Romantic Christmas Flowers Italy Gifts

 In the world as Christmas is one day that show the people how to care for their loved ones with beautifully wrapped gifts under the tree. For many couples, romantic Christmas gift exchange under the mistletoe is a tradition that makes the winter light. When it comes to romance, few countries have an incredible reputation as Italy.  Many couples buy Christmas romance of Italy Italy Simply add a christmas flowers italy blogs tree and often romantic.

Among wine lovers, Italyhas a reputation for producing some of the best wines of the world, comparable only with France, Napa Valley, and New Zealand. The old tradition of winemaking in Italy is taken very seriously, we expect only the best quality Italian wines found while browsing. A great way to enjoy a romantic dinner for Christmas is a bottle of Pinot Grigio to add to the card.On the other hand, is a bottle of wine, a romantic Christmas gift wrap is easy and can make a nice presentation for Christmas too.

Italian tradition of wine comes to food. People who really like to cook, you can always find a romantic cook book, or even a series of romantic kitchen to bring a light of joy in her eyes. Gift sets that include chocolate in Italy romantic gifts.Often inexpensive gifts this budget-friendly kitchen sure to add a delicious touch of Christmas usual.

Designers Dolce & Gabbana, and all hail, Moschino, Gucci and Italian fashionable cities Milanand Florence. A romantic gift for christmas flowers italy that received praise from all sides, buy a leather handbag or a designer clock is often just what the doctor ordered. If you are still out, and I want to give your girlfriend to remember a romantic gift for Christmas, a diamond ring for engagement to the jaw will drop your Italian.

Those who at Christmas parties or traditional Italian love dolciumi Carbon (carbon) to accept as a gift. These two gifts are gifts from a classic Italian was known as the "witch". If they were good, and dolciumi received as a gift. Coal, such as candy called Carbone (carbon), is given the disobedient children. With her lover, give them a small gift for a sassy but charming.

Another option is to buy jewelry from Murano glass jewelry fans a romantic gift for Christmas. Perfect for women who want a classic look, but avant-garde jewelry Murano has become a popular gift in Italy. Even better, is some parts can be quite affordable.

The Italians are known to have a great romantic gift for Christmas. Whether you want to buy jewelry, wines, cookbooks, or Pavarotti CD, you can be sure to buy send christmas flowers italy gifts romantic heart of Italy will make your lover melt.

A life in music: Antonio Pappano - Christmas Flowers Italy

This year's BBC christmas flowers italy treats for opera lovers will be prepared and hand-delivered by Antonio Pappano. On New Year's Day he will conduct a live radio broadcast from the Royal Opera House of Wagner's Meistersinger. But before then, on christmas flowers italy blogs Eve, he presents an hour long television introduction to Tosca, which will be followed by the recent Covent Garden production under his baton starring Angela Gheorghiu, Bryn Terfel and Jonas Kaufmann. Pappano, whose Opera Italia series aired last year, has rapidly become the television face of the art form and his introduction to Tosca sees him enthusiastically exploring the Roman sites utilised by Puccini as well as behind the scenes rehearsal footage.

"So there is plenty of Angela, Bryn and Jonas," Pappano explains. "And having those three together was quite something. They ensure the production is absolutely full of beans. But there does seem a need for a front man for opera and classical music at the moment, so I present the programme and do most of the yapping. To have the chance to get people excited about something you are excited about is a huge opportunity. We keep talking about opera as if everybody knows all about it. But not everybody does, so I think it is part of my job to tell them. Tosca might be a highly compelling story that almost anyone will instantly enjoy, but if you have just a little more historical background, a little more knowledge of what Puccini was trying to achieve, then you really do get so much more out of it."

Pappano, who comes from a southern Italian family and has been music director of the city's prestigious orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia since 2005, is an ideal choice to talk about a Rome-based opera. But he has an equally strong claim to be a local hero back at his Covent Garden base, where he will celebrate 10 years as music director early next year. He was brought up in 1960s London and even hazily remembers being taken to a Covent Garden Il Trovatore as a child. "It did make an impression in that the very dark staging of the gypsy fire scene has stayed with me. But it was a long time ago. A lot has happened in between."

