Living Slowly Italian Style

Italians just know how to relax and rest. On my long train ride home in Tuscany  it was evident who the Italians were. They were the ones either chatting away, reading a novel, listening to music or sleeping. 

It was late afternoon and I looked around me to find everyone sleeping except little ol me. There was no multitasking going on, no work getting done, no appointments being made, no nothing.

Laptops were turned off and tucked away. Newspapers were folded and not to read. Assignments and work papers were out of sight. Phones were turned off and the only sounds now were coming from the train itself. It was even too dark outside to take in the scenery.

I did what anyone else would do in my situation. I turned off my phone, tucked it away and closed my eyes. Buon riposo.

Travel Throughout Italy on a Budget

With the world stuck in this financial crisis, it is no wonder that Italian tourism is suffering. Right now the only thing that can increase tourism and turn things around for the travel sector is the strengthening of the American dollar and the abundant travel bargains going on in Italy.

All throughout the Italian peninsula you can find special hotel, bed&breakfast, car rental packages and so forth.

Check out the following specials I found:

Bed & Breakfasts:
In Volterra (Pisa) you can get a double room in an apartment for about 40 euros per person. This is a 10 percent discount on their prices. Check out www.bbitalia.it for properties, pictures and prices. I suggest however that you try to get references before making reservations through the top travel forums. My favorites are www.italymag.co.uk and www.slowtrav.com.

Long Term Property Rentals:
Here is a partial list of some property rentals (long term) available right now in Umbria through www.diamanteimmobiliare.com:

-Castiglione del Lago vicinity: furnished apartment on the ground floor with large garden. Euro 500/month Ref.CDL0750
-Castiglione del Lago vicinity: furnished detached villa on two levels with garage,laundry, porch and garden. Euro 700/month Ref.CDL0729
-Citta' della Pieve vicinity: furnished apartment on the ground floor with private garden,cellar, and garage. Euro 500/month Ref.CDP0701
-Paciano: restored ground floor apartment with own entrance with living room, kitchenette,bedroom and bathroom. Nicely finished Euro 350/month.Ref.PA0631
-Cortona: unfurnished restored three story house with storage on the ground floor. Euro 450/month Ref.T0731

You can get more longterm property rental information through www.casa.it which lists all the major real estate agencies which on the most part also do property rentals.

Car rentals:
For car rentals, try www.italycar.net. You can rent an economy car for 23 euros per day. Again, get references from the travel forums if you can.

I will be on the lookout for more bargains..

Extracurricular Activities for Children in Italy

Many parents have asked me about what activities are available for children in Italy. I can speak of my area which I know of first hand. The larger cities of Florence, Rome and Milan have many activities for children.

In Chiusi and the surrounding areas there is nothing similar to what we have at home in the USA like My Gym or Gymboree which are classes for the toddlers and Pre K children that mix group exercise with play and following instructions in a fun enviornment. There is nothing available for the under 4 crowd in Chiusi but once they do turn 4 then there are activities available: sports, music, dance. The most popular athletic courses are swimming, soccer, judo followed by tennis and volleyball for the older kids. There is one woman who offers piano lessons in the neighborhood and there is one dance class in Chiusi. The best way to find out about courses is through the town hall (comune) of the town you will be staying in or moving to. Also get to know other parents of your town since word of mouth is still the best way to find reliable, fun, safe activities for your children. I have found that referrals is still the best way to go especially in small towns.

There is a wonderful website I have found that offers all kinds of information for children and activities. It is www.italiakids.com. It is divided by region and gives great tips about raising children in Italy and much much more. For instance, I have found that a trip to Florence is well worth the visit. There are two museums for children that I know of that are cited on the site: Institute and Museum of the History of Science and Museo Ragazzi (children’s museum).

I know that there is a lot more out there and I will keep my eyes and ears open to keep you posted on what I personally find.

Details about Daycare and Preschool in Italy

I received several requests for more information regarding what daycare and preschools are like in Italy so I thought I would give you some detailed data regarding my first hand experience in Chiusi.


Daycare

My youngest has been going to daycare for about a month now and I am pretty familiar with the premises as I also attended "mommy and me" classes there. The daycare is divided into two sections and each section has a total of 14 children with 3 daycare teachers for each section. One section is for the younger children ranging from 11 months to 2 years old while the second section is for children from 2 years old to 3 years old. The children arrive from 8:30 am and can stay either until lunch time (noon), after lunch (1:30), afternoon (4 pm or 6 pm). The fee is around 350 euros a month if the child stays for lunch and leaves by 1:30 pm. If the child stays all day the fee is around 380 euros. Daycare is from Mondays to Fridays from September to June and sometimes available in July.


