My impending Italian Ex-Pat adventure is ***Official*** 2024-25 v3.1 (1 Viewer)

[The Z Machine]

Overall, Geneva is beautiful, clean, and has more hills than I thought. The traffic hasn't been terrible and driving seems fine. People obey traffic signals, speed limits, and are generally courteous on the road. We have a rental car for 2 weeks and the goal is to buy a car soon.

But before that we are dealing with really high temps and our airbnb doesn't have AC (really not used in Switzerland) nor any fans. I don't like sleeping in the heat so I'm very diligent about windows and shades during the day. Bought a small fan to help cool down while I sleep.

Airbnb has a pool so the kids have been content with pool time, screen time, and being forced to go exploring with us to grocery stores, etc.

 

[The Z Machine]

BTW, if you like cheese and cured meats and bread, this is a great place for you. Fish is more popular than chicken it seems but pork and beef are much more common. Food prices are high and a lot of people shop in France as it's likely 15% cheaper. France ia just a 15 min drive from our airbnb.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

BTW, if you like cheese and cured meats and bread, this is a great place for you. Fish is more popular than chicken it seems but pork and beef are much more common. Food prices are high and a lot of people shop in France as it's likely 15% cheaper. France ia just a 15 min drive from our airbnb.

@Dan Lambskin feel free to ignore….

 

[Chemical X]

i have way too much to catch up on, but i am sitting at the orthopedist’s office waiting for my dottore to arrive from florence for my 3.20p appointment. maybe he shows, maybe not……that is basically my first 6 weeks in a nutshell.

the first 6 weeks have been a rollercoaster amidst a lot of frustration with this system. nothing happens quickly, something we are common with in the states. for instance, i am still waiting for permanent internet. i have fiber in my area, but apparently the cable comes to a pole next to my house and doesn’t then reach my house. i get numerous calls about appointments and the service, but these slackers just make and break appointments and make excuses like i change underwear. i may be forced to go with musk’s skylink. the house has some more age on the systems than we originally thought, so we’ve spent time and of course money bringing things up to date. we found a dutch electrician, yumpin yimminy!!!, that has been awesome. we have added ceiling fans and updated outlets and switches, adding USBs. we used a company called verisure for a home alarm monitoring system. the last 3-4 weeks have seen daily temps of at least 100 every day. the car regularly says 107. it makes doing anything anywhere a task. luckily we have 4 split ACs, but the downstairs kitchen does not have an AC and the german prior owners must be laughing that they stuffed another new into an oven (it’s a joke, relax). we are pursuing options to bump up the strength of the splits and find a solution for the kitchen. i highly recommend nordvpn, it allows me to watch american tv via geo hiding using the firestick. we rented a car but then decided to do the car2europe auto scheme, basically we have a 6 month lease, all taxes and insurance included. price is a bit high monthly, but considering other options, spending 800/mo. all in and not having to worry is a time saver. i’ll worry about my future down the road. our stuff arrived early to naples and we had them hold it for an extra week. cost us 1k, but we needed the week to reconvene after my wife’s family visited for 2 weeks. our stuff came this monday and it was officially 185 boxes.

ooops, i think the dottore just arrived, so i will provide much more later.

 

[The Z Machine]

I checked out car2europe and it's really freaking expensive here. We're likely just going to buy a used car from a dealer.

 

[Chemical X]

some other random observations;

first time rain here yesterday for about 1 hoor and of course i have a small leak. gotta get up on the roof myself and take a look. not really roofers exist here. healthcare costs are dirt cheap. my MRI cost me €75. i had a follow up with an orthopedist and he gave me a shot, maybe hylauronic acid, they didn’t charge. basically, if a doctor doesn’t ask for money, we aren’t offering anymore. having most of our stuff from the US has made a big difference in having this feel like home, especially our kitchen items. using ikea for an extended period is not recommended. the furniture is decent, but pots and pans and not made for daily use IMO. i threw it all away. thank god we have a bunch of storage rooms, act like an atti. to store items we just don’t have room for. we are in the ferragosto holiday period. it’s really 8/15, but around this time basically every italian takes a 1-2 week vacation. yes, the whole country all at once. if you want to visit italy, do not come during july and august, it is simply too hot and AC is hit or miss. May or September is my suggestion. lol at our NON frost free refrigerator. yup, frost in the freezer is still a thing. i feel like the Kramdens.

