tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38707283853987160662024-03-21T07:04:33.683+01:00Down at heelExpat life in Salento, Puglia. The heel of Italy.Sue in Salentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10275794125118444913noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870728385398716066.post-69179014506485420512012-03-28T14:37:00.001+02:002012-03-28T14:38:32.904+02:00RuffanoSwallows, squealing, race through the streets and squares of the Centro Storico.<br /><br />Men sit outside bars on plastic chairs. <br />They watch and discuss. Not gossip (this distinction is very important).<br /><br />A group of teens joke with a grey-haired woman who has broken the housewives’ curfew to come out and enjoy the evening.<br /><br />Her house, I imagine, gleams less than others in her street. And dust mice reside in corners untouched between weekly sweeps. But she is happy to have discovered that there is more to life than cleaning.Sue in Salentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10275794125118444913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870728385398716066.post-42258170765540189352011-11-22T11:53:00.002+01:002011-11-22T11:53:54.279+01:00Sitting and shivvvverrringSummer-wise life here is hot, hot, hot. The winter’s a different matter. Those tiled floors and painted walls that help keep the house refreshingly cool when it’s 40 plus - not so nice when you’re in single figures. Outside it might be nearly 20, but inside, at my desk, I’m wearing a shirt, a jumper and a cardigan, and I’ve still got the chills. <br /><br />Winter in warmer climes is never much fun, especially for those who shifted here for the heat. Anyone who’s happy to take whatever the summer can throw at them, isn’t going to fare so well when the mercury drops. In the end, though, it’s worth the pain. I would far prefer a few months of shivering (followed by a long hot summer) to 10 or 11 months of drizzle.Sue in Salentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10275794125118444913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870728385398716066.post-72101796263715968342011-09-26T09:48:00.003+02:002011-09-26T09:52:28.523+02:00Back in love with Salento<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitih4-XkFqsb8eN96MwROW3WS7KdOGnwJZzveS1W6mjrtIw78fxOlkQ80OenP2WWyOyhyphenhyphenpaLcT0AypbitGk2gH_Sfbox5In5vVolTny1n4Znf3BUnZl6NV1cHsM8SKknUtyfB35KneXkml/s1600/Island.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitih4-XkFqsb8eN96MwROW3WS7KdOGnwJZzveS1W6mjrtIw78fxOlkQ80OenP2WWyOyhyphenhyphenpaLcT0AypbitGk2gH_Sfbox5In5vVolTny1n4Znf3BUnZl6NV1cHsM8SKknUtyfB35KneXkml/s320/Island.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656572687121845218" /></a><br />It’s been an odd few months. We’ve had a fantastic summer, despite a few ups and downs (in-laws related mainly), but the overall feeling at the beginning of September was that maybe this isn’t where we should be. More than a feeling, in fact; it was enough to drive us to the UK property websites to research whether we still have the means to return to the UK. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />And then, just like that, we fell in love with Salento again.</span><br /><br />This weekend sealed the deal, for me at least. It was gorgeously warm. Saturday we swam to a small island, which was deserted. We cast ourselves away for a few hours of swimming, sunbathing and beachcombing. Discovered broken pieces of terracotta, red and green sea urchin shells and a dried-up starfish clinging to a shard of pottery. <br /><br />That evening we had dinner out at a cheap, family-run place in a palm-lined square. Two plates of meatballs, a large mixed grill, chips, wine, water, bread and two plates of vegetables all came to €30 for the three of us. It was all delicious, but the highlight was greens (chicory?) with chilli. <br /><br />Sunday we swam to the island again. This time we weren’t alone there, but the water was even clearer than it had been on Saturday. We forfeited watching the Singapore Grand Prix for a few more hours in the sun and sea (who wouldn’t); then swam to shore and returned home, exhausted. <br /><br />There are days when the lack of cash and jobs makes life here almost intolerable. But time with family, time outdoors and good food counteract these. We’re still not convinced we’re here for the duration – but at least, while we are here, we’re enjoying life to the full.Sue in Salentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10275794125118444913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870728385398716066.post-33191641867354603912011-07-24T17:48:00.002+02:002011-07-24T17:55:59.610+02:00Peach and almond tartIngredients:<br /><br />For pastry:<br /><br />250g organic plain flour, plus extra for dusting<br />50g icing sugar, sifted<br />125g good-quality cold butter, cut into small cubes (or a mix of butter and marg)<br />1 large free-range or organic eggs, beaten<br />a splash of milk<br /><br />For filling:<br /><br />1kg peaches<br />50g sugar<br />50g butter (or 30g butter, 20g marg)<br />75g ground almonds<br />1 egg<br /><br />Method:<br /><br />To make the pastry<br /><br />Seive the flour and the incing sugar into a bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingers. Make a well and break in the egg. Add a splash of milk and bind together to form a ball. <br />Leave to rest in the fridge for about an hour.