The environment at daycare is very clean with appropriate toys and everything (tables,chairs) is sized for the little ones. The day's program is scheduled whereby they play, snack, play outdoors (weather permitting), eat lunch, nap, play. It is very well organized and the children know exactly what to expect as far as routines. There is a mailbox for each child and everyday the teacher writes a note to the parents saying if the child ate, slept, had a bowel movement. At a first sign of sickness the child's parents are immediately called to be taken home.


Although I had my personal doubts about sending my child to daycare, (He has his first daycare flu right now which is not pleasant) I have to say that the daycare here is very good.


Preschool

Here we have the option to choose between sending our children to the public preschool which is free or to private Catholic preschool which has a fee. We opted for the private preschool and this is our child's second year with the school. I cannot talk about the public preschool as I am not familiar with it but I can say I am happy with the private one.

Here the children are divided into two classes. There are 25 children in each class and each class has one teacher and an assistant. The children can stay until noon (lunch at home) or after 1:30 pm up until 4 pm with lunch served at school. The fee is 70 euros per month plus 5 euros for each meal they have. You do not pay extra if you stay until 4 pm.

Their activities are well organized between table work, group work, snack, exercise, outdoor play, lunch, work. The environment is clean and the staff welcomes parents to talk to the teachers about their children, if necessary. They organize two recitals plus a big party for carnival every year. Again I have to say that we are happy with this school and I would recommend it highly.

What to buy when you visit Italy

My family has been visiting Italy from the United States for over forty years and before that my parents lived in Italy and now I live in Italy. So I can say we have become experts in knowing what products to buy in Italy to bring back to the U.S. Although the euro/dollar exchange rate has not been favorable, there are still must haves:

Clothing/Shoes/Jewelry
There is no doubt that if you can still find Made in Italy clothing in Italy, go for it as they just fit better!
There is no comparison. Italian shoes are the best in style, comfort, and assortment.
It is not easy to find 18 kt gold jewelry in the USA that is also stylish. You will not do wrong by buying it in Italy.

Leather Handbags,Wallets,Belts
You can still find very affordable ones at local mercato.

Coffee
We don't know why but the coffee you buy here, even if has the same brand name, just tastes better. If you buy a bag of coffee beans at a bar, beware as is very costly. You are better off getting a brand name bag at the supermarket. We like Illy.

Parmigian Cheese
Is much cheaper in Italy than in the USA. Make sure you get it vacuum packed and keep it in the fridge until ready to pack.

Big Salt (Sale Grosso)
I heard you can find this now in LA but in case you cannot, buy it in Italy (very cheap). Throw a dash of it in your boiling water when you make pasta to make it taste great!

Zafferon, Funghi Porcini (dried)
I am not a big user of these but heard friends rant and rave about buying these in Italy

Olive Oil and Wine
I have not found a suitable way to bring these back so welcome input by you guy:)

Do not even think about bringing back prosciutto, salami or anything of the sort. It does not go over very well with the customs people!

Old Wives' Tales...Italian version

Wow here I can write a book about all these weird beliefs pertaining to all sorts of things. Let me say that it is not just the elderly people who think this way but even young people. Talk about passing on from generation to generation.

The Wind Chill

Ok something has to be said about "la corrente dell'aria" or the draft. Apparently if you leave the windows open and a draft occurs you will get sick. Some people take this further by saying if you go out without a scarf, hat and coat on in the winter you will get sick. ..even if its 30 degrees celsius. And even further you must wear all of the above if it is raining because if you get wet.....ah then you will get the dreaded flu. How is it then that you take showers and not get sick?? Anyhow I got into a heated debate with someone on this and had to have the pediatrician (bless his heart) tell this person it just is not so. The person however by the look on her face was not convinced. Must I say this same person will not open shutters without a scarf around her neck??

Taking a Bath when you are sick

Yes there are still people who believe that if you take a bath while you are sick you will get even sicker. Especially for children. So these poor kids that already feel like crap because they are sick, also feel dirty.

Going in the water after you eat

You must not go in the water, take a bath or anything of the sort after you eat because you will die. You have to wait two hours or so before going into the water. I am not sure exactly what the medical ramification is but something having to do with bad digestion. Anyways just don't do it.

Don't sweep over someone's toes

If you pass a broom over someone's feet, that person will not get married. This is more a superstition but thought I would mention it.

The illnesses associated with the change in seasons

It was not until I arrived in Tuscany that I heard to beware of when the seasons change as they cause all sorts of problems ranging from fatigue, sleepiness, hunger, headaches, colds, coughs, etc. Don't know exactly what it is that causes these but they do.

