The end of our Italian dream
May 9th 2018, 6:38 pm
#16
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Central Italy
Posts: 3,661
Re: The end of our Italian dream
Keep a close eye on those olives and grapes. In Umbria they come under attack from fungal infections and parasites. A late frost caused a lot of damage this year.
May 9th 2018, 7:12 pm
#17
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Here
Posts: 680
Re: The end of our Italian dream
I wouldn't worry about them..they found another source of inspiration for their numerous books..:-)
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel...-a6855541.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel...-a6855541.html
I believe Cathy's back working in the media - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathy_Rogers
May 10th 2018, 5:10 am
#18
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 30
Re: The end of our Italian dream
Thanks for the heads up
Donna
May 10th 2018, 5:19 am
#19
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 30
Re: The end of our Italian dream
Back to the original topic. - I'm out there every day manual working, sometimes for 8 hrs in the heat. You are a slave to the weather and the land. I've got blisters, sunburn, bites and muscle strain... By 8 pm I often cant keep my eyes open and I love it. But growing up in a farming community in Wales, I was under no illusions that smallholding was going to be easy...
May 10th 2018, 7:51 am
#20
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Central Italy
Posts: 3,661
Re: The end of our Italian dream
I planted 25 concord grapes about 5 years ago. I have been spraying them with bordeaux mixture but they always seem to lose their leaves in June and only make a small crop. This year I am trying milk and bicarbonate of soda to combat mildew. Uva fragole is one of my favourite grapes so I am hoping for more luck this year.
May 10th 2018, 9:21 am
#21
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 30
Re: The end of our Italian dream
I planted 25 concord grapes about 5 years ago. I have been spraying them with bordeaux mixture but they always seem to lose their leaves in June and only make a small crop. This year I am trying milk and bicarbonate of soda to combat mildew. Uva fragole is one of my favourite grapes so I am hoping for more luck this year.
Donna.
May 10th 2018, 9:46 am
#22
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: bute
Posts: 9,740
Re: The end of our Italian dream
The original story was written by a metropolitan TV executive. Shew clearly has problems in dealing with re;lity, having soent her life working with the creation and manipulation of images on the small screen.,
May 10th 2018, 9:47 am
#23
Concierge
Joined: Jan 2013
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 21,139
Re: The end of our Italian dream
Yeah! I found that a bloody annoying actually. Does she think that working 9-5 in an office in UK wearing uncomfortable clothes and masochistic shoes is somehow superior?
My close neighbour has been such a help, they're all so kind here.
I read a bit and then saw her for what she was and couldn't be bothered, sadly though, people will believe in her story and won't come here. The local economies really need the input of fresh blood due to young people moving to the larger towns and cities.
We've moved here, we have an olive grove and a small vineyard, but we weren't naive enough to think we'd make a living from it. Our fruit, olives and almonds ( and of course home made wine
) Are all icing on the Sicily cake.
I think they were just silly and didn't do their homework before jumping in. The attitude toward the locals cant have helped
My close neighbour has been such a help, they're all so kind here.
I read a bit and then saw her for what she was and couldn't be bothered, sadly though, people will believe in her story and won't come here. The local economies really need the input of fresh blood due to young people moving to the larger towns and cities.
We've moved here, we have an olive grove and a small vineyard, but we weren't naive enough to think we'd make a living from it. Our fruit, olives and almonds ( and of course home made wine
) Are all icing on the Sicily cake.I think they were just silly and didn't do their homework before jumping in. The attitude toward the locals cant have helped
May 10th 2018, 11:11 am
#24
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Central Italy
Posts: 3,661
Re: The end of our Italian dream
Back to the original topic. - I'm out there every day manual working, sometimes for 8 hrs in the heat. You are a slave to the weather and the land. I've got blisters, sunburn, bites and muscle strain... By 8 pm I often cant keep my eyes open and I love it. But growing up in a farming community in Wales, I was under no illusions that smallholding was going to be easy...
May 10th 2018, 12:54 pm
#25
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 30
Re: The end of our Italian dream
Oh and we also have several large tanks which we collect rain water in, it all helps
Especially this year- it's been nice and rainy... Donna
Last edited by Pailor; May 10th 2018 at 1:00 pm.
May 10th 2018, 12:58 pm
#27
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 30
Re: The end of our Italian dream
haha)Donna
May 10th 2018, 3:37 pm
#28
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Central Italy
Posts: 3,661
Re: The end of our Italian dream
There was an interesting Lineaverde on RA1 about the water supply situation and its bad management iin Sicily a few weeks ago.
When we bought our plot of land the neighbour was pumping water from our well. It is quite a valuable thing in July and August.
When we bought our plot of land the neighbour was pumping water from our well. It is quite a valuable thing in July and August.
May 10th 2018, 3:56 pm
#29
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 30
Re: The end of our Italian dream
Apparently, according to the solicitor who did our paperwork, the well water technically belongs to the commune you live in.
Hopefully they don't know it's here!
The neighbour we share with is a friend and the other neighbours are his relatives. So we're okay there. Our properties are very secure and we have maremmas out, so we know if anyone is nearby who shouldn't be!
Water is a very valuable commodity, people back in UK should be more appreciative!
Last edited by Pailor; May 10th 2018 at 4:17 pm.
