At the end of March we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. Usually we don't have the chance to leave for a couple of days not even to throw a party as the touristic season on the lake starts at the end of March but not this year. We are having quite a difficult work situation during last years, the season is becoming shorter every year , from the 8 month of the Nineties to the 6 months of today not to mention that at the same time the budgetary policy is cutting down unemployment benefits by less than a half, hotels and restaurants pay 40% less salary preferring to employ unqualified but less expensive cooks and chefs , and not only them... It's also true that in Italy we now have lots of immigrants coming from North Africa or from Eastern Countries who work more hours for half of the normal salary, many are friends of us too and I understand that they are just trying to improve their life conditions and I respect them for that. I only wish they were asking and accepting jobs at the same conditions we ask...so that we would have all the same opportunity to be hired. Many of them in wintertime go back to their homes where the salary they accepted during summer is more than enough to sustain a decent life style for them and their families. On the contrary that salary is not enough if you live here all the year round, half of it is used each month to pay the rent and each time you go shopping for food you spend not less than 60-70 euros for filling a single bag of food. Vegetables are more valuable than gold these times , zucchini cost 1.79/kg not to mention meat or gasoline which is 1.30/l.
My sister who works in a factory 6,40 hours a day 5 days a week earns more than my DH who works 11 hours a day, 7 days a week for all the touristic season, non stop, Christmas, Easter and New Years included, not only more but a good 25 per cent more. There's no respect and safeguard for tourim employees in Italy, there's no such thing as a labor union for them and even if you worked 30 years and you reached the higher job position , for the state you're a simple seasonal worker, chef is not written anywhere! Could you believe it?! Italy whose economy is largely based on tourism still has no rules to protect seasonal workers.
It doesn't matter if Hubby has more than 30 years experience and his work is considered excellent also by restaurants and hotel owners both in the Kitchen and Purchase department, considering his position as Chef Executive he is way too expensive because of job wages, and even if he accepts to work for a third less of his normal salary they prefer not to take the risk and problem of hiring him should he one day have some complains (which he won't).
That's also why eating out is an horrible adventure these last years....
Dh works now is a small Hotel and he is greatly appreciated, nevertheless the hotel started the season only today (real bad for our finances) but this gave us the opportunity to do a little folly we could hardly afford and leave for a couple of days to celebrate our anniversary.
My sister who works in a factory 6,40 hours a day 5 days a week earns more than my DH who works 11 hours a day, 7 days a week for all the touristic season, non stop, Christmas, Easter and New Years included, not only more but a good 25 per cent more. There's no respect and safeguard for tourim employees in Italy, there's no such thing as a labor union for them and even if you worked 30 years and you reached the higher job position , for the state you're a simple seasonal worker, chef is not written anywhere! Could you believe it?! Italy whose economy is largely based on tourism still has no rules to protect seasonal workers.
It doesn't matter if Hubby has more than 30 years experience and his work is considered excellent also by restaurants and hotel owners both in the Kitchen and Purchase department, considering his position as Chef Executive he is way too expensive because of job wages, and even if he accepts to work for a third less of his normal salary they prefer not to take the risk and problem of hiring him should he one day have some complains (which he won't).
That's also why eating out is an horrible adventure these last years....
Dh works now is a small Hotel and he is greatly appreciated, nevertheless the hotel started the season only today (real bad for our finances) but this gave us the opportunity to do a little folly we could hardly afford and leave for a couple of days to celebrate our anniversary.
We spent 3 night in Rome, all the three of us and had a lot of fun. Rome is a fabulous city, loud and crazy but at the same time magical and fascinating absolutely breathtaking, arts and history really pop out round every corner, you can't but fall in love with the Eternal City. Can't explain it you have to go there and see and experience Roma yourselves.
I heard that some countries are discouraging visit to Europe and Italy because of the attacks in Brussels but I can assure you that we felt safe there, police and carabinieri and even the army are everywhere and security controls are done in a serious way. We had to go through metal detectors every time we entered a church or a monuments, the Foro Imperiale or the Colosseo. Even if it took more time it was for security reason and nobody complained.
The new kit I work with by Angie and Louise are both showcasing pictures of this 4 days in Rome.
The kit by Angie is called Bagatelle:
Bundle version
My pages:
the freebie
As usual all my creations are for free and for personal use only.
All I'm asking is a little bit of patience in reading this post's few lines to find the download link which is hidden in the post.
Once you reach the linked word and you move your mouse over it, it gets highlighted or changes color (it depends on how you browser setting regarding links are configured). Click it and you will be taken to 4shared.
You will be prompted for a password. The password is: speranza
PS: if you don't find the link (it's there I grant this) drop me a note or a comment but give me a way to contact you back... , I will be more than happy to help you out as this is not a treasure hunt, it's just a way to let you read my post.
Please leave a comment, a little love is always appreciated!
The kit by Louise is called Moments Inoubliables and it is really beautiful:
in her shops
My page with the kit
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