The Circus Brings Dreaded Illnesses

My personal favoritel! This is one I learned in Chiusi. Circus animals and trainers bring and spread diseases. Talk about bad publicity! I say yes if you happen to kiss the elephant who has a cold! It has nothing to do with the fact that the Circus comes every January-February (flu season!!) ??What do you say to people who say this?? I now say nothing at all and just nod my head a lot.

I welcome you to let me know of other odd beliefs you have heard of in Italy!

Learning How Not to Waste in Italy

I have learned many things during my time living in Italy. Perhaps one of the most important things that I do pass on to my children is how not to waste. Having been rasied in the United States I often took for granted the supply of water, gas, electricity etc. Things now have changed I believe worldwide and I do not think people are wasting at least not consciously doing so. Aside from the expense of wasting, it is just wrong on so many fronts.

So now I do not take ten minute showers. I do not make too much food that I will later throw away. I do not keep the hose running outside to water flowers. I do use paper bags. I do turn off the light and open the shutters. I do recycle everything I can of the older child for the younger child! I do not throw away day old bread but heat it up the next day. I do make bags for charity and bring to the church what does not fit anymore or toys that have been outgrown. I do turn off the heat and put on another sweater. I do walk to the store instead of taking the car.

There is just not an infinite supply of everything and sometimes seeing the simple way of living of some Italians tells me I can do that too.

Travel Tip for Italy

It may seem like a really simple piece of advice but knowing ahead of time the day of rest or "giorno di riposo" of stores in Italy is very important for the traveler. There is nothing worse than finding everything closed down in a town you had planned on spending the afternoon in. In Italy every week stores, pharmacies, bakeries, etc close a half day. Depending on the town you are in, this day of the week is different.

For instance here in Chiusi all the grocery stores are closed Wednesday afternoons except the big grocery store called PAM in the shopping center (Etrusco). This shopping center is almost adjacent to the Chiusi freeway exit. All the other stores are closed Monday afternoons and everything is closed on Sundays. Remember also that everything is closed during lunch hours and very few stores have "orari continuati" or open during lunch interval. So that means stores are open from 9 am to 1 pm and then reopen at 5pm to 8 pm. Banks are open from 8:30 am to 1 pm and then reopen from 2:30 pm to 3:45 pm. They are closed on Saturdays too. You really need a calendar to write and remember all these hours!

The stores in larger cities of Milan,Rome and Florence may or may not adhere to this because of huge tourist traffic. Usually if there is a sagra or town festival like Eurochocolate (Perugia, 19-26 October) all the stores stay open to accomodate visitors.

In any case it is a good idea to do your homework beforehand and contact the city hall or "comune" of the town you will be visiting to find out when everything is shut down. Hope this helps!

The Cost of Living in Italy

I will be writing a lot about the cost of living in Italy because many people who are thinking of moving to Italy want to know how expensive it is to live here. I can only talk about my experiences.


It is very difficult to say if it is more expensive or not than in the USA for many factors which I will not get into right now. I can tell you how much I spend for various things with a four person family (2 adults and 2 children), living in a small town in Tuscany.


Daycare is expensive for Italy standards in our small town but much cheaper than back home in the USA. We pay approximately 350 euros a month for 5 days a week, half days and lunch & snack included. Private preschool on the other hand is about 120 euros a month 6 days a week, half days and lunch included. Our child could stay until 4 pm with no increase in cost. A babysitter would cost about 7 euros per hour.


Doctors and medical care in general can be expensive if through the private sector. What is the difference between private and public? If you go through the public sector, you have to schedule an appointment through the USLL and most often your appointment will be in months. You have to see the doctor they advise you to see for your town and specialty. Everyone has the right to see the public doctor or dottore della mutua. These visits are free or you pay only a minimal amount. If instead you prefer to see a private doctor who takes appointments it costs about 70 euros (pediatrician). Blood tests vary. Again if you do them through the public sector they are free or minimal. If you do them privately, they can cost between 70 and 150 euros depending what exactly you are having done.



The cost of gasoline is expensive. I pay about 70 euros to fill up my tank which lasts me about 2 weeks time. I do very little driving and only around the town. The gas bill for our home is about 850 euros every two months in the winter. Food costs us around 100 euros a week. Electricity and water bills cost 150 euros and 75 euros respectively every two months.

If you have any specific question on how much something costs let me know as I would be more than happy to share any information I have.

Those Long Lunches in Italy

Something has to be said about lunches in Italy. They are long....but good! We had a great day yesterday having lunch at a farmhouse in the hills surrounding Chiusi and Cetona. The occasion was the baptism party of a baby boy named Luca. After the mass, which of course, we were late to, we were to meet the entire party at the restaurant within a beautiful farmhouse called Larco Naturale (www.arco-naturale.com). You can see the pictures. The place is really nice and the owners Luigi and Enzo have taken time to make every rustic detail appropriate to their surroundings.

