The obscene amount of vehicles pumping out noxious fumes in Italy

[liketheroman]

Originally Posted by lombardia2007

These days I get my kicks from lots of exercise, eating good healthy food and spending time with my girlfriend, so there's really no place in my life for alcohol and cigarettes anymore.

Well that has convinced me, I am going to start.

Can anyone recommend a good brand for a novice?

Always fancied a pipe though but I need the right jacket and some training, pipes take commitment I hear.

[Kerry & Susan]

He's convinced me too, I'm ok with the rest but don't know how to get to Lombardia to spend time with his girlfriend, perhaps I could combine it with a bit of a winter ski

[lombardia2007]

Nielo: Lombardia2007, why don't you make your own pasta? You may find it quite therapeutic thumping and kneading the dough.

Also if you used to come to Italy to stock up on Olive oil etc, go back to England and fill your suitcase with loads of cheap stuff from Asda.

I find Italy less expensive but then I eat fresh food in season. Some I grow myself, some kindly provided by friends and neighbours from their gardens, I buy my meat direct from the butchers and don't have to pay for all the packaging.

While you are comparing prices do a price check on Parmesan cheese and Parma ham and figs and rocket and council tax and petrol and diesel and water and using a tumble dryer instead of drying your clothes in the sun because it is cold and raining all the time in England.

I expect that with all your care for your body and your finances your life will be a long one…. or it just might feel like it!

I'd like to learn how to make pasta, but would also like to get back into Thai boxing, as I was training at one of the best Thai boxing gyms in England before coming here, but I don't think there are any good gyms locally - that's much more therapeutic than making dough I would bet. I would imagine Parmesan cheese and Parma ham are cheaper here, but I don't eat them (too much fat & salt), I really like figs, although I find dry figs very hard to come by in Italy (apart from near X-Mas) and more expensive than the UK when they do arrive, and figs almost impossible to find in the UK, so it's not really a fair comparison. Council tax is equated with Spese Condominiali in many apartment situations, petrol is fractionally cheaper in Italy, and diesel is indeed cheaper in Italy (which I use). I don't know about water from the tap, as it's included in my rent, but bottled water is the same (19p for 2 litres in Asda & Tesco - own label still water). I didn't use a tumble dryer in the UK - dried clothes outside in the garden in warmer months, and inside the rest of the year.

I hope to have a long life, and don't find it an imposition not killing myself smoking or pickling my liver with all the alcohol I used to drink every week.

Scrapsal: So, you've seen the light and want to lead everyone towards it Lombardia?

Not at all; I get that reaction sometimes - some people think I think I'm better than them in some way, because I abstain from alcohol, don't smoke and don't eat fatty foods and look after myself, and am on a higher moral plane, but it's not the case at all - I'm a humble person who respects everyone elses choices in life.

PennyWhite: Thanks for info about smoking ban, I am sure we had seen people smoking in restaurants, but maybe not.... will see this time. Maybe that is why we enjoyed it so much, not coming home smelling like an old ashtray.

Penny - I know what you mean about your clothes and hair smelling after being in a restaurant or pub/bar with smokers - not nice.

Originally Posted by lombardia2007
These days I get my kicks from lots of exercise, eating good healthy food and spending time with my girlfriend, so there's really no place in my life for alcohol and cigarettes anymore.

Well that has convinced me, I am going to start.

Can anyone recommend a good brand for a novice?

Always fancied a pipe though but I need the right jacket and some training, pipes take commitment I hear.

liketheroman, was that an attempt at sarcasm? #Bravo# - put that in your pipe and smoke it

[liketheroman]

Originally Posted by lombardia2007

liketheroman, was that an attempt at sarcasm? #Bravo# - put that in your pipe and smoke it

No that is something rather different, this was called 'taking the rise'. I am not in a position to say if it was an attempt or a success but I do know 'Kerry & Susan' succeeded spectacularly well.

Now why don't you try boxing instead of kick boxing, there are lots of clubs around. I should add though that hitting is inclined to hurt and can lead to conditions like parkinsons disease that will certainly shorten your life, so maybe better avoided!

You know what though, you seem like a nice, bright young chap. You are only getting a bit of stick because you are a keen newbie. I know I did.

Give a bit back, lighten it a bit, almost noone bares grudges here.

[lombardia2007]

Kerry & Susan - lol & I only just saw your post now, as you posted while I was writing the last one.

Originally Posted by liketheroman

No that is something rather different, this was called 'taking the rise'. I am not in a position to say if it was an attempt or a success but I do know 'Kerry & Susan' succeeded spectacularly well.

Now why don't you try boxing instead of kick boxing, there are lots of clubs around. I should add though that hitting is inclined to hurt and can lead to conditions like parkinsons disease that will certainly shorten your life, so maybe better avoided!

You know what though, you seem like a nice, bright young chap. You are only getting a bit of stick because you are a keen newbie. I know I did.

Give a bit back, lighten it a bit, almost noone bares grudges here.

liketheroman - I know there's a lot to be said for boxing skills, but you're right that it's dangerous in terms of Parkinson's, etc, because there's so much head contact. Thai boxing, or Muay Thai as it's properly known, is much less risky with regards to brain damage, as there's much less head contact, as you can strike all over the body, apart from the groin area, using kicks, knees, elbows and fists. Punches to the head are scored the lowest, and Thai style roundhouse kicks and knees score much better as the rules focus on the old Thai warfare fighting.

There are kickboxing gyms around here, but I've trained in kickboxing before and it's basically a watered down version of Thai boxing...for example, I trained at a hardcore kickboxing gym in England for a while, and after an hour or 90 mins of very hard training was 'lemon fresh', with the other fighters covered in sweat and half-knackered! They said - "look at **insert name**! He's hardly broke a sweat!" - I replied that I was used to an exhausting Thai boxing regime, and they said "oh Thai boxing's a bit brutal isn't it", and this was a rough area with experienced kickboxers, lol

Needless to say I didn't stay there long before moving on and travelling out of my way to a top training camp where I fought as well.

That is my ultimate sport, and the best cardio workout in the world, and I've trained with ex-Paras and commandos who agree.

I might give a kickboxing gym in Como a go, and hopefully find a Thai gym, but I'm not holding out my hopes, especially after seeing the poor standard of fighters on the Milan cards on TV late on Saturday night, etc - what a disappointment. Ok, some of the later fights (main events) were ok, but I'm used to full on brutal battles with high skills and a lot of power, not brawl-style shows with out of shape undercards - I can't believe the crowd actually go for these events with such enthusiasm - many of the fighters would be laughed out of the ring in my old camps in England and in Thailand.


Anyway, I digress, yes I'm keen and enthusiastic as I always put my heart and soul into anything I do, and moving to Italy and becoming an expat is the same.

I look forward to bouncing more ideas of other fellow expats and learning more about the culture of this great country of Italy.

[PAS 55]

Was this post a 'p*ss-take'??

[lombardia2007]

Originally Posted by PAS 55

Was this post a 'p*ss-take'??

A p*ss take of what?

[Nielo]

Originally Posted by PAS 55
Was this post a 'p*ss-take'??

A p*ss take of what?

Was which post a p*ss take of what???

[liketheroman]

Originally Posted by PAS 55

Was this post a 'p*ss-take'??

No but just run with it mate, isnt it a hoot!

[giovanni]

Punches to the head score lowest.!

Is that because they are likely to knock the opponent out? so depriving him
of a good workout.............