Pica

Hi and Hallelujah! Indeed it rained but not for long

Our house temp went from 28 down to 26 but the flowers will be happy for a day at least- unless the next storm hovering around Ancona arrives and I hope it does.

Geordieborn

Guilty me lord, I often lean towards the negative! But if you think about it, there must be a big positive when so many of us are still here after several years (some tens of years)… I just think a lot of us worry about “newbies” dreaming of moving to a lovely rustic house, within walking distance of an idyllic village, which of course has lovely restaurant, shop(s) for provisions and friendly bar where you can while away the hours chatting to the locals whilst learning your Italian… Yes us too! I think many of us might have been there and I believe the negative aspect of some posts is the result/warning. I have to say the devil is in the detail and today’s post on the heat from Pica is a great example. I would say our top reason for buying here was the weather, in particular the sunshine. I still see it as there being 90% chance of rain on any particular day in the UK and equally 90% chance of sunshine here. That said the reality of weeks or even months of constant heat is one of the small things we had not expected to be even the slight problem. I still love summer here, but not for the sunshine as we avoid it at this time of year. Now the produce is a different story and just one of the things that make summer a joy here in Italy. It’s just a small point, but one people may not appreciate until they have experienced it.

philat98

I agree with you about the sunshine Geordieborn. In Umbria it is usually sunny every day of the year. Even when it rains it is just for a couple of hours. The grey skies you get in the UK just dont happen. It is nice to go out on a winters day walk without a waterproof. As long as the house doesn't get too hot at night even the summer heat is not unpleasant. The heat also gives a flavour to the garden fruit and veg that you don't get in the UK.

carcajou

I think you are probably right . . . but experience has shown me, that is what the majority (not all) of foreigners show up expecting . . . same as Brits wanting to move to Orlando because they think they will be at Disney every weekend . . . or Australia because they think they will be working half the hours and sitting on the beach every afternoon . . .

OP has an Italian wife so I assume he doesn't expect that (at least I hope not!). But migrations based on getting away from a place ("I just need to get away from London and will figure out the rest later"), rather than having any kind of career/professional plan to take advantage of the place you are going to ("Italy is the best place for me because . . . "), are going to be extremely difficult.

I would encourage OP to go down the sabbatical route, use that sabbatical time to formulate an "Italy plan," and then see how things look from there.

snodgrass in italy

I have lived and worked in Italy for 40+ years and love it.
The thought of the London scene makes me shiver( I tried it)
I live in a smallish town ( pop 7k) to the west of the Biella area.
My advice would be "If you are willing to throw yourself into Italian life" and be ready to be non British .... you have a chance of making it and enjoying the rest of your life.
Finally ...... I have travelled to most countries and if I had to choose again I would make it Italy !
Remember " wherever you are it is what YOU make it NOT what it is.....
There is little doubt that some of your problems in UK you would bring with you to wherever you go ... then you must evaluate yourself !
Cheers,
S

.Ariel.

Having lived on both sides, i would say go to Italy for lots of holidays, but working life is better in the uk. You will be able to do TEFL in Italy but you may not want to do that long term. IMO, if you need to work then the UK is better. If you can live without earning then Italy is great.
Perhaps you can work for your uk employer home based in Italy for some of the time to extend your time there.
Move a little out of London and get the best of both worlds.
Good luck with whatever you decide.

Claudilla

I am 43 I moved to the UK 12 years ago. I have two young children who speaks English and Italian. We come over here Fb Italy 4 times a year for holidays. We have families that we are very attached to and so we come every time we can. After a while we always come up with the same questions why don't we move back ? And to be honest for me my job is not even a worry.. my decision to stay in the UK is for the children. They learn English they love going to school and learning and they experience a much fairer , civilised society. Yes, we are talking in general. Burocracy is terrible in Italy and people are really struggling. Unemployment amongst young people is 40%.. however I would not give up hope. There is room to find jobs..but I think you have to think outside the box. I work as a vet and I remember my first night shifts as a new graduate at 30 Euro per night. I remember working week ends in a pizzeria, teaching foreign languages and still not having enough miney to sustain myself. I would encourage people to come and bring your skills, some fresh organised minds and it will all be fine !

Isakat

Great advice.
Every country has its share of problems. If you really want to live and work somewhere better than the UK, try Melbourne in Australia.

morpeth

Very good post ! Italy a great place if one accepts the difficulties, and the benefits worth putting up with such difficulties ! I love many parts of Italy such as Ravenna and Sicily, but have always just accepted many things in Italy just are what they are.

scot47

The ability to be "non-Britsih" is exactly the diffuculty that many face when they move to foreign parts. Blending in is not one of the characteristics i see in those from the Offshore islands.

philat98

There was an Italian sheep farmer on the BBC Radio last week who managed 2000 hectares of land in Glencoe. He had blended in quite well including a Scottish accent. Probably spoke Gaelic too!

hippysunshine

This post is a great read. After briefly being part of other expat forums that have whole heartedly slated living in Italy, it is very refreshing to see people speaking positively of the country and in a very reasonable manner without being rose tinted.

My partner and I (both early 30s) are considering a move (not for a good few years yet) so I'm a newbie here and just looking around for info, advice and inspiration really. Obviously we have a very lovely image and dream of what it would be like, but we know we have to look at things realistically and see the bigger picture.

I'm slightly concerned about the working aspect though. I haven't looked into it as of yet, but it sounds like getting work is going to be tricky. I don't currently speak a great deal of Italian, but I can just about get by. Obviously I will be undertaking some serious language course if we go ahead with the move, but whether or not I will become fluent enough to work is a very big question.

Also, are there parts of Italy where the crime is particularly high that should be avoided? My partner works abroad for around 4 months of every year so I will be living alone for those 4 months (hopefully I will make new friends), but I want somewhere that I feel safe to be alone when he is away.

arjacey

I would avoid those parts of Italy where Inspector Montalbano is living. He just seems to attract it like a magnet

Geordieborn

Ha! I think Italy is like any other country, some places experience a spate of crime and then nothing for years on end. I'm sure there are places to avoid as there is in most countries, but it likely comes down to small local areas. We know of/new a number of woman who live/lived here alone for many a year without problem. It is one of those things you are going to have to consider (as you say) when looking at specific accommodation. If I were you I would be more concerned about the work aspect if you have to work here. A big welcome, by the way

Seldomseenkid

If you don't want to do TEFL and I certainly didn't, then think about tour guiding. You can do this on the long tours or one day tours in the big cities. If you prefer the short tours you need to be near one of the big three cities. Rome provides the most work with Florence and Venice trailing a long way behind.