Home Sweet Home

With our residency secured, we can now concentrate on house-hunting.

Of course, we've been actively looking for our 'kiwi4everhome', it's just now we can put more time into it.
That's time, not effort. There's been plenty of that in these last few eventful months.

There are plenty of doer-uppers...!

Luckily, with upwards of 15 real estate agencies in Modica, there's no lack of properties.

And budget's f'sure not the problem here. The average house price in those areas we're looking at being around €845 per m².
So that 80 m² home we want, would be around €68,000. Which has proven to be the case.
So, budget's not the problem: Location is.
Y'see, now we know the area, we've established there are 'no-go' areas. Not because of crime or anything, as that’s very low.
Nope. It's because required services, such as shops and public transport, are missing (Modica Alta). Or there are accessibility problems, like too-steep streets (Santa Margherita district).
Else it's 'too modern', being full of apartments and similar soulless properties (Modica Sorda). And yes, because there are poorer areas here, where the housing reflects that status (Sant'Andrea district).
Bottom line? We find ourselves restricted to those areas around the two main thoroughfares, and the lower hills around them.
Now we did find a good property a few weeks back, but the owner proved to be 'stronzo' (an arsehole). Shame, but we didn't need the stress, so walked.
Still, we have time, and we're taking that.
It’s a life-changing decision, after all!

Friendly Faces

One thing that has surprised us is how friendly the locals have proven to be.
Okay, obviously we both like Italians, otherwise why be here? What we weren't prepared for though, was how much they've taken to us!
I mean, our current landlords have bent over backwards to (literally) accommodate us. To such an extent they took up our case with the local police, and the Comune (local council).
Talking of the Comune? We had to visit to present (yet another) form, and the women 'guarding' the front door greeted us like old friends.
And that initially gruff woman who looked after our residency application, even greeted my wife with a: "Ciao, Alice!"

Alice ready for her next lesson

Then there's the local fruit-and-vege shop owner, trying to teach Alice some Sicilian dialect!
And our builder, who's gone out of his way to assess homes for us. For free! We even had dinner at his place the other day.
Of course, many of those in our favourite cafes and bars are friendly. We're now on a first name basis with most.
Although they do keep telling us how a relation or friend has this house for sale!
Alright, we still get stared at on the street. Is it those NZ masks? Or is it more: Why are those foreigners still here?
They warm up when they realise we're not here looking for a holiday home. That we've decided to make their city ... their community ... our home.
There's nothing quite like being wanted!

City of Contrasts

Modica is a city full of contradictions.
One of the real estate agents we dealt with stating: "Sometimes it's too small, and sometimes too big."
We get what he meant: This city of only 55,000 may not have all you want, but can have what you need.

A (now) local showing me the sights

Even just walking about the place, and we've done a lot of that, you get that feeling.
The feeling that it's f'sure big enough for us, as even after all these months we haven't finished exploring it yet. But that it's also small, and can be somewhat insular.
Witness the way (some) of the locals stare at us as we pass them on their balconies. Not something that happened in NZ or UK towns and cities of similar size.
So, they can be both very welcoming and uber-suspicious at the same time! Some will return your cherry "Buongiorno" ("Good morning"), while others will simply stare at you.
It's both a city full of older people, and one with teens on scooters racing about, and hanging about in groups on the church steps.
And, as unemployment is very high, 15.6% in the second quarter of 2020, it's not unusual to see middle aged people milling about during the day.
In fairness though, I think much of this could be said of the rest of Sicily too. Whatever, this little corner of the Mediterranean's largest island is now home to us, and we do love it.
And that's 'warts' ('contradictions') and all!

Buon Natale (Merry Christmas) and  More Soon...

Latest

I thought I'd write a quick 'n short update to share some news.

Last Friday Alice rang the Comune di Modica to chase up our residency request.

We figured, as it'd been 42 days since we put in the required Dichiarazione di Residenza (Residence Declaration) form, it was worth chasing up.

Given we'd been told the 45-day process would formally end on Monday the 14th of December? And given we'd run around like headless chickens in an effort to get each and every document they required!

Our Letterbox

Y’see, besides the completed form, we also had to provide:

• Our Codici Fiscali (Tax Codes);

• A lease agreement, registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate (Revenue Agency);

• Private health insurance (valid for one year) each;

• Proof of sufficient funds, which had to be in a joint Italian bank account;

• Our NZ Marriage Certificate, translated into Italian, and then formally accepted by the Ministero della Giustizia (Ministry of Justice); and

• Valid EU Passports.