<br />Roll out and line a large flan dish.<br /><br />To make the filling<br /><br />Mix the sugar, butter, egg and ground almonds together. Spread the mixture onto the pastry base.<br />Peel the peaches, cut into slices and arrange on the almond mixture. <br />Bake for 45-50mins minutes at 190°C.Sue in Salentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10275794125118444913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870728385398716066.post-81319130223510309382011-07-24T10:37:00.001+02:002011-07-24T10:40:52.493+02:00Norway and Amy Winehouse – they’re both importantSaturday 23 July was a pretty grim day. We woke to horrific news from Norway. A bomb blast and a massacre by a cold-hearted, right-wing gunman; the majority of his victims young. Then at around 4.30 GMT Twitter rumours started that Amy Winehouse had died. Twitter’s rarely wrong about these things. The online community held it’s breath and, alas, the jungle drums were confirmed to be correct.<br /><br />A pretty grim day by anyone’s estimation.<br /><br />But then something strange happened. Some people started berating those placing RIP messages for Amy. Exclaiming that anyone who felt sorry for her loss was forgetting the victims in Norway. How wrong they were!<br /><br />Here’s how I see it.<br /><br />Whilst the two incidents both involve untimely deaths, the nature of the victims and the scale of the situations make them very different to deal with emotionally. <br /><br />Amy was famous. A singer. Her best stuff was highly personal and will have spoken to many at a deep level. Fans, especially, will have felt a connection with her and the grief they experience will be similar to when someone you know dies. <br /><br />Norway, on the other hand, is of a scale that is incomprehensible to most people. The number of victims and scale of the attack are still being understood. In the weeks to come victims’ names and stories will leak out into the media. The gaps in the story will be filled and people will start to be able to comprehend the full nature of the situation. <br /><br />So, you see, it’s perfectly natural to feel emotional about both events – and in different ways. Sadness about the death of a troubled, yet talented, young woman and shock at a meaningless act of violence that took countless lives. <br /><br />Grief is a complex emotion. It affects everyone differently and everyone deals with it in their own unique way. So to berate someone for expressing it, or to assume that because they have not said anything they don’t feel anything, is a harsh stance to take. <br /><br />Next time – think before you tweet.Sue in Salentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10275794125118444913noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870728385398716066.post-12220486879539906352011-02-20T17:05:00.003+01:002011-02-20T17:11:14.623+01:00Today's conversation with my 5 y/o son<span style="font-weight:bold;">How to shatter your kid's dreams. </span><br /><br />Me "Do you want to drive down the seafront today?" <br /><br />Son "Yes. Can I?"<br /><br />Me "Can you what?" <br /><br />Son "Can I drive?" <br /><br />Me "No, I meant I'll drive down the seafront." <br /><br />Silence.Sue in Salentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10275794125118444913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870728385398716066.post-18826101693574364912010-08-15T11:05:00.002+02:002010-08-15T11:07:14.517+02:00Other people's holidaysSo you’re an expat. You’ve lived in your chosen country for a couple of years. You’ve learnt the language, you’ve adapted to the local customs and you can even cook a couple of favourite dishes. So what’s to stop you feeling like you completely fit in? For me, it’s festivals and holidays. There’s nothing like another’s culture’s feast days to send me straight back to outsider status.<br /><br />I’m thinking about this today, August 15th, as it’s one of Italy’s favourite holidays, Ferragosto. Celebrated since Roman Times (according to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferragosto">Wikipedia</a>), families get together, usually at the beach, to enjoy food, fun and fireworks. I guess it’s the Italian version of August Bank Holiday, but much more important.