ITALY…My Favourite Italian City – Bassano Del GrappaAugust 10, 2018ItalyTravelled in: 2015 – 2018You’ve probably never heard of it, but Bassano Del Grappa is a small city in Northern Italy. It is located about an hour outside of Venice, close to Vicenza. I hadn’t heard of it either until a few years ago when I was approached to apply for a job based there and ended up living there for a year and a bit.I might be biased, but this beautiful little city is my favourite place in all of Italy! I have been lucky enough to explore a lot of Italy over the past few years, Rome, Venice, Puglia, Milan, but nothing quite beats Bassano Del Grappa! Bassano really is a hidden gem that luckily most tourists haven’t quite discovered yet.Living in Bassano was by far the best thing I have ever done. I would still be living there now if I hadn’t of hated my job so much… The beauty of this town never gets old. I walked across this bridge every single day and always had to pinch myself that I was lucky enough to live somewhere this beautiful. The view changes constantly depending on the season and the weather, so it never gets boring…Bassano is the kind of place you fall in love with immediately, everyone that came to visit me wanted to come back! It is only small, but has so much charm and an atmosphere like nowhere else.This weekend I am back for a flying visit, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to share my love for this town and hopefully inspire anyone visiting Veneto to check my Italian home out!Getting to Bassano Del Grappa…The closest airports to Bassano are Venice Treviso, Venice Marco Polo and Verona.From the Venice airports Bassano is easily accessible by train…From Marco Polo airport you can catch the ATVO bus to Venezia Mestre train station, then hop on a train to Bassano Del Grappa which takes roughly 55 mins. Note: Trains only run twice an hour, so timing is key! The bus ticket costs €8 and the train fare is €5.80.From Treviso airport you can get the bus from right outside the airport to Treviso Centrale train station. The bus costs €2.80. From here you can catch a train to Bassano Del Grappa via Castlefranco Veneto. The train ticket costs €4.80.Check bus and train times here…ATVO bus/ Treviso Bus (MOM) / TrenItaliaFrom Verona you would need to hire a car to get to Bassano. To fully explore the Veneto region I would highly recommend doing this anyway. Bassano City center is mainly pedestrianised, but as it is small and totally walkable you can leave your car in the free parking at Via Santa Caterina.Staying in Bassano Del Grappa…Bassano is quite a small city so there’s only a handful of hotels in and around the city center. A couple of my recommendations are…Hotel Glamour – About a 15 minute walk outside of the center, this would be the most modern hotel option.Hotel Belvedere – A cheap and cheerful 4 star hotel just outside the city center walls.Eating in Bassano Del Grappa…There are so many great places to eat in Bassano. I definitely took them for granted. When you live in Italy it is actually possible to get tired of just eating Italian food… who knew! Now I can’t wait to get back and eat all the pizza and pasta!I have narrowed down some of my all time Bassano faves…Bella Capri – This is absolutely the place to go for a hearty Italian family cooked meal. Don’t expect anything fancy or incredible service, but Bella C is a locals fave and you get good food for super cheap prices.Pizzeria Partenope – My favourite place to go for pizza. It is family run and napoli style. Pizzas start at about €6 and omg they’re so good!Danieli – This is the best brunch spot in Bassano. For €13 you get a brunch feast of pancakes, eggs, bacon, fruit, yoghurt and fresh orange juice, it is incredible. This place is also good for lunch, dinner and drinks, but brunch is definitely my favourite meal to eat here!Osteria Trinita – A short walk out of town and you can find this amazing steak restaurant! I sadly only discovered this place a couple of weeks before I moved home. The owner was once a head chef in a top London restaurant, but moved back to Bassano to open his own restaurant! Book in advance as it gets very busy.Osteria Caneva – Where to go for a traditional meal in the heart of Bassano. It is the best place to try the typical Italian dish of Bacala. All of their pasta dishes are great as well and again it is super cheap!La Fondaria Artigiani Gelateria – I used to live right above this gelateria which was dangerous as it is one of the best in town. My favourite flavour was menta. They also do a great milkshake!Things to do in Bassano Del Grappa…People watch and have a drink in a Piazza – Sitting in a piazza and drinking is a big part of the culture in Bassano and Italy in general. Piazza Liberta and Piazza Garibaldi is where you will find most of the action! Being so close to the Prosecco hills means Prosecco and Aperol Spritz are easily accessible and super cheap. Expect to pay no more than €3 a glass. Some of my favourite places to grab a drink are…Deep if you want to find the internationals and cheapest spritz!Tipic for a cool vibe and great G&Ts.Room for a good cocktail and bustling atmosphere.Leone for people watching in the piazza.Walk the Bridge & drink a Mezzo e Mezzo – Bassano is famed for it’s Ponte Vecchio Alpini, which holds a lot of history for the city. The bridge has been destroyed multiple times during the world wars, but was always rebuilt. Today it still remains the main attraction of Bassano and joins both sides of the city over the river Brenta.The bridge is currently