Now the very helpful lady at the other end of the phone got all confused when asked about the progress of our residency certificate request.

The signora asked: "But why do you want a certificate, when you’re already resident here?"

I mean: What?

Long story short: Off we dashed down to the city council office. Long story even shorter: We now have a copy of a "Certificato Contestuale di Residenza, di Stato di Famiglia".

Which means we’re now - formally and officially - Italian residents!

Which also means: Up yours, Brexit!

More Soon...

Residenza

Our residenza (residency) application was formally accepted on the 30th of October.

A 45-day process that should, finger’s crossed, see us become officially resident in the Comune di Modica on the 14th of December 2020.
17 days before the Brexit deadline of the 31st of December.

We'll get a visit from these guys

As stated last month, the process was ‘somewhat fraught’, but we got there in the end!
And, while Alice has made ‘friends’ at the local council and health board, we can now count our insurance agent as one too. Fabrizio even offered to argue with the Comune if there was a problem with them not accepting our health insurance policies.
It f’sure didn’t hurt we discovered he’s a rugby fan!
With our residency application receipt in hand, we applied for our Carte D’identità Elettroniche (Electronic Identity Cards).
We got lucky here, as we managed to charm le signore (the ladies) in the office handling the process, so that at least went smoothly. When I say ‘we’, I mean ‘me’, of course.
They were fascinated by the banter between Alice and me, and that I laughed so often. Obviously, most applicants have no sense of humour then?
Go figure.
Now these cards, unlike for Italian citizens, are only valid here for ID purposes. We won’t be able to travel within the EU using them.
A shame of course, but with both of these documents in hand, we’ll be pretty much set up here.
Looks like we’re successfully managing to weather this ‘blizzard of bureaucracy’!

The Dreaded ‘C-Word’ Part 2

Back in September I wrote that with more restrictions coming in the UK, we were lucky to be moving here.

I talked about ‘good timing’, and how we weren’t hopping from the frying pan into the fire.

However, as at the 25th of November, the 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases was 458 per 100,000 in the UK, and 761 in Italy.

Not so good!

We, and the rest of Europe, are now riding the second wave.

Me & my NZ mask

Here in Ragusa province, three cities were declared to be ‘Zone Rosse’ (‘Red Zones’). That is, communities where everything is (almost) back in full lockdown due to their high infection rates.

Now I will say lucky here, ‘cause Modica isn’t one of them.

We’re ‘Zona Arancione’ (‘Orange Zone’) which, while it f’sure ain’t fun, is less bad. We can still move freely, as long as we’re masked up, and most businesses are still open.

However, all my beloved cafes, bars and restaurants are closed, and la passeggiata has all but stopped.

I say: Why go out for that traditional evening stroll when you can’t watch the sun going down over a 300-year-old cathedral with an aperitivo in your hand?

The young are bored, and the old men sadly mill about in small groups, all not knowing what to do with themselves, now their favourite haunts are closed.

While life has slowed to a crawl for us, we’re okay though, taking every precaution.

Just getting on with getting on.

Food, Glorious Food

Enough doom ‘n gloom.

Instead, let’s talk about ... food!

A favourite topic among Italians. So much so, that around midday, instead of ‘ciao’ as a goodbye, the locals will wish you ‘un buon pranzo’ (‘a good lunch’).

What we’ve found is that we’re eating better quality here.

Everything bought, in the supermarket or fruit and vege shop, is likely locally-grown, and freshly picked or just out of the ground.

The only ‘downside’: It’s seasonal. For example, we were too late for figs, so will have to wait until next year for those.

I’ve even grown to love salads. I mean, the tomatoes, lettuce, and onions are beyond belief!

Now whether at home or eating out: Everything simply ‘has’ to be bathed in olive oil, and covered in a snowdrift of grated cheese.

And pasticcini (pastries) to die for...!

Here, all those concerns we have about fats and oils simply don’t register. The locals will claim it’s good for you, which may or may not be true but, since moving here, I’ve definitely relaxed my attitude somewhat.

It’s not like I have any choice, of course!

Let's talk about bread now.

Which you should buy at your local panetteria (bakery) on an almost daily basis. No 'sliced loaves' here, it's baked on the premises, and the varieties seem endless.

Hard, soft, crunchy, salty or sweet: They have it all.

And it’s all so very yummy.

So, I’ll leave you with: "Mangia bene, ridi spesso, ama molto" ("Eat well, laugh often, love a lot").

More Soon...

Modica!

My first update after the big move.