We had a wonderful lunch which began with an appetizer of prosciutto, coppa secca, mozzarella wraps and crostini (bread with toppings). Next two pasta dishes of ravioli topped with cherry tomotoes and tagliatelle (wide pasta) with a tomato sauce. After this was the secondo or meat dish of veal and roasted potatoes. Then the cake, spumanti, coffee, grappa and limoncello. Don't forget all the wine!! A wonderful meal.

The children spent most of the day outside playing with the puppies, cats and rolling around in the grass! There were walks in between the meals for easy digestion. Suffice to say we arrived at 1 pm for lunch and left at 5 pm!! A fantastic Sunday outside with marvelous warm weather taking in all that Italy has to offer!

Schools and Raising Children in Italy

My post on raising children in Italy is really a request for information and experience from those who have raised or are raising children in Italy. I have to say that I am concerned as any parent would be about the education system in Italy. I have heard both good and bad about the public school program and really would love to hear from people on this.

I finally found a site that is devoted to children in Italy...www.italiakids.com and I understand that soon there will be also a forum whereby you can actually meet people in your area of Italy that have children to plan play dates,etc. One thing that I have always been looking for since I have had children is to meet other native English expats with children in my area of Tuscany.

There are so many changes going on right now in public Italian schools. The private sector is very small in Italy and non existent in my area. I have heard that the elementary schools are good while the middle school and high schools do not properly prepare the students for university. I have heard that it is very subjective according to who your teachers are and if you are "simpatico" to the teacher or if the teacher likes you. Yeah but is this so different in the USA??

Changes that are going on right now include introducing the "grembiule" or apron in elementary schools. This is worn in preschool to keep the clothes underneath from getting dirty but also to dissuade against wearing name brands,etc. Most parents are for this change!
The other change for the entire school system is introducing the "maestra unica" or single teacher instead of having many teachers. This would mean laying off thousands and thousands of teachers. There is much controvery over this measure as you can imagine and the first "sciopero" or strike is scheduled for October 30th. Parents and students are both pro and against this. Right now children even at the elementary school level have several teachers for multiple areas of study (math,language,history,etc).

I want to hear from expats regarding the Italian school system, these changes and their experiences!!

Client Beware of Property Rentals and other Tours in Italy

I just read an article yesterday on the New York Times webpage regarding property rentals and how clients have to be careful of what they rent. I have written a post on Property Rentals in Italy and I cannot stress enough how important it is to do your homework ahead of time. As the article states as well, nowadays it is so easy for any property owner to rent property and you do not always get what you are promised or think you will be getting. There is nothing worse than arriving at what is supposed to be this perfect villa in Tuscany and it turns out to be a nightmare. Unfortunately anyone can pretty much rent anything and the same is true for Italy.

The article goes on and states that renting a property where a third party is involved like a property management company is a good idea but I have to say that the use of these companies in Italy is still not so widespread. In fact I welcome readers to let me know of any good companies they know of in Italy and I am going to do my own research as well.

Also you really need to have referrals of others who have stayed at the property. Better if these are through people you know but this of course is not always possible. I am not saying that all properties are going to have problems but being careful and prudent is never a bad thing.

The same holds true for tours in Italy you sign up for. Again through the internet any Gianni or Sophia can host a specialty tour. Again get referrals from others who have done that cooking school, language school or bike tour. Be weary of activities that promise too much. In other words you cannot learn the Italian language through a four day course or become a culinary expert in a three day stint in Umbria!

As an American living in Italy I am very protective of my fellow American visitors. I always stop and try to help them out if they are having difficulty and if I hear of anyone being taken advantage of, I try to step in. I have been there and in the early days here I was ripped off a couple of times too. Italy can be a wonderful place to visit and it is up to you to come prepared and be prudent. I also welcome readers to tell me about any great or unfortunate experience they have had in the Bel Paese. Buon viaggio!

Sundays in Chiusi

Living in Italy in some ways is no different than living in Los Angeles. I mean yesterday was Sunday and we did what any family would do on a Sunday. We went to Church. We went to have lunch at Great Grandma's house and then after the children woke up from their naps, we went to ...the mall. I know that does not sound so exciting but it was too late in the day to drive anywhere and go to the museum and the weather was not so warm to permit us to stay outside. They call it the Mall but it is really a small shopping center with one large supermarket and a few small stores and one little area where kids can play.

