Oliva Nova

My husband and I currently have a holiday home in Spain but the downside is that we hardly see my cousins in Venice. We therefore want to sell up in Spain and buy in Italy. Problem is that we will miss the Spanish weather. Grateful for advice on where we should look for our holiday/retirement home. We would like somewhere in Northern Italy with mild winters. We also want to be near the coast, somewhere with a sea view and ideally near a town or village where we can sit outside a bar and watch the world go by.

Oliva Nova

harrisons

Hi Oliva,
We used to live just north of Milan near lake Como for 3 years and I am sorry to say but we generally found the weather in winter pretty cold. We have now moved to Umbria just near Perugia and the winters are not as cold however we did get snow 2 years ago so don't expect it to be too warm here unless you go further south.

regards
Helen

Oliva Nova

Thanks Helen, its nice to hear from you. We have just returned from Lake Garda - our plan is to do Italy bit by bit!! Last year we stayed in Liguria and Tuscany but did not have time to visit Umbria. I do wish we were still in Italy. I miss the food particularly. I find it surprising that no other country has tried to produce ham - both cooked and raw - the way the Italians do. I am counting the days for our next trip.

Regards,

Maria

harrisons

Hi Maria,
Umbria is a great place to visit, so different from Tuscany and to me a bit more rural and uncultivated. You also don't tend to get quite the large amount of visitors that there are in Tuscany. We have three luxury apartment for rent, they have wonderful views across the valley and are close to Perugia (20 mins) whilst still being in the rural hillside. If you would like to stay with us, PM me for details.
Best regards
Helen

Edited out advertising, not allowed. jdr

Oliva Nova

Helen I am very tempted but our next trip to Italy will be next year and my husband and I have not decided when or for how long. As you know, we have a place in Spain and our next trip will be to our place in Spain. Also, my husband and I would ideally like to buy somewhere with a sea view so a stay with you will probably be aimed at visiting Le Marche.

Maria

MusicMan

Having spent the Christmas and New Year in Tuscany I can say that winters can be harsh in Italy. We had snow for quite a while. The nature of the climate means that there are seasons and even in the summer near Firenze there are thunderstorms. The weather is Spain is renowned for the consistency of the weather throughout the year, something that is not the case in Italy. I cannot speak for the south but you might consider neareer Sicily?

Oliva Nova

Thanks Musicman, although I like the idea of moving south, my Mother who was born in Venice and lives with us is of a generation that would not dream of stepping foot into Southern Italy.

MusicMan

I can fully understand that point of view!