Visiting Bagno San Filippo, Bagno Vignoni, Monte Amiata

If you have limited time and can only go to Valdorcia, please take the time for a full day trip to see Bagno San Filippo, Bagno Vignoni, and Monte Amiata.

Sorry, this time no pictures. I will make sure to get some next time. However you can (we did) go to Monte Amiata in the morning, climb by foot all the way to the top called "La Vetta" to the gigantic black iron cross and then make your way down to the grassy area where you can take in some sun and eat at a fantastic trattoria called "Vetta".  There are three restaurants but I highly recommend this one.  It is the one at the bottom of the hill. Make sure you order the pici pasta (home made), vitello and porcini mushrooms. Top it off with homemade crostata pie and an espresso. Ah don't forget the house wine. All for a delicious very affordable price.

Next drive down to Bagni San Filippo, natural sulfur thermal pools. You will need a bathing suit, towels, and beach shoes. You can only bathe in the first or last pools (the first is cold but the last is the warmest). This is worth the trip.

After San Filippo, you must go to Bagno Vignoni. This is such a cute town and has original Roman baths (you cannot bathe here but can dip your feet in!). The town is full of small, quaint boutiques and to-die-for trattorias. The center is the original Roman pool and definitely worth the visit.

Have fun and yes, next time pictures!!

Living Italy: Some of Many Differences Between Los Angeles & Tus...

Living Italy: Some of Many Differences Between Los Angeles & Tus...: "I try to go 'home' to the USA every Summer and every time I do I notice things that I never noticed while actually living in Los Angeles. Th..."

Some of Many Differences Between Los Angeles & Tuscany!

I try to go "home" to the USA every Summer and every time I do I notice things that I never noticed while actually living in Los Angeles. There really are so many differences in cultures (Italian & American). Here are some things that are so different and that I now notice:

-people in LA are very private and it is really rare to see people at all in the neighborhood. Sometimes I think where are the people? You hardly ever see people talking to their neighbors or just hanging out in their front lawns. People are really to themselves and like it that way it seems. I only knew a handful of my neighbors in LA even though I had been living in the same house for 20 years. The others come and go and you smile and say hi if you see someone but that is about it. If you are lucky, they will smile back.  I notice now signs in front lawns like "keep away", "no door solicitors", "dog on duty", "keep away".  I even see darkened fabric covering gates to be more private and tall hedge between houses, all for the sake of privacy. In small Tuscan towns in Italy, neighbors are neighbors. You know your neighbors' names, their childrens' names, their activities and whether you like it or not, they know pretty much everything about you too!

-people in LA have become more stressed and easily irritated. If you remain half a second more at a red light, you are quickly honked at or given the finger. If your children raise their voices, you are stared down at. If you take extra time to ask a question at a store, the people behind you make it obvious they don't want to wait. Everything is just more laid back in Italy and especially so in the smaller towns. In fact you would not even think of honking at someone unless there was the threat of some real danger.

-people in LA eat in their cars! You would never see anyone in Italy eating in their cars. Food and meals are just too sacred.

-people in LA love to walk around with their cups of coffee. This may seem totally normal to an American but it is considered very strange to an Italian. An Italian would ask, "why can't he just finish his coffee before getting into his car?" You would never see an Italian walking away from an Italian caffe' with his coffee. Goodness sakes an Italian's espresso has to be served in ceramic or glass espresso cups and slowly enjoyed at the bar.

-parking in LA has become so complicated. If you don't have a credit card or buckets of quarters readily available, be prepared to keep roaming. In Italy, I have learned the art of parking!

ARE YOU REAPING THE BENEFITS OF YOUR EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL??

With so much talk about olive oil these days and the discovery that what is being sold in the stores as quality olive oil, is not really at all.

In the past, I used olive oil as just another ingredient, a way of adding flavor to my meals. I had no idea the beneficial properties extra virgin olive oil can have.  Since the majority of us use olive oil daily, why then should we miss the opportunity to do something that is going to make us healthier? Quality extra virgin olive oil has antioxidants.

An extra virgin olive oil is "quality" if it has been produced in a certain way, has been stored in a certain way, and bottled in a certain way and if it has not been exposed to light or heat.  The more exposure it has, the more it loses its beneficial qualities and flavor. The more robust the flavor, the greater the antioxidant properties.

