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!