Italy Blog

Tweet Nobody in Italy, or elsewhere for that matter, is sure just what Italy’s new round of austerity measures will consist of.  “ La manovra ” – “ The manoeuvre ” as the press calls the new austerity package, seems to be changing from one moment to the next. Pension changes in, then out, then in.  VAT increase, no VAT increase, followed by VAT increase proposal once more.  Tax surcharge on high earners.  No tax surcharge.  Partial tax surcharge for politicians and public sector employees.  Then back to no tax surcharge, maybe.  Everyone is confused. Yesterday Italy’s prime minister Silvio Berlusconi apparently made a series of frantic telephone calls to the governor of the Bank of Italy and to the European Central bank in an attempt to convince them, no doubt, that everything would be all right on the night.  Whenever that night may be

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An Austerity Measure Suggestion for Silvio Berlusconi

Just when George Clooney is back in Italy to debut his latest movie at the Venice Film Festival , ex-girlfiend Elisabetta Canalis is heading to America. The Italian showgirl is taking her act on the road to appear on the hit program Dancing with the Stars.

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George Clooney’s ex-girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis on Dancing With the Stars

The new currency of a would-be Italian Prince A budget-saving proposal from the Italian central government has prompted outcries from many of the country’s small town mayors as the new measure would force towns of less than 1,000 people to merge with their neighbours.

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Italian Mayor Tries to Become a Prince Instead

Tweet Hey cheese lovers, have you heard that Cheese 2011 – the cheese event of the year – is to melt the hearts of cheese fans the world over?  Those who don’t go will probably feel very cheesed off, if not a little mouldy. For those who do churn their milky way towards Cheese 2011 in Brà, Piedmont for this super cheesetastic event which runs from September 16th to 19th, 2011, a veritable abundance of great cheese awaits them. Who could resist something called the Great Hall of Cheese ?  No cheese aficionado in his or her right mind.

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Be a Mouse and Head for Cheese 2011

Tweet The Bank of Italy has passed judgement on the latest bunch of austerity measures cooked up by Silvio Berlusconi and his government.  The good bank is not overly happy and believes that the current proposals may lead to the stagnation of Italy’s already somewhat stagnant economy.  Oh dear. Moreover, the Bank of Italy considers the measures proposed; they still have to be voted into effect; will have a restrictive effect on Italy’s wobbly economy. The tax burden on Italy’s already rather heavily taxed citizens will increase by 2 points, the Bank of Italy forecasts

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Bank of Italy Unhappy Over Latest Austerity Proposals

Tweet While spending some time in the verdant and semi-unknown Abruzzo region of Italy I met a few people and photographed them.

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Abruzzo People

Tweet Berlusconi is still beavering away trying to piece together Austerity Measures Two – the sequel.  Today just what has been cooked up may become slightly less opaque.  The amount of money Italy stands to save has more than tripled from the Mark 1 austerity package’s €40 billion to around €131 billion. Berlusconi is his usual optimistic self and seems to have resolutely refused to involve opposition party politicians in the cobbling together of the new round of austerity measures for Italy.

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Italy’s Austerity Measures becoming Clearer, Sort Of

Tweet If you can run to a $65 million castle in Piedmont, in Italy, then you’ll probably need a car which looks the part too.  Enter bespoke coachwork specialists, Fenice of Milan , Italy who can give your Rolls Royce Ghost a suitable makeover. And, yes, there is such a castle for sale.  You’ll find a link to visit later on. Prospective owners of castles in Piedmont will probably be happy to hear that Milan is not too far away from most of Piedmont, being a neighbouring region.  This means a visit to Fenice should be on their agenda

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The Car for Castle Owners

Tweet Last year I ended up with a cute little Fiat 500 hire car, or rental car, as my American friends would say.  This year, for my Abruzzo trip, I ended up with a van.  Well, almost, it was a dark blue Fiat Qubo people carrier MPV thing. What I would have liked though, was one of the new Alfa Romeo Giuliettas .  In fact, I saw one parked in the hire car lot at Pescara airport and thought about making myself unpopular by asking whether one was available. There’s a new Giulietta which lives near me in Milan, and I often admire it when taking the dog out.  I was not all that keen on old-style Giuliettas, I have to say.

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My 2011 Abruzzo Scoot – A Fiat Qubo

Tweet While happiness may not be one of the most scientific measures of how well a country is doing, it is a pretty practical indicator of how good, or not, life in a particular country is.  Major survey and poll company Gallup appears to agree – hence its 2011 survey. It could also be argued that how happy the population of a country is, reflects how well the nation in question is being governed. Gallup published a kind of world “happiness” ranking a little earlier this year, and it makes for interesting reading.  The results also take into account what people feel about their prospects for the future.

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How Happy is Italy? The Gallup Survey