<br /><br />But it’s on festival days like these that you often feel like an outsider again. You may be lucky enough to be invited to someone’s home to celebrate (Chinese New Year in Taipei, for example), but however much you enjoy the food and the company, it’s the true meaning of the festival that is hard to grasp. You can understand that this festival celebrates the hottest part of the year, or that festival celebrates the first new moon, but without the cultural background, the spirit of the event can be frustratingly out of reach.<br /><br />My advice? Shrug your shoulders and adopt the ‘When in Rome…’ approach. You may not be able to understand exactly what it is that people are celebrating, but c’mon – good food, friends and time off – surely these are enough reasons to celebrate anything.<br /><br />Buon Ferragosto.Sue in Salentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10275794125118444913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870728385398716066.post-57165719483196367682010-07-14T09:17:00.001+02:002010-07-14T09:18:37.445+02:00First ambitionsLast night I watched my son drive solo for the first time. A kiddie-car at the fair, granted, but a car, none-the-less. And he was doing it, on his own. <br /><br />Many of the things he’s done for the first time have been things that we’ve been waiting for him to do. Walking, speaking, sleeping through the night (though, fortunately, not necessarily in that order). This driving thing had an extra dimension though – for watching him negotiate the track in a fake electric Ferrari, I was also watching him achieve one of his first ambitions. <br /><br />At the time it felt like a big moment. In hindsight I realise that it was.Sue in Salentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10275794125118444913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870728385398716066.post-51391690301462415882010-05-12T21:25:00.003+02:002010-05-12T21:29:19.173+02:00Driving in ItalyThe roads may be pockmarked<br />But most drive like Monza.<br />Accelerate, break<br />Take the racing line<br />Overtake, accelerate some more. <br /><br />In their hearts all men here are Felipe Massa.<br />Except the old drivers in their rustic three-wheeled bees that buzz through the back lanes.<br />Always ensuring they stay <br /> In the middle<br />And when navigating a roundabout cause others to pray<br />‘Not my way. Not my way. Not my way.’Sue in Salentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10275794125118444913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870728385398716066.post-5223352161031117392010-03-12T11:16:00.008+01:002010-03-12T11:58:19.030+01:00Why I should write a Salento platform for BootsnAllDear BootsnAll, <br /><br />If you’re reading this then it means you’ve received my application and decided to take a look at my blog. For various reasons I don’t blog much, so I thought I’d add this post to back up my application. So, to cut a long story short, here’s why I think I’d be a great fit for your platform project.<br /><br /><h2>I love to write great copy for quality websites</h2><br />In the past I’ve written copy (online and offline) for a number of blue-chip clients and employers. I’ve produced travel copy for Air Miles, British Airways, Disneyland Paris and Beachcomber holidays. I spent four and a half years writing content for the East Sussex County Council website. It was awarded Best UK council website in 2008 by SOCITM (The Society of It Managers). I updated and maintained over 200 pages of content. I enjoy writing for sites that get traffic and for an audience that wants to read my stuff. <br /><br /><h2>I love Salento</h2><br />After all, why else would you give up a good job that you enjoy to move to a place with high unemployment and a poor future prospects? My husband and I fell in love with Salento on day two of our first holiday here and we always vowed that we’d move here some day. It’s not the easiest place to live, but as anyone who’s head-over-heels knows – the sacrifice is worth it.<br /><br /><h2>I enjoy collaborating with other professionals to achieve a common goal</h2><br />Whether it’s on a marketing project team or as part of the web team that relaunched the council’s website, I’ve always enjoyed working as part of a team. After all, there’s no way anyone can be the best at everything. I know how to write and I produce engaging web content, but I can’t create a database or design a usable web page. And why should I, when there are other professionals who can? The chance to work as a team again and launch something like this would be an exiting opportunity for me.<br /><br /><h2>I want to work on a long-term project</h2><br />I’ve moved to Salento long term, and I’d love to get my teeth into a project that I can work on for years. If that project can also help develop Salento’s much needed tourism industry then it’s a win-win situation for me. <br /><br /><h2>I want to get back in the saddle again</h2><br />After spending 10 years honing my skills, I need to keep writing. This opportunity would allow me to write about a subject I love and to stay in touch with today’s emerging web trends. I tweet, I use Facebook and now I would like to create content for a quality website again.