New to the forum

and I hope you'll find the information provided by the forum members helpful. I know I do!!!

whatever we all might say in here it's still a great place to live...having said that it's vital to remove ANY rose tinted glasses before making a decision to move. it's not only about language although thats important too...it's not only about money thats always vital..it's a lot to do about suprisingly big cultural differences these vary according to where one may elect to live.We have seen on this forum (and very often) people who have chosen to live in localities which by AVERAGE european standards and even italian average standards would be considered fairly remote/rural with all the consequent cultural/social implications involved...just as if someone decided to move to the far north of Scotland/mountains of central Wales or parts of Canada .on the same score one might find that life in the larger northern cities like Milano or Torino is not so different nowadays from Manchester or Lyon...just a thought...good luck

Welcome Bella and I hope things work out for you.  Good advice, I think, sebastiano.  I assume you already know Italy well, Bella?  Anyway, we look forward to hearing how your plans are going.

Welcome to the forum Bella.

Ciao Bella...pardon the pun. Welcome and hope you gain much from the forum, not least to not take some of the banter seriously; we all love each other really.... There is a wealth of knowledge on all things Italian here so ask away or use the search box on the right side of the page for a topic. Salve

stupid double post..

Awwww Flip - I didn't know you cared. 

Last of a dying breed Esme old Chum!

Welcome. Have you given any thought to which regions you would like to explore/research?

Welcome, Bella. We are looking forward to hearing more from you. Sebastiano's advice is totally correct. It is most important to think very carefully before taking the plunge. In any case, creating a project is a great thing. Learn and think as much as you can about what you want to do. Play devil's advocate. All this will ensure your success. I wish you all the best.

There is a lot to consider for sure, and getting used to life in Italy can be surprisingly difficult; I have to say throughout the time I lived in Milan it was the British who were most frustrated by the Italian way doing things. All the same, people tend to regret the things they didn't do more than they regret the things they did! It doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing decision. If you own a house in England, rent it out for a year and rent a place in Italy for yourself. That way you get to try out the area you're interested in, too. Or try a house swap.  In any case I'm sure you'll find this forum both useful and entertaining!

Thank you all for a warm welcome. I look forward to posting in the future. Thank you for the suggestions also.

Hello Bella and lots of luck in Italy.  We bought a tiny little house in Umbria about 7 years ago and go as often as we can.  Lovely people, fantastic food - what more do you need?  Regards, Jacki

Welcome.  Does your picture reflect your interest in fungi foraging I presume? Plently of scope for that in Italy :) Les

Find an area you think you will like and rent a property for a reasonable period including the winter! and if all goes well use some of the time to search for the place of your dreams. If it's a disaster return back to your home in UK which you have not sold. Ps fungi foraging is only for the VERY knowledgeable.

Sound advice, Elliven!

  Hi again, Yes, Italanon, I am a fungi collector and lover. I can only agree that when going out to collect you must either know your stuff or have them checked over by someone who does. My first experience was in Italy. I was taken out by an expert Mycologist and shown where to look. The altitude they grow at, the trees they like to grow under, and how to spot them and tell the difference between edible and non-edible. I was led to believe that the Boleutus family (Porcini) was one of the easiest to recognize and one of the least of the poisonous fungi. BUT, I am no expert, so, don't hold me to that. We then cooked and ate them in many recipes until, can you imagine, I was sick of Porcini!  The photo I use as my avatar was a very large Porcini I picked in the U.K. Yes, they do grow here and are plentiful and just as tasty and is now sitting sliced and frozen in my freezer awaiting my next risotto. I did read recently that in Italy, at least 18 people died whilst gathering mushrooms. They weren't poisoned; they fell down mountains. Some of them had gone picking in the dark!!!!  

Hi Bella welcome to the forum, like you I am knew to this forum too but not to Italy I have a house in Abruzzo and have spent the last three years living there as often as I can I hope to be over there again soon and spend a few months Writing and creating Artworks    

I have visited Abruzzo. What part are you in? Loved the mountains and the beaches. I was first introduced to Abruzzo through Tim Parks and his very enlightening & entertaining books. Have visited many parts of Italy and can't quite make up my mind which areas to "try out". I thought maybe that I would rent for some periods of time in different areas and make a long holiday out of it. Seems like a good way to go. Did a year tour in my youth with a small child in tow, it was fantastic, sadly I'm a lot older now and not built for sleeping in tents and the back of a VW bus. Covered lots of areas then and many I have re-visited. Still would like views from people here and maybe some photo's of their area. I don't think jumping in without doing lots of homework is the right thing to do. Research, research and more research is the key and then if you fail on the way at least you tried eh.

Here was my Porcini found in SE England last summer :) [Experimenting in adding photos here ]