News July and August 2004

Weather

News July 2004

_{Another action packed month in the centre of the universe, well Le Marche anyway Some months back I told you about some friends who had decided to move nearer their plot where their new home is being built into a caravan. At the time I expressed my concerns about the wisdom of this move, but for various reasons they have had a change of plan and have now bought a small cottage to see them through to completion of their new place. I can now go on to other events that surround us as I now feel their news is over until the house is built or some other Italian mishap befalls them.}

_{Our fears of high gas bills we thought were far behind us after investing in some new wood burning stoves so we could cut the bills down. But that dream has been shattered, our gas company in its wisdom has decide that our bill after heating only half the area we did last year would more than double 3000 Euro!!!! for 12 weeks of winter. Now I am not saying these people are crooks because they say I owe it and nothing is going to change their minds so they must be right they have the figures to prove it and there could not be any mistake by Liquigas. But anyway I am currently examining other companies to supply us, then we will know for sure if we really could go through enough gas to heat the whole hamlet. We are now long term residents here, and have long ago learned the folly of trying to keep really warm during the cold months so its just as well we did economise isn’t it? the moral being if your cold put extra clothing on.}

_{Just one other costly item to add this month a replacement vehicle, paradise has been really really expensive this month. I now have this great giant 4x4 that has now become a mere two wheel van for work as it needed in excess of another 3000 Euro to repair it which was rather more than it is worth. So because of the nature of our work here we do need a proper 4x4 so we have had to lay out yet more cash to enable us to go anywhere all year round. You may forgive me for being just a little fed up with paradise this month, Liz said what pictures will you put up this month well it might have been a picture of a gas truck with a name on it but I didn’t have one, or it may have been a picture of a Ryanair jet going to England, but I didn’t have one of those either. So I will show you a pretty one and pretend all is well in paradise still, well maybe next month “Piano’Piano” as they say here.}

News August 2004

_{Feeling better about paradise this month although the price is still higher than we had planned on. A slight retraction on Liquigas to report on as we have now resolved it as far as we can, the future payments will be very much lower as a result of discussions with them. Our new price is lower than we could have obtained anywhere else, so it looks as though they will continue to be our supplier. Seems they were as shocked as us at the consumption and are working with us to resolve the problem, although it came as some disappointment that there was no sign of a discretionary reduction in the outstanding amount given their admission that we could not have used the amount shown. There is a lesson to learn here, before trusting on someone else’s word that contracts and prices are normal and fair (agents and plumbers) do have it checked by a third party who is not getting a reward out of the new business. New arrivals here, and some not so new seem to be fair game for anybody, when your not sure of how things work and trust other people to help them, you are just another “punter” ripe for the picking, and this applies to nearly all areas of business.}

_{Our “new” secondhand car purchased to replace the other one has proved to have its own problems, new radiator and new clutch so far. But we have been here long enough to know some good people who do look after you properly, so we bought from a good vehicle dealer who has been a star and sorted out the problems promptly and without cutting corners thanks Alberto of “Sillauto”.}

_{Still it’s now full summer now which brings my much loved sunshine and heat, and not out of a gas tank! so we can enjoy it for a while now, just the odd summer thunder storm to endure and when rains it really rains but it’s still warm. We are still working hard with our House management at it’s height now, but we have family along with assorted friends arriving during the next weeks so we will not have time to fret over the negative side of life. And hey! it’s times like these that make me remember why we chose to make a new life and “live the dream” in this great country and learn from the expensive mistakes, it’s just that the Italians are so good at making you believe anything.}