<br /><br />View my full CV on <a href="http://it.linkedin.com/pub/susan-pinna/12/4b1/a2">LinkedIn</a>.Sue in Salentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10275794125118444913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870728385398716066.post-68770233036343744562010-02-24T13:04:00.005+01:002010-02-24T21:15:06.291+01:00I wrote this old schoolI wrote this old school, with a pen and paper. Waiting in the car with my sleeping son whilst my husband held our place in the queue at the Doctor's surgery. Pen and paper. So lovely to form the words again, instead of tapping out typos on a keyboard. Creating emphasis with a flourish at the end of a word. No wonder people think they can read your personality through your handwriting.<br /><br />I wrote this with a skinny, black, diary pen. Designed for short memos and jottings, not long pieces of prose. Fine for these brief thoughts, but not suitable for a few thousand words a day.<br /><br />As I move from one page to another my handwriting alters to reflect the new angle I'm writing at. And the reduction of solidity underneath. <br /><br />Seeing my handwriting again is almost like bumping into an old friend you haven't met for ages. A pleasure. I should write like this more often. I bet I don't.<br /><br />PS - After posting a link to this on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/MrWordsWorth">@MrWordsWorth</a> was inspired to write <a href="http://wordsworthinc.blogspot.com/2010/02/verse-i-wrote-this.html">this poem</a>. Thanks Mark.Sue in Salentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10275794125118444913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870728385398716066.post-49263517033824296512010-02-18T12:45:00.004+01:002010-02-18T12:52:29.940+01:00Locked out of TwitterFor three days I've been locked out of my online social network. Twitter, Facebook, my email and a bunch of other random sites I use to touch base with the real world are now no longer within my grasp. I feel bereft.<br /><br />Sounds dramatic? Well look at it from my position. I live in a small town in southern Italy, far away from my family and old friends who I connect with on Facebook. I've been looking for freelance work. My computer problems mean that I can't access the sites I use to search for work and as I can't get onto my email I can't see if anyone has a job for me. And Twitter? Twitter is my office water cooler. With no fixed workplace it's the place I go to swap gossip with people who have similar interests to me or who work in the same field. <br /><br />So I guess saying I feel bereft isn't so dramatic after all.Sue in Salentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10275794125118444913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870728385398716066.post-76079890242346416582010-02-08T11:51:00.005+01:002010-02-08T11:55:06.249+01:00Buying a house in an Italian kitchenLast Friday at about 1pm my husband and I were was sitting in a stranger’s front room in Italy waiting to buy a house. It was a fairly standard southern Italian living room. The walls were covered with family photos, there were china ornaments on most surfaces and, of course, the obligatory Padre Pio plaque. <br /><br />When you buy a house in the UK it’s all very unspectacular. You exchange contracts, then something electronic happens behind the scenes and later that day the Estate Agent calls to say you can collect the keys. In Italy the process is far more personal. <br /><br />When you buy a property in Italy, the buyer and seller meet, usually at the offices of the buyer’s solicitor. The solicitor reads a detailed contract at the speed of a horseracing commentator and when she (or he) has finished reading everyone pretends they’ve understood what was said and signs it. Then you pay. And it’s not an electronic payment between banks either. The buyer pays by cheque, so it has the feel of a lottery win presentation. You almost want the bank to draw up a massive cheque so you can photograph the handover.<br /><br />But this time he process was even stranger, because we didn’t complete all these legal manoeuvres in our solicitor’s office, we were in someone’s kitchen. And that, surely, has to be one of the weirdest places to buy a house.Sue in Salentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10275794125118444913noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870728385398716066.post-10822486448499769142009-08-27T17:12:00.007+02:002009-08-27T17:31:16.956+02:00Favourite restaurants in Salento<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >Salento in Puglia, southern Italy, is famous for it’s food. Generally portions are hearty and made with fresh local produce. Fish is a popular feature on menus at coastal restaurants, whilst inland you’re more likely to find meat-based dishes on offer. Specialities include home-made orrechiette (ear-shaped pasta), cavallo (horse) and large plates of antipasti.