We'd booked an Airbnb for the first two weeks.
Expensive f'sure but, all-inclusive, it was still less than we'd be paying for the same period in London by £100.
It gave us time (we'd hoped!) to find that six months plus rental. This being our biggest hurdle: The entire basis of our application for Italian residency. So important before year-end, of course.
Initially, our search wasn't very encouraging.
We discovered local real estate agents liked leaving properties online, even well after they'd been rented out.
So those rentals I'd scoped from the UK? All gone.

Our names on the doorbell

But being forced to think outside of the box is second nature to us so, instead of getting desperate, we got creative!
So, while poor Alice rang around the agencies, just in case they had something, I went all left field. I contacted several Airbnb places, asking if they'd be prepared to rent to us for six months?
Not only that, but would they be willing to register any contract with the local Ufficio Delle Entrate (Tax Office)?
A big ask (despite being a legal requirement), but we were gambling on the fact that tourism had taken a real hit, and we were approaching the off season.
Outcome? We'd both scored by the end of the day! She'd found a small furnished apartment, and I'd found a willing Airbnb-er.
We went with the latter: €500 (£450) a month all-inclusive. 30% of our monthly rental in London!
Win!

La Bella Vita?

So, is this 'The Good Life'?

That'll be a resounding 'Si!' … so far anyways.

For a start there's high-quality, locally-grown, fresh - and cheap! - produce everywhere. And buying in your neighbourhood is a thing.

We're talking fruit and vege, bread, meat, wine, fish, and cheese shops. Many being cheaper, and with more variety, than local supermarkets.

Aperol Spritz anyone?

Then there are cafes and bars everywhere. This is the land of the aperitivo after all, and boasts endless varieties of (uber-affordable) local wines.

Here a glass of good red’ll set you back €3 to €4 (£2.70 to £3.60) in a sit-down bar, in the centre of the tourist area. And often comes with free side dishes like olives, nuts, bread, and/or crisps too.

If, however, you prefer buying a good DOC at the supermarket, that'll only set you back €3 to €4 too.

While too much of a good thing isn't good for us, or our waistlines, we are actively exploring this hilly city, and f'sure racking up the steps. On average around 2,500 more a day than in the UK.

And then there's la passeggiata.

The time-honoured and traditional evening stroll, during which the locals come out onto the main streets and piazzas. Not just to walk ... but to check out who's with who, what they're wearing and, of course, stopping for that aperitivo and a chat.

And the locals are very friendly. Especially when they learn we’re looking to stay.

What’s not to love, right?

Not All Sunshine

A given.

While we've made excellent progress applying for residency, it's been somewhat fraught.

A misunderstanding between the Comune (local council) and Azienda Sanitaria Locale (local health board) being the biggest hurdle.

Our Comune now

The Comune stated we'd need private health insurance, while the ASL were adamant we didn't.

We 'backed-and-forthed' for a week here. In the end, I printed off the relevant legislation and we convinced the ASL that, in fact, we did need it (for now) to get residency.

There's an upside: Thanks to Alice, we now have allies in both the Comune and the ASL. It's f'sure not 'what' but 'who' you know here.

Our lovely landlords even offered to introduce us to the mayor's right-hand man, to maybe help with this impasse!

Then there's house-hunting.

A background activity for now, but we're making a start. We've found great houses in the wrong locations; not-so-great ones in the right locations; and much in between.

One thing, as we're in the old part of the city, there are empty and/or abandoned houses everywhere. I'm talking either the majority or around every second one in some areas.

A so-common problem right across Italy!

One surprise? The traffic.

For such a small city (55,000), there's an awful lot of it. The place is bouncing!

Another surprise? It's incredibly well-behaved!

Despite traffic jams, there’s little honking, and they’ll actually stop for you at pedestrian crossings! Likely because they’re way more laid back than their northern cousins.

My kinda place then!

Who Was I?

This year marks five years since I had my (thankfully) mild heart attack.

An 'anniversary' that came, and went, only a few days ago.
Sigh...
This month, therefore, seemed to me to be the right time to announce my early retirement on LinkedIn, that business-orientated social media juggernaut.
It's something I've been thinking about for some time, of course, but this made my decision 'formal', if you will.
And when I pressed 'post' on that announcement, something strange happened. I felt elated, like this great weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
Somewhat weird, I’ll grant you, but a great feeling nevertheless!