If an EVOO is using olives from different areas in Italy for instance, chances are the processing time is longer. The best EVOO is milled the same day as olives are picked. Timing is everything.

I most recently saw a very famous gourmet retailer selling an EVOO that is not high quality. I know this because I saw the small print on the bottle, that although the name of the oil is called a name of a famous Tuscan region, in small print it says the olives do not come from that region!

Quality EVOO is expensive. Quality EVOO is from the latest harvest (in this case from Harvest 2010). Any old Harvest is not quality. The newer the oil, the better it is.

Cesenatico Beach - Where the Italians Go

I would definitely recommend Cesenatico Beach to anyone who wants to enjoy a very quaint little Italian town on the seaside. Cesenatico is in the region of Emilia Romagna and province of Forli' Cesena.

Why Cesenatico? Because it has two very different parts to it. One is the beachside which is modern and very accomodating to visitors. They have gone to great lengths to make sure visitors have everything they need and beyond. It has all the comforts. The beach is mostly private in the sense you have to pay to rent chairs, umbrella etc but we found it to be very affordable considering the vip treatment. It is lively but not chaotic. Very nice. The sea is not the cleanest in Italy and there are definitely beaches that have more pristine waters.

The second part of Cesenatico is the old colorful town near the port called port canale where all the beautiful restored boats are on display. Although Cesenatico is small and rustic, it still offers so many wonderful trattorias, boutiques, cafe's, gelatteria's.  The old town which has been completely restored and boasts avenues of pastel colored buildings and a museum port with old restored boats is fantastic. In fact, we stayed at a boutique hotel right alongside the port called  "Casa12" (http://www.casa12.com/). A very charming b&b that makes you feel like you are sleeping in an art deco museum.

 

ITALIANS & FOOD: A BIRTHRIGHT

Even after all these years of living in Italy, I still am awestruck when I think of the relationship Italians have with food. We spent the weekend at the beach in Cesenatico, a lovely place that I highly recommend to anyone who wants to spend some time at the beach in the Romagna area. Italians love to eat. It is their birthright to not only eat, but to eat well.

I am always amazed how everything comes to a standstill between 1 and 3 pm. I noticed that all the people and children who were in the water were suddenly gone. The beach chairs empty.  Basically what was alive and jumping suddenly turned into a seaside ghost town. I asked my husband if the people came out of the water because the water is too cold. He said "no, they left but now are over there" as he pointed towards the bar / restaurant. What I saw was crowds of people pushing their way to order no, not a sandwich but a full on sit down seafood meal with all the works: wine, bread, olive oil, etc. I was amazed. "You mean they are going to eat all that food and then go back to the beach??" I asked. And sure enough they did right after their espresso.

So what did we do? Well when in Rome..... We helped ourselves to an amazing sit down lunch and washed it down with the owners own homemade wine he offered us to welcome "i nuovi toscani" to their beachside. Then an espresso and back to the beach. Not bad, not bad at all.

OLIVE OIL HARVEST NOVEMBER

My neighbors make have their own olive groves and make their own olive oil. I realized quickly why some olive oils are so expensive. It takes days and days to hand pick each olive, making sure it never touches the ground. There are large nets used to catch the olives. The weather has to be just right and the olive has to be ready for picking. Not too early and not too late. Here are some fotos I snapped from my kitchen window. Next year I will be lending a hand....

How To Select The Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil

With a plethora of extra virgin olive oils available nowadays both at your local grocery store and online, there is no wonder that there is a lot of confusion when choosing the best olive oil to purchase. Surely price is one factor in deciding which olive oil to purchase. But  there are many many more factors that should lead you to making the right purchase.

Let me take a step back to explain what I have learned about the health benefits of using quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). According to the Olive Oil Source http://www.oliveoilsource.com/, " Well-documented by numerous studies around the world, the many health benefits of olive oil make it one of the most indispensable ingredients of a healthy diet. Naturally packed with monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants, not only can a good extra virgin olive oil lower your risk of heart disease and cancer, research has shown that it also provides a wide range of anti-inflammatory benefits that can positively impact illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and asthma. Even the FDA suggests that replacing just two tablespoons of saturated fat with extra virgin olive oil in your daily diet can have measurable positive effects."