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<br />There are plenty of places to get a great meal, but these are my favourites. They’re the places we go back to again and again.
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<br /><h2 span="" style="font-size: 100%;">Naos, Ugento </h2> Via Giannuzzi Capitano Ugo, 90
<br />0833 955157
<br />Naos is a great place to sample Salentine cooking at its heartiest. Worth trying are the homemade arancini, the ceceri and tria (handmade pasta in a chickpea sauce) and the penne with salmone. Portions are generous and many dishes are made with home-gown ingredients.
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<br /><a href="http://www.salentoretro.com/"><h2 span style="font-size:100%;">Retro, Castrignano del Capo</span></a> </h2>
<br />Whether you eat in the outside courtyard or the vaulted dining room, a meal at Retro never disappoints. This is one of those places without a menu, but whatever Salvatore (the chef and owner) offers you will taste great – don’t worry! There’s also a wide selection of wine and some delicious cakes and biscuits to sample.
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<br /><h2 span style="font-size:100%;">Gnam, Santa Maria de Leuca</span> </h2>Lungomare C.Colombo
<br />333 28 24 328
<br />A popular spot for pizza at the bottom of Italy’s ‘heel”. The pizzas here are twice the size of normal ones, but they’ll put two different toppings on if you’re sharing and can’t agree on what you want. Tables are outdoors, on a flight of stairs opposite the seafront.
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<br /><h2 span style="font-size:100%;">Lo Sturno, Parabita</span> </h2> Via Immacolata 2
<br />0833 593477
<br />This is a good choice if you want to eat where the locals eat. It’s situated in a stone cellar in the historical centre of Parabita, a small town about 15 minutes inland from Gallipoli. Everything I’ve tried here tastes great, but the meatballs in sauce (polpette al sugo) seem to be their signature dish. Get here early for lunch, as after 1pm it fills up with business people.
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<br /><h2 span style="font-size:100%;">Osteria San Martino, Lecce</span> </h2>Via Marco Aurelio, 10 (near the park)
<br />340 40 64 411
<br />One of the best places we’ve found recently. Again there’s no menu, but they offer a wide variety of local specialities at really reasonable prices. And no-one speaks English, so it’s a great place to practise your Italian. It may not be the most glamorous restaurant in Lecce, but this is a great family-owned place and the food never disappoints.
<br /><a href="http://www.scogliodellesirene.com/">
<br /><h2 span style="font-size:100%;">Scoglio dele Sirene, Gallipoli</span></a> </h2>
<br />Great views of Gallipoli harbour from this restaurant on the sea wall. It’s especially romantic in the evening when the place is strewn with candles. This is one of the more expensive places on this list, but then again you are paying for the location. It’s great for super-fresh seafood and local specialities.
<br /><h2 span style="font-size:100%;">
<br />Tatanka, near Santa Maria de Leuca</span> </h2>Litoranea Leuca-Gallipoli
<br />340 34 36 909
<br />Another place with an amazing sea-view. Tatanka’s menu isn’t the biggest I’ve seen, but everything is cooked well and tastes great. The rocks opposite are a great place for a swim, if you don’t mind deep water. Daredevils jump from the cliffs into the clear sea, and there is a cave you can swim into. Just make sure you go swimming before lunch!Sue in Salentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10275794125118444913noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870728385398716066.post-10212804770356934642009-07-22T22:23:00.004+02:002009-07-22T22:32:22.964+02:00Denis Island - Marooned in paradise<span style="font-size:130%;">No shoes, no keys, no phones - no worries. Leave the outside world behind on this tranquil private island, accessible only by light aircraft and just a 30-minute flight from Mahe. A small coral dot in the Indian Ocean, Denis is swathed in tropical vegetation and ringed by pristine beaches.<br /><br />Originally a pirates' lair, Denis' secret treasure hoards are still to be discovered on its 375 acres. The island's real riches, however, are its natural delights: giant tortoises, rare bird species and colourful marine life. Few places in the world offer richer rewards underwater and Denis Island is a mecca for both sports fishermen and scuba-divers.<br /><br />Heavenly surroundings are complemented by Denis Island Lodge's wonderful hospitality, fine cuisine and luxurious cottage accommodation. It's the perfect choice for discerning castaways. So if you want to be marooned in paradise, simply choose your Man Friday and... go.</span>Sue in Salentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10275794125118444913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870728385398716066.post-65106865879715585942009-07-09T16:03:00.003+02:002009-07-09T16:07:48.506+02:00Melanzane alla parmigiana (Aubergine and tomato bake)<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">This isn't the quickest dish to prepare, but it tastes amazing.