undergoing essential maintenance to stop it collapsing, so there is a bit of hoarding ruining the view of the bridge itself, but the view you get from the bridge is incredible.One of the most popular things to do in Bassano is have an aperitivo at Nardini. A bar right at the start of the bridge where you can try a typical drink of Mezzo e Mezzo. Despite drinking plenty on them I still don’t know exactly what a Mezzo e Mezzo contains, but essentially it is half and half of 2 types of alcohol, so expect it to blow your head off!Check out the view points – There are a few stunning view points in Bassano which offer incredible views over the mountains. My favourite is from Viale Dei Mariti. If you look closely at the trees on this street you will see memorial plaques with names of people who died here during the war.Climb the Clock Tower – I didn’t actually go up Bassano clock tower this until after I moved back to London, but last year when I came back to visit I thought a trip to the top of the city clock tower was necessary to fully put Bassano in to perspective. You can find the entrance in Piazza Garibaldi. There is a small entrance fee to climb up, but worth it for panoramic views over the terracotta roofs.Walk along the Fiume Brenta – You can not visit Bassano and not take a walk the river. There is nothing better than an evening strole taking in the views and breathing in the fresh air. It also makes for a great running route. In the summer there is a beachy area to relax and sunbathe on, but no matter how hot you get I wouldn’t recommend getting in the water as it is always freezing!Go wine tasting at Villa Angarano – A short walk along the Brenta and you will find yourself at this historic villa and vineyard. Book a wine tasting tour here and learn a bit more about the Angarano family and their Bassanese wine. In summer there is usually a vintage market and events in the villas gardens, so watch out for these as well.Visit the Poli Grappa museum – This is the place to go if you are a fan of the famous Italian digestive Grappa. The museum is right in the city center next to the Ponte Vecchio, here you can do everything from learn about the history of Grappa, taste Grappa and even buy a bottle to take home.Go shopping – Every Saturday morning the streets of Bassano come alive with market vendors setting up their stalls of flowers, fruit and veg, clothes, cooking utensils and all sorts of other random things. Expect all the locals to be out in full force to grab a bargain.For High St and boutique shopping the main stores are on Via Roma, the most mainstream store you will find is H&M!It is worth noting there is no big supermarket in the center of Bassano, the closest one is a 15 minute walk towards Marostica, others are drivable located at shopping centers just outside of town Il Griffone and Emisfero.Drive up Montegrappa – If you have a car this drive must be done! Montegrappa is a mountain close to Bassano. To reach the top you have to drive up hair pin mountain side roads, which at times are a bit sketchy, but so worth it when you get to the top. Go on a clear day and I’m sure the view would be amazing, but I went up on a cloudy day and actually drove through the clouds to reach the top which offered a pretty impressive sight. At the top you will also find the Montegrappa war memorial.Get an adrenaline rush – As much as I’ve made it sound like a cute, chilled out town in the Italian countryside, Bassano also has some great activities for adrenaline junkies! There is rafting, canoeing and paragliding all available within the surrounding area. I never managed to do any of these, but definitely would love to give them a go one day!Explore the surrounding area– Some of the towns around Bassano are equally as beautiful and also worth a visit whilst in the region. Check out Marostica for its famous chess board piazza and hill top castle. Cittadella to walk the city walls and Vicenza for shopping. There are also plenty of lakes to check out for a swim within a 20 minute drive, just look for water on the map and head in that direction. Valdobiaddine (the prosecco hills) are only a 30 minute drive away as well and definitley worth a visit!Bassano is one of those special places you just fall in love with after your first visit. I was really lucky to spend so much time here. I have such amazing memories of this town and Bassano will always be my second home with a special place in my heart.If you’re planning a trip to Veneto, be sure to check it out!... Read more...An ex-expats guide to Venice…March 21, 2018ItalyTravelled in: Multiple trips between 2015 – 2017 Being an ex-expat of the Veneto region in Italy I get asked a lot for my best Venice recommendations. I lived one hour out of Venice, so managed to visit multiple times during my time living in Italy. This means of course I have plenty of tips and hidden gems to share with you, so enjoy… Where to Eat in Venice… My number one favourite thing to do in any city is find great places to eat! I am a bit of a foodie and love trying local restaurants and authentic cuisines. Venice restaurants can be SO hit and miss. There are a plenty of tacky touristy places that overcharge you for really crappy food. If unsure you should check trip advisor or go by recommendations people give you. Sadly in Venice there is quite a high possibility you might leave disappointed or completely ripped off. Some restaurants I highly recommend are… Osteria Al Bacco – I could not recommend Osteria Al Bacco more, it is my go to restaurant in Venice. If like me