Quality EVOO is good for you because it reduces bad cholesterol levels and raises good cholesterol levels.  Quality EVOO "provides a high content of antioxidants, like polyphenols, vitamins E & K, chlorophyll and carotenoids. Antioxidants are key to strengthening the immune system and protecting the body from the damaging effects of free-radical molecules."  Furthermore it contains anti inflammatory agents.

EVOO is the purest of all the olive oils, is made without the use of chemicals or excessive heat and meets some organoleptic standards. It offers a minimum guarantee of quality. But not all EVOO are equal.  The less processing is involved in making olive oil, the greater the health benefits and the better the EVOO. The health benefits depend on how the oil was made, when olives were picked, how the oil was stored and many many more factors.

"The chemical characteristics of extra virgin olive oil (as with all vegetable oils) give an indication of the care with which it was made and stored: how the fruit was grown, transported and harvested, how it was milled into oil, and how the oil was packaged and bottled."  There are also many different flavors of olive oil but typically the more robust (pungent) the flavor, the greater number of antioxidants.

There are many olive oils available. The best being of Extra Virgin Olive Oil meaning it is of the purest form. Of these however there are the winners and the losers and many many in between. Extra virgin olive oils nowadays come from Italy, France, Spain, United States, Turkey, Greece.  Of the oils available not all of the producers have high standards and follow regulations to make the highest quality oils. In fact, many in order to offer the lowest priced oil sell old olive oil which has been sitting either in their warehouse or a distributors warehouse for months and even years on end. Others to cut corners may use a mixture of olives from different areas or regions that offer a cheaper harvest.  Some olive mills may pick their olives and then have them sitting on their mill floor for days or weeks before processing, collecting all sorts of mildew. The best oil is processed the same day of picking. Oil should be bottled right before delivery. Processing times should be very short.

With so much junk on the shelves, the best advice I can give someone who is purchasing olive oil is to read all the labels. Remember that just because an oil has an Italian name does not mean it is made in Italy. Even if the label reads Produced in Italy does not mean the olives are Italian. Also there is a great difference between oils produced in different regions in Italy for instance. Some olive  trees render a larger quantity of oil because the olive itself has more water content. This larger quantity available drives down the price for particular regions of Italy. Tuscan and Umbrian olives typically render less oil and therefore are more premium priced.

If the price is surprisingly low compared to the assortment, you are probably not getting a good deal but getting a lower quality product. Olive oil is expensive to produce and if it is being produced correctly, abiding to the highest standards, chances are you will have to pay for that.

What you can do when purchasing olive oil:

-make sure you read the labels and know what you are getting. Just because the oil is called "Tuscan Reserve" does not mean it is from Tuscany. Also even though it says Made in Italy does not always mean the olives are Italian. It may mean it was bottled in Italy but the olives are from Turkey.

-Is Italian olive oil the best? I  cannot say that it is or it is not. I know that the olive oil I use is the best because I know where it comes from and I know how it is made. I know the health qualities it has.

-Read the label to know when the oil was harvested. The best oil is the newest. There should also be an expiration date on the bottle.  You should not be paying a premium price for last year's harvest.

-When you can, purchase smaller bottles because the more times the bottle is opened, the more the oil is contaminated by air and loses its qualities both in flavor and health benefits.

-Never purchase plastic bottles;plastic kills the oil.

-The darker the glass bottle, the better, try not to purchase clear bottles. Olive oil needs to avoid heat or heat sources and clear bottles allow heat to enter.

-Where in the store are the bottles kept? Make sure they are not on top shelves near the lights.

-Unfiltered is not bad for you, instead it means that less processing was used and therefore it is of the purest form.

I am fortunate I know because I can pinpoint exactly where the olive oil I use comes from. My olive oil is an artisan olive oil and comes directly from the manufacturer I personally know.  I know what high standards the manufacture has. I have taken part in the harvest of the oil. I have visited the mill. I know even where the actual olive groves are that my oil came from. I know we cannot all be so fortunate. Afterall I live in what is known as "la patria dell'olio" or home of the olive oil.  I cringe however at seeing so many EVOO that are available and that are not of quality.

For information on how you can purchase the quality Tuscan extra virgin olive oil I use, please contact me or send me a comment via my blog.