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Ingredients</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">450g (1lb) of aubergines </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">salt</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">1 large onion</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">olive oil</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">sunflower oil to fry the aubergine slices</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">2 garlic cloves</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">2 x 400g (14oz) cans plum tomatoes</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">1 tsp dried oregano</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">glass of red wine</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">225g (8oz) mozzarella cheese cut into 6mm slices</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">50g (2oz) grated Parmasan</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Slice the aubergines into thin circles about ½ cm thick. Salt and leave to drain in a colander for ½ an hour.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">In the meantime make a tomato sauce. Peel and chop the onion and peel and crush the garlic. Heat some olive oil in a pan and fry the onion, adding the garlic about 5 minutes later. Fry for a few more minutes, then add the tomatoes and their juice, the red wine and oregano. Break the tomatoes up a bit with the wooden spoon. Cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes. The sauce should reduce a fair bit so it is nice and thick. Season with salt and pepper.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Fry the aubergine circles in batches in the sunflower oil. Make sure the oil is hot otherwise the aubergine will soak it all up. When each batch is finished, drain on kitchen paper to remove the excess oil.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Put a layer of aubergines on the bottom of a lasagne dish, cover with some of the tomato sauce and then with sliced mozzarella. Continue until you have finished all the ingredients (you can usually do about 3 layers). Finish by sprinkling the grated parmesan on top.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Bake in a hot oven (220C, 425F, Gas mark 7) for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden and the mixture is bubbling.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Serve with fresh bread and a green salad.</span><br /></span>Sue in Salentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10275794125118444913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870728385398716066.post-51494657382476929992009-07-03T11:59:00.012+02:002009-07-03T12:06:34.406+02:00Loving words from a Grandmother<span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:130%;" >One thing I’ve always loved about Italy is the attitude towards children. You can take them anywhere and everyone seems to adore kids.<br /><br />But slowly, as my Italian has improved, I’ve realised that this isn’t always the case. Take, for example, the scene I witnessed on the beach yesterday. A Mother was with her two daughters and their Grandmother. I’m guessing the girls were about one and six. Mum was in the sea with her two daughters, holding the one year old whilst the six year old was floating on an inflatable of some sort.<br /><br />So the baby’s had enough and it’s time for her to get out of the water. Instead of the Grandmother wading into the sea to collect the tot, she waits on the shore with a towel whilst Mum brings her over, leaving the other daughter on the inflatable alone in the sea. The girl on the inflatable gets scared. “Mum” she cries “come back”. Her Mother says “I’m coming, I’m coming. Wait a minute”. The Grandmothers’ response to her Granddaughters’ pleas? “Stai zitto stronsa”, (shut up you piece of shit). Yeah – everyone loves children here.</span>Sue in Salentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10275794125118444913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3870728385398716066.post-67243294243277495332009-04-09T14:28:00.002+02:002009-04-09T14:37:41.478+02:00A new life in Italy<span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >It’s been nearly a year since we moved here permanently. But, as anyone who has moved abroad knows, a year isn’t long to settle in. Language barriers aside, it takes a while to adapt to new customs, find new friends and understand the nitty-gritty of life in your new country.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >We’re starting to find our feet and Salento feels more like home every day. Neighbours and local shopkeepers recognise us and say hello and my son is starting to understand and speak Italian. More than anything, though, the arrival of spring has helped us settle in. As the weather warms up, we’re rediscovering the Salento we originally fell in love with. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Moving house is never easy, and it’s even harder when you change countries. But I’m hopeful that we’ll make this work.</span>Sue in Salentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10275794125118444913noreply@blogger.com0