“They are a different breed,” my friend Claire informed me.“The friendships form fast, go deep, and can get pulled up just as fast.” Expats are like dandelions. We make a wish, and the winds take us to new ground. We grow quickly on our new land. And the taproots of new friendships grow deep. Like a dandelion, when something pulls on it to uproot it again, friendships can be pulled all the way out, the deep tap...
Venice, Christmas Eve You leave the grand space of San Marco’s campo, with its four horses and St. Mark’s body, clipped as goods of war, now bringing credentialization to the duomo. Walk along the water’s edge, and you’ll feel this stolen grandeur fade. Four stairs down step the platform closer to the water, where no doubt aqua alta splashes regularly when storms and high waters brew. Keep walking, another block or two.To your left across the...
Citta della Pieve, Hotel Vanucci. The waitress came towards us, whispering to herself under her breath so she could hold the message in English until she could spit it out to us. “Mr. Peter, I have a message from the chef for you. He said to tell you, ‘Since you are a man of your word, he is a man of his word.’ Your crème brûlée will be ready for you at dessert.” She looked relieved. ...
Castiglione del Lago (PG), Zona Industriale le Pucciarelli. In the middle of an Italian industrial zone, I found myself listening to an Ommagio a Edith Piaf, sipping French wine (George Deboeuf Beaujolais-Villages), nibbling delicious and beautifully rendered pasteries, and chatting with friends from Australia and Great Britain. Manola Rosati was singing, and Eleonora Conti accompanied her on the piano. This presentation of music, wine and food was the gift of owner and master pastry chef Michael Piselli who has created a delightful...
Once you have determined if you will be in the city or rural, and how close to usual tourism, you will know how much language training you will need. I highly recommend finding an immersion day for travelers before you arrive. You can pick up tips from your fellow travelers (I learned it was a wise investment to buy a compass for traveling in the countryside!). You may wish to supplement this with CD courses or...
Anyone who is not born in Maine is known as “from away.” No matter how many years you live in Maine, you will always be from away. From away is relative–some folks are more from away than others, but if you are not Maine-born, you are forever from away. I was crossing Front Street in Portland Maine with friends–one a true born and raised Mainer (who had left for Masschusetts, but she was not considered from...
Citta della Pieve, Umbria. We had three inches of snow in la Pieve Friday night into Saturday morning. The streets are very icy right now, and the temperature quite low. The BBC online has the headline “FREEZING WEATHER BRINGS MISERY TO EUROPE.” Not at all sure we are miserable here, but it sure is cold, and three inches of snow was an unusual amount of snowfall for this area. It was amazing Saturday morning to experience...
Be clear about your purpose in going to Italy. Write out a mission statement, because as you drill down into details — this will come in handy often through the process. You’ll find yourself checking back on your intention, as you get to various decision points. The first time I came to Italy alone was in 2005, for two months. My mission statement was: I want to experience living in a foreign country—more rural, to...
If you can pack up your house (or sublet it, or swap houses with an Italian family), the finances of the dream become suddenly much more within reach. Since mortgage, or rent, is not due in the US, then you have these expenses to apply to your adventure. Also, you can suspend your home phone and your US cell phone (if it does not have GSM 800/1900 global frequencies – more on this later). And your...
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