Simple Slow Food in Umbria Italy

Local food artisans provide simple meals to attendees of "Coloriamo i Cieli" Kite Festival in Castiglione del Lago, Umbria. Here "Fagiolini di Trasimeno," Pecorino Toscano, Bruschetta, Fava beans and local homemade wine.

 Porchetta anyone?

 Local cheeses, jams, oil and wine.

Selling locally made chocolate in Umbria.

Tips On Using & Preserving Olive Oil

My new found best friend is Italian extra virgin olive oil. Once you have tasted the best, it is really difficult to accept the rest. I am serious. I am becoming a connoisseur of olive oil and had no idea that bottle of oil that I had been using everyday contains such important qualitites.  Not all extra virgin olive oils however have these qualities. Only the higest quality extra virgin olive oil contains the largest number of polyphenols or antioxidants.   And even if you have the highest quality extra virgin olive oil, you can literally destroy its good properties with the wrong use or preservation. 

The enemy of olive oil is heat and light. That is why it is a good idea to purchase olive oil that is in either tins or dark glass bottles. Never never purchase or store olive oil in plastic. Plastic will kill it and destroy those antioxidants not to mention what it does to the flavor in general. The absolute best place for storing olive oil is in stainless steel containers but not many of us have the space or access to these, so the second best is in tins or dark glass bottles.

Keep your olive oil away from sunlight, heat from stove top range, any source of heat or light. Store in cool, dark area.

The best olive oil is the newest or "olio nuovo". It is the opposite of wine. If you can, it is best to purchase the newest or latest harvest of olive oil. This is because it contains the best qualities for flavor and health benefits. 

Visiting Buonconvento (Siena)

This weekend we decided to take the scenic and longer route to Siena from Chiusi. Actually it is all scenic but this is via the old Cassia instead of the Highway. Along the way we stopped at a wonderful little town called Buonconvento and took a glimpse at the handcrafts on sale as well as the antique open air market. This past weekend was the "Cose del Passato" or Things of the Past market with everything from wooden products, wrought iron, linens, embroideries. There are many little trattorias along the main road in the center of the town and you cannot wrong as they all offer the usual favorites, pastas, meats, antipasti, bruschetta, etc.

If you are going to Siena, stop in Buonconvento along the way.

Television in Italy- The Ugly

One of my greatest disappointments after moving to Italy was television in Italy. I was never an avid television watcher and now I can pretty much say I don't watch any television at all in Italy.  Normal television in Italy is a disgrace. The few channels that are available do not offer anything of quality for anyone and you have to pay a state yearly tax for it. Unbelievable since the government should be paying the viewers for putting up with such trash. There are very few quality programs. Commercials or advertisements are even worse and an embarassment.

Pay tv or SKY is a little better but not much. There are some English speaking channels and some cartoon channels if you have children but I still prefer no tv.

The only thing I miss are the news channels but those too are not in anyway objective so I wonder what news I am actually getting. My best bet is going to the newstand which still sells English language papers and the usual Italian papers.

I don't miss watching television. Reading is so much better!

Enjoying Casa Fabbrini

We were greeted Friday evening by Giorgio and Paola, the owners of Casa Fabbrini who welcomed us into their home as if we had known them for years. It was literally like being "at home" only this home was an amazing Tuscan villa that opens its doors to guests year round and lavishes them with every detailed comfort.

Giorgio and Paola are not only the best cooks, make their own jams, cookies, olive oil, everything but they are also two very respected physicians in Rome. They invited us to an incredible dinner with homemade pasta (made by Giorgio), amazing radicchio, rabbit with the secret sauce, and a semi freddo of persimmon. To top it off biscotti made by Paola herself , chocolates, and after dinner drinks. Oh I forgot about the suppli' direct from Rome and the most amazing mozzarella! Non ho parole...

We sat at a large table in a beautiful dining area with all the guests who stayed in the Villa the entire weekend. It was nice, refreshing talking and chatting with people I had never met before that evening. We had one thing in common, an appreciation for good food and very nice company.

If you ever plan to visit the Valdichiana area, check out http://www.casafabbrini.com/
You will be glad you did.

Living Italy: Slow Food: La Pera Cocomerina

Living Italy: Slow Food: La Pera Cocomerina: "Every once in awhile it happens. You run into something amazing that only a few people know about and want to share it with everyone. O..."

