Tabaccherie (tabacco shops) are the workhorses of Italy. You can do a lot of useful things in an Italian tabaccheria. The shops are nearly ubiquitous, identifiable by the black and white (or blue and white) T signs that hang outside their doors. What are they for? Well, here are 7 things you can do at […]
Category Archives: Expat Life
Expat Life, Life in Italy, Moving to Italy, Practical Information
8 Reasons Why Moving to Italy Made Sense, Financially
04
May
May
There are a lot of reasons to move to Rome. Weather, food, art and culture all come to mind. However, one of the reasons I moved to Rome was because it made sense for my budget. Think you can’t afford to move to Italy? Here are 8 ways I saved and/or made money by taking […]
25
Dec
Dec
If you follow me on instagram, you might have realized from all the taco photos that we are not in Rome for Christmas this year. Fresh off a belated honeymoon in Mexico, we are celebrating with friends and family in California. In a few days, we will be headed to colder American climes, and then […]
23
Nov
Nov
When I moved to Rome, I realized I was homesick for the first time on Thanksgiving day. In Italy, Thanksgiving is just a Thursday. Thousands of miles away, my entire family was gathering around a table to laugh and share and eat and celebrate, but I was riding the metro like it was any other day. […]
16
Oct
Oct
One of the very first words I ever learned in Italian was “cavatappi.” Corkscrew. I needed one to be able to open the first bottle of wine in my first Roman apartment. I stood by my door, staring at my pocket Italian dictionary, and repeating it over and over to build up the courage to […]
13
Jan
Jan
La bella vita T contacted me the other day, subject: I NEED HELP. Now, I don’t claim to have all the answers about making your dreams come true in Italy, but the tone of her email made me remember what is was like to be standing on the abyss of a move. You don’t know […]
07
Jul
Jul
Credit: Andy I really like food, and I sometimes like writing, but I am not a food writer. I am far too sarcastic for that kind of undertaking, but I enjoy reading about the culinary adventures of others. There are many talented food and wine writers based in Italy who have garnered much deserved recognition. […]
23
May
May
The food in this Sicilian restaurant was fine. Salty but good. But I could not. stop. staring. at this painting: Really? Thong butt? That’s what I should gaze upon while dining? Spotted in Milazzo.