 

[The Z Machine]

First day here thus far that it's not terribly hot. Switzerland essentially has no AC in the entire country, so everyone is really sweaty when it gets above 30C.

My brother and his family came into town on Monday and it's been great seeing him and having my kids play with their cousins. The 4 adults (me, wife, Bro, SIL) went to dinner last night, which went late until 10:30. Th cousins were left with takeout and video games at bro's Airbnb.

This morning, my wife says, "I have a tickle in my throat and a small cough. I'm going to get a COVID test." You can guess where this is going... She's positive for COVID so she can't hang out unless it's outside.

My kids are exploring with bro and fam today. Going to some castle near Montreux on the train. Tomorrow, hang out by our pool and then catch a Europa League qualification game with the local team (Servette FC) vs. Braga.

 

[Chemical X]

so, i got up on the terracotta tile roof this morning. it was only about 90 or so at 9a, but after a bit i was soaking wet. wet, old and on terracotta is a bad combo, but i think i found teh issue…..seems where in the US we’d have flashing where teh roof meets the siding, there is no such thing, since the house has no siding. basically, it looks like corners are tarred, but in the corner where the leak is likely, a crack has formed. i mean, 125 degrees and alsouth facing is gonna dry anything out. i brought up a tube of clear silicone and was somehow able to caulk the entire crack line pretty heavily. it’s a fix, likely temporary, but it will move me forward until i can get phil swift to swing by with some flex seal. progress is measured here in limiting the amount of repairs i need to make.

 

[Chemical X]

so, in my small town and even larger Orvieto, i am still getting used to the riposa. here, stores are closed from 1-5p. supermarkets, pharmacy. thank god for the local bar. they have a pretty good mix of snacks and drinks, they even try to make a boba tea. it’s virtually impossible to find a decent iced coffee, they just don’t make it. i can get a caffè crema, think wendy’s frosty in coffee flavor. pizza is odd here, the pizzerias sell by weight and don’t automatically reheat. you need to ask. pizza al taglio is by the slice, so to speak. the pizzaiolo will cut with a scissor to the size you want.

 

[Chemical X]

tomorrow me and the mrs take an overnight trip to florence by train…..around 2.15 hours. i get a free night allowance thru marriott and this is the second time i could use my night at the Westin on the Arno. last year was pretty amazing, they gave us a room with a view….so to speak. we had a balcony on the arno and took a bottle back the hotel with us after dinner. we made a reservation at…….wait for it……an indian restaurant. our area has virtually no variety and decided that since we can eat italian every night here, let’s get something we’ve been craving that we just can’t find. i will report back.

 

[The Z Machine]

Update: everything is really expensive here and buying a car sux

 

[Chemical X]

Update: everything is really expensive here and buying a car sux

the car thing is brutal, especially getting licensed. here in italy you need to start over like you’ve never driven. have you tried arval for a lease?

 

[Chemical X]

we are about 6-7 weeks in and a decent routine is developing. the mrs. seems to have a decent balance with work. the US isn’t crushing her with the time difference. we’ve done a bit more work around the house than we thought we needed, mainly electrical. but, the electrician is about 95% done now. he upped some circuit breakers and has been updating outlets and switches all over. we’ve added a bunch of USBs and generally have made things 2020ish rather than 1980. a big improvement, our lights no longer flicker and fade in and out. having him speak english and work things out with us is yuge.

 

[Chemical X]

oh, i did not have “laying out mouse glue traps to catch lizards and gekkos inside my house” on the bingo card. but, apparently it’s a thing. i don’t want to say they are everywhere, but i’ve caught 4 in 2 days. i know they eat bugs, yadda yadda, but they are filthy and i’m not thrilled to maybe take a shower with a lizard possibly near my feet.

 

[The Z Machine]

Update: everything is really expensive here and buying a car sux

the car thing is brutal, especially getting licensed. here in italy you need to start over like you’ve never driven. have you tried arval for a lease?