Show some love on LinkedIIn

Having done that, from my 1,500-plus followers, I noted those who 'liked' my post, and diligently replied to each and every comment.
I also noted that many who'd asked for advice down the years; many I'd hired or promoted during my 35 years in IT; and many I'd worked with over those decades, hadn't even bothered to like my post.
Disappointing: I'm only human, after all!
Several weeks later, I thanked all of those who'd liked and/or commented on my post. They were, after all, one of the major reasons why I'd so enjoyed my long career.
And I also thanked the majority who hadn't bothered to like and/or comment, as they'd vindicated my decision to now leave my career behind me.
And didn’t they start popping out of the woodwork after that!
I deleted my account 24 hours later, feeling vindicated all over again.

Planning and Execution

I've always found it's best to plan, plan, and then plan some more.

It keeps the blood pressure down, and that's a good thing at any age!

So, my 'Moving to Modica' document is, at 11 pages long, a list of what needs doing, and when, prior to leaving London.

Under pressure

Covering everything from telling our Aussie-based landlord (ironic!) the bad news, through sourcing a mover, getting our medical records, to cancelling Netflix. And now, with less than a week to go, we've managed to tick off most of what needs doing.

Now we've done this a few times before, but that's not too shabby. Most of what's left has to do with selling our car, and taking final readings of various utilities.

Happy days!

Then there's the 'Applications in Modica' document which, at 16 pages, is both longer, and more stress-inducing, I have to say.

This covers engaging some needed local expertise (competenza locale), getting ourselves a short-term rental contract (contratto per uso transitorio), and sourcing a Health Insurance Card (Tessera Sanitaria).

Through getting an Italian driving licence (patente di guida), an Electronic Identity Card (Carta D’Identità Elettronica), and opening a bank account (conto bancario).

The 'biggie': The Certificate of Regularity of Stay (Attestazione di Regolarità di Soggiorno), which is essentially a resident's certificate.

And, after all of that, there's the 'attestazione di iscrizione anagrafica', a new document needed to prove we're allowed to live in Italy post-Brexit.

A ‘blizzard of bureaucracy’, but we've planned for it!

The Dreaded 'C-Word'

Which is, of course: Coronavirus.

Timing is everything

Apologies, and it may sound terrible, but talk about good timing! F'sure it's something you can plan for, but just as often it simply happens.
Like in our present case.
On September the 21st, the UK's Joint Biosecurity Centre recommended the COVID-19 alert level be moved nationally from Level 3 (epidemic in general circulation) to Level 4 (epidemic is in general circulation, with transmission high or rising).
A recommendation backed by all of the UK's Chief Medical Officers.
Coming after an extended period of lower cases and deaths, the number of cases is rapidly rising again. And, only making matters worse, to quote an oft-quoted quote here: 'Winter is coming.'
By now, after six long months, we all know what this means, of course: More restrictions.
The UK government will be announcing these soon.
Why 'good timing' for us then? Because we're flying to Catania in Sicily this Saturday, on a one-way ticket.
So what's the situation like there? Are we talking 'frying pan to fire' here?
Well, no actually.
Except for Sardinia, the situation is much as it was when we first visited back in July. The only difference being masks must now be worn outdoors between 6pm and 6am.
Need some stats?
In the UK, it's 70.7 cases per 100,000, whereas in Italy it's 34.0. Or, putting it another way, here it's around 3,500 cases a day; there, it's 1,500.
Not good, but way better there than here, you’ll agree?

More Soon ... from Modica!

And We're Off!

That's it, decision made: We're off to Sicily!

Following on from our recent trip, we’ve made our minds up.

If you've been reading this blog, then you'd know mine was pretty much made up already. While Alice remained ... somewhat ... less enthusiastic right up until the 11th hour.

Making a list, checking it twice...

But then we did what we always do when faced with any momentous decision, we weighed up (and wrote down) the 'Pros' and 'Cons'.

In the first instance, of a new life in Sicily.
Unfortunately, following much discussion, both columns remained stubbornly tied!
 The deal-breaker was that when we did the same for staying in the UK, the cons outweighed the pros by quite a margin.
Not the best basis upon which to make a life-changing decision of course but, nevertheless, a decision had to be made.
And that was sooner rather than later: Given the Coronavirus situation; the cost of living here; and us (me) wanting to take early retirement.

So, on Monday the 17th of August, we gave our landlord six weeks' notice, and began planning our move.

Which entailed (you guessed it!) me creating a file imaginatively named 'Planning the Move'. In which I created a Word document entitled 'Moving to Modica'.
Okay, I didn't actually create it. Rather, I copied-and-renamed an existing document that had been named 'Moving to the UK'. Why reinvent the wheel, as there are a few such named files on my laptop.
Which may say something about me, you think?

