Overall, I have to say that I have found the BlackBerry incredibly useful.  Being able to use email, surf the internet, interact on Facebook and Twitter wherever I find myself, has been very handy indeed.

I guess it would be fair to say that the BlackBerry Bold has contributed in no small part towards increasing traffic to BlogfromItaly.com too.

The list of things one can do with a BlackBerry seems to be just about endless.  It’s a mobile powerhouse!

Handy Blackberry

My BlackBerry Bold Display

Via the BlackBerry, I’ve been able to follow events, take and post photographs, and organise my day.  That is not all though.  Google Maps, which works better than Blackberry’s built in GPS navigation system for some reason, has proven extremely useful, and, amongst other things, has helped me find my way around Rome.

I’m a big BlackBerry fan now, and do prefer it to my other half’s Apple iPhone.  The iPhone is an excellent smart phone too, but I prefer the BlackBerry’s real keyboard to the virtual touch keyboard of the iPhone.  I could probably become used to the iPhone, but  I’ll most probably stick with BlackBerry.

I have not gone overboard installing applications on the Bold because what is already on the phone works fine for me.  All I’ve added are the mobile Facebook application, and after trying out another Twitter client for the BlackBerry, I’ve been enjoying the power of a rather useful little Twitter application called UberTwitter, which is little better in some respects  than the TweetDeck program which enables me to tweet from my iMac desktop.

Next on the essential apps for your BlackBerry list is Google Maps with Latitude.

Handy Navigation

Google Maps with Latitude is very, very useful for finding your way around, and its GPS location system is startlingly accurate outdoors, so much so that you can use it to find your way along streets.  For me, getting lost has become a thing of the past, thanks to this clever technology.  I know some people have expressed privacy concerns over Google’s Latitude service, but it is possible to hide one’s location, so one can remain ‘invisible’.

BlackBerry’s inbuilt in GPS map system has never really worked for me.

Portable Guide Book

Another nifty aspect of the Bold is that via internet you can use it as an excellent portable guide book.  Indeed, one can whip over to Wikipedia and read up on an area before arriving.

I have been able to check up on which local delicacies to try in particular areas of Italy, which is very handy.  One could even use the Bold’s internet system to locate a good restaurant with little difficulty.  Actually, whilst heading for a destination by train, it’s great fun to use the Bold to check out the destination.

Of course, once at your destination, you can find your way around using the BlackBerry and Google Maps.

Call Quality

No complaints here, really.  Call quality is excellent.  A little more volume would be handy at times, but I think the problem lies with my deteriorating hearing, and not with the Bold!

BlackBerry Niggles

Not all has been plain sailing though.  The availability of GPS navigation, plus being able to receive and send email, tweet to Twitter and do stuff on Facebook seems to drain the Bold’s battery very quickly indeed.  I have been informed that the battery life of more recent model Bold smart phones is greater.

At times, and for no discernible reason the Bold resets itself, but the UberTwitter software is a Beta application, so it is not yet 100% stable, and this could be why my Bold stutters sometimes.  The fact that I’ve dropped the poor phone a couple of times may not have helped either.  The Bold survived the falls, even if its casing shows the signs of the impacts.  I’m told that the batteries used in Bold smart phones are sensitive to impacts, so I wonder if this has something to do with the reduced battery life I’ve been getting.

The Pearl

Blackberry Bold 9000

I know that others have had issues with the mini-trackball my Bold is fitted with, but I’ve not really had too many problems.  On a few occasions it has stuck, and I’ve not been able to scroll up, but the little ball has always freed itself up.  I become rather sweaty in Italy’s steamy summers, and I was worried that this might have had an adverse effect on the Bold, but it has not.  My Bold has boldly soldiered on.

Note that recent versions of the BlackBerry Bold no longer have the little pearl trackball, instead they have a touch sensitive ’square’ and navigation is accomplished by dragging one’s thumb over the surface of the little square touch pad.  I have used one and found it to be fine, although it might take a little getting used to for pearl users like me.

Mobile Internet in Italy

While BlackBerry donated the Bold to me, I’ve been paying for the call and internet connections.  Vodafone Italy is my provider and I pay around €10 plus VAT a month for the data connection facility.

Sending and receiving emails has been fine, but surfing the world wide web in Milan has not been great.

