Gotcha Mastella

The last lot was written late as you can't transfer from 'word to here', so all had to be re-typed.

This is more up to date. A busy few days. About 6 hours solid work earned £300 by refusing to accept SAGA's absolutely outrageous demands to re-insure with them for the 4th time our elderly Range Rover. And I thought highwaymen had to actually leave their desks to collect the dosh. Wiseley re-invested £100 odd of the savings with the new lot in a breakdown insurance as we're off to see Kate 'n Cos' house near Limoges dans La France Profonde at the weekend. The horse's winter quarters are now repaired and rubble path laid to avoid slough of despond. Dommie's mini digger helped to push some of the newly arrived earth into position where the nebbiolo will be planted. Tony & Hemda asking for advice on their house in Pieve'. A solution was proffered in outline, site visit to follow. Wait for the mini explosion from Il Nano - not to be confused with the poison dwarf ( our nickname for Brunetta). Most unfair, as actually, with other members of B's government, apart from Twemonti, he's doing a grand job and isn't afraid to admit to mistakes.

Why the SUN like title - do you remember Argentina? I was delighted to see an old friend in yet more trouble. During the last attempt by the Left to form a coherent leadership ( one Walter Veltroni ) I publicly said and wrote that I'd vote for him in the brand new primaries if he could guarantee not to include Mastella in any group he might form since he represents the paridigm case of all that is reprehensible in Italian politics. I paid my Euro and gave my choice. It is of course worth pondering these two musings. 1) He and Mr B are perhaps symptoms not the disease - after all they were voted in. 2) To return to Argentina: maybe the country is/was so badly run because it had the greatest number of Italian immigrants of all S.American countries - remember Galtieri: a very Italian name. A Spanish dictionary actually has some words that are specific to Argentina because of the Italian influence on the language.

Glad to see that Ferrucio de Bartoli on 'Parla con Me' shares my views on the negative effect that an otiose legal system is having on FDI.

Just look at the Euro fly. Combine Trichet's absolute refusal to do anything about a soaring Euro ( he's got 100 basis points to play with given : 0.25% US, 0.5% UK and 0.10% Japan bank rates) with an Italy that may be 40% overvalued and the future here does indeed look grim. Just look at the tourist industry. This is a country with maybe some 80% of the world's art/architectural treasures ( not all of them by any means well looked after). But who is going to pay to come and look at them at these prices? The tourist industry is badly coordinated compared with, say, France. There you have properly graded hotels at all price levels, good central organisation of the industry at trade fairs - none of our inter regional rivalry - and town councils/tourist office that know how to run a web site. c.f Montpellier.

To be sure manufacturing has all kinds of porblems not least of which is that the generally low value added, low tech. stuff they produce can be copied and made cheaper elsewhere. But not even the Chinese can make a Paestum nor the Indians a Villa Maser. Manufacturing and technology comes and goes; if my memory is correct the Italians borrowed silk making, paper making and even noodles from the Chinese - they are now repaying the compliment by borrowing amongst other things the Italian post war success story of manufacturing affordable mass market white goods . the Haier vs. Merloni match is on right now.