A pothole-free paradise with Alan & Amanda in Sicily - Fiona Duff

I know it’s boring but everyone’s talking about potholes on the streets of Edinburgh.

It does seem crazy that the council of this capital city can find the dosh to widen pavements and build cycle lanes yet they can’t do anything about holes in the road which must be damaging cars.

Not to mention be dangerous for all the cyclists who don’t bother using the specially developed spaces for them to travel.

Anyway, that’s that little rant over with – just thought I would put it out there because it seems to crop up in virtually every conversation I have with people who live here.

​The Happy Valley finale had to be watched in real time to avoid spoilers

Of course there are other topics that crop up. Of course I have seen Bad Sisters, and was glued to the television on Sunday evening to watch the finale of Happy Valley.

There wasn’t any point on delaying the latter because I knew that the denouement would be all over the media within a few minutes of the credits appearing on screen.

In hushed tones we are also talking about Amanda & Alan’s Italian Job as our guilty pleasure on BBC1.

I mean who didn’t read about houses in Sicily being sold for 1 euro and think about forking out for one?

I know I certainly did, although Him Outdoors was not so keen – mainly because he knew that he’d be slaving away building kitchens and plastering the walls as I sat around drinking wine and eating pasta.

However, what I did learn from this programme, apart from Amanda Holden actually being a good laugh and able to sledgehammer a wall without breaking a nail, is that Sicily looks an amazing place to visit.

Between this programme and White Lotus the island’s tourist industry must be booming. I already know of several people who have booked a holiday there this summer.

The cost of flights ain’t cheap so I guess the people who run EasyJet have cottoned on to this being this year’s ‘must visit’ destination.

And as I watched Amanda and Alan tootle about in their wee Fiat 500 there didn’t seem to be any potholes either.