Withdrawal Symptoms

The Withdrawal Agreement signed between the UK government and the EU allowed us, as British passport holders, to receive a new post-Brexit electronic residence card here in Italy.

This "Carta di Soggiorno" (lit. ‘Residence Card’) could be obtained from your nearest police HQ (questura) and, while not obligatory (as we can prove residency anyway), it was seen as useful. Especially for international travel.

Now we initially didn’t feel the urge to get one as any new process here was bound to throw up … difficulties. That’s because Italy equals burocrazia (bureaucracy) and confusion, of course, and the CdS was neck-deep in it from the off.
I mean: Some questure hadn’t heard of it; others made up the process as they went along; and some simply chose to ignore it altogether! Few got it right, from one end of the country to the other.
After letting things settle down a little, we decided we’d better get ours anyways, as agencies here were now asking for it. Not demanding it: But the pressure was on.
So, we fronted up to the Ragusa questura with all the documents needed. On top of that, they also required our fingerprints.
And that’s when things got interesting. Because, while Alice’s were fine, mine apparently weren’t!
Long story short? Since March 2021, I’ve had my fingerprints taken four times! The last time a policeman said to me: “I’ve found it easier to take fingerprints off of a cadaver…!”
And I’m still waiting for my card!

Non-Pet Hate

The current bane of my wife’s life is ... “Columba livia domestica”.
The humble pigeon!
Those coo-ing menaces who’ve shared our city spaces since like forever.

An ‘urban terror’ given a new name in 1966, when NYC’s Parks Commissioner coined the now-infamous term: “Rats with wings”. And who can forget how London’s then-Mayor Livingstone declared war on those “flying rats” frequenting Trafalgar Square in the early 2000’s?
Why Alice’s obsession? Well, despite our newly-installed double-glazing, that “coo-coo” of theirs isn’t at all endearing to my wife, as it apparently wakes her up too early.
Me? I don’t mind them too much, as I’m up uber-early every morning anyways.
But then, good husband that I am: Her problem becomes my problem!
Okay, I will admit, they can be damned annoying. Especially given we have so many empty and/or abandoned houses around ours. Properties where the flying rodents roost inside of, on their ledges, or under their eaves.
And, of course, they poop everywhere!
Now here, it’s illegal to poison ‘em: Scare them off, by all means; but no culling allowed. Given that, I fired up ‘Google’ and sought remedies. Frustrating f’sure, as there are as many ‘sure-fire solutions’ as there are ‘it don’t work’s!
So, compromising, I came up with a number of (maybe) solutions: Bird spikes, twirling, hanging and shiny wind spirals; metres of reflective tape; and a cayenne pepper anti-bird spray recipe. All of which appear to work at least some of the time.
The fight continues!

My Turn Now

In the spirit of fairness, I thought it best (as did Alice!) I mention my current interest.
Ever since we bought our home here, I’ve become somewhat obsessed by … cacti.

"Coral", our Opuntia microdasys var. pallida f. cristata.

Y’see, when we first moved in back in July 2021, we found that besides our new home, we were now also the proud owners of three damn-near dead cacti plants. That is: A ‘prickly pear cactus’; a ‘crested bunny ears cactus’; and a ‘lemon ball cactus’.
No surprise to those who know me, I did extensive research to find out exactly what they were!
Personally taking them on as a ‘project’, I nursed all three back to full health, and with that, a new hobby was born. Alright, I’ll admit I’m now fascinated by them, as I find them so very interesting!
Every time we go for a walk or drive now, my long-suffering wife rolls her eyes when I point out: “Now that’s a fine-looking cactus, yeah?” And believe me, as we’re in Sicily, where the climate’s perfect for ‘em, that’s said several times a day, I’m sorry.
Not sorry though!
The good thing is that, as I’m no gardener, cacti are so very easy to grow, that even I can do it. They’re perfect for growing on a terrace, as we have no garden.
To date, I’m now the proud owner of 11 different varieties, and my collection’s growing (pun intended!). Alice has now taken to calling them: “Your babies…”
Well she ain’t wrong!

More Soon...