30 July 2007

Il benzinaio

Il benzinaio (aka petrol pump attendant) is a real mystery man. He has one large apartment in our building where he lives, and another in the building in front of ours. He also has two cars, one of which is particularly flash whilst the other less snazzy one is used for going to work. His wife doesn't work and they're going on holiday for three weeks in August. Work that one out.

It makes me ponder ponder. A lottery win perhaps? Or is he another one of those whose in-comings and out-goings just don't figure :S Or am I in the wrong line of work?

29 July 2007

Sunday

I've just read about a 108 year old lady in England who has been put on an 18 month NHS waiting list for an hearing aid. Honestly, can't they hurry things along in certain circumstances? She has four children, but only one is alive and he's 80. I hope that I get to 108 years old. Brava a lei.

24 July 2007

Tuesday

I’m considering getting myself a little city car. Reasons are, I work long hours and would rather not spend three hours a day travelling when it would only take me on average half an hour by car. Sometimes I work late and would like to be able to leave on my own without having to arrange a lift. It’s unbearable getting Metronapoli and the bus when it’s hot, it’s not always hot, I know, but when it is it’s baking! I would like to go to Ikea on my own without having to put OH through it who gets (understandably) bored. He only likes to shop if he has to buy something whereas I like to browse. If I’m an independent Delina then in time we could move house too – ie move out of the city to somewhere where it doesn’t cost 300,000 euro for a house no bigger than a workman's tent.

Do you think it's a good idea too?

So on Saturday we went for round one of car shopping. This first round was really just to get an idea of what’s on offer and where. We went to Agnano where there are quite a few car dealers and went into the first big car dealer park we got to. Now, if you’ve been shopping in Italy, you’ll know that as soon as you get through the door the shop assistant will shout “Prego!”, so I thought that going for a car would be even worse, but no, we walked around looking at all the cars and not a person came up to us. Interesting. I thought “I’m here to buy a car, isn’t someone going to come and pressure me into buying something unsuitable?” But nothing. I noticed they don’t display the prices either. In England they at least put a price up which you then try to talk the dealer down on - and the dealer knows it.

Hopefully I'll find a suitable car soon.


Ps. I'm going to England for a few days to cool off. Back soon.

21 July 2007

sabato

We bought some frozen cornetti so we could have colazione all' Italiana. You leave them out to rise over night then put them in the oven for twenty minutes. They're nice to have on a weekend. These are alla crema/with custard inside.




I think I'm going to do some real baking later...I keep promising OH a cake you see. Vediamo. It's hot to be having the oven on and the pasticceria is only at the bottom of the street... :)

Buon sabato!

18 July 2007

Summer is...


On a more negative note, summer is also having a mosquito flying around your ear at five in the morning; This is what happened to me today. I eventually got up and sent it to it’s maker, then its friend comes along. Not nice and very annoying.

We don’t normally have much of a mosquito problem as we keep the windows closed as much as possible in the evening, but even one is too many for me, so tonight it’s zanzara war!

15 July 2007

Summer is...


...White wine with peaches aka vino bianco con percoche.

For best results put the jug in the fridge for a few hours so that the peaches can soak in the wine and be chilled. If you haven't got time just leave them to soak for as long as you like - or even not at all. Drink the wine with your meal then eat the peaches out of the wine for dessert.

Percoche are the orange inside peaches - as seen in the photo - not the white variety. I'm not sure if the word "percoche" is a used only in Neapolitan or all over Italy. Che ne sacc.

13 July 2007

Mezzo metro di margherita alle otto per favore.

I've been a bit quiet in the blog world lately, I've been in a pensive state, which sometimes inspires me to blog and sometimes puts me off blogging. Maybe I'll write more about my pensive period soon.

Anyway, just wanted to tell you that we just called the pizza place and for the first time the pizza person knew immediately who we were, what we wanted and even at what time! :D What does this mean? Do we eat too much pizza? Are we too predictable? Anyway, whatever, it's Friday and I can't be bothered to cook so pizza it is!

I think they know it's us due to the time we call. We ring really early becasue if you don't then the pizza will turn up about 11pm and consequently I'll be in a bad mood :S

4 July 2007

Celebrate with an aperitivo!

Nothing beats sitting outside in the summer with your favourite aperitvo. Here's mine from last weekend. It's a Sanbitter (pronounced Sanbitt-errrrrrrr) rosso, there's a Sanbitter bianco version too. I also have a soft spot for Aperol, sometimes with vino bianco, depending on my mood.


I say celebrate with an aperitivo because I've finally arrived at my one hundredth post! Happy birthday to Delinissima! Thank you for reading and putting up with me. Have a prosecco to celebrate, that would be a celebratory type aperitivo wouldn't it? Here's to the next one hundred :)

1 July 2007

I've just finished watching the Diana concert. I really enjoyed it - lots of good acts. My faves were James Morrison, Lilly Allen (who was on her best behaviour), Rod Stewart, Elton, Take That for their "Back for Good" which always gets me singing along. I had a good sing-a-long to the musicals medley too "Jesus Christ! Superstar! La la la." I was surprised that Elton didn't do "Candle in the Wind." That song gives me goose bumps. Well done to the princes for organising it, Diana would have been proud.

Magic


Here's my new piumino magico in all it's glory. It says it's magic on the packet. It's actually my first piumino magico too. I'm not sure if this is a sign of age...Or a need to fit in with Italian cleaning standards. Boh.

When I went to buy it I had no idea how to say feather duster in Italian so I went into the detersivi-bits-and-bobs shop, hoping I'd be able to see one and point it out before the signore yelled "prego?" to ask me what I wanted. Then I'd have been in the difficult position of having to describe a feather duster, with the help of gestures and a bit of miming thrown in. Think charades in the detersivi-bits-and-bobs shop.


This is why the big shops are so much easier to shop in - no speaking necessary when looking for those items which they never taught you to say in Italian class. Anyway, there were two varieties, one only 80 cents and one, more professional version that was 4 euro. Of course I put my cheap skates on and opted for the 80 cents one - it'll hardly get used after all, probably just for a while out on the balcone to show off in front of the rug beatin' signoras who surely have the 4 euro version.