Pock Marked Cars

July 13, 2008 · Filed Under Italy · Comment

We had one of those, let’s call it a ‘World War 1′ storms last night. Why this allusion to WW1? Well, if you’ve ever seen one of those old war films, you’ll remember scenes in which the horizon is lit up by exploding shells, to an rumbling accompaniment generated by all the explosions.

It was pretty much like that last night, and there was some pretty serious hail too, which sounded like it was raining stones.

This storm reminded me of the times I’d seen pock marked cars parked around Milan. When I asked about this, I was told that these round dents were caused by golf ball sized hail stones. Wow, I thought. Here is a picture of one of these hail stones. Just do a quick search on Google Images for ‘grandine’ (Italian for hail), and you’ll find some more examples.

Indeed, when I had a car a few years back, I noticed that part of the insurance cover included ‘hail stone damage’. I needed no second bidding, and chose this as an option to add to my expensive insurance policy.

Actually, I’d recommend those insuring a car to pay for this additional cover. Otherwise, you may well find yourself wondering just how much it will cost to sort out a car which looks as though it’s has been attacked by a hammer wielding madman.

It’s has to be said that these jumbo size hail stones are something of a rarity, and luckily, I never had to make a claim for hail stone damage, but you never know. And I have seen quite a bit of evidence of the damage these balls of ice can do.

You have been warned!

Tags: car insurance, hail, hail stones, Italian, Italy, weather

Grey Days

June 4, 2008 · Filed Under Milan · 1 Comment

As I write this, the rain is lashing down here in not so sunny Milan. Funny weather for Italy, especially in June when it is usually hot enough to make you start digging out the remote controls for the air conditioning system, if you are lucky enough to have one.

Weather wise its been an odd year. The summer has been coming and going making this Englishman in Milan feel like he is back in good old England with its famously variable climate. Indeed, I’m not the only Englishman in Milan who is feeling a little let down by Italy’s usually reliable weather. Chris, one of the 442 pub regulars was also complaining about the lack of summer weather.

Now, when an Englishman complains about the weather in Italy, that really means that things are a bit pear shaped ( pear shaped = ‘odd’ in British English for those of you who are not familiar with the fruity expression I’ve just used).

If English people are pining for those hot and balmy summer days, then you can imagine just how many Italians are feeling. Sometimes Italians may ask you if you are ‘meteopatico’, which means, I suppose - ‘weatherphobic’, or in more Italian terms - allergic to bad weather. Coming from the UK I have to say that I’m very meteopatico, and I came out to Italy to escape the randomness of English weather, which I hate.

Our little one was supposed to be taking part in an end of term play today, and this play was supposed to have been held outside, in the sun. However there is no sun, and the play has been postponed, yet again. A shame, because I was free this afternoon, and was quite looking forward to seeing the wee one playing his part in the ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’ themed show. A definite case of ‘rain stops play’, if ever there was one.

Should said play be moved to Friday, I won’t be able to see it, but then neither will his mum who is down in Genova tending to her sick mum. What a shame. Hopefully, and because the postponements are causing problems for other parents, the show will be moved to next Monday. Hope so. Our little one has been rattling on about this school do for a good few weeks, and he is, or was, looking forward to it too.

Whether the weather will get better is anybody’s guess. I’m starting to feel pretty grey too.

Tags: 442 pub, children, Italian, Italy, Milan, rain, sunny, weather

Crystal Ball Gazing - Techno Travel

March 21, 2008 · Filed Under Holidays · 10 Comments

Recently I’ve been contacted by two emerging new travel sites - Volette.com and So Much World. Both are very interesting, but quite different in their takes on travel.

Volette is perhaps more aimed at the business traveller, but not only, whereas So Much World is more like an on-line version of my favourite Lonely Planet guides. I know that both sites are still in a development phase, especially Volette.com. Indeed, the brain behind Volette.com, one Joe Tangredi, has several ideas as to the direction he wants to take his internet venture, although I don’t know what they are just yet. Read more

Tags: a list, book, bookmark, computer, eat, future, hotel, idea, Information, interest, interesting, internet, Italy, local knowledge, lovely, meeting, mobile, People, phone, pocket pc, read, rented car, Rome, sea, service, sicily, site, tour, travel, Useful, visit, weather, web, wifi