you are a big fan of seafood, you need to check this one out. The menu is full of amazing pastas, risotto, meats and traditional Venetian dishes. It’s not crazy expensive either, you could expect to pay around €25 for a meal with a drink. Osteria Al Bacco is located in my favourite area in Venice, the old ghetto. In the sunshine it is the best place to sit, eat, drink and people watch whilst admiring the beautiful canal views. Everyone I have taken to this restaurant has loved it. It would be best to book as it can get really busy, and also has varying opening hours. Trattoria Alla Madonna – This is the place to go to try some traditional and authentic Italian food. Squid Ink is a typical food of the area and Alla Madonna serve an amazing Squid Ink pasta! Alla Madonna is located right next to the Rialto bridge, make sure you check it out. Ai Tre Arche – This restaurant is a winner if you want cheap and cheerful tasty food. The menu is extensive and offers something for everyone. Their special SCOGLIONE is a must try. If you like seafood, you like pasta and pizza and want them all at the same time, then this is the dish you need to order. The Scoglione combines all my favourite things in one dish and it was incredible! The outside tables also offer a pretty decent view of the three arch bridge… Other recommendations I have been given by my local friends and fellow tourists are… Osteria Alla Vedova, Osteria Bancogira and Das Moros Fresh Pasta. These are all on my hit list for my next visit! Where to Drink in Venice… Al Timon – An amazing bar, again in my favourite area of Venice, the old ghetto. It has a unique selling point in that it has a boat outside where you can sit and enjoy your aperitivo. Super cool setting for a spritz on a nice day! Osteria Al Squero – This beautiful gem of a bar is the place to go to mingle with the locals. It is located adjacent to the “Squero” (aka goldola making factory) and it is a perfect place to enjoy an apperitvo in the early evening. There are limited tables inside, so everyone sits on the wall outside which has a great view over the canal to the Squero where you can watch the Gondolas being made and repaired. Things To Do in Venice… I wont state the obvious places as I am sure The Rialto Bridge and St Marks Square are already on your hit list. The places I am about to recommend you check out are slightly off the main tourist track and definitely worth a visit! Liberia Aqua Alta – Even if you are not a reader this book store is worth checking out! There are books piled floor to ceiling, displayed in all sorts of interesting visual ways. There are various rooms to squeeze your way through (as it is very small) and a very instragrammable courtyard at the back! Venice Fish Market (Mercati Di Rialto) – You might find this a bit of a weird one, but I just found the fish market a really cool spot. Granted it was quite smelly, but there was something very authentic about a visit here. Being a city built on the water, obviously you have the added benefit of being able to buy straight out of the sea fresh seafood. This is where all the locals shop and definitely the best place to buy your fish if you are planning on cooking whilst in Venice. Doges Palace – Located right next door to St Marks Cathedral it is surprising that a lot of people miss off the Doges Palace on a trip to Venice. I didn’t visit it until one of my most recent visits to the city, but I am glad I did as not only is it a beautiful bit of architecture, it is also a building that played a big part in Venetian history. At one point in time it was actually the home of the Venetian government. There are some really cool tours you can do around the palace, the bridge of sighs and St Marks Cathedral, which I wish I had taken part in. Glass Tea House by Hiroshi Sugimoto – Over on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore you can find a little slice of Japan. For the 2014 Biennalle Hiroshi Sugimoto designed a glass tea house. Tea ceremonies are a big custom in Japan and the artist wanted to express the care that goes in to one of these ceremonies from this exhibit. Today it is used as an events space for activities and talks. The Best View Points in Venice… San Giorgio Bell Tower – I would rate this as my number one view in Venice! It require a little bit of effort to get to, but it is worth it. In my opinion it is an absolute MUST DO if you really want to understand how amazing this city is from above. The above picture explains for itself why you should make the journey to San Giorgio and pay the €5 entrance fee to go up this tower… Ponte Dell’Accademia – This is by far my favourite bridge view in Venice. I have so many pictures here. I love standing here watching the boats pass along the canal. Basilica di Santa Maria Della Salute – My favourite church in Venice. It is such an iconic and beautiful building. There are plenty of churches to explore in Venice, but this is up there with being the most impressive. Zattere – I love this area of Venice. From the waterfront you get an amazing view of the lagoon looking over to Giudecca island. Zattere always feels much quieter than the rest of the island, so it is a good place to escape the tourists. Whatever you get up to in Venice, I hope you have a fabulous trip… Please feel free to comment below if you have any suggestions for me next time I visit Venice 🙂... Read more...Surviving the slopes – My first time skiing…February 5, 2018ItalyTravelled in: January 2018 A couple of weeks ago I tried a brand new sport, skiing! I had never really