346 it just gets better

Well done Adriatica,

We have just got back from a fantastic afternoon enjoying our local village festa, which included a celebration of traditional ways of life locally, culminating in a donkey race around the church! Everyone from the image concious teenager to the oldest residents standing shoulder to shoulder and enjoying each others company.

Weather was fantastic, BBQ and local vino rosso in our back yard when we got back.

Every morning we walk the dog through the orto's and back lanes of the village, chatting to the very friendly locals and catching up on their plans.

This all seems like a million miles away from the England we left nearly a year ago. Sure there are plenty of things to sort out if you want to make a permanent move (especially if you are not wealthy!), but the balance weighs heavily on this fantastic country, it's people and their attitude towards life.

Monday morning tomorrow.........but even that seems OK............

Hi
My partner and I are planning to move to Abruzzo in two to three years. We visit there regularly already. His parents are originally from Italy but moved to Australia where they raised their family. His sister moved there 5 years ago after marrying a Lazio man. My partner's parents also plan to move back next year for good so we will have plenty of family support.
We are mid thirties and had enough of stressful london living (I work as a journalist.) I was thinking of doing a tefl course and teaching english (while i improve my italian there as I speak only basic) . My partner works in IT which really he could do anywhere.

Are there many other english people of our kind of age that you have come across in Abruzzo? Obviously we will make friends with italians as well but i would be interested in having others to meet there etc

thanks

fanine.....

we have a couple not that far away who used to sail yachts...one of them is australian.... had another one here for six months writing a book...australian... she was a chef on private yachts.... a few english seem to be around...not many though in this area.... but feel free to contact us if you want info..... also have an apartment next door for rental if you plan a visit..our email is [email]barbarabalda@hotmail.com...thou[/email]gh youll most probably have relatives to stay with i guess

rgds and good luck with your plans

You will have no difficulties linking up with English-speaking expats during your stay in Abruzzo. Have friends and acquaintances from Belgium, England, Germany, USA, and France, etc who speak any number of tonges. One of the most difficult languages to learn will be the most common-ie the Abruzzo dialect.

Casale
[url]http://www.angelfire.com/film/casale[/url]

[QUOTE=adriatica]i read sometimes with wonder of the concerns over driving to abruzzo....if italian shops sell tea or what white goods to bring..... and what rip off is next on the list of house buying.....

well italy is much the same as the uk about everything and you will pay the same costs pretty much as anywhere once you have bought your property which will generally be cheaper than the uks.... you will not have an income in general so you will find lots of capital wandering off and sometimes wonder if you have done the riight thing....

all i can say is that today with temp around 25 c and blue skies you might well decide that the answer is yes.... it was worth all the struggles and the concerns over what you should shouldnt bring might well recede a little....

everyone here is busy.... potatoe plants are pushing thru,salads have been planted and are forming up.... blossom is almost finished on fruit trees and small fruit is already growing... there are chores... you need to break the crust around the new potatoe growth.... watering...tomatoes to be planted out.....nut life here is just about perfect if you stop worrying about taxes ,bills and cups of tea...

the wine here is much better for you anyway.... and especially those moving with children...who hesitate over that stressful decision .... then you can almost guarantee that if you want a life for your children that you might well have once had twenty or so years ago.... where they run in the village...walk fields ...see wild animals and just have that freedom that when we were young we never apreciated... not having to buy the latest branded trainers because no one really cares ......then get on with it...struggle thru the sometimes stupid house buying process here and fill out the forms , fight witrh enel to get your bills right...sometimes even sent to you.....it all is worth it....

and above all forget what you are planning to leave and what you might miss...once you are here there is nothing that you will want from back where you came from and really if you do miss a thing that much then maybe you have not made the right choice.....

and no i am not saying stop the questions ...we all have something to learn from here.... but take courage...do it and above all remember italy is italy and that life here is different but on days like today you might well regard it as heaven...[/QUOTE]

Good to hear that all is well. We are hoping to make the move this year or early next - we are in our mid fifities and Abruzzo is one of the areas that we are going to look at having been there once. I think the main problem is finding work of different types to keep going, however we are hoping to overcome all problems - afterall problems are there to be overcome! Our italian is gradually taking shape - though slowly!

Personally I can't wait to get there - I would rather do it than wish I had done it!

Good luck

Zillah

John,

You have convinced me!

We plan to relocate early in 2007, which seems a lifetime away.

The main reason for us relocating permanently..............our 3 young children and a general better quality of life for us all.

Earning a crust in a slight concern, although we do have a few ideas, but the money we need to live on in Italy is far less than we currently need in England, so I'm sure we will cope.

Besides....we'll make great savings on wine alone!!!!

Jan