Mobile internet in Milan seems to be as slow as sludge, and it’s becoming worse.  Peak times, such as early morning and evening, seem to be the worst with some Italian websites either not loading at all, or loading and then crashing.  Oddly enough, websites such as that of the Telegraph.co.uk tend to load more quickly than the mobile sites of the two Italian newspapers I often refer to on the move.

The two Italian newspaper sites I like to look at are those of La Repubblica and Il Corriere della Sera.  Recently, I’ve all but given up on Il Corriere della Sera’s mobile offering, as it just will not even load any more.  The La Repubblica site, on the other hand, tends to be OK generally, although even it can have its off-days.  I installed the La Repubblica mobile site icon to my Blackberry Bold the other day, and as a result the newspaper’s mobile site seems less recalcitrant than before.

From what I’ve understood, Apple’s data hungry iPhone, which is all over the place in Milan, places a strain on mobile network infrastructure.  I suppose this could be why Milan’s mobile network often slows to a crawl.

Just in case you are wondering, I’ve used the Bold to connect to the world wide web via wi-fi at home, and it has been very zippy.  The fault for slow mobile connections does appear to lie with Vodafone’s mobile network in Milan.

Bold Wishes

Blackberry Italy

If anyone were to ask how the Bold could be made even better, I would say that a larger screen would be nice.  Other than that, I’d like the useful little camera to produce images which are better quality and a little less grainy.  Better video quality would be nice too.  For a form of basic photo blogging, with a better quality camera, the Bold would be a wonderful tool.

Recommended!

I would have no problem whatsoever recommending a BlackBerry Bold smart phone to someone.  Once you’ve got one of these things, you’ll find it difficult to live without.

Thanks Cinzia!

With grateful thanks to Research in Motion’s (RIM) Cinzia Liguori, BlackBerry PR Manager for Italy and Greece, for having kindly provided me with a BlackBerry Bold 9000.

At the same time, Berlusconi attempted to put an end, once and for all, to all the confusion surrounding the election muddle in Rome.  Only the attempt seems to have led to further confusion.

During said press conference, during which, incidentally, Italy’s defence minister manhandled a journalist who insisted on asking Mr B about the recent Bertolaso bribery case, Berlusconi gave his party’s official version of events surrounding the presentation of election documents in Rome by his candidate, Renata Polverini.

Yesterday, Polverini’s candidacy had been rejected once more, this time by a Rome court which examined the case.  The court held that, firstly, the government issued interpretative ’save the election’ decree was not applicable, and secondly, at the end of the day, Polverini’s team simply turned up too late for her documents to be properly registered.

Apparently though, the press and the judges have got it all wrong.  Berlusconi’s party’s left hand did know what the right hand was doing, it was another, left (commie), hand which did the bungling – the papers did not arrive late, even if every one else thinks, or reported, that they did. In support of his claim, Berlusconi gave a blow by blow account of what happened during the presentation of the Polverini documents, and used it to shove the blame firmly onto the shoulders of the bureaucrats who handled the papers.

We can only hope, vainly probably, that now Berlusconi has first hand experience of Italian red-tape, he might get round to doing something about it.

From Confused to Befuddled

Despite the attempt to resolve the confusion, observers, like this here blogger, stand as confused as ever.

Were the documents delivered on time, or were they late?  In stating that the documents arrived too late, the Italian press got hold of the wrong end of the stick in Berlusconi’s eyes.  How can the Italian press, much of which is run by Berlusconi, have got their facts so wrong?

If Berlusconi’s version of events is the right one, why then was it necessary for Berlusconi’s people to produce a funny little ‘interpretative decree’ mini-law?  This ‘mend the mess’ law was designed to persuade the administrative courts of Rome and Milan to re-admit Berlusconi candidates.

While the court in Milan did readmit the Berlusconi candidate, the court in Rome agreed that the initial rejection of Rome candidate Renata Polverini’s papers was legitimate.  Why, if the documents were delivered on time, did the Rome court not confirm Polverini’s candidacy?   Surely if the documents arrived in time, the court would have said so, and the matter would have ended there.

One might also suggest that maybe it was not such a great idea to try to register important electoral papers at the very last moment.  Berlusconi’s party obviously had not heard of ‘Murphy’s Law’.  Or maybe they had, and wanted to stir up a little controversy to divert attention away from other scandals…

If the whole thing is merely a tempest in a teacup, why all the fuss?

