SPECIALEK

Hi
I am brand new to this site and unfortunately don't live in Palermo. However I would dearly love to. I'm half Sicilian half english and have family in both Palermo and Ciminna, my husband is a teacher and I look after our three daughters. Any advice on realising our dream would be very gratefully received. We have no idea where to start! are there any International schools in the area for John to work in? Would we be able to find a place to live for a reasonable price, and are the schools for the girls easy to get into? Loads of questions I'm afraid, but I can't believe I've found a forum with people living in Palermo it's FANTASTIC WOOOOOWWWW you are all sooooooooooo lucky I am desperately missing the place as we haven't visited since last August and I've just had to miss my cousins wedding yesterday in Palermo as my eldest daughter was starting secondary school last week, anyway moan over, but I'd love to hear more from anyone living in or around Palermo

Linda78

Hi,
Thanks for your message. It is hard when your family or part of it lives in a different country and leads a life that is completely separated from yours.
I know how you feel.
I understand all of your points. I don't know if you ever lived down here. As you probably know, coming here for a couple of days is totally different than LIVING and working here permanently.
Possibilities here are much more limited than those you could have there in the UK (I'm thinking about your kids), but I also know that money can't buy happiness. So, if you really feel you want to take a chance, a good tip I can give you is DON'T come here if you still don't have a job. Salaries stay the same, while prices increase over and over (even if that happens anywhere nowadays!). At least, you could save on heating here!

It was nice to write you and I'm looking forward to hearing back from you soon.

Ciao
Linda

SPECIALEK

Hi Linda
Thanks for replying so promptly, I honestly hadn't thought about opportunities for the future.....all my cousins seem to call themselves Lawyers, but none of them seem to actually DO anything!!! is that normal???
I've often thought our ideal situation would be to have a modest holiday home over ther to start with, with a view to moving permenantly when the kids have finished their education and could decide for themselves where they'd prefer to be. I've absolutely no idea how to go about finding a house though, or whether you can mortgage in Italy. I know I should be able to ask my Dad etc. but I just get a load of earache about how impractical an idea it is. Anyway, maybe if I have route around this site I may glean some useful tit its.
Thanks again, and I'd love to chat again soon

SPECIALEK

sorry for being illiterate...I meant root around the site, and tit bits!!!!! the b on my keyboard is a bit sticky......

Linda78

I'm sure all your cousins do is spend the money that their parents and grandparents have been saving for a lifetime! It's hard to work as a lawyer in a small country, you really can't get a "real" career.

Anyway, your project to start getting a small holiday house here seems really feasible. What part of Sicily would you like to get one?
This website can be useful: www.subito.it

Linda

SPECIALEK

How right you are about them living off their parents, uncles, grandparents etc....my Zio Peppino is a well respected lawyer in Palermo, he's in his 70's now, however they all seem to have leached off him all their lives, they're all treated like children even though they're now in their thirties. Not one of them has had to buy a property, all have inherited or been given apartments!!!!
We usually holiday around Trabia, although have tried Balestrate and Alcamo Marina, our family country home is in the mountains above Baucina and Ciminna, we also luuurrve the village of Ventimiglia however feel it may be a little limited for the kids, at least Ciminna has the odd Pizza place and Gelateria.
Thanks for the website by the way, that looks really interesting.
Ciao
Kirstie

lulululu

Hello Linda,

I went scuba diving in Ustica in Sept. After the dives, i stayed in Palermo for a few days. I fell in love with this city, the food and the people there. I wish that I can work and live in this beautiful city one day. I admire you so much. You are a very nice girl!

Regards,
Betty

Linda78

Hi Betty,

Thank you very much. I'm happy to hear you had a good time down here. Really hope you will come back soon. Should you need anything, just let me know.

Ciao
Linda

lulululu

Hello Linda,

You are very very kind. It is in the back of my mind that I will go back to Palermo one day. I fell in love with a sicilian man in Palermo. The degree of difficulty to maintain this relationship is 10 from a scale of 1-10. The long distance and language barrier is making it very difficult. There are a lot of things that I need to figure out first. I do not know much about Palermo and even the dude whom I fell in love with. You are like the light in the tunnel. You have no idea how much the goodness in you has touched a complete stranger from thousand miles away. Thank you so much.

ciao,
Betty

Linda78

Hey Betty,

Wow, that impressed me very much! I would really like to know more about that as, from your words, I can understand the feelings at stake are pretty high.

Linda

patricia218

Hi or Ciao Linda, have been reading the forums and hope we can talk..or you can help me with my dilema. I am coming to Palermo in February..hopefully the 10th and want to rent a small studio/apartment/room for about 350 for a month. I want to then travel to Calabria and then up to Naples. This is the outline plan but I really dont want to be "tied". I have 3 months to travel/explore south Italy and am apprehensive as I would like to get my lodgings for the first month sorted. Can you help please ...kind regard.. Patricia

lulululu

you take care Linda. if i ever come visit in palermo, i will definitely look you up.

you have a very good 2009.

ciao ciao,
betty

lulululu

hello Linda, hope you had an awesome christimas and new year. i wish you with lots of happiness, peace and good health in the new year. my sicilian bf does not talk to me anymore. he is demanding that i have to move to palermo in this mth permanently in this mth. i just cant make a life decision after spending 8 days with him. he is very upset and didnt talk to me anymore. i think that we do not think on the same page. well, things will all be good.

enterprise1999

Greetings from Via constantino Lascaris............

lulululu

is that a greeting for me? if yes, hello back and happy new year