Canonical or not.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Sure you may ask, Christer! I'm settling under the Tuscan sun and close to the sea, halfway between Pisa to the north and Elba to the south, in a town called Cecina. My wife is Italian, but I'm still a Dutchman!

Im not jealous Frank….really……I’m not

[Herlock Sholmes]

Sounds decidedly delicious (I am having a love affair with Italian food...), and I am (slightly) familar with the area. You will be living not far from the gem of San Gimignano, with it´s many towers, smack bang in the middle of the heart of Italian culture and art history.

Actually, I´m a Dutchman too - or so I was told when I visited Iceland last month. A Belgian tourist at a hotel chatted me up as I was walking my son´s dog (he lives in Iceland since five years or so back. My son, that is, the dog is only one and a half years old), and said "You are Dutch, right?"
Being the honest fellow that I am, I replied "I´m actually Swedish."
The Belgian guy then took a long hard look at me, and replied "Naahhh, you don´t fool me, you´re Dutch!"

I´ve no idea why but at least I got to be Dutch for a day, and that must count for something!

So you’ve only been pretending to be Swedish all this time then

[FrankO]

Im not jealous Frank….really……I’m not

You shouldn't be, Michael - it's much too hot (>30° C) & dry here for much too long!

But seriously, it's no punishment to stay around these parts...

[Herlock Sholmes]

You shouldn't be, Michael - it's much too hot (>30° C) & dry here for much too long!

But seriously, it's no punishment to stay around these parts...

I don’t like too much heat Frank but I’d swap it for the view from the window that I’m seeing from where I am.

[Fisherman]

So you’ve only been pretending to be Swedish all this time then

Rechtsaf! (I googled that).

[Fisherman]

I don’t like too much heat ...

That could perhaps explain why you haven´t professed to be a Lechmereian yet...?

[FrankO]

Sounds decidedly delicious (I am having a love affair with Italian food...), and I am (slightly) familar with the area. You will be living not far from the gem of San Gimignano, with it´s many towers, smack bang in the middle of the heart of Italian culture and art history.

San Gimignano is indeed only some 50 km in a straight line from where I live, with Volterra, Sienna and Lajatico - where Andrea Bocelli grew up & still lives - at relatively close quarters! It's been years that I've been in San Gimignano, but living here gives me ample time to rediscover!

Actually, I´m a Dutchman too - or so I was told when I visited Iceland last month. A Belgian tourist at a hotel chatted me up as I was walking my son´s dog (he lives in Iceland since five years or so back. My son, that is, the dog is only one and a half years old), and said "You are Dutch, right?"
Being the honest fellow that I am, I replied "I´m actually Swedish."
The Belgian guy then took a long hard look at me, and replied "Naahhh, you don´t fool me, you´re Dutch!"

I´ve no idea why but at least I got to be Dutch for a day, and that must count for something!

In Holland we traditionally make jokes about our southern neighbours and your story could, perhaps, be turned into one such joke. Something that would start like: "Do you the one about the Belgian who met a Swedish guy walking his dog?" But maybe that's for another thread...

[FrankO]

Rechtsaf! (I googled that).

I wonder why you chose precisely this term ("Turn right")... Is it your political mind... or were you thinking about what Lechmere told Paul when they turned into Baker's Row?

[Fisherman]

I wonder why you chose precisely this term ("Turn right")... Is it your political mind... or were you thinking about what Lechmere told Paul when they turned into Baker's Row?

In the google dictionary, it was the translation of the Swedish expression ”just precis”, meaning ”exactly so”. But it seems I was scammed myself this time. My political mind it is not!

[Harry D]

If she was, she would have just covered up that fact and still said it was just one man. no need to lie about it in this case.
she wasnt a ripper victim.

Exactly my thought, Abby. She could've said she was accosted by a man, rather than inventing a gang attack. Weren't there groups like the "Old Nichol Gang" going around assaulting women?

[Harry D]

caz also makes a good point that murders of this nature were actually quite rare in Whitechapel, despite the high crime rate. I do wonder how much of this can be laid at the Ripper's door or whether the social conditions of the time created a perfect storm of murderous behaviour.

[Joshua Rogan]

Exactly my thought, Abby. She could've said she was accosted by a man, rather than inventing a gang attack. Weren't there groups like the "Old Nichol Gang" going around assaulting women?

Perhaps that's just why she suggested a gang?

[Harry D]

Perhaps that's just why she suggested a gang?

Wouldn't the simpler explanation be that she said it because it happened?

[Joshua Rogan]

Wouldn't the simpler explanation be that she said it because it happened?

Yes it would.

[FrankO]

In the google dictionary, it was the translation of the Swedish expression ”just precis”, meaning ”exactly so”. But it seems I was scammed myself this time. My political mind it is not!

It would have been much easier, Christer: "just precis" in Dutch is either "juist" or "precies"! Funny google dictionary!