I hadn't looked into a lease, but it might make sense. The issue is that the models that will work for us are limited, as we want 7 seats, but don't want a massive SUV. We still need to park it in city sized spaces. I searched arval and it doesn't look like they have any 7 seaters.

Tomorrow my wife and I will drive to Bern (2+ hours) to look at some used VW Tourans and BMW 218s.

I found the nearly the exact car (well, Diesel vs. Petrol) that I sold in the US for $10k and it'll cost $14k USD here. But importing my car would have been a major headache and expense and it wasn't worth it.

 

[The Z Machine]

I will say that this place is supremely clean and well organized. The lane markings and signage on the roads are incredible. Traffic is not a huge deal and bikes are very very popular. I can't wait until my bike arrives in the shipment (likely delayed until mid-Oct) and I can do some rides here. I will also need to get a "city" bike that I can lock up and use for errands around town.

 

[The Z Machine]

When I say really expensive, I mean that food prices are at least 50% higher than in most places in the US. Some items are cheaper like yogurt and well... that's about it. Going out to eat for 3 adults and 2 kids is obsene. Portion sizes are small and you typically don't take anything home. I guess wine is also somewhat reasonable.

The number of supercars I've seen while out driving was also insane. One day on the road, driving maybe 60km there and back, I saw 3 Ferraris, countless 911s, a Lambo, and a Mclaren. Stupid amounts of money in this place, which is why the min price for an entree is like $25 USD.

 

[Psychopav]

When I say really expensive, I mean that food prices are at least 50% higher than in most places in the US. Some items are cheaper like yogurt and well... that's about it. Going out to eat for 3 adults and 2 kids is obsene. Portion sizes are small and you typically don't take anything home. I guess wine is also somewhat reasonable.

The number of supercars I've seen while out driving was also insane. One day on the road, driving maybe 60km there and back, I saw 3 Ferraris, countless 911s, a Lambo, and a Mclaren. Stupid amounts of money in this place, which is why the min price for an entree is like $25 USD.

Meh. Sounds like a Tuesday here in North Texas.

Same with the food prices.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

oh, i did not have “laying out mouse glue traps to catch lizards and gekkos inside my house” on the bingo card. but, apparently it’s a thing. i don’t want to say they are everywhere, but i’ve caught 4 in 2 days. i know they eat bugs, yadda yadda, but they are filthy and i’m not thrilled to maybe take a shower with a lizard possibly near my feet.

Don’t move to the tropics then.

 

[Ilov80s]

tomorrow me and the mrs take an overnight trip to florence by train…..around 2.15 hours. i get a free night allowance thru marriott and this is the second time i could use my night at the Westin on the Arno. last year was pretty amazing, they gave us a room with a view….so to speak. we had a balcony on the arno and took a bottle back the hotel with us after dinner. we made a reservation at…….wait for it……an indian restaurant. our area has virtually no variety and decided that since we can eat italian every night here, let’s get something we’ve been craving that we just can’t find. i will report back.

Nice, one thing I noticed about Italy that is different from the US is the food is super regional. The menus at the restaurants in Venice will have totally different items than the ones in Rome or Florence but it's also weird because it seems like every place in a city has 80% the same exact items on their menus. Have you seen that too?

 

[Chemical X]

Made it to the Westin and we hit a real nice and hidden enoteca for some drinks and tapas. i had a limoncello spritz. i can describe our room as opulent….off to dinner, will post later.

 

[Chemical X]

so, we hit Antico Ristoro Perditempo for our lunch and it was snawesome. 8-10 tables and empty with a view right on the arno. nice little tapas menu and fun drinks. we went around 4p and it was empty. as we were leaving around 6p a large group of american tourists came in on a food tour.
we went to taj palace for indian and i can’t say enough about the food and the air conditioning! everything was authentic and my madras curry was fire hot. extensive menu and friendly folks. our westin experience was top notch as always. a great welcome and chit chat in italian. they mentioned that we stayed last year and had a room on the arno and they said this time they were busier and we couldn’t have the view, but they have a large very nice room for us. we entered and it was massive with 20 foot ceilings. the bed was a giant king canopy with posts and the coverings. i felt like one of those whiny royals. cranked the AC and walked around in my bathrobe and slippers.