The circuitous route he embarked upon before returning to Covent Garden to succeed Bernard Haitink as music director took in emigration to America, an education as a jobbing piano-player, and highly regarded behind the scenes work at some of the most prestigious opera houses in the world. But when he did return to London he was almost immediately reminded of his roots. Entering a backstage lift just after being appointed music director he vaguely recognised a stage hand. "We sort of looked at each other and then worked it out. We'd been to primary school together. He was now working in the flies. It was quite a reminder that essentially I was returning home."

Pappano says he can scarcely believe that he has now been in charge for 10 years. "I have to say it's been a wonderful journey, because there have been so many twists and turns. But we have managed to survive and even thrive and now we have an even stronger bond with the audience; we're a very tight-knit family within the house. The hope as a musician is always that you continue to develop and get better over time. That can only happen in an atmosphere of trust such as we have here."

Looking back over a decade of productions he, reluctantly, identifies some key works. He claims great affection for his first London opera, Ariadne auf Naxos, as well as citing a "not universally liked" Lulu, "that nevertheless was very important for us in terms of building teamwork", a "conventional" Marriage of Figaro that was "sort of perfect in its direction and bite", Richard Jones's controversial staging of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, a Wozzeck, Tristan and, this year, Mark-Anthony Turnage's Anna Nicole, which put drug abuse, boob jobs and octogenarian sex on the Covent Garden stage in recounting the rise and fall of the late playboy model. "There was an element of overcoming doubts and fears with Anna Nicole, but when we began work, it clearly meant everything to everybody. You should have seen the place during that period – everyone was on point and working very, very hard from the same page. But the thing about that list of productions, and many others I could have mentioned, is that they are all very different in style. And that has been a large part of the appeal for me – and, I hope, the audience."

Next week Pappano leads the company in a revival of their much-acclaimed Graham Vick-directed Meistersinger. "For a musician, there is no other piece that gives so much back. It is steeped in the history of German music and you have these two very different styles in a work that will always be somehow contemporary because it contains this conflict between new ideas and old traditions." In a way Meistersinger acts as an appetiser for next season's complete Ring cycle, directed by Jones, which Pappano will conduct for the second time. "It is wonderful to have the chance to bring it back. To develop it further and really work on it. Seeing it all together reveals the amazing logic and cohesion of the whole thing. And it is great to do a house piece in which everyone is involved. It is one of the most satisfying experiences and I'm delighted that we have several large-scale works coming up over the next few years." Pappano's current contract keeps him in London until 2014, but he has already scheduled work beyond then and talks enthusiastically about an upcoming Verdi's Sicilian Vespers, a new Parsifal and Berlioz's vast Trojans, which will form part of the the house's 2012 Olympic year celebrations. "People say it's a bit cheesy when I talk about working like a big family on some of these things. But it is true. And I know better than most what it's like to make music in a family."

Pappano was born in December 1959 in Essex. He and his younger brother were raised in Pimlico by his first-generation Italian immigrant parents, who had arrived in the UK in 1958. His parents worked at many jobs, most often in the restaurant world, but all were essentially in support of his father's ambition to be a singing teacher. "So our house was full of music," Pappano recalls. "Vocal exercises from tenors especially. And life was extremely busy. A little like my life is now, but then it was for survival and making ends meet. My parents are still my greatest inspiration. They left Italy with 10 quid in their pocket and they bettered their lives. The ingenuity and grit they displayed was astonishing. Their partnership was very tumultuous, the amount of stress in their lives was huge, but it was also very strong. And the indefatigable work ethic I am blessed with comes straight from them."

It was clear from the beginning that Pappano was a talented musician – "But I wasn't Mozart. I also liked football and things like that" – and he soon began to play for his father's voice students. "But it wasn't until we went to America that I made a big leap." The family moved to Connecticut when Pappano was 13. He continued to work with his father and got a new teacher himself, Norma Verrilli, whose own father had come from Pappano's parents' village in Italy. "She exposed this kid to all this new stuff; Bach, a lot of Mozart, Chopin, Brahms, and also a lot of early music, Monteverdi and so on. She also loved the great American songbook, so my head was whirling with all this music, and meanwhile I was getting jobs playing for a church choir, for my father's lessons, accompanying recitals, occasionally doing my own concerts as well as a bit of cocktail piano in a bar. In America I had a renaissance existence. There was a lot of running around, but it did give me great practical experience and a tremendously eclectic taste."

