Montalbano - anyone watching?

[Squash64]

flowers on the balcony


Tree is a bit too big for the pavement

[Squash64]

[Squash64]

Sounds great when is it on?

What about a group hol to Sicily? ;D

It's on tonight, BBC4 at 9pm.

I was looking through some photos earlier and thought how lovely it looked but then I remembered the heat in the summer, which was the reason I started going only in November or February!
A group holiday would be lovely but we would never agree on when to go.  ;)

[Aden Roller]

Sounds great when is it on?

What about a group hol to Sicily? ;D

Great idea! Isn't that similar to the way Thompsons started out?
You organise it and let us know how much.. group rates should be good off season.
Can't wait 

[pumkinlover]

Thanks for the photos Betty- I was expecting them to have more trees to create shade and cool in the towns.
this is one of the suggestions to keep cities cool in reponse to climate change and like many "new ideas" has often been used for centuries in other parts of the world.
I think that this series has got a bit more depth to it than last- but I am only on the  first programme as I watch when Mr PKL doing something else as he does not like subtitles.
Give me plently of warning of group trip as I haven't got a passport anymore. I'm for ever being asked to provide a passport and photo driving licence for ID. wel I have not get either

[goodlife]

Code Select Expand

but then I remembered the heat in the summer, Oh yes..and even with sea breeze..it is a 'killer'. We went in the middle of the summer and ended up sleeping on floor with wet sheets over us to keep cool.
Sadly I find Sicily is not the cheapest places to go for holiday..not so when you are actually there, but to get there in first place.
But I do have fond memories of that place..left me with feeling that one day I would like to go there again..hot or not..

[Squash64]

Sadly I find Sicily is not the cheapest places to go for holiday..not so when you are actually there, but to get there in first place.

Ryanair do cheap flights to Palermo (just looked up 9 - 23 Oct £47.99 return plus various rip-off extras) From Palermo airport we get a coach direct to Agrigento (12 euro) then it's a very short bus ride to San Leone where we stay.  Unfortunately there are no cheap flights from Birmingham airport so we have to go to either Stansted or Luton.

[Squash64]

A few more pics of plants in Sicily

[Aden Roller]

Lovely photos Squash64 - thanks for sharing them. It's great to see the exotic and faraway even if it is from the comfort (?) of our spare room with grey skies on the other side of the curtain.  It's good to have a look around the world now & then.

[pumkinlover]

Something else that seems strange is that the exterior of the buildings and the foyers  of the apartments always appear very scruffy and neglected, with peeling paint and sparse furnishings.
However open the doors and enter and the story is so different, all beautiful and elegant.
It also appears that Ikea has not arrived in Scilily!

[Digeroo]

Is Sicilly a safe place to go.  Been to Naples, it is very iffy.  Someone was stabbed in the street.  Within seconds the street cleared and someone grabbed me and plied me with coffee until the whole thing had blown over.

[lottie lou]

Will this be a enjoy the scenery, good food and wine sort of trip?  Combined of course with seed shopping.

[Squash64]

The majority of Sicilians are very houseproud and the exterior of the buildings does not often give a clue to what's on the inside. As for Ikea or similar, they would be horrified at the thought of actually having to make the furniture!

I have always felt very safe when I've been there, but we stay in my husband's town or a smaller town on the coast.  In both places, everyone seems to know everyone else.  It's almost as though they are Local Towns for Local People and strangers are very noticeable. There is crime of course, but we have walked home in the early hours of the morning, which is something we wouldn't do here in Birmingham. 

I think we will have to arrange our A4A trip in the spring because the heat is so overpowering in the summer that we wouldn't have the energy to do anything. (I'm speaking for myself here) My husband is over there at the moment 'enjoying' temperatures in the 30s!

[goodlife]

I don't know what the 'feel' is there now as it is some years ago from my trip there...but then I felt safe and I even managed to forget to leave camera on one of tables in coffee shop..later on when I realized I didn't have it with me anymore and wasn't sure where it was left I could have .. Next day I walked by the shop and the old lady there come running out bringing my lost property to me  ..after that we had several coffees from that shop during the stay.
I have to admit I had this 'mafia = crime' picture in my head before we went there..but it was all very neat and tidy and didn't feel unsafe at all.
I was bag packing across Italy during that trip and Sicily felt safest place out of all..Taormina (where we stayed) is not big place so I cannot say what other, larger places on island are like....Napoli was only 'hair raising' experience from Italy but even there we found plenty of kind people willing to help two girls with their big bags in distress.

[goodlife]

Oh..about the TV series..what we've been shown here..looks like they pick and choose the episodes, everything has 'jumped' few years ahead..little Salvo is suddenly several years old little boy, fashion has changed, actors looking older and not so 'clean' faced anymore...and they've started to show more people on streets and on beach 
I wonder if they are still filming  the series..must do some googling..

[goodlife]

Been googling...and YES.. ...novels are still being written and series filmed and as I suspected we've not been shown complete series but episodes from 'here and there'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inspector_Montalbano_(TV_series)

[Squash64]

Oh..about the TV series..what we've been shown here..looks like they pick and choose the episodes, everything has 'jumped' few years ahead..little Salvo is suddenly several years old little boy, fashion has changed, actors looking older and not so 'clean' faced anymore...and they've started to show more people on streets and on beach 
I wonder if they are still filming  the series..must do some googling..

Yes, I noticed that little Salvo had suddenly grown up a bit!

When my husband phones me I'll ask him if it is popular over there and if so, what they think of it.

[pumkinlover]

I noticed the contrast between the exterior and interior because when I go to the homes of the allotment Italians they are so nice outside as well.
Several of them have tiled drives and paths and every thing is slightly ornate and just  "different" from our homes, in the nicest possible sense.
I tried to talk Mr PKL into the tiled idea as I think it looks really nice, but as he messes about with the old landrover ihe dismissed it.
(Which reminds me to pop round to take a few figs to the lady who used to have my plot!)

[goodlife]

noticed the contrast between the exterior and interior because when I go to the homes of the allotment Italians they are so nice outside as well.

Traditionally Sicily has been 'poor south' so I suspect they would not waste money for 'looking nice' on the face of the buildings..and suppose their get really strong sun and sea 'air' so it takes toll from painted surfaces...they would have be doing them up regurlar bases.
But yes..I noticed too how stairways and inner yards did look very 'forgotten'. I don't think they have the same 'mentality' about cosying the houses up like in everywhere else norther Europe..we spend far more time in our houses..down south in 'warm countries' its all about being and going out, not being locked up between four walls.

[pumkinlover]

That makes sense, "our" Italians also came from the poor southern areas but not Sciliy. They seem to make the most of everything that they have, most came here to work in the chemical industry after the war.
It is different to Mr Squash though -one will not go when is hot weather and he complains when hot here!!