Reactions

The Italian opposition parties reactions to Berlusconi’s claims have ranged from stating that Berlusconi’s version of events is pure fantasy (Bersani), to labelling Berlusconi as the devil incarnate (Di Pietro)!

Then there is the march.

The March March

To counter the street protests organised by opposition parties to complain about the handling of the election paper mess and the ‘interpretative decree’, Berlusconi has called on his own party faithful to take to the streets.  Only during his press conference, Berlusconi mentioned the 20th March as the date of the march, but now, confusingly, the 21st March is being mentioned as the date when Berlusconi supporters are expected to march through the Rome piazzas in support of their leader.  Although, from what I’ve understood, something similar will be held on the 20th anyway.  Even Berlusconi supporters might admit to being a little confused by the two March marches.

At both of these rallies, Berlusconi’s number two, Gianfranco Fini, will be conspicuous by his absence.  When questioned on this by Italy’s rumour mongering press, Fini remained rather cagey as to why he’s not going to turn up along with the other party faithful.  This sends out a confusing message, in that if all of what Berlusconi has been saying is true, why won’t Fini offer his support?

Rome March or Marathon?

Then we come to the other ever so slightly confusing fly in the increasingly opaque ointment.   On the 21st March there is the Rome marathon.  Holding a political rally in the midst of marathon confusion is probably not the best of ideas.  Unless, of course, Berlusconi is to run in the Rome marathon!

Situated in the midst of the unspoilt Italian region of Umbria in a gorgeous medieval village, the house for sale is not far from the truly spectacular Marmore Falls, the highest waterfalls in Europe.

Jazz fans may be interested to hear that the annual Umbria Jazz festival is held in Perugia, which is about an hour away by car.

Far away from the hubbub of the big city, this home for sale has been restored and is ready to move into.  The house is located within in a village so tranquil that you will probably be able to hear yourself unwinding.  As an added bonus, cars are not allowed into the centre of the village, so you’ll be able to sleep in without having to be worried about being awakened rudely by some passing Ferrari or Ducati.

Casa Manuela, for sale in Umbria, Italy

There are plenty of other attractions too, such as the breathtakingly beautiful views you’ll wake up to.  And with the addition of a pleasant roof terrace, how about breakfasting whilst gazing out over the lush green Umbrian countryside?  In the evenings you could chat to a few guests over a prosecco based aperitif.  Sheer bliss.

All this must sound rather tempting, so if you would like to know a little more, and see a few photographs of the house and its fabulous views, then please read on to find out more about Casa Manuela.

For Sale – Casa Manuela, Umbria, Italy

A View from Casa Manuela, Umbria, Italy

The accommodation

Casa Manuela, Umbria, Italy

Ground Floor

• Fully fitted kitchen

• Living room with open fireplace

• Dining room

• Bathroom

First Floor

• Two bedrooms

• Bathroom

Second Floor

• Bedroom

Externally, there is a courtyard with a separate side entrance.

Attractions in Surrounding Area

Not far from Casa Manuela there are the truly spectacular Marmore falls, which are the highest waterfalls in Europe.  Then there is Lake Piediluco, which is an ideal place for those who like water sports such as canoeing, windsurfing and sailing.  Keen boats-men and women with a penchant for exploring may be interested to learn that the Velino River into which Lake Piediluco drains is navigable.

Here is a map which shows Lake Piediluco – zoom out to see where this is in Italy:

Those who love a spot of fishing might be interested to hear that royal perch, tench, pike, coregone, albarella, and eels await them in the lake.  The pike should be king sized!  Oddly enough, well, oddly for me, pike is a rather tasty fish, I know, I’ve tried it.

Want More?

Jazz lovers might like to know that in nearby Terni there is a jazz festival which is held in July, and of course, in Perugia, there is the world famous Umbria jazz festival, which is also held in July. This is the house for jazz fans!

Actually, there are more than enough of local events to keep one going in the area around the house.

Disadvantages?  Only one, really.  You will need a car, but then to get the best out of any country area, a car is essential.