Despite his obvious facility, Pappano did not attend music school. "My father and I were very locked into this family teaching business. So whether it was guilt, or whether it was fear, leaving home wasn't right for me at that time." But he did take private lessons and studied composition. He acquired a taste for the theatre when an opera company was formed in Connecticut and he started to work for them as a rehearsal pianist and then choral master. And it was as a rehearsal pianist that he developed his professional career, first at the New York City Opera and then working at the Liceu in Barcelona, in Frankfurt and with the Chicago Lyric Opera. Then, after an audition with Daniel Barenboim, at age 26 Pappano moved to Bayreuth.

"Barenboim was a very intimidating presence. His fame, the sheer force of his intellect and musicianship. It was like being hit by a truck. Can you imagine playing piano for him? But it was a hugely important point of my development as I got an opportunity to observe him at work. When you are eventually offered six weeks of rehearsal you'd better know what to do with them. That's where I learnt how to develop a sense of inner timing to bring people and a production to a peak for the performances. And it was fascinating to be involved in something like putting on a Ring. You learn about scale and structure, and the whole psychological aspect of theatre. You also see the obstacles of dealing with such a huge masterpiece. For any re-creative artist, it is the greatest thrill to actually hold and shape and come to terms with masterpieces. But it's not all peachy. They can be full of conflict and challenge and people underestimate the struggles involved. It is possible to get things seriously wrong."

In the mid 80s Pappano moved on to Copenhagen to work with the Den Norske Opera, which was where he con ducted his first opera, La Bohème, in 1987. He says he had no strong desire to conduct as a career: "God forbid. I didn't think I would have the authority. But I did always have very strong ideas about how the music should go. Other people saw that and I was given opportunities here and there to conduct." While he had taken some lessons, when he first stood in front of an orchestra he did "all the traditional things a young conductor does: I talked too much and my arms didn't exactly do what I thought they were doing. But I had always been very vocal and interfering, and having that time in rehearsal and then performance, working with singers and players and having my say about the staging, I sort of realised this was where I belonged."

Pappano was appointed music director of the company in 1990, aged 30. The first benefit of his elevation was that it gave him a much wider choice of work. "So I didn't do only the Italian repertoire, which is always the danger when you have a name like mine. But while there was more freedom, there were also new responsibilities, for the development and continued growth of the orchestra. You have to work on intonation, you have to work on cohesion. It is now your orchestra. And the public has to see you as the face of the organisation. Audiences pay serious money, and we need to give something very special in return. We need to give of our hearts and souls and all our energy, enthusiasm and conviction. We have to convince them that it is worth the money."

He says it is a philosophy that has guided him ever since. In 1992 he was headhunted by La Monnaie, the Brussels opera house, where he began to build an international reputation. When he arrived at Covent Garden, by then married to Pamela Bullock, a repetiteur, he was one of the brightest stars on the world scene. "I did hit the ground running in that London knew I was coming two years previously. But you still have to pay your dues as the music director, you have to jump through a lot of hoops with the orchestra for them to feel that they know you, and you know them. It took several years to build confidence, but then something else kicks in, this sense of inevitability which is a wonderful thing and such a privilege to get when you have been long enough with one orchestra."

Observing Pappano last year on the Royal Opera House's tour of Japan – doling out champagne to crew members at an aftershow reception, cajoling people to pose for his personal holiday snaps – it is obvious that Tony, as he is universally known, is genuinely loved and admired by his colleagues. "I do have my moments," he confesses, "and I am aware that for some people it is possible to work well through conflict and struggle. But combativeness is not my style. And in a long process such as putting on an opera, that can sometimes take a couple of months from first rehearsal to closing night, I just don't want to live with additional stress for all that time."

He says Covent Garden falls somewhere between the ultra-traditional Met in New York and the determinedly avant-garde atmosphere of some European houses. "The London public love to hear beautiful voices and musical singing. And they are accustomed to seeing stars, but the stars don't just come here and do their turns. They have to be hooked in to what the whole evening is about. They work hard when they come here and sometimes you can see them at their very best because everything is lined up for a great production, not just a great performance. The only thing that matters is being true to live theatre. I want things to be absolutely convincing from first to last. It is not just an orchestra playing and singers singing. The whole thing must come together and the orchestra has certainly picked up on that. What do the notes mean? What are they supporting? What are they provoking?"

