And so ............... Christmas.
 

What you doing folks?

Normally I'd have already booked our flights in early or late October to get a good deal but this year ..... what with Ryanair screwing up God knows how many flights and then Monarch going bust, there is practically cazzo niente back home to the North. I expected the Easyjet flights to go up a little but not to over €1.400 euro. Are they mad?

We'd only be going back for a week or 10 days at the most anyway as the kids are older now and would like to have New Year's here. Even Italian teens are all about family for the Vigilia and Natale but they can all **** off and party on New year's Eve and I know that Chloe has several parties to choose from.

One thing I will be not be doing: eating sprouts, zampone or cottechino.

Re: And so ............... Christmas.
 

[QUOTE=Lorna at Vicenza;12390450]What you doing folks?

Normally I'd have already booked our flights in early or late October to get a good deal but this year ..... what with Ryanair screwing up God knows how many flights and then Monarch going bust, there is practically cazzo niente back home to the North. I expected the Easyjet flights to go up a little but not to over €1.400 euro. Are they mad?

We'd only be going back for a week or 10 days at the most anyway as the kids are older now and would like to have New Year's here. Even Italian teens are all about family for the Vigilia and Natale but they can all **** off and party on New year's Eve and I know that Chloe has several parties to choose from.

One thing I will be not be doing: eating sprouts, zampone or cottechino. QUOTE]
:eek:Is it Chrstmas already? OMG with my busy life I almost forgot. Joling of course, the shops here have been geared up for Christmas as soon as Ferragosto was over. Ours will be a typical Neapolitan Christmas, expensive exchange of gifts for both Natale and the Befana, food until it's coming out of your ears, and also I've managed over the years to train them all into Christmas crackers with funny 'ats, and Christmas pudding with brandy sauce, and yes, wait for it BRUSSELS SPROUTS:thumbsup:
Given personal situation, all this takes place at son no. 2's home, or sister in laws;both accomplished in the kitchen This year there is a question mark about whether or not we'll be able to attend given 'a anonna being a bit confused to say the least. Son no. 3 and grandaughter no. 2 have buggered off to UK anyway.
Ciao for now everyone, have a lovely time wherever you are, and Christmas greeting will be gven at the appropriate time.
'o nonno

Re: And so ............... Christmas.
 

Ryanair was a worry, but after there being no cancellations on the Pescara to Stansted route, we are confident there will not be any and are happy to risk bookings... As it is the flights cost us less than the rail travel up North in England!

Re: And so ............... Christmas.
 

I had a look at Easyjet flights from Venice to Manchester about a month ago. I was expecting their prices to be a bit higher than usual taking advantage of the Ryanir/Monarch fiasco.
4 flights came out at €1.427 which was bleeding ridiculous. They've come down a bit since but are still over €1.000 and I just cannot afford that as we'll need a hire car as well.

Re: And so ............... Christmas.
 

QUOTE]
:eek:Is it Chrstmas already? OMG with my busy life I almost forgot. Joling of course, the shops here have been geared up for Christmas as soon as Ferragosto was over. Ours will be a typical Neapolitan Christmas, expensive exchange of gifts for both Natale and the Befana, food until it's coming out of your ears, and also I've managed over the years to train them all into Christmas crackers with funny 'ats, and Christmas pudding with brandy sauce, and yes, wait for it BRUSSELS SPROUTS:thumbsup:
Given personal situation, all this takes place at son no. 2's home, or sister in laws;both accomplished in the kitchen This year there is a question mark about whether or not we'll be able to attend given 'a anonna being a bit confused to say the least. Son no. 3 and grandaughter no. 2 have buggered off to UK anyway.
Ciao for now everyone, have a lovely time wherever you are, and Christmas greeting will be gven at the appropriate time.
'o nonno[/QUOTE]

Do the grown ups exchange gifts at befana time as well? Little kids sometimes get a present here but mostly it's just stockings filled with cheap sweets and fake coal.

Re: And so ............... Christmas.
 