thought about going skiing until last year. For my birthday my boyfriend decided it was time for me to learn how to ski, so he bought me skiing lessons at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead. He is a seasoned skier and is determined to get me on the slopes. With a lot of encouragement I booked in for my lessons. In total I participated in 4 hours of group lessons on the indoor ski slope. This was enough time to learn the basics… how to put the skis on, how to do a snow plough and how to turn. The instructors were great and my first lesson was a lot of fun. I managed not to fall over so in my opinion it was a success. The second lesson was not so successful! I had forgotten everything I had learnt, and it was a total bambi on ice situation. At one point I accidentally manage to ski over a mini jump, which could have been really messy, but miraculously I managed to land on my feet. After this whole experience I still didn’t really have a huge interest in skiing. I decided not to do any more lessons, but if I ever had the opportunity I would try again on a mountain. That opportunity was handed to me a couple of weeks ago, when I went to visit a friend in Italy… Skiing at Piani Di Bobbio Barzio… Bobbio Barzio ski resort is located about an hour and a half outside of Milan. You can get there pretty easily from any of the 3 Milan airports. I flew in to Bergamo as this was the closest to my friends home. Flights were a bargain only costing me £25 return from London Stansted with Ryanair. My friend suggested a trip to the mountain during my weekend visit to Italy. She has just started learning to ski herself and wanted to get some practice in. Luckily her boyfriend has been skiing since he was a child and could teach us beginners the basics. I had a mix of emotions when we arrived at the mountain. For one I was super nervous. I was about to experience something completely new, and I really didn’t know what to expect. Secondly I was majorly concerned it could all go horribly wrong and was having slight concerns my travel insurance does not cover this particular sport, but too late I was already there. Lastly, I was really confused. We had driven half way up the mountain and I still couldn’t see any snow. What were we going to ski on? It was a cloudy day so from the car park you couldn’t see the top of the mountain. To get to the peak we needed to take a cable car transfer. I didn’t have any ski equipment so I hired skis and boots from the rental office. This only cost me 14 euros for the day. The lift pass was 25 euros for 4 hours, which included the tickets for the cable car. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I was pretty blown away when I got out of the cable car. Having never been on a snowy mountain before, being up there and taking in these views was a little bit overwhelming. I had of course forgotten everything I picked up from my skiing lessons, even putting the skis on was a struggle. The skis and boots took a while to get used to. My calves and ankles were hating on me for a good couple of hours before the adrenaline/cold took over and numbed any pain. I was really worried about getting the chair lift for the first time, but it was surprisingly totally fine. It felt amazing sitting up there above the slopes taking in my surroundings. My first run down the mountain was actually much better than I had anticipated, although I had completely forgotten how to stop (a fundamental part of safe skiing). My friends boyfriend coached me through it and I soon managed to get the hang of stopping and turning. I felt a massive sense of relief when I finally got to the bottom of my first run and hadn’t fallen over. My biggest worry was that another skiier would come crashing in to me and wipe me out. It’s one of those things where you kind of have to just focus on what you are doing and hope for the best… A few runs down and I was really getting in to it, look at me go… 🙂 My friends ventured off to the red and black runs. I stayed on the blue as I was nowhere near ready for that yet. One thing I learnt after a couple of runs is that skiing is exhausting. A hot chocolate break half way down the slope felt very well deserved… After meeting back up with my pals we stopped off for some traditional mountain food at Rifugio Ratti Cassin. I tried the typical dish of Pizzoccheri, a delightful combination of buckwheat pasta, potatoes, cabbage and cheese, it was comfort food at its best and just what I needed to warm up. No mountain meal would have be complete without desert, so I also had to try their white chocolate and berry torte, which did not disappoint. Although I only spent a short time on the mountain, my first experience of the slopes was a great taster in to the world of skiing. I would of course still need ski school if I am ever to go on a ski holiday, but at least I now have some good basic skills and the confidence it takes to develop further. Something that has always put me off a ski holiday is the cost. Barzio Bobbio is no Val d’Isere I’m sure, but I found my day out on the slopes very affordable. If you are planning a trip to the Milan area or just want a quick getaway for a cheap ski fix, this could be your place. For my one day ski trip I spent 84 euros which included my return flights, lift pass, ski rental, lunch and a hot chocolate. I was super proud of myself for giving skiing a chance and actually being able to do it! I didn’t fall over once all day and I really enjoyed every minute of it. Having realized I have been missing out all these