In Brussels Pappano oversaw a small symphonic programme alongside the operas and since he arrived in London has periodically taken opportunities to bring the Royal Opera orchestra out from the pit. "It's always a fantastic bonus to get a company orchestra on the stage every now and then." He says his work with the Santa Cecilia orchestra has provided him with the same benefits – as well as a clutch of recent awards for their recordings of Mahler, Rossini, Verdi and Puccini. "When I took the job I didn't quite realise what it would mean to me personally. Solely concentrating on the music, not working with voices, is something that I desperately needed to go forward in my own development. And my ear has changed and my insight has changed. So London and Rome are feeding into each other fantastically. And with my background the blending of the two cultures seems to suit me, and sort of define me, as well."

But whether in Rome or London, Pappano now finds himself confronted by political and financial anxieties around arts funding. "Let's not kid ourselves. The situation is precarious. In Italy there is a quite a push behind Rome at the moment, Roma Capitale, and as our orchestra is something Italy and its capital can be proud of there is some sense of us being on a firm footing. But everywhere there are difficulties." He says having worked to find additional private money to make up for state cuts, those potential private sponsors now find themselves under pressure. "So what you think is promised might not necessarily come your way. Things are quite a jumble at the moment and so we all have to work that bit harder to keep the programming intact. And we are being tested to the limit. That said, I have been very lucky. It has been a difficult period for recording, but I've never made so many records and DVDs. And now the TV thing has kicked in as a wonderful surprise. And it does show a certain vitality in the classical music world.

"We need to take advantage of that and become more tenacious in asserting the importance of this kind of music. Not to the exclusion of other music, but to tell people what a wonderful heritage they, and it, has. Things are going to be a lot tougher financially over coming years, but in an organisation that is well run, and Covent Garden is very well run, even when times are tough, we will find ways of doing what needs to be done."

Little Chicago review - Christmas Flowers Italy

As the holidays approach, I like to look into the history of our traditions and customs. I got to thinking about the christmas flowers italy tree as I had put mine up early this week. My granddaughters were anxious for it to be up, so Nona gave in and we put it up Saturday. Looks nice.

History of the

Christmas Tree -

where did it originate?

The history of the Christmas tree comes as a shock to many. This famous symbolism of Christmas is displayed in homes in the United States, Europe, and in many countries around the world.

There is no evidence that the modern custom of a Christmas tree originated in paganism. The Romans did decorate their houses with greens and lights and exchanged gifts.

Late in the Middle Ages, the Germans and Scandinavians placed evergreen trees in their homes or outside their doors to show their hope in the forthcoming spring. The modern-day Christmas tree evolved from these early German traditions.

The history of the Christmas tree in the United States dates back to the time of George Washington and his defeat of the German Hessians in the year 1776.

The war was during the Christmas season, which for the Germans was a time for food, songs, and decorated trees. In their celebration of the season, they paid little attention to their military duties and the German Hessians became easy prey for General Washington. His troops were able to sneak in and defeat the Hessians who were ill-prepared for the onslaught.

The picture of Washington crossing the Delaware on Christmas Eve depicts the great victory for his troops.

After the war in 1776, many Germans stayed in the United States, introduced the Christmas tree to the newly formed United States

Why do we have a decorated Christmas Tree? In the 7th century a monk from Crediton, Devonshire, went to Germany to teach the Word of God.

Legend has it that he used the triangular shape of the Fir Tree to describe the Holy Trinity of God - the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The converted people began to revere the Fir tree as God's Tree, as they had previously revered the Oak.

By the 12th century it was being hung, upside-down, from ceilings at Christmastime in Central Europe, as a symbol of Christianity.

The first decorated tree was at Riga in Latvia, in 1510. In the early 16th century, Martin Luther is said to have decorated a small Christmas Tree with candles, to show his children how the stars twinkled through the dark night.

In the mid 16th century, Christmas markets were set up in German towns, to provide everything from Christmas presents, food and more practical things such as a knife grinding to sharpening the knife to carve the Christmas Goose!

