TVR club Italy

I spent a fantastic four days in England this Easter.  It was brilliant to catch up with friends and family and also to go to Primark, my spiritual home.  I didn't overindulge myself this time as I'll be home in the summer and need to sort enough out for the jumble as it is.  It's harder to pass the cast offs on to family when they live miles away.  I also really enjoyed the opportunity to eat the food that I have missed.  Just for Jim I'll list my food:  Curry, Chinese, Burger and chips x2, Casserole, Cake and a full english just to name the main bits.

I am also pleased to report that whilst at Weston Favell Centre I saw a bride, a bunny and batman.... only in England!!

Back in Italy and the weather is considerably better (26c) today than it has been in England.  Simon decided that it was about time to welcome us to the car scene in Italy.  I thought these days were behind me... but they seem very much here to stay.  To be fair he did say I could stay at home.  Ever the dutiful, not yet wife, I said yes.

We drove to Bologne in the TVR (Trevor) and met with a small group of car enthusiasts.  One had a TVR, one had an old mini cooper S and the other had an American car (?)  (I did say small group).    They were a really nice group of people and were really friendly.  Valerio showed us around the garages where his friend was restoring about 10 different cars.  I was pleased to spot a Mk1 bug eyed sprite ( I like these), which unfortunately was dying due to a blown head gasket.  They were also building a fibreglass car from the chassis up.  Jim, they said if you want a free holiday they could use your expertise.

The guy who owned the house was away on holiday but it was incredible and in the middle of nowhere, certainly my kind of place.  Our hosts made us lunch and looked after really well.

In all we had a pleasant day in lovely weather.  The dogs in the picture might look a bit mean and moody but they were all about cuddles.

Tomorrow is the arrival of the kitchen, which I hope will go without a hitch, because I don't know how to say 'hitch' in Italian.

Car Museum!

Today I got out of the skiing trip.  I don't want a broken arm or leg for my flight home on Wednesday.  

Instead I had to go to a museum with Simon.  Now I might be a history teacher but I hate museums.  I don't think that I'v ever really enjoyed any that I've been to.  I know that is a bit general but I just find them mundane and boring.  Anyway, I decided that I would give Simon some company and play official photographer.  The world of the digital camera is an exciting one for me.  I don't claim to be a great, or even good photographer, but I really enjoy playing.  I know that I can take 100 photos and maybe 1 will turn out OK.  

I had fun changing them around and cropping them.  I should add that the one of me with a Model T is important only because I have been to more car museums than is natural in ones lifetime and car shows for that matter and I have never seen a Model T.  This one was a snow machine and was equipped with Skis for crossing the snow.  I teach so much about Ford that I had to capture it!

Enjoy the photos...critique away

VinItaly

Every year in Verona at the Fiera (NEC type place) there is a wine exhibition.  Traders are able to go and try wines from all over Italy and generally get drunk whilst claiming it is 'work'.

In the evenings in the centre of Verona there is an event called 'VinItaly for You'.  Which roughly translates as wine for the plebs.  Simon and I thought it sounded right up our street.

For 12€ we were given entrance to the Gran Guardia palazzo in Piazza Bra and a glass.  We were then able to taste 2 wines of our choice, a prosecco cocktail and then some food.  There was also a live Jazz band to watch.

I had a Merlot first..such a philistine...I have heard of merlot and liked the bottle - that was my system of choosing!!  it was nice though - doubt it is under 2€ so out of my budget anyway!!  I then had a prosecco, smiled and didn't have to give the man a token.  What a hero.. it was really nice too, from Toscana.

The food was a bit reminiscent of an aeroplane but took the edge off the alcohol.  Finally we had a prosecco cocktail  - grim.  It was prosecco with micro bilecular  bits in it that tasted (?) of blackberry (?)   It looked like fish eggs and tasted like jelly.  Now 3 glasses in, it's not good to drink stuff that makes you want to gag.  After that we pretty much left and had a lovely ice cream whilst walking home.

Next - skiing tomorrow if it is sunny, kitchen has arrived finally, so we are waiting only for fitting and home on Wednesday for a few days of Primark indulgence. 

I could use some more followers and would like some more comments please!!

Doctors - part 2

Well, I have never really fully recovered from my fluey thing, so I was advised to go back to the doctors.  Most of my colleagues not have similar symptoms and are beginning to not like me much.  

I rang and asked if I could arrange an appointment outside of surgery hours and this was perfectly acceptable.  Now this is a good thing!!!