Slow Food: La Pera Cocomerina

Every once in awhile it happens. You run into something amazing that only a few people know about and want to share it with everyone. On our way home from the beach this weekend, we stopped in the tiniest town called Le Ville di Montecoronaro di Verghereto in the province of Forli-Cesena. My husband insisted that we go off the beaten path so I can get my hands on the most amazing jam called Pera Cocomerina. No it is not a joke as I thought it was. Why is this jam so special? It is made with the fruit Pera Cocomerina which grows only in this area. The name is because the pear has a watermelon (cocomero) red color in its center. The fruit is small and weighs from 20 to 60 grams. The fruit is sweet and its trees are very few, about 45 left all in this area of Italy. They are protected trees in that a committee (presidio) has been created to make sure they do not become extinct or destroyed in any way. If you are in the area of Forli-Cesena, make sure to stop by Le Ville. You can only purchase a maximum of two jars of jam!

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly of Living In A Small Town In Tuscany

I get so accustomed of living in the small town of Chiusi that things that occur have almost become common place. I forget that those who don't live in a small town may have no idea of how it is like. As with anything else, there are the pro's and con's but you have to decide for yourself. ...

1.  Be prepared that if you wear the same clothing more than two days in a row people will comment on it. Actually people will comment on anything anyways so who cares.

2. You cannot put on a pair of sunglasses and a hat and have an anonymous day because sure enough you will be stopped and asked if everything is ok.

3. You cannot cry because you feel like crying for whatever reason in your car or anywhere because you will be stopped and asked about it or someone will spread the rumor of something evil having happened to you.

4. Image and appearance is everything so be prepared. Here it is what you wear that makes you what you are.

5. Don't ever ever go barefoot. Huge no no.

6. Don't wear flip flops unless it is scorching hot weather in the Summer.

7. Always wear some kind of a jacket, coat, over coat, trench coat, wind breaker. Going without outerwear is another no no.

8. Shoes should always be super clean and polished.

9. Hair should always be nice and tidy and if possible a weekly stop at the hair salon for women is a plus.

10. Make sure your car is clean. This is an ordeal and impossible for the vast majority that live in the countryside.

11. When in doubt, buy designer even if you cannot afford it. This still makes me laugh.

12. Don't ask for a cappuccino anytime after 11 am. A huge no no.

13. Do buy lots of bread, focaccia daily.

14. Beware of when the circus is in town as it brings diseases.

15. The cold outside or rain causes colds and viruses not the fact that someone sneezed on you.

16. Social media is talking a lot outside.

17. An iPhone is the American way of saying telephone.

18. Facebook is a book with many pictures of faces.

19. Life is eating well..........

Birds in Tuscany!

VALDORCIA & VALDICHIANA TUSCANY JANUARY 2011

Elementary School in Italy- the transition

Not only am I saddened that I don't get to write that much anymore, but every once in awhile I have an aahh moment where I think I should write about this.

This morning was one of those. My child will be entering first grade in the Fall. This is a huge transition for any parent especially one living abroad. I have to learn what it is all about and show no signs of anxiety in doing so.

Anyhow in our small town the Elementary School decided to invite all the future first graders to visit the new school. Each child was paired with an older child who will be leaving the school. They showed the children around, had a snack, games and even a small gift for the new students. The first grade teachers were present, parents and kindergarten teachers too. It made me feel much more at ease with the whole transition and I thought how great that in a small town it can be pulled off so easily. It was only organized the day prior! Will keep you informed.

Snowstorm in Chiusi, March 2010

Selling Used Baby Equipment in Italy

Do garage sales exist in Italy? No. Can you put up flyers around your town in Italy wanting to sell your barely used baby equipment? No. Can you put them on the internet and hope to get some response? Not really. So how does one sell the plethora of baby items one has?
This is my dilemma. I have two garages full of baby equipment, toys, items that I need to get rid of. I want to try to sell them first even at a very discounted price before giving them to charity. I have baby playpens, high chairs, toys, bottle warmers, baby weighing scale, etc etc. Most of which is almost new, some never even used. Any ideas out there?? Thanks.

La Focaccia Da Eva

It has been a long time I know since I have written so here goes:

One of the nice things I love about living in a small town is the simplicity of part of our morning routine. Although at times it can get to me especially when we are running late, I love stopping at the bakery across the street from the preschool for my son's little piece of foccaccia that we stick in his backpack for his daily school snack. All the parents stop there and it is usually the place for the first Buon giorno's before dropping your child off at school.