 

[Chemical X]

quick update here again; we finally obtained our residency cards, aka the permesso di soggiorno. not an easy task but very anticlimactic. we are now street legal! i am hopeful to have starlink up tomorrow. my electrician mentioned mesh and i did some research, so it seems easy enough and seem less and better than extenders which require separate networks. i bought a 3 device mesh and the starlink ethernet adapter, so the plan is router on top floor where wife works, ethernet in a mesh device there and on the other 2 floors wifi the other mesh nodes. seems simple enough to cover my place. i have a pretty open staircase that is in the same spot for both floors so i am hopeful i cover the house, which has like 3 foot stone walls everywhere. i would love to be outside and hangout outside a bit more, but the mosquitos here are voracious. much more so than the US. i can’t go outside for a millisecond without seeing them hovering and i am tired of covering myself in feet, but the weather has changed and it is now much cooler, so maybe they are dying off. next step is to hit the comune to become local residents. once i am logged as a local, i can get some money back from my import of goods from the state. i paid about $800 as a deposit that gave me 6 months to become a comune resident. i needed the PdS for that process so maybe next week…..the driver’s license is going to be a big mess here. we have to start like we are 16 and all in italian. grrrr. heading back to the states for 2 weeks at the end of december. no FBGs have visited me yet which is likely a good thing. we are about 95% done with boxes and set up and just now settling in after about 2.5 months. i bought the NFL thru DAZN for €199. highly recommend! if you have a vpn germany sells the nfl for €179 and italy €199. also, i had an amex special for 3 mumfs of youtube tv and that has helped pass some time. i just found a paramount + 3 month free deal and i will take that for soccer, though P+ truly sucks. but free is free. it remains next to impossible to get places to come out for estimates and work. ie, we need AC upgrades, but i just can’t get a company to actually call me or set an appointment. same with glass/windows. they just don’t seem to care about business or making money, only eating lunch.

 

[Navin Johnson]

quick update here again; we finally obtained our residency cards, aka the permesso di soggiorno. not an easy task but very anticlimactic. we are now street legal! i am hopeful to have starlink up tomorrow. my electrician mentioned mesh and i did some research, so it seems easy enough and seem less and better than extenders which require separate networks. i bought a 3 device mesh and the starlink ethernet adapter, so the plan is router on top floor where wife works, ethernet in a mesh device there and on the other 2 floors wifi the other mesh nodes. seems simple enough to cover my place. i have a pretty open staircase that is in the same spot for both floors so i am hopeful i cover the house, which has like 3 foot stone walls everywhere. i would love to be outside and hangout outside a bit more, but the mosquitos here are voracious. much more so than the US. i can’t go outside for a millisecond without seeing them hovering and i am tired of covering myself in feet, but the weather has changed and it is now much cooler, so maybe they are dying off. next step is to hit the comune to become local residents. once i am logged as a local, i can get some money back from my import of goods from the state. i paid about $800 as a deposit that gave me 6 months to become a comune resident. i needed the PdS for that process so maybe next week…..the driver’s license is going to be a big mess here. we have to start like we are 16 and all in italian. grrrr. heading back to the states for 2 weeks at the end of december. no FBGs have visited me yet which is likely a good thing. we are about 95% done with boxes and set up and just now settling in after about 2.5 months. i bought the NFL thru DAZN for €199. highly recommend! if you have a vpn germany sells the nfl for €179 and italy €199. also, i had an amex special for 3 mumfs of youtube tv and that has helped pass some time. i just found a paramount + 3 month free deal and i will take that for soccer, though P+ truly sucks. but free is free. it remains next to impossible to get places to come out for estimates and work. ie, we need AC upgrades, but i just can’t get a company to actually call me or set an appointment. same with glass/windows. they just don’t seem to care about business or making money, only eating lunch.