After a 20 minute consultation I was finally given a prescription for antibiotics so I am now starting to feel human again.  It is amazing how ill you realise you felt but only when you are getting better!  My doctor still hasn't examined me, weighed me, asked for a medical history or really asked me anything.  He did ask if I drank alot of milk and suggested that this was causing a cough (that I don't have).  He also asked if I was eating properly, to which I replied 'yes'.  'Italian food?' he questioned.  I told him that I was trying my best and that I really enjoy making risotto.  He then proceeded t spend 5 minutes telling me how, in fine detail, to make an asparagus risotto.  So I got anti biotics and a risotto recipe.  He then reminded himself that he needs to organise his daughters English lessons.

In England we read in the paper about Doctors inappropriately touching their patients.  Well I'm in no danger of that here, I don't think I'm ever going to get examined!

Before I left he was keen to give me some homeopathic medicine to boost my immune system.  They look like silica gel crystals from inside your handbag??  Not sure about them.

On the upside - Antibiotics only cost 3€ which is cheaper than at home.

Knitting

I have started a new project.   After a strange request I got knitting needles and some wool for my birthday and I am going to learn to knit..  I have always been able to do the basics i.e. knit squares and scarves, but I am far from competent.  To be fair, when I was in guides and brownies I always got asked to sew the squares together rather than knit them.  

The wool I have isn't the most useful because it is hard to see your stitches but I am having fun.  I think that I have learnt to pearl and increase and decrease stitches so I am very excited about my new projects.  I think I might need to buy some plain wool and take some lessons when I get back to England in a week and a half.

Poor Simon is going to get a jumper as a special gift!!!  Or maybe a scarf, it seems more straight forward.

A Quiet lunch

We had originally planned to go to Lake Garda this weekend and enjoy some of the fabulous sunny weather that we are currently experiencing. However, Simon was still feeling the effects of my cold so we decided to have a lazier day. I finished planting the flowers that we bought at the market yesterday to liven up the terrace whilst Simon had a mammoth lay in.

At lunch time we decided to venture out for a bite to eat. Now in Northampton this would have included option like the scenic Round Spinney Toby Carvery or maybe a pub with a garden. Well Verona can't compete with such vistas so we had to make do with the Torricelle. This is the road that winds up the big hill near our house. Arguably we could walk up it (if we were fitter) but we drove and enjoyed a pizza whilst looking at the scenery. After an hour or so we drove down and took a stroll along the Adige (river) near the Ponte Pietra, the Romon bridge.

There are some spectacular views to be seen and I am only sad that I took my big camera and not the new one and I think the new one would have captured its beauty much more clearly.

What can I say - Verona is stunning when the sun shines

Doctors

Getting ill in Italy seems to be a pain. On the way back from Milan I started to feel worse and worse and by the time we got home I felt awful. So bad that I agreed not to go to work on Monday. Now for those who know me well, this is a rare occurrence as I am a real martyr when I am sick. To be honest I staying in bed most of the day feeling awful. I did have to get up to go to the doctor though. Although I knew I just had a terrible cold/flu thing I needed a doctors note FROM DAY ONE!!!!! So off I went, with cold sweats on a bus journey across town, only to find that the doctor doesn't open on a Monday. This was not a good start. I still felt awful on Tuesday so another day was had in bed and another trip to the Docs. This time he was there. And he spoke English. I've dreaded having to explain pain and illness in Italian so it was a real relief. He asked what was the matter and then wrote me a sick note. He then proceeded to ask if I'd teach his daughter English!!

I had to decide early in the day if I was in on Wednesday and still felt bad so opted for a Wednesday absence as well. That night my boss rang to check I was OK and to check that I had filled in the sick note properly. Well my sick note was just a letter from the doctor. Apparently not the right thing!! I had to call the Doctor at 9pm to ask for an official letter. How embarrassing - though technically his mistake not mine.

Wednesday morning saw me once again go out into town to meet the Doctor, get the official sick note and then fill it in. I then had to take it to INPS - the Social security office in order that I would get paid. Oh and then get the top copy to school on the same day.

In short, I had to traipse around town on all three days that I was off feeling terrible, rather than stay in bed, otherwise I wouldn't get paid. Maybe the NHS isn't so bad after all. I guess if you grew up here and have a family doctor and family who can run you around and drop things off it is sensible but for people like me it is a nightmare. I'll certainly think twice before being ill again!!

To put the icing on the cake, Simon got back from Milan with conjunctivitis, and since he doesn't yet have a doctor he had to go to casualty!! We are a right pair.

Good news though, my cold is almost gone and Simon's eyes are better - he does however appear to have a cold :-)