Hello, just been reading through a few threads and thought I'd sign up and make myself known before wading into other threads

I'm a longterm expat, originally from Surrey.
Been here more years than I care to mention in a first post , and have lived in various parts of Italy during that time.
Married to an Italian since, ooh ages ago

Bit of a love/hate thing (still) going on as far as living in Italy is concerned, par for the course really, and even though I have no close family left in the UK, I get cabin fever if I don't get back there for a week or so on a regular basis...

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Funny you should mention the love/hate thing. We had a thread about that ages ago.

Have a read of it here if you like.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...t=relationship

Hi and welcome. I too, have been here longer than I care to mention as have a few others. I also still need a U.K fix once in a while. We've had a few problems lately and we haven't been able to go for several months and it looks like being several more before we can go. Mum came xmas, but she may not be able to manage it again. Where are you from?
Moved home several times here in Northern Italy until hubby retired. He was a 'precoce' so he was able to retire early. Years ago we used to go down to San Felice Circeo every yr.

37100 - are you still trying to fly into Manchester? One of the reasons I don't go back to see the relly's (I've been for a 21st and an 80th, all pretty much when we first moved here - not counting trips to London!!) is it isn't easy to get up north from Italy. I could fly into Gatwick and then hire a car or get the train but one is the extra cost and two the hassle. Having said that I do hire a car when I have been up there but do I want to drive for several hours via Birmingham to get there!! They've been here a couple of times, no more, so it's a hassle all round! I think if I didn't have Antonia in school here (so no hols to speak of) and Alex was happy to go up there in his hols, which he isn't, I'd go more often!! My sister wanted me to visit after Christmas, but the best flights were out of Milan!! Not doing that on my own with a case and Antonia!! Then when the good flights do come in it's summer - which comes with all its own challenges!!

In my dreams. Hubby only just on the mend and my MIL needs an op so I can't go even though mum has been very ill. Nothing life threatening, but at her age it's always a possibility. She needs another op so might have to go. At the moment she is trying to get transfered back to a hospital in Manchester. That Malpensa flight is really the only direct flight, but I might as well pay a bit more and fly Lufthansa changing in Germany as Malpensa is 2hrs away. It's that or Ryanair Bergamo to Liverpool. We get a pre-booked taxi from Liverpool. It's £70 return. The news promised some low cost flights to the north of uk from Verona next year, but who knows. I could stay with family in the south, but I don't like to. Xmas mum went down to London by train, stayed over (managed to get a very good offer at an airport hotel). She didn't book a stay over on the way back, but even though she was caught up in the snow, they just manage to get a train to the north because everything was running late.

You could try Jet2.

They fly from Venice to Manchester.

jet2 is seasonally so not an option in winter and the times are worse than Ryanair. Also, unless you manage to get a €2 flight they are dear. I tried booking one, but by the time I got to the end the flight was no longer available.

Yeah I know. They only run from April to October. Not sure what we'll do at Xmas now that easyjet is no longer an option.

What happened to Blackpool expanding its airport?? I guess that just never happened...!

That was only ever going to happen if Blackpool got the casino. It didn't and Ryanair closed it's Blackpool London flight straight away. Would be handy because it's only a few stops on the bus. They still sell themselves as Blackpool International.

Aww! Not sure if that is cute or just pathetic!! Can't believe they stopped the casino!! I'd forgotten that.

My mum and dad fly Malpensa to Manchester with FlyBe. Prices are okay if you plan ahead and are flexible. I know Milan is a long long way from Florence.

We usually fly BA or Easyjet to Gatwick, Stanstead or Liverpool (from Naples) - but then its a hassle to get to Hull. Coming back is even worse if we don't get a lift off someone, as the trains don't get us there early enough to get the flights so we'd have to stay over night in London or Liverpool!

The trains have gone up too. Only takes 1hr 45mins now but last time for 4 of us it cost 182 one way. We could've got a family ticket, but only by queuing up for the ticket office, the machine in Milan wasn't selling them. Tbh, the main reason not to go through Milan is the train station. If there was somewhere to sit and have a coffee rather than one dreadful cafe it would help. Plus the concourse has about 40 seats for the whole of that enormous station. I know there is a waiting room but it is downstairs and not exactly convenient, it is the worst train station here I've been to and I've been to a few!!

Thank you

I just read it but it appears to have been locked so I'll add my loves and hates here

Love

Being a short drive from Rome and not so far from Florence either.
Knowing the weather will remain nice once the Summer kicks in.
Our beach, which is part of the Parco Nazionale del Circeo, and not full of deckchairs/Lidos etc.
The choice and price of shoes and handbags at the weekly market here
Proper pizza and not that pseudo pizza you get in the UK.
The fact that there aren't drunken teens reeling about with their knickers on show on a Saturday Night.
Pastiera Napoletana, Cannoli Siciliani and Strufoli
Telegiornales - so much better than English ones.

Hates

Jobsworths in council offices
The postage fees, depending on size of envelope
People cutting me up when I am on my bike
The way so many Italians won't try food which is not familiar to them.
The way they seek out tortellini etc whilst abroad!
The way they keep their own homes spotless (too spotless for my taste) but don't give a toss about civic pride.
The obsession with not being sat in a draught (even when it's 80° in the shade) and the donning of cardigans at first whiff of a breeze.
Fur coats
Dressing up smart just to collect the kids from school.
Saying 'Permesso' when they are about to enter your home. Just walk in!
Obligatory double air kisses, especially at large family gatherings where everyone has to kiss everyone else. ARGH.
Sitting babies and toddlers on laps in front seat of car.
Shop assistants who don't acknowledge you apart from taking the money (the total for which you have read on the till as she didn't tell you), and never saying please or thank you during the transaction.
My SiL making us stand and pray out loud whilst holding hands in 13 of us round the table at Easter before she'll feed us I haven't been down for the last three Easters. I have nothing against praying but not when it's forced on me.
My SiL, when her daughters were young, bringing her own pasta and chicken cutlets for them, in case I fed them 'furren'. To cook in my kitchen. On Christmas Day

OOps, I seem to have more Hates than Loves