The first record there is of the Christmas tree is that of a visitor to Strasbourg in 1601. He records a tree decorated with "wafers and golden sugar-twists (Barleysugar) and paper flowers of all colors". The early trees were biblically symbolic of the Paradise Tree in the Garden of Eden. The many food items were symbols of plenty, the flowers, originally only red (for knowledge) and white (for innocence).

Tinsel was invented in Germany around 1610. At that time real silver was used, and machines were invented which pulled the silver out into the wafer thin strips for tinsel. Silver was durable, but tarnished quickly, especially with candlelight. Silver was used for tinsel right up to the mid-20th century.

The Christmas Tree first came to England with the Georgian kings who came from Germany. The British public was not fond of the German monarchy, so they did not copy the fashions at Court, which is why the Christmas Tree did not establish in Britain at that time.

The decorations were tinsels, silver wire ornaments, candles and small beads. All these had been manufactured in Germany and East Europe since the 17th century. The custom was to have several small trees on tables, one for each member of the family, with that person’s gifts stacked on the table under the tree.

In 1846, the popular Royals, Queen Victoria and her German Prince, Albert, were pictured in the Illustrated London News. They were standing with their children around a Christmas Tree. Unlike the previous Royal family, Victoria was very popular with her subjects, and what was done at Court immediately became fashionable - not only in Britain, but with fashion-conscious East Coast American Society. The English Christmas Tree had arrived!

In 1850's Lauscha began to produce fancy shaped glass bead garlands for the trees, and short garlands made from necklace 'bugles' and beads. These were readily available in Germany but not produced in sufficient quantities to export to Britain.

The 1860's English Tree had become more innovative than the delicate trees of earlier decades. Small toys were popularly hung on the branches, but still most gifts were placed on the table under the tree.

Around this time, the Christmas tree was spreading into other parts of Europe. The Mediterranean countries were not too interested in the tree, preferring to display only a Creche scene. Italy had a wooden triangle platform tree called as 'CEPPO'. This had a Creche scene as well as decorations.

By the 1870's, Glass ornaments were being imported into Britain from Lauscha, in Thuringia. It became a status symbol to have glass ornaments on the tree, the more one had, the better one’s status! Still many home-made things were seen. The empire was growing, and the popular tree topper was the Nation's Flag. Sometimes there were flags of the Empire and flags of the allied countries. Trees got very patriotic.

They were imported into America around 1880, where they were sold through stores such as FW Woolworth. They were quickly followed by American patents for electric lights (1882), and metal hooks for safer hanging of decorations onto the trees (1892)

The 1880's saw a rise of the Aesthetic Movement. At this time Christmas Trees became a glorious hodgepodge of everything one could cram on or by complete contrast the aesthetic trees which were delicately balanced trees, with delicate colors, shapes and style. The limited availability of decorations in earlier decades had kept trees by necessity to, usually table trees.

Now with decorations as well as crafts more popular than ever, there was no excuse. Still a status symbol, the larger the tree - the more affluent the family which sported it.

The High Victorian of the 1890's was a child's joy to behold . . . as tall as the room, and crammed with glitter and tinsel and toys galore. Even the 'middle classes' managed to over-decorate their trees. It was a case of 'anything goes'. Everything that could possibly go on a tree went onto it.

In America, Christmas trees were introduced into several areas - the German Hessian soldiers took their tree customs in the 18th century. In Texas, cattle barons from Britain took their customs in the 19th century, and the East Coast Society copied the English Court tree customs.

Settlers from all over Europe took their customs also in the 19th century. Decorations were not easy to find in the old West, and people began to make their own decorations. Tin was pierced to create lights and lanterns to hold candles which could shine through the holes. Decorations of all kinds were cutout, stitched and glued. The general stores were hunting grounds for old magazines with pictures, rolls of cotton batting and tinsel, which was occasionally sent from Germany or brought in from the Eastern States. The Paper 'Putz' or Christmas Crib was a popular feature under the tree, especially in the Moravian Dutch communities which settled in Pennsylvania.

After 1918, because of licensing and export problems, Germany was not able to export its decorations easily. The market was quickly taken up by Japan and America, especially in Christmas tree lights.

In the 1930's there was a revival of Dickensian nostalgia, particularly in Britain. Christmas cards all sported ladies with muffs and bonnets popular in the 1840's.