The highlight of my day, aside from spending time with my kids and husband, was lunch at Nonna Lidia's. She is a 81 year old great grandmother that enjoys cooking for her family. She is a retired cook so you can imagine how great she cooks. We had homemade pasta (pici) known only in this area, great tomato sauce with mushrooms and grilled chicken. Everything is very homemade in that the mushrooms (she later told me) she found along a road. She promised they were not the poisonous type and said she almost had to wrestle an old man with a cane for the mushrooms as she said she saw them first! The pasta is homemade and the chickens she boasts she killed herself! Then it was time for dessert. She made a pie with jam that was so delicious. After this big meal we had a nice espresso to keep us awake.

Sundays in Italy really are the days where you should not do anything but rest and be with the family. I used to be so bored on Sundays and yearn to find anything at all to do in our small town. Now I look forward to Sundays and just doing taking in the sleepy atmosphere around me!

Day care and Preschool while Living in Italy

The first day of day care is scary I think for any mom and that is even more the case while living in a foreign country. My oldest son never went to day care and I was happy with that decision looking back. Now I have two children and things get more hectic and for many reasons we decided to try out day care for our youngest child.

So the first day of day care was yesterday when I actually waved goodbye, got into my car and left. He was fine with it and as he saw me grab my purse, he happily waved goodbye, said bye and blew me a kiss. His complete sense of being ok with it gave me a sense of “ok I can handle this.”

What did I do? I went straight to the gym which I had not done in a long long time. I felt good really about doing something for ME! Moms and dads, you can totally relate to this I am sure. After four years of doing everything for everyone, days and nights….I feel the need to do now for me! So that means going back to the gym, finding work I can do from home, and devoting some time to me!

After running a whole bunch of errands, I quickly went back to get my little angel. The teacher happily told me all went well and that tomorrow (today) we will try having him have lunch at school and see how it goes. He is a pretty independent guy who loves to eat so I am sure all will go fine. In the back of my head though I know and told my husband that if I am not totally content with this arrangement I will put off putting him in day care.

My oldest son went back to preschool for his second year and really enjoys it. He has made a lot of friends that he talks about and he is fitting in nicely. He is bilingual and knows now that his Italian friends and teachers do not speak Italian. He proudly says though that he speaks English too! If there are any parents out there that can tell me how the bilingual thing is going for their children, I would love to hear from you. I will devote a future post to it too.

I have to admit that the whole school system out here frightens me mainly because I am not familiar with it. I have heard so many negative things about it that I am seriously considering to home school them. Any thoughts and comments from you guys out there I would appreciate too. Education is so important and like any parent, I just want the best for them.

With that said, I have to go pick up the youngest and see how his second day of school went!Ciao.

Renting a Villa in Tuscany

Since this is such a popular topic, I will be writing more and more about holidays and renting property in Italy in future posts. For one reason or another more and more people are deciding to rent villas in Italy. The many advantages are to avoid steep hotel costs, freedom to do what one wants to within the confines of your rental property, ability to lodge with many people and divide costs, and finally stay in a beautiful home with all the amenities.

The option of renting an Italian property is becoming so attractive among foreigners visiting Italy. Word of mouth has been the largest motivator. Foreigners return home boasting about the incredible restored farmhouse they rented in the hills of Umbria or Tuscany for instance.

How does finding rental property in Italy work? The toughest job is finding the one property that is right for you. There is a plethora of websites for those searching. I happen to have some favourites: http://www.agriturismo.net/, http://www.welcometuscany.it/, http://www.italy-vacationrental.com/.

I thought it helpful after you have found a few properties that interest you, to ask for recommendations from others that have stayed there. You can contact them to get some inside info on the villa.

You must of course decide on the city or town you want your vacation to be based in Italy . You will most likely need to rent a car. It would be nice to know how far the autostrada (freeway) is and where the nearest train stations are.

You should know what kind of a Italian holiday you want. Do you want to stay close to the villa and absorb the local beauty and bask at the pool the whole time or do you want to use it as a base and visit neighboring towns (and if so how far are you from these towns?). Will you be travelling with children? A villa in the middle of nowhere sounds romantic and peaceful to you but could be boring for a teen.

Amenities
Amenities in this Italian property rental may include pool, tennis courts, Jacuzzi, housekeeping services, pick up and drop off at the airport. If you will be with younger children, ask about high chairs, pack and plays, cribs, etc. Make sure you are clear (a written confirmation is best) which amenities, if any, are included.

Also be sure that you know if the villa is being exclusively rented to you. In other words you will not be sharing it with other guests or groups.

Cost
Most of the time villa rental costs are not per person but total cost to rent the premises. Rates vary per area and based on low or high season.Again always get a written confirmation.

Other Info
Find out who will be available if you need something while staying in the property. Is this person down the street or in another city? A pipe can burst or electricity can be cut off. Who do you need to call and most importantly, who will pay for the repair?