Christmas

A view of Casa Manuela, for sale in Umbria, Italy

Whereas heavy snowfalls can present problems in other parts of Italy, Casa Manuela will not become snow bound.  OK, it might every so often, but it would be the exception to the rule.  This, of course, means that the house would a fine place to spend Christmas.

Skiers will find challenging slopes not too far away near L’Aquila in the Abruzzo region.

To discover the asking price of Casa Manuela, please visit the real estate agent’s English language web site, where you will also be able to see more photographs, and, should you wish to do so, arrange a viewing.  Then all that remains is for you to do is make an offer!

See more photographs and the price of Casa Manuela on the Umbrian Property real estate site

If you do contact the agents, please mention BlogfromItaly.com. Many thanks.

Disclosure:  Neither BlogfromItaly nor its author, Alex Roe, are receiving anything in return for running this post.  OK, Alex might earn himself a few cups of coffee for posting this.

Seeing as much of Italy appears to be fuming over the latest escapade of the Berlusconi government, I felt it might be nice to take a break from politics for a moment and to look at a distinctly more appetising subject, which is also much easier to digest: pizza.

Italian author Orietta Boncompagni Ludovisi has had her book “The Best Pizzerias In Italy” republished some five times since it first appeared in 1996.  Each time a new edition of Boncompagni Ludovisi’s pizza book hits the bookshops of Italy, it sells like hot cakes.  Perhaps that should be “sells like hot pizzas”.

Anyway, I was reading a copy of what I’ve been told by our local news-stand is one of Italy’s best selling travel magazines, Dove, and I found a delicious article all about pizza.  Part of said article was a list of the top ten pizzerias in all of Italy in the opinion of Boncompagni Ludovisi, who is probably Italy’s number one pizza expert.

Pizza

I thought it would be interesting for the rest of the world to know the names of what are considered by an Italian pizza expert to be the top pizzerias in Italy.   And once they know, pizza fans the world over will have a better idea of where in Italy they should be spending their holidays.

Before reading on, in which Italian towns and cities do you think the best pizzerias in Italy are to be found?

OK, here’s the top five.  For the other five, you’ll have to buy the March 2010 edition of Dove.  By the way, ‘Dove’ is pronounced ‘dough-vay’, and is Italian for ‘where’.

The Top 5 Pizzerias in Italy

As Naples is reputedly the place where pizza was invented, it should perhaps not come as much surprise to see that four out of the top five pizzerias in Italy are in Naples.

What might be a bit of a surprise is the location of pizzeria number five.

In assessing the quality of Italy’s pizza parlours, Italian pizza expert Boncompagni Ludovisi not only takes into account the quality of the pizzas, she also considers service, ambience, the wine list, and the overall experience.

Eating in one of the restaurants listed below is more than just ‘going for a pizza’, it’s also a excellent way to experience Italian culture first hand.

Number 1 – The Best Pizzeria in Italy 2010

Naples, Italy

Brandi – Antica Pizzeria Della Regina D’Italia in Naples, Salita S. Anna di Palazzo, 1-2, 80100 Napoli, Italia – looks lovely from the photos on the website.

Opening hours: 12:30 – 3:30, 7:30 – 12:00 (never closes)

Website: Brandi

Location via Google Map: Brandi

Number 2

Cantanapoli, Via Chiatamone, 36, Naples

Opening hours: 12:30 – 3:30, 7:30 – 12:00 (never closes)

Website: Cantanapoli

Location via Google Map: Cantanapoli

Number 3

Don Salvatore A Mergellina, Via Mergellina, 4, Naples – rather elegant for a pizza parlour. Lovely location too.

Opening hours: 11:30 – 3:30, 7:30 – 11:30 (closed Wednesdays)

Website: Don Salvatore A Mergellina

Location via Google Map: Don Salvatore A Mergellina

Number 4

Lombardi A Santa Chiara, Via Benedetto Croce, 59, Naples

Opening hours: 11:30 – 3:30, 7:30 – 11:30 (closed Mondays)

Website: Does not exist

Location via Google Map: Lombardi A Santa Chiara

And last, but by no means least, one of the best pizzerias in Italy which is not in Naples!

Number 5

Imperia, Liguria, Italy

Frà Diavolo, Corso Garibaldi, 1, Diano Maria, Imperia (Liguria)

Opening hours: 12:00 – 2:30, 6:00 – 12:00 (never closes)

Website: Fra Diavolo

Location via Google Map: Fra Diavolo

There you have them, what are considered as being the finest pizzerias in all Italy.