Christmas trees became large, and real again, and were decorated with many bells, balls and tinsels, and with a beautiful golden haired angel at the top.

The mid-1960s saw another change. A new world was on the horizon, and modernist ideas were everywhere. Silver aluminum trees (I remember these trees - my Grandma had one) were imported from America. The 'Silver Pine' tree, patented in the 1950's, was designed to have a revolving light source under it, with colored gelatin 'windows, which allowed the light to shine in different shades as it revolved under the tree. No decorations were needed for this tree.

America made a return to Victorian nostalgia in the 1970's, and it was a good decade later that Britain followed the fashion. By the at first this was a refreshing look, and manufacturers realizing the potential created more and more fantastic decorations.

Real Christmas trees were popular, but many housewives preferred the convenience of the authentic looking artificial trees which were being manufactured. The late 1990s tree has taken the Victorian idea, but with new themes and designs.

Read more: Little Chicago Review - Oh christmas flowers italy blogs .

EURO GOVT-Spanish bonds extend post-auction rally - Christmas Flowers Italy

LONDON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Spanish and Italian government bonds rallied on Friday one day after a strong Spanish auction helped sentiment for peripherals even as the threat of a downgrade from Standard & Poor's hung over euro zone sovereign debt.

S&P last week warned it could carry out a mass downgrade if the European Union summit disappointed. Given that the outcome has been insufficient to restore market confidence, most analysts are expecting an imminent move.

Fitch Ratings also downgraded a series of banks in Europe and in the United States late on Thursday.

Ahead of the European Central Bank's ultra-long 3-year financing operation next week, however, traders said peripheral bonds could find some support and price swings could be exacerbated by thin liquidity one week before christmas flowers italy .

"The Spanish auction yesterday was very strong, part of the explanation for that being that the paper was eligible to use at the ECB (European Central Bank) as collateral," one trader said.

"There's this talk about the 3-year LTRO, it's kind of like a QE (quantitative easing) backdoor, they can use the money to buy periphery. It's like a no-brainer, you take the money at 1 percent and you buy Spain at 6-7 percent. That keeps supporting the periphery."

Spanish 10-year government bonds jumped, with yields slumping 20 basis points to 5.24 percent, extending the previous day's decline after Spain surprised markets by selling far more than the amount targeted in its last bond sale of the year, though its borrowing costs remained high. Two-year Spanish yields shed 19 basis points to 3.62 percent.

Italian 10-year government bonds rose, pushing yields 15 basis points lower to 6.85 percent, and two-year yields were down 34 basis points at 5.41 percent.

Italy faces a vote of confidence on its austerity package, but with Mario Monti's government enjoying an overwhelming majority in both houses of parliament, the vote should easily pass in the Chamber of Deputies this afternoon before it moves to the Senate.

DOWNGRADE THREAT

The rise in Italian and Spanish bonds came despite the threat of a downgrade of Standard & Poor's, which last week warned it could cut the ratings of a series of euro zone sovereigns, including Germany and France.

Fitch Ratings, the third-biggest of the major credit rating agencies, on Thursday downgraded a series of large banks including Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs.

"I wouldn't be at all surprised seeing (sovereign) ratings getting adjusted to the downside," David Schnautz, strategist at Commerzbank said.

But analysts say a rating cut of German debt would unlikely have a long-term impact on Bunds, pointing to the United States which still enjoys safe-haven flows despite a downgrade to its ratings earlier in the year.

"As soon as we see a level shift for the triple-A's, that probably would not mean much for Bunds at all," he said. "The benchmark status for Bunds is without any question in the euro space."

The German Bund future was up 16 ticks on the day at 137.79 christmas flowers italy blogs .

"We are in 'buy the dip' mode right now and we suggested 137.33 as the level to attempt this yesterday," FuturesTechs said in a research note. "Nothing (has) changed and we (would) still be looking to play this to the long side, aiming for a retest of 139.58."

Italian financial markets jittery as unions strike against government’s austerity reforms - Christmas Flowers Italy

ROME — Italian financial market jitters worsened on Monday, as workers angry about government austerity reforms went on strike and held nationwide rallies while investors turned skeptical about an EU pact to save the euro.

Some Fiat’s auto plants were idled and a performance at La Scala opera house in Milan was canceled as unions kicked off the first of days of walkouts and demonstrations against the spending cuts and tax increases the government is seeking to restore investor confidence in the country’s financial future.