Be Informed
Get as much info as you can including of course pictures of your Italy vacation rental. Here recommendations will come in handy. You will want to ask past visitors about the cleanliness, overall maintenance, availability of landlord, amenities, etc. Lastly the more prepared you are before getting into the property, the more you can really rest and enjoy yourself once you are here!

What I love about my small town and living in Italy

Many of my friends back home in LA ask me what it is like living in Tuscany, especially in a small town. Chiusi has a population of approximately 9000 people and growing. This includes all the little surrounding towns, called “frazioni”. I have to say the one thing that I do love, that really puts a smile on my face is the fact that you know so many people and they know you….by name! Imagine going to the pharmacy and everyone greeting you by name and asking about your entire family, knowing all their names, where they go to school, what they did this summer. You cross the street to the bakery and they greet you too and tell you you don’t have to buy the bread today because your husband got enough this morning when he brought your son to buy a snack. Amazing. When you go to restaurants there is always someone you know sitting at the next table. This was so foreign to me being from LA. How often do you run into the same person twice in LA?? I mean you have to plan meetings weeks ahead, right?

Owning a home and living in Italy, especially in a small town keeps you closely tied with your neighbors. There is a certain warmth you get when your neighbour brings you “mimosa,” a yellow flower, every March 8th which is “giorno della donna” or woman’s day. My neighbour Anita not just brings me a flower, but an entire branch from her tree!! I now kind of expect it from her and if I don’t hear from her, I call up to find out if she is feeling ok!! What a nice, sweet lady. She will stop you every time your car passes her house and ask about the entire family and get angry if you don’t accept her chicken’s fresh eggs of the day! I call it my “drive through” only I get fresh eggs, onions, tomatoes. I adore Anita.

Moving to Tuscany and /or visiting Italy also means really savoring the new foods of each season. In LA I kind of just took for granted that everything at the supermarket was always available. Now I know there is a time to buy olive oil, walnuts, chestnuts, cantaloupe, apples, peaches and all sorts of delicious foods. Now I look forward to getting the new olive oil (olio nuovo) in which the olives I see from my windows are picked in November. I watch the farmers and see as they carefully pick each olive. No wonder why it is so expensive!

In this small town I have not yet met or know of another American who lives here year round. Sure there are many who come and go, spend holidays here and maybe months too but I am the only one that actually lives here. So I am treated special and you know what, I like it. I like this unspoken title of the American. I am also though very proud of where I come from, L.A. I am proud to be American and the USA will always be home sweet home. You don’t really really appreciate home until you are far from home. So right now I have the best of both worlds. I consider myself on an extended vacation in Tuscany but home is always L.A. When I tell those from Chiusi I am from Los Angeles, the usual response is “Wow.” When I tell my friends in LA I live in Tuscany their usual response is “Wow.”

Can I just say that parking is great in Chiusi. I have unfortunately adopted the Italian way of parking so give me a bit of space and I will stick my car in it in anyway, shape or form. Parking is always available and pretty cheap too. If there is no parking, just drive around the block a couple times and something will surely open up. For now I will take advantage of living in Italy and really appreciate all this small town has to offer!

Seasons and Closets while Living in Italy

Having been born and raised in Los Angeles, I was somewhat spoiled and oblivious to seasons, heavy clothing and the whole “cambio di stagione” or changing of seasons with regard to your closet. Let me explain. In L.A. most of us have closets that are built into the walls. Some people have walk-in closets and others have those where you just slide open a door and are arm’s length away to anything you want to wear. So my moving to Italy had an impact even on how I stored my clothes!

Let’s be honest here. Los Angelenos don’t really own winter wear. You may just put on an extra sweater if it is cold but who actually owns coats? Anyhow having said this, living in Italy has a totally different scenario. In Italy, be it the weather (colder than LA) or be it the great importance of how you look, Italians own every type of jacket for every type of weather. You have the light raincoat, the heavy raincoat, the light coat, the heavy coat, the bomber, the leather jacket, the leather coat, the ski jacket, and then each of these in various lengths and colors depending on your attire, shoes etc. So this is a big affair. These are just for outerwear. The same holds true for clothing. You have the light pants, heavy pants, jeans, skirts heavy or light, suits, shirts of all types, sweaters of all fabrics, weights, colors, etc.

