Petra R

Ciao

I hope I can join you, even though I am not strictly speaking (or "any way speaking") British...

I'm actually German but live in North East Scotland (Aberdeenshire) at the moment. Don't mention the war (WW1 or 2), any World Cups or the dog on Blue Peter (allegedly there was a dog on Blue Peter called Petra many years ago)

As I am planning to move to Italy in September 2013 (having been there exactly once for a grand total of two weeks ) I thought joining this forum would be as good a place to start as any. Well, I am also trying to teach myself Italian (as there don't seem to be any Italians north of Aberdeen) and doing my research.

I have tentatively decided on Vasto (in Southern Italy, about an hour South of Pescara) as a starting point, and will live in a holiday flat at a much reduced (MUCH reduced) rate between September 2013 and May 2014 to decide if I really want to live in Italy for good (or "long term," anyway) - That has the advantage that I can travel light, rather than moving my whole life down. It gives me the chance to "test drive" Italy before deciding whether to make it my next home or not.

It's all very exciting - and a little bit scary, obviously....

I own a dog (Springer Spaniel) and a cat (nutty Birman)

Well, that's me anyway, Nice meeting you all!!!

duffer

German and living in Scotland?! God you must've been a bad girl in a previous life

Petra R

It's better than living in Germany. The Germans and I don't really see eye to eye .... I'm sure I was never meant to be German, Germany just doesn't suit me.

I actually kind of love Scotland, but will have been here for 3 and a half years by the time I am hoping to leg it to Italy, and that's enough. One more dark Scottish winter.....

37100

Hi, Petra.

There isn't much of anything north of Aberdeen! My brother lived there for many years and one of my family still lives there.

Lorna at Vicenza

Hello Petra and welcome to the forum.

If you have any questions about the forum or about Italy, just ask us. We're a friendly bunch and know all about Italy - the good and the bad.

MarkRD

Hi Petra, and welcome to here ... hope we don't put you off coming over to Italy .. you still have time to re-consider haha!


(PS yes I am old enough to to remember the dog on Blue Peter...oh dear)

malcesine99

Hi Petra - Welcome!

Sounds like you don't have anything to loose by coming to Italy short term, holidaying in a place and living there are poles apart as I'm sure you know, and you are right to 'test drive it'. You'll get lots of advice on here, sometimes might not be what you want to hear but always meant with the best intention

Petra R

Anyone who actually remembers that dog on Blue Peter is showing their age....

Thanks for the warm welcome!!

I am of course well aware that being on holiday somewhere, and actually living there is 2 totally different things.

Having said that: I have been been back and forth between Germany and the UK, first London (then Germany again) then Berkshire, (then Germany again) then Devon (then Germany again) and now finally Aberdeenshire. I've spent time in the US both for work and privately, and am generally pretty well travelled.

The whole "Italy thing" is also not just "some mad idea" (well, it probably IS but ...) - There is method in my madness.

You see, The man I am involved with ("Boyfriend" sounds so ridiculous once you hit 40) is Italian. He lives in Germany. Now there is NO way I will consider living in Germany again (it's full of Germans) and there is no way he could possibly be happy here. It's cold, the winters are long and dark and damp, and there are no Italians within a 30 mile radius. Oh, and he doesn't speak English. Minor factor in the overall scheme of things.

So we have a bit of a problem, right?

I can make a living in Italy. Not be "rich" but make a living and I have some business ideas that could very easily work very well. I am not stuck on being in Scotland. I like it here, and like it better than Germany, but...

So I am going to give this Italy lark a damn good try FOR MYSELF. It won't hurt my relationship - We are 1100 miles away from each other now. So if anything we'll be closer. And it could be somewhere we could BOTH be happy. He is a different man down there to the one I met in Germany. He hates Germany, and is just staying there because of family and because he could never quite gather the "oomph" to up sticks and move back to Italy.

Does that make any sense?

So the short term plan is to try on Italy for myself. The long term plan, if my little trial run works out, would be to be in Italy together.

Twinkle Canelli

Hi Petra and welcome

I think your plan sounds an excellent one. It's a shame really that you are going so far south as (although the winters are bitter here up north) there are lots of Germans here that drive down for weekends (but maybe that's the reason why you are choosing the south!!) Good luck with your plans, and I hope we don't put you off as we seem to do a lot of moaning!!!!

Pecora Nera

Hi Petra and welcome,

We don't moan on here, nooooo not at all, well maybe about the driving, postal service, customer service, no where to buy bacon but apart from that we don't moan. Much

Engliano

Hi Petra.

Welcome aboard !

Ich habe in Deutchland gewohnt fur zehn jarhe, und tolle platz, i lived an der weinstrasse ! Rheinland Pfalz ! nice to have someone i can practice my German with, i havent spoken or written german in ages !

Patty

Hi Petra and welcome to the forum

Petra R

I think I am going to like it here

If I wanted to be around Germans I'd have stayed in Deutschland ... I didn't so much "choose" the South, it has kind of chosen me, and it's where my What-ever-we-shall-call-him is originally from.

He took me to Italy for two weeks in June and when I got out of the airport in Bari I just had this weird feeling of "being at home" - Once you get to know me a bit you'll find out that I'm not the sentimental fluffy-bunny soppy type. So that was "big" for me.

The feeling never left me until we flew back. Most peculiar, really....

I think I have got a pretty realistic idea of what awaits me. I appreciate that the Italiam Buerocracy, paired with a somewhat lax attititude towards efficiency, will be infuriating at times. I know "they" don't universally embrace foreigners (but then, neither do the Scots, especially not those with an English accent) and things are "different" down there. But I can "do" different, you see? I actually rather like it. I've done the "pack and leve the country and start from scratch" thing more than once, I can think on my feet, I am adaptable and open and not scared of new things.

The biggest problem at this stage is the wretched language, but that'll come, too.

Engliano, we can practice German - no problem - Danke für das warme Willkommen!!

modicasa

Hi Petra, seems to me that you know pretty much what you're doing, and have a good plan. I have quite a lot of Scottish clients here in Sicily, who come here to winter, as indeed do my German clients - and it makes a lot of sense if you hate rubbish weather. Of course until you d your first tax return and get your first tax bill you won't know the real 'horror' of Italy - but on balance......

MarkRD

We use the term "OH" (other half) a lot on here!

Ich spreche auch Deutsch . .but your English is excellent, probably better than mine after 25+ years living over here...

By the way if you're looking for work your German might come in handy .. it's always helped me find a job as, oddly, Germany is one of Italy's biggest business partners but hardly anyone speaks "doitsch" ..in fact they tend to have a deep-rooted aversion to it...