haha! it's hardly a question of preference anymore! I don't care about the wine either . .the weather is probably better, although that said, it's been p*+ing down all morning and it's too cold for the time of year ..

But yes it's swings and roundabouts .. if anything though I think it's probably a lot easier than it was say 20 years ago. I wouldn't necessarily "recommend" living here, but of course I'd always help anyone anyway I could.

However I do believe that from a "welfare" point of view you're better off in the UK. But again, there are hundreds of immigrants who have been flooding in over the past few years and they seem to be doing OK.

It's complicated....

I'm not a wine typa girl, so the wine wouldn't both me unfortunately

Ah right, it does sound complicated however I do understand where your coming from. I also know what you mean about the welfare system, the UK is suppost to have the best one really. However as I hope to go back to work within the next few months, I doubt welfare will be an issue all I want is nicer weather and a more relaxed pace of life, if Italy can give me that I'll be a happy girl! I don't want my daughter to grow up in England, it feels like it's getting worse over here :/ I bet it's warmer there than it is here though, it's been raining lots here too and it looks soooo dark in the day! Not good lol.

If you are looking for a better weather, have you thought of moving to Australia? At least the language is English, there is welfare if you need it and possibly a lot more opportunity than Italy.
I fell in love with Australia when we visited and would go and live there tomorrow, but OH does not want to be far away from family........

I was quite surprised a few days ago when I heard that a couple I know are selling up and going back to the UK. They have lived here many many years, and said the reason they are going back is 'Italy is not a country for old people'.
I am sure they would miss the sunshine, their villa, their olive grove and veg garden, holidays, but there are also good things about the UK as well.

A long time friend of mine has also said that although she prefers it here, she will have to return to the UK eventually. With no husband or children she feels that it would be difficult to manage on her own.

This will be us too when the kids go to Uni in the UK( well, I hope they will)
When we are old we do not need the headache of keeping a large house and garden with a huge cost of living just so that we can enjoy the food and sunshine here. Jobwise, the kids are better off there than here.

Good luck with that .. £9,000 quid each / per year plus living costs ...

Mark, you would not want to know what I am paying now for int. school for 2 kids! In comparison, the uni fees are much cheaper and the bulk is covered by OH's job.
If not, I will join the beggars on the street.

hmm...that was kinda my plan too. Keep the flat in Turin, buy a house in the UK, send the kids to Uni there..............yeah! Right, no! Son n° 1dislikes the UK a lot. And wanted to study law, better still, church law. Son n°2, had a girlfriend..... need I say more.

We also went through all the UCAS thing but at the end of the day I don't think we will be able to afford it and anyway it's a big jump for a kid .. as much as they may love the UK, London, be fluent etc.
Plus I don't think Ital. school prepares them for UK uni .. mine's certainly not used to writing essays even in Italian. They also ask for a decent grade in CAE which is actually quite tough.

For now, both kids like living in the UK and I am aware of the fact that they might meet boyfriend/girlfriend here. All I can do is instill into them that education is important and if they meet someone, well there are no borders, they can both go and live in the UK and if they decide to come back, then it is up to them.
I know 2 families who have been living here a long time. Both parents are UK citizens and both families had 3 kids each. All 6 children, now grownups went to study in the UK and none returned. One works in Ireland, one in the Middle East and the rest are London based. They love coming to visit, Italy is where they grew up and all went to int. schools here but they know that they would never find the jobs they have in the UK here.

Just out of interest, studying church law here would mean he would become a Catholic priest?

Neither of mine want to go back to the UK , th eeldest is not university material and wouldn't manage away from home . The yougnest has said tearfully that she would go and live with Granny and Grandpa only if I died or went to prison .....

. .what's that thing about touching one's balls...metaphorically!

I also know another English guy here whose both kids went to UK uni and have stayed there and have done very well too. Mine's just not ready .. even hearing all the doom and gloom about the future in Italy, plus parents saying it's a great opportunity etc... it's not enough to convince a 19 year old, who has the potential.
You can't force kids to make "choices".. my parents never did.

For Mark, 37000 and hadenoughpizza-I wonder if your husbands/wifes are Italian?
Maybe our kids do not have that bond with Italy because none of us is Italian? They always say that they are proud to be British and that one day they will return to their homeland-not that they hate it here, of course.

You can not force kids to make choices, absolutely agree, but as a parent I will coach them and give them all our support so that they can achieve higher education. So far academically they are doing really well and I will encourage this.
However, if at 19 my daughter came to me and said she was not ready for uni, then I would respect her choice as well.


Anyway, we have started debating kids and education and hijacked Amy's thread about moving to Italy, maybe we should post in the school thread?

I think it's relevant here that both parents are UK-ers.

Just saw that second post .... yes my OH is Italian, although she was perhaps keener than I was to send youngster to UK uni! But I think it's an influence apart from the academic issue. .....especially (sticks neck out) with the mother being native.....