It's Modica

So, I named that Word document 'Moving to Modica'?
The reason's simple: That's where we've decided to settle. As I said in my last post, we both much preferred it over nearby Ragusa.

If it's good enough for her...

Okay, that's hearts not heads talking, as the larger city has more services, being the provincial capital. But the smaller is, we reckoned anyway, nicer, and f'sure has enough services to be getting on with.
And that's despite the fact the property we (I) thought showed 'great promise' ultimately didn't.
We'd employed a local builder to carry out a property survey, and (despite what the agent insisted) he reported the roof needed replacing, and the whole place needed re-wiring and re-plumbing.
Now we'd expected the latter, but not the former!
Well worth the €300 we paid to walk away from around €50,000 to €80,000-plus worth of reconstruction on top of the house price!
That's our heads and not our hearts talking because, when it comes to buying, we're going in with our eyes wide open here.
As that possible 'forever home' fell through, we've decided to rent for the first six months. There’re two reasons for this: The first is, of course, it'll give us time to do a more thorough search; the other is, as we'll be there late September, we have to start the residency process as soon as we arrive.

To beat that 31st of December Brexit deadline.

We don't want to be here when the UK crashes out of the EU.

Rush Rush

Recently I've found myself falling into the 'Grumpy Old Man' category.

Whatya looking at?

Not through choice, you have to understand! No one, after all, really aspires to becoming a 60-something crusty curmudgeon, do they?
What's brought this on, you ask?
It's the UK government, I'm afraid! I truly care about my adopted country, as I do my own, but this government has made so many U-turns recently it's becoming quite dizzying.
Albeit on their response to the Coronavirus.
And it's made me yell (more) at the TV. Not good for my blood pressure!
But it's not really that that both angers and scares me, it's their headlong rush to 'achieve' Brexit. Regardless of the increasing likelihood of no trade deal, despite much opposition, and disregarding the all too obvious aftereffects.
Because all of this is making me rush.
And I don't like to be rushed.
Not anymore, anyways.
So now we have only three months to try and achieve residency in Italy. And, while it's certainly doable, it'll now be a wee bit more stressful than it could've been. There's no getting around that, I'm afraid!
Now I do realise Italy ... and f'sure Sicily ... isn't any sort of a utopia here. But I'll have plenty of time to worry about that (hopefully) next year.
For what little remains of this year, I'll just stay a little stressed thank you, and continue to huff and puff at the TV.
Thank heaven for my wife, wine, and my e-cigarette.

More Soon...

Culture Shock

We landed in Sicily on the 8th of July.

That is, two days before the UK government had lifted their advice about not travelling to Europe, on the expectation this ban would be lifted before we flew back on the 17th.
Due to cost, limited flights, and the need to transit, we landed late, so overnighted in Catania. making our way to Ragusa by bus the next morning.
Our first (and lasting) impressions of Sicily were very positive.

Sicily has an app!

The vast majority wore masks in enclosed spaces, and respected the 1m socially-distancing rule. Somewhat of a revelation it has to be said, and a very pleasant surprise. So much so, we both felt safer than in the UK!
On the Friday we'd agreed to meet an estate agent in Ragusa, who claimed to have 'many' properties that met our limited budget.
As we (me) had way underestimated the time it’d take to walk between Ragusa Ibla (the historic part) and Ragusa Superiore (the 'new' part), we arrived late.
Only to find he wasn't there. Apparently he'd been called away, and wouldn't return until later in the day. No text or phone call telling us this, of course.
Somewhat disheartened, we took a chance and went to another agency I'd contacted previously, where Elisa proved more than helpful.
In fact, she showed us three properties. One of which was very much a 'possibility'.
Happier, we spent the weekend sampling Ibla's many (cheap) delights.
Which included the vino, cannoli, arancini, and caponata!

Ragusa Verses Modica

Not wanting to limit ourselves to one city, we'd also decided to look at Modica, 25 minutes away by train.
I'd made an appointment with an estate agency for Monday afternoon, so off we went first thing.
We found Modica had a very different vibe from its bigger neighbour. One which we both preferred from the get-go.

