Living in Italy has been a reality for me these past five years following a holiday in Umbria (which is in the dead centre of Italy - horizontally and vertically) and is known as the 'Green Heart of Italy'. We found the Umbrian people generally friendly and the Mediterranean weather promised benefits for our various ailments.
Based on our experiences (which may be peculiar to Umbria), the main differences between living in the UK and living in Italy are as follows:
Children
Italians are very indulgent with
youngsters being allowed to stay up late
and adults expected to overlook
tiredness tantrums. The concept of
adults predating on children is largely
alien to our rural community.
Pets
Many Italians consider that animals
should either work or provide food or
preferably both. There is a massive
feral cat population (why pay for
spaying?) and dogs are mostly chained up
or caged.
Food
Italian food and the Mediterranean diet
can be bad news. Pizzas and pasta are
covered in greasy meat and cheese, the
drinks are high-sugar, salt (in excess)
is added to everything (except bread!)
and alcohol is the preservative for cakes.
Although the older Italians are
remarkably healthy, many younger ones
have high cholesterol that is
exacerbated by virtually everyone
smoking.
Prices
Generally higher than the UK although if
you have a garden, it is much easier to
grow your own fruit and vegetables here
in Umbria. Pork and chicken from an
Italian butcher are usually of good
quality.
Work
The Italians have been inundated by East
Europeans and North Africans offering
cheap labour. Jobs are not easy to find
- even for the Umbrians themselves.
Driving
Not quite as bad as the
cartoons would have you believe although
if you venture south to Naples and
Rome, it can be hair-raising. Although
it is an offence to operate a mobile
phone while driving, you won't see
Italians paying attention to it.
Entertainment
Apart from the numerous festivals (every
vegetable or dish has its own 'festa') -
we are about to have the 'festival of
the red potato' - entertainment is what
you make it. Italians gather at the many
bars in the evening to argue about
politics and football and to play cards.
Language
Everyone speaks Italian, the immigrant
workers will speak their native tongue
too but no-one speaks English except
other ex-pats and the highest educated
Italians.
Redtape
Italian redtape is world-famous although
it is not aimed at foreigner since
native Italians suffer equally. Offices
will redirect you to other offices that
never open or which won't answer their
phone. You always need 'one more form'
and you are always 'deemed to know'. For
example, if a bill doesn't arrive, you
are supposed to have paid it anyway and
it is your fault that the Post Office
hasn't delivered it.
Lifestyle
All that said, it is an easier-going
pace of life here in central Italy. If
you want to get out of the Rat Race,
feel clean fresh air on your face, know
that the youths stood in front of you at
midnight are just waiting for 'last
orders pizzas' and will wish you 'Good
Evening' as you go past and that the
graffiti on the wall tells the tale of a
love-lorn lad and not some diatribe of
obscenities and hate, then this might
just be for you.
Well can we expect to see you living in Italy?