Do the grown ups exchange gifts at befana time as well? Little kids sometimes get a present here but mostly it's just stockings filled with cheap sweets and fake coal.[/QUOTE]
The younger kids expect a proper prezzie, the older ones prefer money
with their sweetie stockings. Family adults expect at least a token gift of something useful like coffee and sugar. Institutional acquaintances like vigili
get something like a panetone and spumante. There used to be mountains of
them at busy crossroads. More like greasing palms than goodwill.;)
cheers,
'o nonno

Re: And so ............... Christmas.
 

We went shopping for neighbours today. they're all having the same- a box of Mon cheri chocs and a bottle of Limoncello, I may make some chilli jam and that's ok because they all like it. Beginning to dread Christmas, my children and grandkids are all in the UK so i never get to see them at Christmas-this will be 8 times I've not been there to share it with them.
We can't put a tree up because the cats would decimate it so really it's nothing to get excited about for us; rather get excited about Spring arriving.

Re: And so ............... Christmas.
 

I think my last Xmas in the UK was in 1999, so this'll be the 18th away from family. More important, the in-laws having passed on, we'll be eating whatever we want for the 5th year running - it was always a carefully planned military operation, what we were going to eat. So we'll start off with a few antipasti (veggies in oil, little slices of smoked salmon etc) then we were going to have lasagne but more than one person has said they prefer a straightforward tagliatelle with ragù! we'll probably also do some cannelloni with ricotta and spinach. Then meat, but we haven't decided what. Followed by torta veneziana. Hope that's enough!
But I miss an English Christmas with turkey (turkey's not the same in Italy) and trimmings, stuffing, parsnips, Brussels sprouts (sorry Lorna, look the other way!) etc., then Xmas pud and mince pies and Xmas cake later on. I also miss the fact that Xmas in my family always dragged on with cold turkey and piccalilli on Boxing Day and then the last of the turkey used up in a turkey and ham pie.
In Italy, Xmas is a lunch. E basta. I used to enjoy lazing around after the Xmas lunch; the Italians have to go running off to the cinema! Actually in the UK we had more space for sitting around doing puzzles in bumper issues of the papers etc. etc. Difficult to do that here, so if you do stay at home it's... tombola!

On New Year's Day it'll be cotechino (again apologies to Lorna) with lentils.

Re: And so ............... Christmas.
 

What! No turkey soup!

Re: And so ............... Christmas.
 

[QUOTE=jonwel;

On New Year's Day it'll be cotechino (again apologies to Lorna) with lentils.[/QUOTE]

Oh my god! Is that pink stuff nice? Tell me the truth please

Re: And so ............... Christmas.
 

:lol:Not unlike warmed up spam, but you can develop a taste for it over time.

Re: And so ............... Christmas.
 

Sounds like victorian prison food to me,lol.

Re: And so ............... Christmas.
 

It’s our first Christmas in Italy. I’ve ordered the turkey but looked at the butcher blankly when he asked if I wanted a female or a male - apparently females are smaller! Will miss parsnips and planning on making my own pigs in blankets - British bacon from Lidl in the freezer. Off to a great Christmas market in Montepulciano on Sunday and hopefully a day in Florence next week for Christmas shopping. Merry Christmas to everyone here � ����� ����� ����

Re: And so ............... Christmas.
 

Cotechino:Well, if you've never tried it you probably won't like it the first time; ononno's description is probably not far off for a first impression! But it's what you call an acquired taste. There are quite a few things I've acquired a taste for: I didn't like grappa the first time (and I still avoid the very rough ones) and polenta didn't seem anything special but now I love it.

I don't see lentils as prison food! The trouble with us Brits is that we don't know much about legumes. I grew up with just peas and beans (and the beans were only Heinz baked). Other beans were a closed book, as were lentils and chick-peas.

Re: And so ............... Christmas.
 

I have developed a love of chickpeas since living here- home made hummus, in tomato sauce with pasta and the jarred variety taste just like marrowfat peas provided you keep your eyes closed.