Modica

For a start, we could easily walk from the train station to the city centre, which lay along a valley floor, rather than being split between two distinct (steep!) hills like Ragusa.
Then there was the fact it felt more like a 'working' city. With fruit and vege sellers, fish suppliers, and mechanics just around the corner from smart fashion shops, cafes, and trattorias. In turn giving way to Baroque cathedrals, churches, public buildings, and a medieval castle.
In addition, with only 55,000 people, it was both big and small enough to have everything we needed in one place. Around the same size, in fact, as the city I grew up in, back in New Zealand.
Then we met Ramsay, the real estate agent.
What a find he proved to be: English, he'd lived in Modica for the last 15 years, and was a wealth of local and helpful knowledge.
At last, someone we both understood!
We spent a happy hour conversing about the local situation, the pleasures, and the bureaucracy, before going to look at some properties. One of which showed great promise.
To me, anyways.

What's it Like?

As we went in July, we expected heat.

What a constrast!

Sicily didn't disappoint! With temperatures between the low 20's overnight to the low 30's in the afternoon.
So, despite the low-ish humidity, and the great photo ops, only foolish tourists like us ventured out in the early afternoon.
I'm now a firm advocate of the 'siesta': Somewhere between 1pm to 4pm locally.
The locals were very friendly.
Kinda expected from cafes, etc., but I'm talking general population here.
Like the old lady who stopped us and told us to visit the Maria delle Scale Church to enjoy the view of Ragusa Ibla.
Or the taxi driver who came over to chat while we were waiting for the bus. Or the lady who told her all about living locally, when Alice only asked her about the parking.
And everybody who said 'Buon giorno' while passing, or then stopped to chat for no apparent reason.
Both Ragusa and Modica are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Forming part of the Val di Noto geographical region, an area renowned for its beautiful Baroque style and era towns and cities.
Okay, only because they had to be rebuilt due to an enormous earthquake that devastated south-east Sicily in 1693!
But let's not dwell on that, shall we?
And the down side?
Stray cats, and animal faeces, everywhere. Both cities needed a good clean. And, due to migration, loadsa places up for sale.
But then the cost of living, and weather, was everything promised.
And nowhere’s perfect, amiright?

More Soon…

Openly Re-Opening

While still waiting impatiently, things do appear to be moving here.

On the 3rd of June, Italy will re-open to foreign tourists from the EU and Schengen Area. And, importantly, visitors won't need to self-quarantine.
Good news surely?
Well … sort of.

Italia aperta

 The problem is that just because Italy is beginning to open, it doesn't mean we’ll be allowed to enter. The holdup is here, as the UK government has no firm plans in place to allow international travel.
Yet.
Only a few weeks ago the Health Secretary reckoned it 'unlikely' Brits would be able to take foreign holidays at all this summer. Although this was later revealed to have been just his opinion.
But, as I said, things have begun moving.
Because, on the 29th of May, the government stated they were working on 'air corridors' linking the UK to low-risk destinations. With the first tentative date to for these to begin being the 29th of June.
The guidelines for safe travel, expected to be finalised within days, include having to wear facemasks throughout the flight, social distancing and temperature checks at airports, and contactless check-ins.
However, to confuse the matter even further, they’d earlier announced a two-week quarantine period for anyone (citizens included) arriving in the UK. Enforceable from the 8th of June, this would include any returning holiday-makers.
Such measures were being introduced to "Prevent a devastating second wave", according to the Home Secretary.
Stable doors and bolting horses spring to mind here.

Comparing Comparisons

One thing I did extensively research was the Sicilian cost of living.
Specifically concerning Ragusa, if possible, and when compared to our part of London (also if possible). All comparison websites cover the likes of housing, food, transportation, entertainment, etc.

Be aware when making comparisons

'Numbeo', one of the better ones, covered Ragusa, with a direct comparison to our London suburb.
For May, the differences are anywhere between 61% less for rent, consumer prices overall being 29% less, although groceries cost 7% more. Wages, at 46% less, won’t apply to us, of course.
The big winner was rentals, with the average 3-bed apartment, in the suburbs, listed at around £485.
Not even one-third of what we're currently paying!
Another useful site is 'Expatistan'.
Which, although not covering Ragusa, does cover Syracuse, 80km away.
It claims that, as at the 30th of May, the overall cost of living there was 32% cheaper than London.
With rental housing (at 53% cheaper) again being the big winner. In fact, the monthly rent for an 85 m2 furnished property, in a normal suburb, was just less than £500.
Again, one-third of what we pay.
'Travel Tables' doesn't allow direct comparisons, but does cover the cost of living in Ragusa.
The site lists the current prices of 54 goods and services, across 10 categories.
In May, the cost of living for two average consumers, without rent, was £915. With rent, I'm guessing that’d be around £1,400 then.
£100 less than we're paying here - just for rent.
Looking good then!

