Friday, March 25, 2016

Success!!!!!

After some trepidation about broadcasting tonight during the half hour preceding the beginning of the broadcast, we began right on time at 5 PM. The process was relatively smooth on Ellen's side of the console, but my computer betrayed me and I had some difficulty which you will be able to view on Youtube. I think I had too many programs open at the same time and the memory did not permit so many things to be going on simultaneously and froze at times. For now I can simply solve the problem by closing down the programs I do not need which is all except Photos. Other than that I felt very relaxed and Ellen looked very calm as the broadcast continued just like old times. In the future I may have to add memory to my computer or buy a new one. I only have 4 GB memory; I could use at least 8 GB if not even 16 which Laura has and her computer is lightning fast.

So thus finishes a sequence of shows dedicated to a wonderful day out with Lidia and her friends that began with Show # 117 back in early October, 2015 and was finally put to rest yesterday, March 25, 2016 with Show # 118. The almost six month hiatus is the longest I have gone without doing a broadcast. At first I needed the rest from the sometimes arduous task of creating and then executing a show. Then I just kind of gave up the possibility of continuing, and finally when it looked promising, I began putting a show together and here I am.

However, I just cannot complain after finally getting back on TV and most importantly successfully uploading a new video after the 6 month hiatus. I have many more show scheduled and will discuss my ideas on the next show in two weeks. That show # 119 will focus on a day out at the Chianti village of Volpaia with Luca and Mary as our guides. Quite simply at this stage of my travels around Italy, I just cannot drive any longer. If not for Luca, Lidia, and Franco we would be confined to major cities (not a tragedy) or take trains and buses to the countryside which is just not so rewarding as driving. I will discuss all future plans in two weeks, but for now, yes, success!!!!

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Relentlessly I Move Ahead

So on Friday, March 25 I will once again try to broadcast Show # 118 - Montefioralle. The original broadcast had some weird noise which both Ellen and Richard assure me will not be present again. I have made some modest "improvements" in the show and hopefully will download it to Youtube this Friday evening the first Alan's Italy in over 5 months.

Saturday, March 12, 2016

A New Beginning, Perhaps

Last evening I arrived at the studio at 4PM, about a half hour before my usual arrival time to find a studio which appeared to be about three times the size of the old studio. Also Richard, the studio technician told me he was there to help inaugurate the equipment for my first live broadcast in five months. He and Ellen then spent quite a lot of time getting things ready while I tried to do the same on my computer. Having downloaded yet another update last week, some things were again different and I had to find the correct way to make the presentation. I succeeded and off we went at about 4:50, about ten minutes ahead of schedule. I indicated to Ellen that I doubted whether my usual Friday evening audience was waiting with bated breath for the possible broadcast, so let's just get started. I did the show quite flawlessly except that some of the images with writing on the bottom were clearly being cut off. The cause was unknown to me, but that might be an easy thing to correct on my end. Other than that I felt quite strange and nervous doing the show, although as always happens to me, nobody would know there was anything different from my demeanor. The show was shorter tan usual at about 37 minutes, and I knew this by looking at the clock, but I was really happy to gotten that far. I took the DVD and went home where Laura told me she watched the show live on TV and it was good although I forgot to say some things that I honestly had forgotten about the places we visit. I did not show Laura the show beforehand, as I usually do, so that was a another problem which can easily be corrected. She did say that she heard a strange noise throughout the show. That noise is very prevalent on the DVD and I labored all last night with the possibility of doing the show over again. Ellen did not know what the noise was. I will probably do the show over again IF Richard can figure out what the noise was. If so, then I will make some necessary changes, talk with Laura about several things and try it again on the air. All this rests on what Richard can determine and I will keep you posted.

The show itself # 118 focused once again on the Tuscan adventure we took with Lidia, Sabrina and Giulio last May, 2015. It shows some very beautiful images of Tuscany in close to proximity to the region known for for its wine, Chianti.  I hope you get to see it, and we will try to make that happen.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

The Flu Grounds Alan's Italy

Sorry to all my fans, but I have the Flu and cannot do my show on Friday evening. Perhaps next Friday. Shooting for March 11.