beany71

Hi there,

I am Debs currently living in the Cefalu area and today the sun is shining and warm.
I am English but with Italian origins so I have eventually after travelling in Italy for 5 years come to settle with my man in Sicily!!!!
I know Cefalu and Sicily well so I am happy to live with the slow mentality of the south.
It seems a big jump from S Africa to Italy? are you sure you really want to do it? I would love always to make new friends and if I can help you at all it will be my pleasure as lots of people here have helped me.

Your right the south is so different to the north and setting up in business is not easy, but with your citizenship it should be easier for you.
The thing is I have just set a company up with my partner and friend and we ended up registering the company in the UK as its so diffiucult here, which is frustrating as I want to help the economy on this Island I love so much!!! there it is though stuck between a rock and a hard place.:curse:
What sort of thing are you planning on doing here? It still remains very seasonal in Cefalu and the summer runs from may to october so if its with tourists your work you need to consider this.

Are you planning on coming to Cefalu?

If you give me some questions I will endeavour to help you as best I can.

Take care and have fun.

Debs

patrizia

Hi Debs!

Thanks for replying! Unfortunately leaving South Africa is becoming almost an imperative. Things here are not looking great for the future, and we think another Zimbabwe is going to happen. I hope it's not true, but at my age of 48 I'm not going to risk it. I also have parents of 80 and 82 who I have to think about as well.

To make the transition easier, I decided I'd rather move to Sicily because I've spent so much time there with my cuz (she lives in Finale, 15kms from Cefalu`), they own the Hotel Appollonia. If you go past, pop in and give her a hug from me her name is Lorella. Also, the weather there is so much easier to deal with than in the north, at the moment I live in Durban which is almost tropical. Snow and ice just don't work for us!! And of course, we need to be near the sea! (I do LOTS of scuba-diving)

At the moment I teach English privately to foreign expats living in SA and am studying for a BA in Linguistics. I was hoping to teach English in Sicily, either by opening my own private school or getting a language teaching job in the schools (I speak 4 languages and am currently studying a 5th). I'm aware of the seasonal thing in the area, but that shouldn't affect what I want to do.

Yes, I would like to come over soon, to check out property prices etc. so that I'm better informed with regards to buying a house and cost of living. I haven't been there for about 5-6 years (I used to come every year) and really miss it.

Thanks for your offer of help, although I have family there and have total faith in them, I also need to speak to a non-native who won't have as much of a biased opinion as they obviously do! I'm interested in hearing how you can work in Italy with a British-registered company as opposed to a local one? Were your problems registering locally because you're not Italian citizens?

Thanks again for your reply.
Patrizia

beany71

Hello again,

Finale heh that just 10 km from me near Pollina if I go I will pop in and say hi!!

The problem for us was the residency that we are waiting for and not having a permenant place to live at the moment we are renting but the house is not registered I think so makes it difficult for us

Anyhow we have registered the company in uk as this is quite easy with goverment there, but it frustrates me as I dont want to pay taxes there cause I live here.
Its all running well but its just frustrating for me as I love this Island but the red often who you know tape is maddening!!

All the same I have a lot of sicilian friends and am now looking forward to the summer weather.
Know what you meen about the sunshine in the north!!!!

Take care
Debs x

SoulWorker

Hi all - I'm 2 weeks new here and was pleased to find this community and posts. After almost 2 years living in the North (Tuscany) on my own, I'm now living in Agrigento with my partner. I absolutely love Sicily and Agrigento, but I sure would love to meet with any English speakers out there!

I've also started a business, but for now am running it from abroad until I can get organized (is that an oxymoron here?) with the local tourism board, et al. To be fair, the local tourism board has been very receptive and gracious thus far and I can't ever say enough about how warm and wonderful the community is.

Looking forward to meeting and chatting more.

P.S. I'm American - not British, but please don't hold that against me!

beany71

Hi there soul mate,
Good to hear you have great things to say about lovely Sicily ( isnt it fab!!)