Eva is the girl behind the counter that knows everyone by name and every child's preference for foccaccia. The little piece of foccaccia at 30 cents everyday that she puts in a little white bag is one of those small things that I would miss if I moved to a big city. It just would not be the same.

L'Aquila Earthquake

I know it has been such a long time I have last blogged. There is a lot going on. My thoughts right now are for all those who are suffering, lost family, friends, homes,possessions, hope in the Abruzzo earthquake. I am from Abruzzo. My family is from Abruzzo. You don't have to be from there to know these are resilient people. We feel for them and hope and pray they get the help they need, peace and comfort in every aspect.

Hospital Care in Italy

It has been awhile since I have blogged and for good reason. Now I am home full time with my youngest son and it is not easy to have any time to do much else. I did promise myself that I would write a blog about the healthcare system here in Italy.

For as much as I complain about the way things work here in Italy, I have to say that some things DO work. We unfortunately had to do a three day stint at a hospital in Italy and aside from having to wait 5 hours for a room (actually a bed) since everyone has to share rooms, I could not believe that we did not pay a single cent.

I mean how refreshing to walk into a hospital and NOT be asked first and foremost "What insurance do you have?" or "What is your deductible?" before even being asked your name! The questions instead were based on the patient, his symptoms, etc. THIS is how it should be. Sometimes I think cannot the United States just copy what they do in Italy as far as healthcare.

A few weeks ago I had to buy an antibiotic which cost $3.00, a minimal amount because some drugs are considered a necessity and the large discount is given to these drugs. The same exact antibiotic I bought in the USA last summer and it cost me $39.00. This is outrageous. The drug was American made!!

I am pro America, proud to be American, miss my country...the whole deal but something has to be done about these problems. I know the Obama Administration is working on it right now. I just hope it will change for the better and fast!

Italians Shop At Outlets

I thought I would share some information with you I thought to be quite interesting. Gone are the days where Italians will shop only at the neighborhood boutique. While the small stores in town are really hurting with few sales and high rents to pay, the outlets are seeing a huge surge in traffic. Does this traffic mean sales? I am not sure.

I had the pleasure of visiting the nearest Outlet called Valdichiana Outlet Village this past Saturday. The parking lot was jammed full and stores were similarly full of people. I did not see everyone with shopping bags but I did see many many people taking their wallets out and purchasing. This is the wave of the future for Italy. I would not even say it is the future since it has been in the past ten years at least that these outlets are springing up everywhere. You cannot beat them though. This Village has over 200 designer lables for fashion and accessories. There are discounts up to 70 percent throughtout the whole year and it is open 7 days a week. It has a large playground for children and restaurants and bars to keep you happy.

Some stores include Benetton, Brums, Calvin Klein, Conte of Florence, Datch, Fila, Fornarina, Just Kavalli, John Ashfield, Lotto, Levis, Richard Ginori, Sisley, Stefanel, VFG Factory Store.
If you do visit this outlet, I recommend you go to the Lindt chocolate store and order the Varesino at the bar. It is a hot chocolate drink in a glass espresso cup covered with whipped cream, topped with chocolate cocoa and served with a chocolate spoon.

Enjoy!

An Economic Crisis-Surviving it in Italy

The economic crisis is alive and well in Italy just as so everywhere else in the world. Although it is easy to say that Italy's economic woes are the result of the world's financial mess, this country has had high unemployment, inflation out of control, low impossible salaries for years and years. In fact when I arrived here ten years ago and saw what the going salaries were (much less then those in the USA for comparable jobs), my first reaction was to get back on the airplane and return to the USA. I remember continuously saying "how do people live on these salaries?" I suspect that the problems go way way back prior to my arrival in Italy.

So how do people survive now with this enonomic crisis in Italy? Just from my research of how people live, I imagine that those that will survive with fewer problems are those that know how to get by. These being people who already were savers and not spenders, regardless of the economic crisis. Most of these people are the elderly people. Why? Because they have been through wars, depression, recessions and most of all because of their personalities. It is ingrained in them of what it means to save. They don't even think about it. They have no problems walking by stores and NOT buying that article. They use their cash wisely. They don't have debt. They never use credit cards. Many of them do not even own credit cards. Their homes are paid off. They have one small utility car. They walk when they can to save money on gas. They put on an extra sweater instead of turning on the heat. All of these qualities are mostly seen in the elderly here in Italy.