Why Sicily?

My wife has always raised the objection: 'Why Sicily?'
A valid argument.
Even if it wasn't, she's key to my happiness, so it's one I have to take into account!
Let's not sugar-coat it here, Sicily has its problems with its lack of work, low wages, corruption, and organised crime. So why live there?
While cost is top of my list, the answer can't only be that. As with anyone considering their 'forever home', it's also about climate, lifestyle, and culture.

The word here is: 'Diverse'

Climate-wise, it's pretty much guaranteed to get hot in July and August, with the average being in the mid-30’s Celsius.
Spring and winter can bring torrential rains, with temperatures sometimes falling below zero inland. Given the climate in the UK, we can put up with this!
So that's one tick.
Being Kiwis, we're more used to a 'laid-back' lifestyle.
And Sicily shouldn't see that threatened, as it's widely acknowledged the lifestyle is slow and relaxed. Maybe more so than the mainland.
Culturally, the word is: 'Diverse'.
The island has been colonised down the centuries by the Phoenicians, then Greeks, Romans, Muslims, Normans, Spanish and, finally, the Italians themselves. A veritable cornucopia of culture, especially considering history, art, and architecture.
Lack of work and low wages shouldn't affect us, although organised crime and corruption are a worry.
However, petty crime like pickpocketing is a more realistic threat than us inadvertently offending some mafia Don!
Of course, everywhere has its problems.
But I reckon we could put up with Sicily's!

Planning a Field Trip

Ever the voice of reason, my wife Alice pointed out the other day: We’ll have to visit before we can even think about buying.

While not as easy as it would’ve been just a few months ago, I was up for planning just that. Especially as I’d already made some notes.
Of course.

Not this type of field trip.

And I was entirely buoyed by the fact that, while still not anything like enthusiastic, she’d again not dissed the idea out of hand!
Now, if it’s ‘agreed’ it’s Ragusa and/or its surroundings, then the next consideration would be to list the essentials of any possible property. Arguably, next to budget, the most important concern of all?
Our ‘forever home’ needs are fairly straightforward: It should be single level; around 80 square metres (plus); and have at least two bedrooms.
While the ideal, and somewhat flexible, what isn’t is reasonable access to good public transport, shopping, and a local hospital. Oh, and a real summer! But that’s a given, yeah?
Next up, would this be an ‘exploratory’ visit or do we intend to buy?
A tough call right now. Under ‘normal’ circumstances, we’d likely already be there, undertaking this very exercise. But these aren’t that.
And time is against us. It’s a race between when the UK and Italy open their borders again ... and that Brexit deadline. The latter only seven short months away.
If these were those normal times, I’d say exploratory.
But it couldn’t be that now, could it?

Seeking in the Sun

Anyway, I’d already done some research on agenzie immobiliari (real estate agencies) that specialise in Ragusa and its surroundings.
It’s worth mentioning here that I’d restricted my search to those cities and towns with above 20,000 inhabitants.
Ragusa having around 74,000, through Vittoria, Modica, Comiso, and finally Scicli, with its 27,000. The other centres being dismissed as more ‘large villages’ than small towns.
My research led me to the names of a couple of agencies who fit the bill: The aptly named ‘The Dolce Vita’, actually based here in the UK; and the more local ‘Pisana Immobiliare’.

Both of whom had a number of properties that appeared to meet our requirements.
But not all of them. A given, of course!

Unfortunately ... not an option!

For example, while all of those I looked at met most of our requirements, more especially those firm ones, all were of two or more levels. But then, that’s pretty much the norm in most Italian urban centres, unless you’re buying an apartment rather than a house, yeah?
And that’s something Alice was uber-firm about: No apartments!
Fair enough, too. We’d both had bad experiences with those in the past, and wouldn’t want one as a ‘forever home’ into the future.
Next off, of course, I should be contacting the agencies concerned. However, given the current situation, this point becomes somewhat moot.
As it’s very hard to plan a trip, exploratory or otherwise, when you can’t input any dates into your travel website of choice!
And: Damn!

The Sun Still Shines

Every cloud has a silver lining though.

And we received our first piece of good news last week: We’ve got our codici fiscali (tax codes)!

So very true...