I too have started a company with my partner in the Cefalu region and its goin well so far.... always great to make new friends here and we are not to far away, even if you are american lol
My partner was originally a civil engineer so its been a complete change of life for him!!! Me I have been in tourism for quite some time so its not news that others should be doing it.

We are coming to Agri on Friday as my man has yet to see the Valle d Templi so hopefully the sun will shine......

If you ever want a good ole chin wag with a crazy english couple then look no further!!!! these lot no me be now I think and its no suprise I am mad as a march hare

Anyway jsut off to sink a glass of wine

Take care and hear you soon

Ciao e tanti saluti

SoulWorker

Ciao Debs!

Thanks for your reply. I'd love a good chin wag right about now. The Valley of the Temples is fantastic. I think the weather is supposed to be nice and sunny here on Friday as well. My partner is a guide for the Valley of the Temples - an excellent one with fantastic English skills and endless charm. I may be biased though. Let me know if I can help arrange a tour. It's different than walking around on your own.

It would be great to meet you for lunch or a drink if you are in town on Friday. Let me know.

Cheers & Ciaos,

Tracey

beany71

hello there,

Sounds like a great guide Cheers for offer of tour but we will have a wander round as I used to be a guide me self so I think we wil be ok

lunch sounds good though with a nice glass of vino.....do you want to meet in town or by the sea ? do you have mobile no ? I can then send you mine! Send me a private message with it if you like then we can speak or sms.
Dont post it directly here as everyone will have the pleasure of your cell no

It will take us around 2 hours to reach the temples and then we are going to Sciacca in the afternoon.

Ok Tracy we will maybe see you tomo then for lunch, have a good day the sun is shining here

Saluti

Debs xx

SoulWorker

Ciao Debs,

Ok, I'll send you a private message. Which will seem very obvious when you get it, but I had to post 3 times before I could send a private messae. This was number 3

beany71

Hey got the message cheers have sent my number.

Speak in the morning then.

Have a good evening

Debs xx

compie1

Hi,
We are a Belgian family looking at Sicily to come and live/work, we have 2 kids (10 & 13) we both speak/write 5 languages, you said there are poss. if you have marketing skills, can you PM me with more information?

foxstar

Hi,

I am the editor of a website for people who want to retire abroad, called Retire to the Sun. I'm on a research trip to Sicily from this Weds 2/4/08 until Friday and wondered if anyone would like to tell me about their expat experiences on the island in exchange for a free lunch/dinner? It doesn't have to be retirement-based, but just about relocating to Sicily in general. Please contact me through this site and I might see you this week.

Thanks,

Dan

beany71

Hello there,

I am Debs and I have transplanted myself along with my partner to Sicily.

Although I had worked here part the year for 5 years I had wanted to set up permenantly and get my residency ,house ,business etc...... I love this Island its so full of contradictions and contrasting places and people.

Its not always going according to plan, but then what does....... I have a partner from England who was an engineer (civil) and he finds it hard sometimes to learn the language and get on with sicily as a home, but overall the good far out ways the bad and only yesterday we were in San Vito Lo Capo near Trapani and the wildness of the area took my breath away.

Hope this helps

Anymore info let me know.

Regards

Debs

foxstar

Hi Debs,

Thanks for the info. Would you (and your partner if he's interested) like to meet up to have a chat about it? Unfortunately I can't send you a personal message until I have three posts or something, but I'm sure we can work out a way to arrange a time.

No pressure - let me know what you think.

Dan

beany71

That sounds good, always happy to pass on info.

I am based in Cefalu, where are you staying in Sicily? Flying into airport?

Will be happy to go for a bite I know some good spots in the area.

Let me know.

Debs

foxstar

Hi Debs,

Great news! I will be based in Catania from early evening tomorrow, but I've got a car and will be travelling around to see as much of the island as possible, so Cefalu is no problem.

What's the best way to arrange a place and time?

Thanks,

Dan