The younger generation will have the most problems. These are people in Italy that HAVE to have all designer clothing, HAVE to go on vacation every year, HAVE to have the latest model of the expensive automobiles, HAVE to have expensive furniture, and etc. etc. These people will have the greatest problems in surviving the crisis in Italy.

Making Sense of the Italian Language

First of all I apologize for being absent for some days. Last week was a challenge with two young children home with the flu. I was so satisfied though that I was able to catch the entire Obama swearing in ceremony on CNN. Thanks CNN and thanks hubby and inlaws for helping out with the kids. Now on to my post....

I am amazed on how many Italian words I did not know and on how many English words are used in Italian daily conversations. Let me explain:
In this region and in this small town the word "minestra" signifies the small noodles or pasta used inside soup. The word "minestra" to me growing up in my Italian American household always meant "soup". Italians use the word "box" to mean "playpen" but it is also used to mean "garage". That could be means for a safety disaster I know. They use the word "scatola" or "cartone" to mean "box".

Italians use the word "scottex" to mean paper towels and "cotton fioc" to mean "Q tip swaps". They use also many English words with an Italian flair. For instance they will say "bisogna faxare" meaning "you need to fax it". They don't say "email" but "a mail".

When it comes to clothing they have a whole different vocabulary. A "kway" is a sort of rain coat I believe and a "polo" is a shirt with a few buttons only at neck. A "golf" is a sweater and a "pull" is a sweater too. The "pinochietto" pants is a capri pair of pants (name from famous wooden boy!). I can go on and on. It is a learning process and an adventure. I still make all sorts of mistakes and frankly I am now unsure of the proper Italian from the improper.

What have been your experiences regarding Italian??

This American in Italy for Obama

I cannot help but want to be in Washington D.C. tomorrow for Obama's swearing in ceremony. I will be watching it live as will so many people. It will be a historic moment that we have all been waiting for.

No matter who you are or where you are, I think that everyone's eyes will be on Washington D.C. tomorrow. What an incredible moment to be American!

Italy Property- Interesting Tips

It took us one year to find our present home in Italy. It was not that I was particularly picky. It was that I had no idea how the whole finding property in Italy phenomenon worked. Here are some interesting tips I learned about finding property in Italy.

1.Don't expect to find "for sale" signs in front of properties that are for sale. For some reason Italians are embarassed by this.
2.Don't expect to get a definitive answer from Italians if their property is for sale. You will get "yes, maybe if the price is right I can move" type of an answer.
3.Do expect to get prices quoted first in Lira, then in Euro, then in Lira, then in Euro.
4.Do expect the price to change continuously.
5.Do expect that the real estate agent will never return your calls, is not really interested in a sale, does not remember who you are or what you wanted.
6.Do keep a diary of the properties you already saw, the prices, date, description, contact name, location.
7.Do expect to be taken to see the same property again although you flat out said not interested.
8.Do expect the agent to not really care about what you want in a property.
9.Do scour the area you are interested in and ask anyone (farmers, residents,etc) if they know of properties for sale in the area. These people know more than anyone else.
10. Do use the internet www.casa.it to compare prices, areas, homes, etc.
11.Do be patient.

Standard of Living Italy

Everyone assumes that the standard of living in Italy, especially Tuscany, must be very high. The most sought after question for those wanting to move to Italy is if the quality of life will be better or worse than their present situation.

No one can say for sure if the quality of life is better or worse. This depends directly on what "standard of living" means for that person. What is important? What can one do without?
For instance a retired couple from the USA moving to Tuscany may not care that the unemployment rate is very high or that the school system is very much lacking whereas a couple looking for work with school age children may find that those two parameters (employment and schools) are very important indeed.

Some standard of living parameters are lifestyle, work, environment, health care, crime rate, population, leisure time. Again, what is imperative to one may be less pressing for another. The best advice is to research and research what is important to you and your family and find out before moving what the town or city in Italy offers. If possible, spend some time in the town or city before moving there and do not quit your job before having a paying job with a legal binding contract in Italy.