years, I think planning an actual ski holiday is definitely on the cards for next year. For anyone debating whether skiing is for them I hope I have convinced you to step out of your comfort zone and give it a go. You wont regret it 🙂... Read more...Throwback Thursday to Sorrento…April 27, 2017ItalyMay 1st bank holiday is coming up this weekend and this year I am off to the Cotswolds for a little British getaway. I rarely travel in England, so thought this was a good opportunity to see a place in my own country I have never been, so watch out for a post on that very soon! Last year I was still living in Italy over this bank holiday, so I thought I’d do a throw back post to how I spent my long weekend in… Sorrento! Travelled in: May 2016 About an hour outside of Naples lies Sorrento, a pretty little coastal town which acts as a gateway to the Amalfi coast. The area is full of history with many roman ruins and the site of Pompei within the region. It is also known for its lemon groves which in turn gives you some of the best Limoncello you will drink in Italy. Sorrento made for the perfect bank holiday weekend away by the sea, with great food and amazing picture perfect views. Arriving in Sorrento… Sorrento was the other end to Italy to where I was living in the North, so I took a flight from Venice down to Naples and then hired a car to get to Sorrento from the airport, which is about an hours drive away. Most airlines fly into Naples from the UK. Staying in Sorrento… For somewhere to stay I used my trusty favourite booking website, Airbnb. I stayed in a room of someone’s house which was perfect, just outside the city center. As Sorrento is such a popular holiday destination hotels can be really overpriced, so it’s definitely worth checking out what Airbnb has to offer in the area. If you do have a hire car try and get somewhere with parking as parking in the center is a nightmare and pricey! Travelling in Sorrento… Sorrento is a walk able city, but bear in mind the landscape is fairly hilly! To travel around the surrounding area you will probably want to hire a car. I hired a car from Naples airport, I was straight away warned at the desk that there were a lot of car thefts in Naples, so make sure you get all of the insurance to cover yourselves just in case! Eating in Sorrento… Ristorante Bagni Delfino – This seafood restaurant is one of the highest rated on trip advisor in Sorrento, so I had to give it a go! It is located on Marina Grande, again slightly out of the center and down a very steep hill, but it is well worth a visit here as it was absolutely amazing. I ate the most incredible seafood risotto, was given the best service, whilst looking out at the most beautiful view of the sea and the marina. It would be wise to book a table if you want to come here as it is always packed. N’hambù – This place was really close to where I was staying so slightly out of the center in a more residential area of Sorrento, but worth a walk there if you get a bit bored of pizza and pasta and want something a bit different! N’hambu is a really cool hole in the wall street food burger restaurant with a small, but great menu. You can create your own burgers as well and I highly recommend getting a side of patatine as they were some of the best chips I ate in Italy! Pizzeria Franco – Amazing lunchtime eatery if you are a fellow pizza lover… Super cheap and cheerful, nothing fancy at all, but the pizza is great and very reasonably priced for the portions you get. 3 Days and 2 Nights in Sorrento: My Itinerary… Day 1: Capri – The island of Capri was one of the main reasons I wanted to visit Sorrento as it acts as a gateway to the island. You can get a high speed ferry over to Capri from Marina Piccola which only takes about 25 minutes and they depart very regularly, particularly in the summer months. If you are just doing a day trip to Capri I would highly recommend planning what you want to do and see as getting around the island can be quite time consuming and complicated. First on our agenda was the famous Blue Grotto (Grotto Azzurra). This was something I had been recommended to do by a few people, so felt like it was a must whilst on the island. You need to get a boat tour to the grotto and you can buy tickets for this as soon as you get off the ferry, it costs around €20. The boat will take you to the grotto and then you have to board a smaller rowing boat in order to get in to the grotto, this costs an additional entrance fee plus a tip for the rower of the boat. The smaller boats only seat about 4 people so you could be waiting a while for your turn to enter. The skipper will row you through a small break in the rock to enter the grotto where you will be greeted by a cave pool of glimmering blue water. (Remember to duck when the skipper pushes you through as it is very low and narrow). The whole tour only lasts about 5 minutes as the actual grotto is tiny, some of the skippers will probably have a little sing song as well… it’s a similar experience to a Venice gondola! When the skipper drops you back on the bigger tour boat you then have to wait for the rest of the tour passengers to have their turn in the grotto which can take quite a while… To be honest the whole experience is very overrated. It is all a massive tourist trap and a bit of a waste of money. It is a nice thing to see if you have time, but not essential, especially if you are on a budget! When we were dropped back off after our Blue Grotto tour, we took the bus up the very steep and windy hill to anacapri. This in itself is