If you want to eat real pizza, you now know where to go.

Buon appetito!

Photo credits:

Pizza photo by Valerio Capello

Naples photo by JJKDC on Flickr

Imperia photo by Anja Timmermans

Source:

Dove Magazine, March 2010 Edition: Miseria, pizza and nobilità

To kick off, we’ve got the allegations of corruption levelled at Guido Bertolaso, the head of Italy’s civil defence organisation. This affair is still fizzling away, although Bertolaso seems to have evaded most of the flack.

The Bertolaso affair though, was merely the tip of an iceberg.

Money Laundering Corporations

Next up there has been a huge tax evasion and money-laundering scandal involving a company in the Telecom Italia group, major internet provider Fastweb, and a senior Italian politician who has now resigned after allegations that he only managed to obtain his seat in the Italian parliament as a result of mafia organised vote-rigging.

The money laundering scandal is still at full blaze, and today the former head of one of Italy’s biggest internet providers Fastweb, is having long and not so cosy chats with investigators.

But there’s more:

Election Bungle

Belusconi’s party is at the centre of one almighty election bungle which is giving the impression that left and right hands within his party have no idea what is going on.

The net result of this right royal foul up, which has angered Berlusconi, is that Berlusconi’s party might well be excluded  from forthcoming regional elections in both Lazio and Lombardy.

Lazio and Lombardy are key regions for Berlusconi’s party, so if the mess is not put right, things will be awfully embarrassing for dear Silvio.

UPDATE: 5 March 2010

It looks as though Berlusconi and Co may have come up with a solution to the regional election mess.

From what I’ve understood from Interior Minister Roberto Maroni’s press conference this evening, legal eagles have read Italian electoral law in detail and have ascertained that while there are time limits for the presentation of electoral documentation, the interpretation is that administrative authorities can only point out errors, but cannot actually reject the documentation on the grounds of inaccuracies.

In Maroni’s opinion this interpretation means that no intervention in terms of new legislation will be required.  If this is indeed the case, and the interpretation is accepted by the courts, Berlusconi’s, and others candidates who’ve had their electoral documentation rejected, will still be able to stand in the elections.  Problem solved.  To give weight to the opinion of the Italian government, a “decreto interpretativo” – interpretative decree – will be issued.  This will serve to clarify the law for Italy’s regulatory bodies.

What remains to be seen is whether the Italian government’s interpretation is shared by the Tar – Regional Administrative Courts – which have been reviewing the problem documentation presented by some Italian political parties.  The soon to be issued interpretative decree should help the Tar people see eye to eye with the Berlusconi government.

The bungle fixing “interpretative decree” intervention is not a heavy handed legislative solution to the situation.

An update on this will follow, once the situation has become clearer. 

End of 5 March update.

Update: 7 March

The ‘interpretative decree’ move instigated by the Berlusconi government to sort out the election bungle has lead to howls of protest from three corners:

• Antonio Di Pietro – the leader of the Italian Values party, and out spoken critic of Berlusconi’s government, has called for the ‘impeachment’ of Napolitano Italy’s president, on the grounds that by signing the Berlusconi decree, the President did not respect Italy’s constitution.  Under Italian law the concept of impeachment does not exist.  However Di Pietro strongly believes that Napolitano has not acted in the interests of Italian democracy.

Further, Di Pietro considers the decree to be yet another ad personam move by Berlusconi’s goverment which does more for Berlusconi than for Italy.

Italy’s President Napolitano has stated that he merely approved a decree which allows elections to take place in a way which is as democratic as possible.

• The Italian Democratic party agrees in part with Di Pietro, but does not believe Italy’s President has done something which threatens Italian democracy.
• Italians, on the other hand, have taken to the streets in many towns and cities in Italy to protest the decree.  Some 3,000 Italians filled Rome’s Piazza Navona to vent their anger, albeit in a non-violent fashion.  In addition, the web has been mobilised and a plethora of Facebook groups, filled with members who are unhappy with the decree, have sprung up.  The micro-blogging service Twitter has also been used by Italians critical of the move of the Berlusconi government.

