Living in San Giorgio di Pesaro and Kingston

For more than a week Italy has been suffering from a heat wave. A large anticyclone had come up from Africa which means temperatures in the low 30s, humidity and some sleepless nights. It’s the weather normally associated with August rather than May. The television is filled with advice on surviving the heat – keeping cool, eating fruit etc. In fact its the same advice given every year in August but provides another opportunity to show the footage of people dipping their feet in fountains and eating ice cream.

Due to the financial crisis the people of Milan are cutting back on going to the bars for lunch and snacks. However, they are not cutting back on coffee and 700,000 cups of coffee are still being sold every day.

Had a week in the west of Ireland with Dave and Lynne. They live near Galway. Really fortunate with the weather. Had no rain and even some sun. So managed to see Galway and the surrounding countryside.

Last time I was in the area I was 8 years old. The countryside was much more beautiful than I remember it. But the area has changed. Every house in the country seems to be new due to the EU money coming to the area. Every village still has its down at heel Irish pub but there are restaurants, cafes and bars in most towns. It is now very much part of Europe with many Eastern European accents in the streets, pasta and panini in every cafe and restaurant. One thing that hasn’t changed is the smell of burning peat in the air.

Alitalia has been filling the newspapers in Italy. Corriere della Sera published an article illustrating some examples of poor managemet.

In 1985 Alitalia stopped landing at Mexico City. However, from 1985-1999 Alitalia continued to have an office in Mexico City which employed 15 people.

In 2002 Alitalia started a daily air service from Fiumicino, Rome to Villanova d’Albenga (Liguria), which happened to be the electoral seat of the then Minister of Home Affairs. The maximum number of passengers ever to use the service was 18. When the minister left his post the air link was also cut. 

Another beautiful day. The humidity of the weekend has gone and it is a pleasant 28degrees. The afternoon, therefore, was spent on the less than crowded beach. Only 6 people from San Giorgio on the beach today with a few Czechs, Dutch scattered around.