an experience as you are literally hanging off the edge of a cliff with amazing views of the sea, your life in the hands of a crazy Italian bus driver… When we got to anacapri, we had had hopes of getting on the cable cars up to the top of Mount Salaro, however we got there just as they were closing for the last ride of the day, so unfortunately were not able to board! So we took the opportunity to strole around the pretty narrow streets with the aim of ending our day at the famous Villa San Michele – didn’t quite make it here before closing time either but regardless anacapri is absolutely beautiful and definitely worth a visit! On your way back down the hill to the marina you should also pay a visit to Piazza Umberto, and if you have time Marina Piccola on the other side of the island. Day 2: Explore Sorrento – The center of Sorrento is really small and there are many narrow streets lined with shops, restaurants and gelaterias to explore. There are 2 marinas – Marina Grande which is an old traditional fishing harbour and Marina Piccola which is a large port where you can catch ferries to surrounding areas such as Capri and Naples. Both harbours are lined with restaurants and in Marina Piccola there is also some beachy areas with sunloungers and swimming pools – Leonellis Beach is one of the places you can go to catch some rays. There are loads of lemon gardens all over Sorrento, a lot of them free to walk though. I had a strole around L’Agruminato citrus garden. If you love Limoncello, Sorrento is the best place to get it! Due to it’s hilly terrain Sorrento is a great place to go hiking. If you are prepared to walk far/high enough you will come across some incredible views! Not quite a hike, but a short walk away from the main town center you can find some roman ruins – Villa di Pollio Felice. You can walk here from the center in about 40 minutes, it is uphill most of the way so wear comfortable shoes before you set off! When you have finished exploring the ruins YOU MUST pay a visit to Lido la Solara, we stumbled across this place by pure accident, we noticed a boardwalk which was broken, but decided to walk across anyway and see what was hiding behind the rock, and we came across this bar. It was shut for a private party and renovations before the Summer season kicked in, but the owners invited us in to join the party anyway and it was such an amazing afternoon and a great place to chill out, have some drinks and watch the sunset! Day 3: Pompei – No visit to this area of Italy would be complete without a trip back through history in Pompei. The story of Pompei is one I remember the most from school geography and history lessons and a place I had always wanted to visit! Back in 79 AD the whole town and surrounding area was covered in volcanic ash and pumice during the eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius killing everyone and everything in its path. It is crazy that the town is still so intact and walking around you really get a sense of what life would have been like. The Pompei site is huge so take your time and follow the recommended routes so you don’t miss out on anything! The crazy thing is Vesuvius is still an active volcano so there is nothing to say history can’t repeat itself and wipe the area out all over again. ... Read more...Living in Italy, the good, the bad and the ugly…April 17, 2017ItalyIn 2015 I was offered a job as a buyer for a well known denim brand. The job was based in Northern Italy, in a town I had never heard of, about an hour and a bit outside of Venice. I had just come back from travelling and was itching to go away again, so the offer to move abroad couldn’t have come at a better time… I packed up my life and off I went to a town I could barely remember the name of, where I knew nobody and didn’t even speak the language. Strangely none of this even phased me, it weirdly felt like a normal thing to do, the reason for this being that I hadn’t done the amount of research that I should have done for someone that was moving their life to another country. Basically I was pretty oblivious as to what was to come when I actually arrived to set up home in Italy… So for anyone considering living in Italy, I have put together a few pros and cons to consider before making the move to this beautiful, but difficult country… The Good… The Weather… The best thing about living pretty much anywhere other than the UK is the weather, and Italy is no exception! I moved over in Summer and for the first 2 weeks it rained… torrentially, which made me wonder why I had even bothered moving… but luckily it didn’t take long for the weather to turn for the better! Summers in Italy are amazing, bright blue skies and high temperatures… it does get quite humid which can bring on some awful storms, and when it rains it pours. Winters in Italy are short, the weather usually start to get cooler around the end of October/November, then it starts to warm up again early March. Even though winters get fairly cold, the skies usually stay blue so it is much more bearable than being in rainy England. Autumn and Spring are pretty perfect, you can expect warm days and chilly nights. Quality of Life… Imagine coming home from work and feeling like you are on holiday every day! That is the only way I can describe the quality of life in Italy. It’s relaxed, easy going, cheap and a lot of fun! Cost of Living… With the exception of big cities, the cost of living in Italy is generally fairly cheap and you get a lot more for your money! I rented a huge 1 bedroom loft apartment, fully