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( Fabio Ferrari, Lapresse / Associated Press ) - Metalworkers march through downtown Turin, Italy, Monday, Dec. 12, 2011. Union leaders in Italy are calling on workers to stage a three-hour strike to protest austerity measures that Premier Mario Monti hopes will save the country from financial ruin. The union leaders say the measures hit too hard at pensioners and workers and not hard enough at the wealthy

That confidence was eroding on Monday, with Milan’s stock index closing down 3.79 percent and the benchmark 10-year bond yield rising 0.52 of a percentage point to 6.76 percent.

Italy did manage to raise €7 billion ($9.4 billion) in a bond auction, though the relatively strong demand was boosted by a bank association promotion waiving fees to buy the bonds.

Investors remain worried about the future of both Italy and the wider 17-nation eurozone despite an EU deal last week to tighten controls on spending. While that deal will boost longer-term budget discipline, it does little to lower current debt and exposed deepening political division.

Britain’s decision not to sign on to the deal agreed in principle by the other 26 EU members also laid bare political rifts. It could prove costly to the other members because of Britain’s insistence that certain EU institutions cannot be used to enforce their new budget rules, Unicredit analyst Erik Nielsen said.

The Italian government’s efforts aimed at stabilizing Italy’s finances to boost growth and lower debt, which stands at 120 percent of GDP, were coming under fire from unions.

Workers joined rallies and a nationwide strike in several labor sectors to protest pension reforms. It was the first in a series of walkouts called over the emergency austerity measures which Premier Mario Monti insists are vital to avert financial disaster.

Metalworkers, including on assembly lines at Fiat’s auto factories, were staging an eight-hour strike, while others walked off the job three hours before the end of the shift.

Also on strike were workers at La Scala, the Milan opera house that was forced to cancel a concert, and typographers at Italian newspapers and web sites.

Public transport union leaders called walkouts for Thursday and Friday. Other public sector employees were set to walk off the job on Dec. 19, while bank workers have a strike called for Friday.

The union leaders say the government’s austerity measures hit too hard at pensioners and workers and not hard enough at the wealthy. A rally was held outside Parliament, which is expected to pass the measures by christmas flowers italy .

“Fairness, fairness,” shouted workers marching in Florence christmas flowers italy blogs .

In Genoa, hundreds of workers, joined by students protesting school budget cuts, were marching toward a rally site. Fiat workers joined hundreds of other blue-collar workers, students and youths in a march in Turin, hometown to the automaker, which is the country’s largest private sector employer.

Special Food Gifts Don't Have To Cost A Fortune - Christmas Flowers Italy

Still pondering distinctive gifts for that special person -- or is it special gifts for that distinctive person? Either way, these options will not break the bank:

Pittsburgh's own Penn Brewery offers the award-winning 2011 St. Nicholas Bock Brewer's Reserve (available in 25-ounce bottles in felt gift bags at local bottle shops for around $12). As a traditional German doppelbock lager, prodigious malty aromas and rich, sweet malty flavors balance with just the right touch of hops. Pair with sauerbraten. Highly recommended.

Fine chocolate and fortified, gently oxidized wines make superb gifts. Start with acclaimed French pastry chef Francois Payard's fabulous Grand Cru Chocolate Truffles ($22 for nine pieces at www.payard.com). Dusted with dark cocoa powder, these rich, smooth chocolates have a hint of saltiness from fleur de sel to balance the tantalizing sweetness. Pair with:

N.V. Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Tawny Porto, Portugal (4865; on sale: $24.99): Like most fine fortified wines, this tasty bottle's mild sweetness and rich, round flavors come from residual, natural grape sugars. The addition of spirit alcohol -- grape brandy, in this case -- before the completion of fermentation also accounts for the wine's potent 20-percent alcohol by volume.

As a tawny port, the wine aged in barrel for 10 years before bottling. The ruddy color offers wonderful nutty and raisin aromas and flavors through the honeyed finish. A delicious acidity streak creates refreshing balance. Highly recommended.