The first baby step towards our (possible) new future. This code is mandatory for all sorts of things: Opening a bank account, getting a residence certificate and identity card, and registering with the Italian equivalent of the NHS.
While not so much ‘good’, at least for local vendors, another piece of recent news is it’s forecast house prices are likely to drop this year.
No surprise there, of course, as that’s likely to be the case here in the UK, too.
And then, of course, from Monday the 4th of May, Italy entered Phase 2 of its lockdown. Which included the reopening of parks, restaurants for takeaway meals, and some shops, as well as museums and cultural venues from mid-May.
What’s this mean for us?
While not something we’d usually celebrate, it does mean real estate agencies are open for business again!
To top this off, Italy’s Culture and Tourism Minister stated he’d: “Never talked, or ever thought, of closing Italian borders to tourists for 2020.”
With this in mind, another piece of good news is that the Sicilian authorities, attempting to lure tourists back, may subsidise holidays! Such plans include reduced rate accommodation (e.g. one night of a three-night trip free, two nights of a six-day trip, etc.).
Let’s not get too carried away though!
It’s still a ‘waiting game’.

The Axe is Falling?

The Coronavirus didn’t so much ‘hit’ as ‘sucker punch’ us all, yeah?

What began as an outbreak in late December 2019, within a few short weeks raced across the planet like a global tsunami of dread and disease.

Advice to heed!

 Until now I find myself updating this blog while in lockdown in London. And, while an optimist, it became increasingly difficult to remain so as the stats, and the body count, keep going only one way.
My ‘European Dream’? Well, that was very rapidly fading to black, overwhelmed under an avalanche of dreadful news.
However, the lockdown had one ‘advantage’: It gave me even more time for detailed research. So, I closed iPlayer, turned off Netflix, tuned out the tunes, and did just that.
My first conclusion was that Italian bureaucracy was indeed everything you’ve ever read about. That it required patience, long queues, patience, and reams of paperwork. Did I mention patience?
Although Dante didn’t coin his “Abandon hope all ye who enter here” specifically to describe entering any Italian state or local government office, he f’sure could’ve done!
Something I actually knew about because, many years ago, I’d applied for a permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) in Verona.
An exercise involving yards of red tape, worn shoes, much frustration and wine, and a mountain of official papers. The latter receiving more stamps than I ever got at primary school for being ‘a good boy’.
But, as I had nothing better to do right now, I persevered.

Cloudy with a Chance of No Meatballs

Samuel Johnson may've said: "Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance".
But it did require strength to keep going in the face of such adversity. There were (now) so many more uncertainties thrown into an already cloudy mix.
Not the least of which was not knowing when the UK's borders would open again? And then when the Italian government would allow foreigners to visit once more?
To confuse things even further, and of course, the UK government is still hell-bent on exiting the EU by December 2020, and regardless.

Nevertheless, I plastered on a stiff upper lip, and carried on carrying on.

Plenty of this...

I researched getting a tax code (codice fiscale), residence certificate (certificato di residenza), identity card (carta d’identita), and how to register with the Italian equivalent of the NHS (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale or SSN) to get a health insurance card (tessera sanitaria).
And that is just for starters, okay?
We'd also need to open Italian bank accounts, apply to the Ministry of Transport (Uffici della Motorizzazione Civile) and swap our UK driving licences for local ones, and don't get me started on the rigmarole of buying a car in Italy!
And then ... there was actually buying that 'forever home'.
Which involved, at least, finding a trusty lawyer (avvocato), a decent real estate agent (agente immobiliare), engaging a notary (notaio), and then a surveyor-come-architect hybrid (geometra).
Getting the idea now?
If we were to do this, it’d require strength and perseverance.

Some Small Advantages

However, even the big black cloud bearing such a blizzard of bureaucracy had a silver lining.
A faint one maybe, but one nevertheless.
Because, regardless of all of the above, we did have some advantages here.
For a start we would be going in with our eyes wide open. And not only thanks to my megabytes of research.

Always thinking of you

These advantages included: My wife having lived there for seven years; that together we'd visited many times; and had even attempted to settle once. Albeit many years ago, before I had a UK passport, and with a baby.
By far the biggest advantage we have though is that Alice is half Italian, and can speak the language fluently. Which certainly had to be in our favour.
So, we have all of the above in the ‘plus’ column.
Although, of course, given the current distressing situation, this was all moot at the minute.
What really mattered right now had to be our age, our okay mild medical complaints, and also that we have one son and partner in Montreal, and another with his wife in New York.
These are the things that should concern us. And they do.
Nevertheless, I remain optimistic that we'll all come through this. That we, and the world, would f’sure be changed, not always for the better, but come through it we would!
And my wife was slowly coming around to the idea that maybe … just maybe … I was actually making some sort of sense now?

More Soon…