furnished, in the middle of a town center for €500 per month! Bills were cheap, eating out is cheap and drinks are cheap! Supermarkets, clothes and petrol you will find to be around the same price as the UK. The Food… An obvious attraction to Italy is the food, all you can eat pizza, pasta and gelato on your doorstep (quite literally in my case, as I lived above a gelateria). I am a big fan of Italian food, however the novelty does wear off as you come to realize that unless you are in a big city, options for eating anything but Italian food are fairly limited. Travel Opportunities… Living in Italy leaves you spoilt for choice with options of amazing places to go and explore. As well as the many beautiful towns there are to visit in Italy itself, you’re also in driving distance of neighboring countries such as France, Germany, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia. It definitely gives you a bit more flexibility not having to fly everywhere as you do living in the UK. Scenery… There are very few “ugly” towns in Italy. Being surrounded by the natural and architectural beauty of this country is one of the things I loved most about living there, everyday I would wake up to the view in the picture above and it never got old. Everywhere you go in Italy you are guaranteed to be surrounded by picture perfect views. The Culture… Italians are definitely very passionate about their culture and their country! There are a lot of small towns in Italy so generally everyone knows everyone, so there is a real sense of community. Each region of Italy is known for something different and the people from that region are usually very proud of that particular thing and like to make sure everyone knows about and tries out their “typical” traditions/foods. There are also plenty of bank holidays which a. means you get a day off work, and b. you can get involved the celebrations, as it usually means there will be some kind of event going on in the town. The Bad… Nothing is straightforward… I just assumed that moving to Italy and sorting my life out when I got there would be as easy as it would be if I were doing things the other way round and moving to the UK. (Where pretty much everything is straight forward, can be done online, fairly quickly and efficiently.) This is absolutely not the case in Italy… in terms of anything official, Italy is very behind the times, slow and unorganized! Very little life admin can be done online. For the majority of “official” things you will need to do, such as obtaining residency or getting your health card you have to be physically present at the local government office. This is obviously very inconvenient as the opening times will probably be the same time as your working hours and it will be even more of a problem if you don’t speak the language, so it would always be best to take someone that can speak Italian with you to help translate. Health Care… The good news is that there is a free health care option in Italy, the bad news is, it’s not great! Firstly it is quite hard to find a doctor that can actually speak English. Secondly the surgeries usually do not take appointments, so you could be waiting all day as it is on a first come first seen system. Thirdly if you are prescribed any medication the pharmacy’s are very expensive, a packet of paracetamol once cost me about s about €6. You will probably also find the opening times are inconvenient, my doctors only seemed to open 9am – 12pm, 4 days of the week, so if I needed to see her at any other time I was a bit stuck. Thankfully I didn’t need to use the hospital whilst I was there, so I can not comment on that service. I do know a lot of Italians have private health care as if you do require any serious or urgent medical assistance, going private is a lot faster and more reliable. Another thing I realized whenever I went to see the doctor in Italy is that they are very thorough with their examinations, but seem to give a lot of misdiagnoses. They also seem to sign people off sick for the smallest things, if you go in just with a cold you will probably get signed off for at least 3 days! Something else to note for ladies on the pill is that unlike in the UK, contraception is not free, so it is always worth stocking up or keeping a doctor in the UK for the purpose of renewing prescriptions, they also did not seem to offer many other options than the pill. To obtain free health care in Italy you can apply for a “Tessera Sanitaria” at the same time as filing for residency. You must have a permanent address to do this! You will be given a list of doctors in the area that you live and then whenever you go you must show your “Tessera Sanitaria” card during the appointment. I think the card is valid for a year, so you have to renew when they run out. Public Transport… Public transport in Italy is OK, but can be long and expensive, which is probably the reason why Italians love to drive everywhere. There are trains and buses that connect most large towns, but the routes can be long winded and take a lot longer than driving. There are two main train services in Italy: Frecce and Regionali, both you can book via TrenItalia, you will find the Regionali trains are cheaper, but the journey time may take a bit longer. Frecce trains are good for cross country travel, but can be pretty expensive, so book online in advance to get a better deal. High Street Shopping… Italy is home to some of the worlds most famous designer brands. If you are in to designer fashion you will have a field day shopping here, however, if