N.V. Warre's Otima 20 Year Tawny Porto, Portugal (Luxury 10381; $39.99 for 500 milliliters): Founded as the first British Port house in 1670, Warre's today falls under the Symington Family which continues the tradition of excellence with unstinting attention to detail. After aging 20 years in barrel, this lovely tawny delivers even more complex nutty, honeyed character with intriguing touches of orange rinds and spices. The ultra smooth texture and refreshing acidity create lovely balance. Recommended.

1995 Domaine Cazes Rivesaltes Tuilé, France (Special Liquor Order 62807; $42.09 -- order at 800-322-7522): Fortified sweet wines -- known as vin doux naturel in French -- actually started when Arnaud de Villeneuve perfected the process at the University of Montpellier in the 13th century. Fortification preserved the wines for easier shipping over long distances christmas flowers italy blogs .

Today, France's southern Roussillon region around the Catalan city of Perpignan accounts for over 80 percent of the country's tasty vin doux naturel. The Muscat de Rivesaltes appellation uses aromatic, fruity Muscat grapes, whereas Rivesaltes Ambré relies primarily on white-skinned grenache blanc. The Banyuls, Maury and Rivesaltes Tuilé appellations use mainly dark-skinned grenache noir.

This delicious Rivesaltes Tuilé comes from vines toiling in the arid foothills of the Corbières Mountains in northern Roussillon. Clay and limestone terroir covered with smooth pebbles helps the grapes retain vital acidity and mineral traits for freshness. Aging in oak casks created the ruddy color delivering nutty, caramel aromas and refreshing, fruity flavors though an elegant, nutty finish that lingers seductively. The wine carries relatively modest 16.5 percent alcohol. Highly recommended.

For a distinctive Italian-themed gift, put together this basket of goodies:

Start with Eugenio Ranchino's delicious, ultra-fresh, cold pressed olive oil, 2011 Canale 53 (available exclusively from Buon Sapore at SouthSide Works for $35 per 500 milliliters). "The olives were still on the trees in Umbria in the fall," says Buon Sapore owner Carlo Dozzi. The traditional olive varieties grow without pesticides on infertile volcanic soils.

After hand picking, Ranchino gently presses the crop without chemicals to enhance yields. The deep golden, green color unfolds subtle herbal and captivating, delicious fruity flavors. A zesty, peppery finish adds a bold touch.

To balance the savory olive oil, add the sweet, refined flavors of Villa Manodori Aceto Balsamico (available from Sur La Table also at Southside Works; 8.5 ounces for $44.95). This condimento-style balsamic vinegar delivers a glimpse of the glorious wonders of Modena's Aceto Tradizionale at a fraction of the cost. Its viscous consistency offers fruity flavors with lovely caramel notes and a refreshing finish.

Delallo's in Jeannette also offers a ready made, tempting Italian christmas flowers italy Basket ($59 at www.delallo.com). It includes a tasty chunk of aged Asiago cheese, thinly sliced prosciutto, garlicky pitted green olives, a pound of pasta and anchovies ready for making a sauce. For the sweet tooth, it also offers Italian sweet bread, Panettone, and a sampling of traditional Torrone almond candies.

Finally add a tasty Italian white wine. Try 2009 Arnaldo-Caprai, Grecante, Grechetto dei Colli Martani, Italy (Luxury 18902; $19.49) or 2009 Regaleali Bianco, Sicily (Luxury 18118; $13.99), two fruity, yet crisp, well-balanced wines. Highly recommended.

Activist Beaten Protesting Blackface Christmas Tradition - Christmas Flowers Italy

An activist was beaten and arrested at a Dutch christmas flowers italy celebration after attempting to call attention to the racist depiction of Zwarte Piet, a beloved Santa’s-helper folk character in the Netherlands.

SEE ALSO: Ed Lover to NFL Players: Chill With The Celebrating! christmas flowers italy blogs

For the last few years, activists have worked to reform or change Zwarte Piet. In 2007, Piet’s face was depicted as multicolored instead of black.

“I am afraid to say — and I know this will not go down well with many Dutch white people — that Black Pete is tainted beyond redemption,” Flavia Dzodan, a South American-born, Amsterdam-based activist said. “There is no redeemable quality in this character in its current incarnation. There is no going around the racist nature of a character that acts as a de facto slave for a white saint, who is portrayed as clumsy and mischievous, who is used as an instrument to instill fear in children who misbehave.”