Anyhow what happens when the seasons change?? If you move to Italy, you will see that there are no walk in closets, at least I have never seen any yet. Instead Italians have beautiful armadi or closets that are furniture pieces. These armadi have two levels in that the bottom level you put all the clothing of the current season except the long apparel like coats that go in another section of the armadio. On the top level you put all the apparel of the next or last season. This is where it gets tricky. Basically on the days you decide to do the change of clothing you take a long stick like instrument with a hook on the end (I am sure this has a name) and one by one like a balancing act, you put the hanger on the hook and place it ever so carefully on the rod above. I laugh when I think of this because you have no idea how many times the whole thing just fell on my head. I opt now to stand on a chair and do it the old fashioned way.

Oh don’t even ask me where Italians place their shoes??!! Again in LA you just place them on a shoe rack at the bottom of your walk-in closet or something similar. In Italy there is another piece of furniture called the scarpiera which is meant to hold shoes. However the space allotted to the shoes is somewhat small and does not hold ankle boots or regular boots nor my husband's shoes which are too big. So what do we do?? We have shoes everywhere, stacked ever so carefully as to not ruin them. I try to be somewhat organized in my stacking, with shoes for the current season at least in the front in view and others in the back. We are big on shoes but that is a different post altogether. Living in Italy means being creative with space and using it very wisely.

Routines and Living in Italy

Having a family in Italy is no easy chore. Unless you are some kind of a true aristocrat and can afford a live in babysitter, house manager and a live in cook, the routines in Italy can kill you.


Pane, Pane, Pane
In this culture it is a crime not to have fresh bread everyday. This means that someone in the household has to go to the local bakery everyday to buy just enough bread for the day. It is truly an art in knowing exactly how much bread you need for the day. Do not even think about using the bread the next day, for aside from being frowned upon by your now spoiled husband and children, one day old bread in Italy is rock hard. So for those of us who do not have the art down, we end up with old bread on a daily basis. I cannot grate the bread without grating my fingers and throwing away food for me is truly a sin. So I am lucky enough to have “Anita” , a farmer who lives next door and who happily accepts my bread for her chickens and pigs.

Mealtime
This has to be the number one daily cause of anxiety for me. There are only a few full day programs in Italian schools, which means no cafeteria! When I found out that children come home for meals everyday, I nearly had a heart attack. “Ok let’s get this straight,” I asked around, “you mean my whole family comes home for lunch everyday?” Yikes! For my American friends, let me explain that this is not just getting sandwiches at a Subway or chicken at Pollo Loco. This is setting the table with a tablecloth, silverware, usually a pasta dish, a second course meat or fish dish, veggies, and yes that x!!!%&(/&(R fresh bread ! This in itself is one good reason to move back to the USA! So if you work from home like I do, it means taking off a good two hours for the whole ordeal and then waiting for dinnertime when it all pleasantly takes place again. No wonder why productivity in Italy is so low.

Still want to move to Italy?? Read on…

Trash & Mail
Ok since we are complaining, let me tell you about the trash system. Aside from being extremely expensive as far as yearly fees, we do not have anyone picking up our trash nor is there a trash bin within a logical radius. Trash must be divided (this is a great thing) for recycling and you do not have your own trash bins. They are usually a few blocks away and each neighbourhood shares one or more. So you have to bring your own trash already divided daily to these bins.

As for mail, I can never figure out why the postal worker drops off your mail at your house but cannot pick it up. So you have to physically bring your mail to the post office for delivery.

Kilowatts & Storms

I have gone through 3 telephones and 2 television sets in the past 4 years due to thunderstorms. Why is it that my appliances get burned during them here and not at home in the USA? I know I should not be comparing.

Each family has the right to 3 kilowatts of power. This means that you cannot have two major appliances running at the same time or you will be shorted. Don’t even think of using your hairdryer while the washing machine is going!! Multi tasking is just not big in Italy!

Specialty- Vacation Tours -In Italy

Once you have done the usual Italy vacation itinerary with tourist stops of Rome, Florence, Venice etc- the following visits to Italy could be spending more time in one particular area and doing a specialty tour.

Let's explore these. Specialty tours are short vacations based around a paticular hobby or activity. These can be formal as taking a course in cooking, jewelry making, ceramics/pottery or more informal as doing an outdoor/adventure tour like biking, walking, or farming. Other tours are wine tours and shopping tours. The tours nowadays can be as personalized as one wants with only a small group of friends, a couple or total strangers sharing a common hobby.
What better way to spend your time then in a beautiful country, studying or doing what you like best or doing something you have never done before but always wanted to??

For cooking courses see http://www.cooking-vacations.com/ and http://www.tastytuscany.com/

For wine tours check out http://www.chianticlassico.com/ for a list of cantine in the Chianti area (Tuscany)

For walking tours- http://www.walkingvacations.com/ and http://www.clubtoscana.com/

For biking- http://www.clubtoscana.com/

If a school or a program does not already exist, why not put together a program yourself?! In other words get a group of friends together who share a love for the outdoors and organize a walking tour in Umbria for instance. You can rent a villa as a group and contact the Umbria tourist board for walking / hiking itineraries. The possibilities are endless.