All in all though, Berlusconi had to get himself out of this mess, and he has the power to achieve this.  The new decree is not that invasive in terms of messing with the principles of the Italian constitution, although Italians tend to feel that Berlusconi should have simply accepted the mistake and withdrawn from the elections, and not have gone ahead with what some view as being yet another attempt to manipulate Italian law.

The question is: When will Berlusconi stop?  As to the answer, it’s difficult to know what will happen, and just how far Berlusconi is willing to go to.  This is something which worries a few people in Italy.

The word ‘coup’ is being used by Berlusconi’s critics in connection with the new bungle avoidance manoeuvre.

End of 7 March update.

UPDATE 10 March

The “interpretative decree” legislation issued by the Berlusconi government to sort out the election bungle has had some effect.  Up here in Lombardy, the Berlusconi candidate has been re-admitted to the elections.  Berlusconi must have breathed a sigh of relief at this news, seeing as the candidate concerned is a party bigwig.  Maybe he’ll treat the judiciary here in Milan with a mite more respect now.  Maybe, maybe not.  OK, the north has been sorted out, so to speak. How about the south?

In the south down in the Eternal city, the picture is far from clear.  According to the Italian news, the Rome candidate’s electoral list has been rejected, then accepted, then rejected, then accepted again, and now it’s in a rejection phase once more, despite the “interpretative decree”.  The Tar court in Rome which is responsible for reviewing the situation, does not seem to feel that the “interpretative decree” does enough.

The silly saga rattles on, with Berlusconi camp politicians devoting far too much time to brushing up their battered image; the damage has been done; than discussing more important things such as reforms.

Meanwhile, Italians have been voicing their opinions on the mess via Italy’s most democratic forum: Facebook.  The Italian La Repubblica newspaper, a long time opponent of Berlusca, probably took great delight in the news that voices of dissent are to be found within the “We love Silvio” type Facebook groups.

To sum it all up, Berlusconi’s mob are arguing that without Berlusconi party candidates standing in the elections, the voters would not have the choice they deserve.  “Berlusconi is working for democracy” is the message.

On the other hand though, Italians seem to feel that democracy involves respecting laws, and not attempting to fiddle with them to your own ends.

The current situation may lead to a few Italians questioning in the future why Berlusconi should be introducing some odd little law or other.  A law which appears to benefit a sum total of three people, whose surnames just happen to start with a “B” and end with an “i”.

End of 7 March update.

Taliban Judges

On the subject of Berlusconi, in his latest attack on Italy’s judiciary he referred to Italian judges as ‘Taliban’, much to their general disgust.  However Italy’s judges might have the last laugh, as it is to them Berlusconi must turn to help sort out the election bungle.

One can see Berlusconi trying to butter up to the judges now: “Now when I said Taliban, I did not really mean Taliban in any malicious sense.  I was just joking.  Can’t a guy crack a little joke in Italy?”.

Boy, would I like to be a fly on the wall in Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party HQ at the moment.  Sparks, and other objects, must be flying!  The heating system simply will not be necessary.  There will be enough hot air to take a hot air balloon to the moon, and back!

Legitimate Impediment

The latest, and functional, ‘keep Berlusconi out of jail’ card goes by the name of ‘legitimate impediment’, which means whenever someone would like dear Silvio to make an appearance in court, seeing as he’s the prime minister of Italy, he can find a ‘legitimate’ excuse not to do so.

Recently, Berlusconi’s crack legal team has tried to use the legitimate impediment card on the grounds that normal everyday prime ministerial activities constitute legitimate impediment.  Italy’s, Taliban, judges did not agree with Berlusconi’s lawyers’ interpretation as to what is legitimate impediment, and told Silvio to be a good chap and turn up in court when summonsed.

I think we can expect the legitimate impediment law to be ‘reformed’ quite soon…!

Italian Economy

“Bleak”, is the word which springs to mind when describing prospects for Italy’s economy.  Production is down, and GDP is at its lowest for nearly 40 years.  Only one thing is up: Unemployment. Not good.

Italy’s politicians need to pull their fingers out and organise some real reform, but they won’t.

The Italian world is doing its usual trick of whizzing along and standing still at the same time.  Keeping up with it all is a little like trying to juggle 10 mini-Milan Duomo replicas all at once.  Not that easy.

Oh, by the way, it’s a glorious day in Milan today.