News reaches us via the Blackpool Gazette of two British expats who travelled 1,400 miles from their home on Sardinia to pick up their new four-by-four from a dealership in Lancashire.
The purchase was sparked by an email following the couple’s near-fatal road accident on the Mediterranean island last year.
According to Richard Braithwaite, manager at the Chorley branch of Nissan: "A few months ago, Roger and Avril nearly lost their lives in a shocking accident back home in Sardinia.
"It took them a while to recover and they vowed that safety would be the priority when it came to choosing their next vehicle.
"Nissan managed to turn the order around in double quick time and Roger and Avril flew in to collect, spending a few days with family in Kendal en route."
Friday 28 March 2008
Wednesday 26 March 2008
No chance of escaping the Arctic blast
Haven’t updated the blog over the Bank Holiday weekend due to the fact that I’ve spent most of it huddling in one room with my better half. Our boiler blew up on the coldest weekend of the year, knocking out the electricity in most rooms of the house and leaving us debating the benefits of a wind up laptop and whether we she have invested in a convector heater when there were actually some on sale. Still, at least I can console myself with the fact that it's freezing in Sardinia too.
A couple of stories I noticed on my return to the 20th century.
According to Reuters Naples police rescued two teenage Bulgarian sisters from a circus in southern Italy which forced one of them to swim with flesh-eating piranhas for the amusement of guests, police said.
While the 19-year-old sister swam in a transparent tank, the younger, 16-year-old was forced into a container where the circus staff tossed snakes at her.
The Pope took the controversial step of baptising former Muslim, Magdi Allam, and was branded “provocative” and accused of "scoring points" by Aref Ali Nayed, head of Jordan's Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre and apparently one of the ‘moderates’ we read so much about in the UK press.
According to Allam a writer for Corriere della Sera, Islam is “physiologically violent and historically conflictual” and “legitimises lies and deception”.
Needless to say he’s now received a number of death threats and is under police protection.
Read the full story here
And finally throwaway culture came back to bite Italy in the arse when - according to the Independent newspaper - it emerged that that most Italian of food stuffs buffalo mozzarella had become contaminated as a result of illegal dumping of toxic waste in Campania by a branch of the Italian Mafia.
A couple of stories I noticed on my return to the 20th century.
According to Reuters Naples police rescued two teenage Bulgarian sisters from a circus in southern Italy which forced one of them to swim with flesh-eating piranhas for the amusement of guests, police said.
While the 19-year-old sister swam in a transparent tank, the younger, 16-year-old was forced into a container where the circus staff tossed snakes at her.
The Pope took the controversial step of baptising former Muslim, Magdi Allam, and was branded “provocative” and accused of "scoring points" by Aref Ali Nayed, head of Jordan's Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre and apparently one of the ‘moderates’ we read so much about in the UK press.
According to Allam a writer for Corriere della Sera, Islam is “physiologically violent and historically conflictual” and “legitimises lies and deception”.
Needless to say he’s now received a number of death threats and is under police protection.
Read the full story here
And finally throwaway culture came back to bite Italy in the arse when - according to the Independent newspaper - it emerged that that most Italian of food stuffs buffalo mozzarella had become contaminated as a result of illegal dumping of toxic waste in Campania by a branch of the Italian Mafia.
Wednesday 19 March 2008
Won't be long before we head home
Not long now. I can almost smell the myrtle and lemon trees.
The clock is ticking down to the moment when I can finally book our flights to Sardinia for May half-term. All I’m waiting on is for one of my mates - who shall remain nameless – to decide if him and his better half can afford to tag along.
This isn’t as straightforward as it first sounds. He’s not the most decisive bloke you'll meet. A decade or so ago when we first began working together he decided he was going to buy a house. Six years on when he finally decided where he wanted to live he found he could no longer afford one.
Meanwhile as he does the calculations I have to watch in horror as the air fares tick ever upwards like the meter in a black cab.
At this rate I fear we shall be walking.
Still whatever the cost it’ll be worth it. There’s plenty of work do be done at the house. The place will need a fresh coat of paint inside and out but frankly I no longer care. I can’t wait to get away from the office and feel the sun on my face. Even if it is from the top of a very tall ladder.
The clock is ticking down to the moment when I can finally book our flights to Sardinia for May half-term. All I’m waiting on is for one of my mates - who shall remain nameless – to decide if him and his better half can afford to tag along.
This isn’t as straightforward as it first sounds. He’s not the most decisive bloke you'll meet. A decade or so ago when we first began working together he decided he was going to buy a house. Six years on when he finally decided where he wanted to live he found he could no longer afford one.
Meanwhile as he does the calculations I have to watch in horror as the air fares tick ever upwards like the meter in a black cab.
At this rate I fear we shall be walking.
Still whatever the cost it’ll be worth it. There’s plenty of work do be done at the house. The place will need a fresh coat of paint inside and out but frankly I no longer care. I can’t wait to get away from the office and feel the sun on my face. Even if it is from the top of a very tall ladder.
Tuesday 11 March 2008
What money can buy
According to that august organ The Times, Chelsea’s first-team coaches will be running footie courses at Forte Village, Sardinia this coming summer. The courses are open to ages 4-13 year-olds and priced at a reasonable enough £190 a week. The catch? A week's accomodation at the resort starts – that’s STARTS!!! – at a jaw dropping £1,340 per adult.
At this point I’d normally drop in a crass plug for our house, but sadly it’s three or four hours away by car.
Still why not...
To rent our house click here
At this point I’d normally drop in a crass plug for our house, but sadly it’s three or four hours away by car.
Still why not...
To rent our house click here
Friday 7 March 2008
"Move the hands away from the nutsack!!"
The Italian courts are a mass of contradictions, which I guess is in keeping with the country's Catholic roots.
Just last week the Supreme Court – the highest court in the country – heard the case of a Milanese man accused of "ostentatiously" groping himself in public, and ruled that touching of oneself under one’s clothing is “contrary to public decency”, going on to suggest, “if they need to, men can wait and do it at home”.
And yet this week the very same court ruling in the case of a 48-year woman engaged in an affair with a secret lover decided it was legal to lie to the police about extramarital affairs if revealing them ruins your reputation.
Note to self: Must buy VERY baggy pants for next trip
Just last week the Supreme Court – the highest court in the country – heard the case of a Milanese man accused of "ostentatiously" groping himself in public, and ruled that touching of oneself under one’s clothing is “contrary to public decency”, going on to suggest, “if they need to, men can wait and do it at home”.
And yet this week the very same court ruling in the case of a 48-year woman engaged in an affair with a secret lover decided it was legal to lie to the police about extramarital affairs if revealing them ruins your reputation.
Note to self: Must buy VERY baggy pants for next trip
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