The Start

Hello.

This is the first in what will hopefully develop into something of a shared diary. A diary shared between me, the Onion, and you. Now, some of you may find an alarming similarity, at first anyway, between this and another record of a close friend of mine from whom I am borrowing the idea and, at first, the form. I am a plagiarist and I make little apology for the fact (I think the font is different, anyway, so that might assuage you, Mr Ted).

Anyway, this should be a living document recording mine and Fra's experiences here in Italy. Unfortunately, due to my slovenliness (and the fact that we've been eating out on expenses for the past month), you've missed out on the first thirty days. Perhaps I should make an attempt to record them, but I think a brief summary should suffice.

So, Fra and I arrived in Italy on June 2nd. Subsequently, I have noticed a number of curious items which I shall record in due time, but our prime activities have so far been the following:
1. Working;
2. Looking for somewhere to live;
3. Eating;
4. Travelling around.

Item no. 1 - work: I now work for Arup Italia S.r.L, and am entitled to 35 days holiday per year, plus 13 public holidays. I will say no more on this subject, except smile widely.

Item no.2 - for those who don't know, accommodation in Milan is ludicrously expensive. Typical rents for a two bedroom flat are between 1,000 and 1,500 euros, depending on the area and whether you like your neighbours to see you scratch your belly or not. This is allied to the preposterous propensity of Milanese landlords to ask for three months' rent in advance, three months' deposit and also to tie you into a six month notice period should you want to leave. Bathrooms and kitchens are also not always provided, and agency fees are in the region of 15%. Ergo, Francesca and I have decided to buy a house and, in the interim, her generous cousin has allowed us to stay in his house in Milan (as he is currently living in Finland).

Item no.3 - Eating. Well, what can I say? Three words only: short term assignment. I think my belly has rarely been happier (apart from when once served with Beef Wellington and dauphinoise potatoes...)

Item no.4 - So far, you've missed out on Torino, Genova, Torino again and Verona. However, post no.2 should show you our most recent visit to an Italian city: Venice.

I will stop introducing and summarising now, and move on to writing about Venice. Ciao, tutti!