Mastering the art of good packing

What a relief when nightmares fizzle into nothing. A whole string of them haunted me last summer when I left Florence, my home for 32 years, to move back to Canada. First I dreamt I'd never ever be able to pack up all my …

Put a roof over your head, under the Tuscan sun

The prospect of slowly sipping a glass of Chianti while relaxing in your quaint and comfy farmhouse in the heart of wine country is tempting you to purchase a vacation home in Tuscany. But you’ve heard about the amount of red …

Sinking your feet into Italian soil

Many tourists, seduced by the beauty and lifestyle of Italy, fantasize about living here either temporarily or permanently. How does one do it? First, a dark secret: Although Italy is concerned about illegal immigration from some countries, if you arrive as a …

Buy, drive & ship a volvo

My daughter’s battle against culture shock was won with the purchase of a used red bicycle. It cost her thirty euros and she’s assured me that the brakes work. She said that a bike is a permanent thing that has helped her …

Keep cool on a tuscan holiday

We all adore the sunshine!, In particular, sun-deprived northern Europeans and North Americans love to holiday in a hot country. Here are a few friendly tips from “northerners” who have made a life-study of how to keep cool in the midday sun! They …

Export antiques out of Italy

Sending contemporary artworks out of Italy is complex, but exporting antiques and artworks of authors no longer living can be literally impossible. In 1939, Law 1089 was passed to inhibit the criminal act of illegally removing antiques from Italian territory and …

Complete the paperwork

There is so much in Italy to like: the beautiful buildings, historic ruins, amazing food and wine...the list is endless. There are however sometimes problematic downsides to this wonderful country. I hope the following will aid you in understanding the slow …

Deal with garbage?

CRASH! The sound of broken glass shatters the silence of the dark, rainy night. My jet-lagged brain takes a moment to process. It’s a Sunday night in January 1999, and I have just fallen asleep in the apartment that I’ve rented …

The purchase of real estate in Italy

We asked Bill Thomson, the managing director of the Knight Frank real estate network in Italy, to help us out with some basic questions regarding the purchase of property.   TF: Regarding purchasing property in Italy for non-Italians, we have been warned …

Ship art to and from Italy?

Whether you are an artist, or an art collector, sending contemporary works of art out of Italy can be a nerve racking experience. What can be even worse is trying to bring ones own artwork into Italy from non-EC countries.   To export …

Italian street numbering

These are the Italian equivalents of Road, Street, Gardens, Avenue, etc. Fortunately for us there are fewer in Italian than in English, and by far the commonest are Via (street) and Piazza (square). The word street or square is followed by the …