There are so many different types of vacations offered nowadays in Italy. Why not do a shopping vacation and outlet shop? There is nothing better than going home with an original Armani suit or Prada bag that you picked up at a designer outlet. Some great outlets to try are in the Incisa area of Tuscany. Here you can find all the major designer brands at discounted prices. Look out for a future post on bargain shopping!


Why not do a pamper yourself vacation and spend a week at a luxury spa in the beautiful Tuscan hills? Fonteverde in San Casciano (http://www.fonteverdespa.com/) or Bagni di Ripoli in Ripoli are good chocies. I have been to both and while Fonteverde is definitely more luxury oriented, I liked the rustic atmosphere of Bagni di Ripoli. A great list of spas in Tuscany can be seen on http://www.termeditoscana.com/


I believe these types of vacations are great for couples, families, singles and seniors. They allow you to do what you want to do in the incredible surroundings of Italy. You are learning, meeting new people, soaking up the local environment. You really do go home energized, stimulated by all you have seen and done.You are ready to face the world, prepare for your next off the beaten path vacation!

Employment - in Italy

Ok the logical question before someone decides to move to Italy is will I be able to find work? And of course it would be wise to think about this before actually moving to Italy! I will tell you a little of what I learned during my ten years in Italy with regard to work.



Teaching English

Yes there is always a great demand no matter where you go in Italy to learn English from a native speaker. You can enlist yourself with one of the many English schools, teach privately, teach Business English, offer conversational English. No matter what town or city you reside in, English is always in demand. Although you may not like or want to teach English, it is a good way to meet people and network.

In the very early years I taught Business English to a subsidiary of Coca Cola in a tiny town in Abruzzo. If you do this privately you can purchase your own teaching books online or at any good bookstore in Italy. You may decide that it would be easier to work for a private school like the British Institute or similar schools. With internet you can research the top schools in the town you will be residing in and just send them your c.v. with any teaching experience you may have.

Interpreting and Translation

Italy is made up of small and large companies, some family owned and run and others large corporate-like companies, depending on the city you are in. Nowadays all companies do some work with foreign companies and yes the common language is English. So you can get a list of the companies in your town, get a good c.v. and contact each company individually. Hint: in Italy a personal visit is always preferred to receiving a letter through the mail. Plus you don't want to risk your c.v. being trashed by some envious secretary. Sorry but been there, done that. So since image is everything in the bel paese...get dolled up and look as professional as possible, get a good c.v. in hand (translated if possible in Italian) and start visiting each company and tell them about yourself.

Many companies exhibit at tradeshows and may need a native English speaker to work the tradeshow with them. These jobs usually pay pretty well, should pay your transportation, hotel, meals and hours working at the show.


You may offer the companies the possibility of translating all comunication they receive and send the customers, suppliers etc and could even suggest handling some clients once you learn more about the company.

Working from Home
Nowadays through the internet one can become creative to find work. There are many publications for instance that pay freelance writers to write about their living in Italy. You can also offer translation services (Italian to English) if your Italian is good enough. You can become an agent or representative for Italian companies wanting to export abroad. Perhaps you have some good contacts in your home country that you can start networking with and start an export business (foods, clothing, shoes, etc.). Ebay is also a great way to earn extra cash. Why not scout Italian companies for their overstock and start putting those items on the internet for sale. Maybe you can even have your own website and just sell off your own site directly from the factories. I think the possibilities are endless.

Employment with an Italian Company
Many ask me how they can be hired by an Italian company. Here things work similarly as in the United States. I would begin if possible to have at least one contact name in the department you are interested in in that company or at least a contact with the company. This will help you get your foot in the door for a first interview. Unfortunately it is very much who you know and not what you know for many companies out here. Luck plays a huge factor too as I was lucky to contact a company at the right time (they happened to be looking for a native English speaker with a MBA in marketing). So you can try cold calling if you cannot get a contact name. The best type of contract to get with an Italian company is called "a tempo indeterminato". This is the most secure and you have the right to all the benefits (sick leave, maternity leave, vacation,etc). Nowadays it is very difficult to get this type of contract so consider yourself lucky if you are offered it. If you are confused about what they are offering you, talk to an accountant (comercialista) that can explain to you exactly what the terms are.

I will be honest that finding serious employers in Italy is not an easy task. My advice is to get as much information in writing as you can about the terms of employment, your responsibilities, etc and talk to as many people as you can about it. Be smart and shrewd and you will not be taken advantage of. Good luck!