cleaning up and repointing of the walls. I found the following link: It has a factsheet on repointing of stone walls. As ever, you'll see that there are many different opinions. There are also a few pics of completed pointing jobs with much discussion of the merits of lime based pointing. It also depends on what type of stone your house is built from, but mine is relatively soft rock so I will be using lime to repoint when I eventually get round to it.  Hope that helps....
Hi DanI've been hiring cars on arrival in Italy most months for the last 5 years but my rates have got more and more pricey in Sterling. I looked at buying and insuring down there but the cars cost about double here and the insurance is hair raising (1000Euros + at local broker). I'm just in the process of buying a car here to take down in a couple of weeks. I found Italsure the cheapest. For about £375 they covered the car (I'm 30) TPO. This means anyone can drive it when it's down there but it has be brought back once a year for a MOT/Tax renewal. Do some searches no this forum.You will find that officially after 6 months the car has to be registered in Italy (500Euros + from what I can gather) but then of course I won't be leaving it there for more than 6 months
Ciao GerbilloI don't! I'm driving down to Piemonte in a couple of weeks. No Le Marche. Does that make you feel better?  I also used to have gerbils. A pair in fact, called Derek and Dennis!MichaelI have no idea of route down for you but tend to overnight on the way back around Rimes or nearer to Calais. This way you don't end up at ferry terminal (presumably same with rail) 3 hours early and with them robbing you blind for another £100 just to get on an earlier sailing!For accomodation we always check on tripadviser to avoid the dirty flea bitten hotels which are often the same price.Ciao for now Rob
Comments posted
 Hi Poetica I stripped all the plaster from my walls recently and was looking for some similar info regarding the cleaning up and repointing of the walls. I found the following link: It has a factsheet on repointing of stone walls. As ever, you'll see that there are many different opinions. There are also a few pics of completed pointing jobs with much discussion of the merits of lime based pointing. It also depends on what type of stone your house is built from, but mine is relatively soft rock so I will be using lime to repoint when I eventually get round to it.  Hope that helps....
Hi DanI've been hiring cars on arrival in Italy most months for the last 5 years but my rates have got more and more pricey in Sterling. I looked at buying and insuring down there but the cars cost about double here and the insurance is hair raising (1000Euros + at local broker). I'm just in the process of buying a car here to take down in a couple of weeks. I found Italsure the cheapest. For about £375 they covered the car (I'm 30) TPO. This means anyone can drive it when it's down there but it has be brought back once a year for a MOT/Tax renewal. Do some searches no this forum.You will find that officially after 6 months the car has to be registered in Italy (500Euros + from what I can gather) but then of course I won't be leaving it there for more than 6 months
Ciao GerbilloI don't! I'm driving down to Piemonte in a couple of weeks. No Le Marche. Does that make you feel better?
 I also used to have gerbils. A pair in fact, called Derek and Dennis!MichaelI have no idea of route down for you but tend to overnight on the way back around Rimes or nearer to Calais. This way you don't end up at ferry terminal (presumably same with rail) 3 hours early and with them robbing you blind for another £100 just to get on an earlier sailing!For accomodation we always check on tripadviser to avoid the dirty flea bitten hotels which are often the same price.Ciao for now Rob