like me you are more of a high street shopper you may struggle with the lack of options… Expect to find your standard H&Ms, Zaras and Mangos in the larger out of city towns, but that’s about as adventurous as it gets unless you venture in to a large city where you may also find a Cos or & Other Stories. For beauty lovers there is Sephora, but they are no where near as good as the American stores. There is also the Italian chain Kiko for a cheap make up haul. One of the shops I missed the most was boots, I couldn’t get even get my Aussie conditioner or Batiste dry shampoo that I use anywhere in Italy and had to always bring it back whenever I came home for the weekend. Another random thing to bear in mind is that you can not return anything in Italy! You can exchange with the receipt for the time period stated, but after that you have no rights to return unless faulty. Opening Times… Something else that takes a bit of getting used to when first moving to Italy is the opening times. Most shops will open in the morning from 9am – 12pm, then close for a long lunch break and reopen at 4pm – 7pm. This also applies to restaurants, they will usually shut their kitchens at 2pm for lunch, then reopen at 7pm for dinner. Really annoying if you find yourself hungry mid afternoon. Probably if you are in a city you will have more options that will stay open all day, but this will definitely be the case in smaller towns. Italian Drivers… Italians are renowned for not being the best drivers, and it is easy to see why. I witnessed more crashes in my time in Italy than I have ever seen in my lifetime. Some things to note about driving in Italy… Firstly, Italians love to drive in the middle of the road, so watch out for this. Secondly, If you are being flashed by the person behind you, you are going too slow and should move over so they can over take. Finally everybody speeds, so get used to feeling like you are in grand theft auto everyday. The Ugly… There’s not a lot of awful things about living in Italy, but there is ONE key thing that will affect all expats that make the move… Tax… Before I moved to Italy, the only thing I really knew about tax was that it comes out of my payslip every month, I could never have imagined the extent of the implications tax has now had on my life. Even now having been back in the UK for 7 months, I’m still having Italian tax issues and I probably will for at least the rest of this year. For anyone that is considering moving or already has moved over to Italy, unless you have done some serious research , you will be as oblivious as I was to how annoying Italian tax is… I have written about my experience to hopefully try and help anyone that may go through the same situations… First thing you need to be aware of is that tax in Italy is a lot higher than the UK, you also do not get the tax free allowance on your first 11.5k, you will be getting taxed from the first penny you earn… The base tax rate in Italy is 23% on anything up to €15k, 27% on €15k – €28k, 38% on €28 – €55k, 41% on €55 – €75k and 43% on anything over €75k. On top of these basic tax rates you also have to pay an additional regional tax and municipality tax (the amount of these will differ depending on where you live, but basically add on another 5-10%.) So after all of those deductions you are basically left with 50% of your original salary every month, so make sure you take that in to account when negotiating a salary! Second thing you need to know before you move is that it is so important to move at the right time of year to avoid paying additional taxes. The tax year in Italy is January – December, but the UKs tax year is April – April. This means that if you live in either country for over 183 days in the 12 month tax year you will be classed as a tax resident for that country… If you live in both countries for 183 days of either tax year you will be classed as a tax resident in both countries and have to pay “worldwide tax”. With this is mind the best time of year to move to or back from Italy is either in December/January or after July 1st. As an example, in my case I moved to Italy in June 2015 so I was in Italy for over 183 days and therefore classed as an Italian tax resident for 2015. Tax came out of my salary every month as usual for the time I spent working in Italy that year. As I had worked in the UK from Jan – June that year and paid tax at a lower rate than I had in Italy, at the end of the tax year I had to do a tax return and pay more tax to Italy which amounted to roughly an additional 18% on my total earnings for 2015 (UK and Italy earnings combined). You should know that if you have property, investments or bank accounts in another country other than Italy you have to declare these at the end of the tax year and pay additional taxes/fees on these also. If you are seriously considering the move to Italy, I would really recommend making sure you look in to this further so you are not surprised when you get a tax bill you can not pay. The PWC tax summary did help slightly, but it is really best to speak to a tax adviser if you are unsure. Overall living in Italy is by far the best thing I have ever done and I will forever have a connection to the country, especially my little town Bassano Del Grappa. As with every country there are pros and cons to living in them, but I definitely think the pros outweigh the cons. I would however say that living in Italy requires a lot of patience, effort and positivity, so if you can manage all of that, you will settle in just fine!... Read more...
