9476 Newbee with questions

:eerr: Hello All
My wife and i are learning Italian (3hours aday) and love it,can anyone give some adivse please.Is Sicily a safe place to buy or should we be looking in the mainland.My wife wants the warm sea lifestyle,but I'm more practical and would like to drive to italy,and don't want to limited in being able to work on a home,as it is an island
Any advise would be great Many Thanks

Category
Introduce Yourself - Piacere Conoscerti

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/02/2008 - 07:29

Welcome Tall. There was a similar thread posted here recently and I think the general consensus of opinion is that it's not a good idea for very obvious reasons. However our Webmaster, Ronald, has a property there.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/02/2008 - 08:07

Why not Sardinia?Oh and welcome by the way.Good luck with the lessons.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/02/2008 - 10:18

From the point of view of Sicily being 'limiting' because it is an island - think again! It is a very large island, and has some excellent fast and exciting (and empty) roads, and using these you can explore the various provinces which each have their own character.

There are cheap overnight ferries to Palermo from Civitavecchia or Genova, if you want to bring your own car from the UK (and avoid the long drive down to Reggio Calabria.) Go to Sicily for a long holiday and make up your own mind if it is 'safe' - it doesn't strike me as 'dangerous' in the least, but maybe I was just fortunate.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/02/2008 - 10:29

Interesting article suggesting that with the Mafia on the decline - really??? - property prices are on the increase in Sicily - [url=http://www.homesworldwide.co.uk/europe/italy/travel/articles/escape_to..._sicily__and__sardinia?news_id=0015583]Escape To... Sicily & Sardinia - Buying and investing in property abroad in Italy[/url]

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 05/02/2008 - 12:32

My wife and I have been visiting Sicily for over 30 years. It certainly is an extraordinary island. I must admit, however, to being initimidated by the risky driving performances of locals in Palermo and Catania. But once out of those places, driving is a pleasure.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 05/03/2008 - 17:27

3 hours a day!, that's impressive.
As for living on an island, well it's a pretty big island and as for crime I guess unless you are conspicuously wealthy I guess you would be safe enough.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 15:04

Thanks to everyone who posted some advise.
I do 3 hours aday because i don't want to be another ignorant Englishman abroad.