I just get the 25 EU/month package from DAZN. Gets me 5 games/week (German commentary) and RedZone in English which is all I really watch. Also get all the UFC maincards, which I watch on Sunday mornings. My wife loves Sundays. I had been getting the NFL stuff for the playoffs, not sure how that is going to work this season as it looks like DAZN has the GameDay rights over here now.

 

[Navin Johnson]

BTW, if you like cheese and cured meats and bread, this is a great place for you. Fish is more popular than chicken it seems but pork and beef are much more common. Food prices are high and a lot of people shop in France as it's likely 15% cheaper. France ia just a 15 min drive from our airbnb.

Everything, in general, is more expensive in CH. Anyone with means will drive to DE, IT, FR to gas up, go shopping, etc

 

[Chemical X]

BTW, if you like cheese and cured meats and bread, this is a great place for you. Fish is more popular than chicken it seems but pork and beef are much more common. Food prices are high and a lot of people shop in France as it's likely 15% cheaper. France ia just a 15 min drive from our airbnb.

Everything, in general, is more expensive in CH. Anyone with means will drive to DE, IT, FR to gas up, go shopping, etc

diesel came down .15 over the past 2 months to 1.60 per liter, still 6.40 a gallon. and what the heck is this adblue crap? lol

 

[Navin Johnson]

BTW, if you like cheese and cured meats and bread, this is a great place for you. Fish is more popular than chicken it seems but pork and beef are much more common. Food prices are high and a lot of people shop in France as it's likely 15% cheaper. France ia just a 15 min drive from our airbnb.

Everything, in general, is more expensive in CH. Anyone with means will drive to DE, IT, FR to gas up, go shopping, etc

diesel came down .15 over the past 2 months to 1.60 per liter, still 6.40 a gallon. and what the heck is this adblue crap? lol

Just noticed that yesterday, I think deisel is 1,50 and super is around 1,70 here. I think AdBlue is an additive that reduces the diesel exhaust. We have 2002 Audi we use for local errands, ie non-Autobahn traffic, that runs on diesel and we can't use it.

I just switched basketball clubs last month and have to take the train in to the city. We get what is pretty much a national train pass for 50,00/mo. Covers all local metros and Deutsche Bahn. When I first moved here (2008) the monthly pass for the Munich Metro was 74,00/mo - my integration course was in the city. Going to be testing this out in the next several months.

Sorry to ask, just catching up ITT and the board in general, but which city are you in? I gathered that @The Z Machine is in Geneva. Welcome to this side of the pond!

 

[Chemical X]

BTW, if you like cheese and cured meats and bread, this is a great place for you. Fish is more popular than chicken it seems but pork and beef are much more common. Food prices are high and a lot of people shop in France as it's likely 15% cheaper. France ia just a 15 min drive from our airbnb.

Everything, in general, is more expensive in CH. Anyone with means will drive to DE, IT, FR to gas up, go shopping, etc

diesel came down .15 over the past 2 months to 1.60 per liter, still 6.40 a gallon. and what the heck is this adblue crap? lol

Just noticed that yesterday, I think deisel is 1,50 and super is around 1,70 here. I think AdBlue is an additive that reduces the diesel exhaust. We have 2002 Audi we use for local errands, ie non-Autobahn traffic, that runs on diesel and we can't use it.

I just switched basketball clubs last month and have to take the train in to the city. We get what is pretty much a national train pass for 50,00/mo. Covers all local metros and Deutsche Bahn. When I first moved here (2008) the monthly pass for the Munich Metro was 74,00/mo - my integration course was in the city. Going to be testing this out in the next several months.

Sorry to ask, just catching up ITT and the board in general, but which city are you in? I gathered that @The Z Machine is in Geneva. Welcome to this side of the pond!

i just added my first 5 liters of adblue, a piss and water combo to change the emission into something something. i am 15 minutes outside of orvieto and it’s nice to know others are living in europe. i sense that germany is much more western than my location, unless the country shuts down everyday for a 4 hour lunch. have to ask, pro basketball?

 

[Navin Johnson]

BTW, if you like cheese and cured meats and bread, this is a great place for you. Fish is more popular than chicken it seems but pork and beef are much more common. Food prices are high and a lot of people shop in France as it's likely 15% cheaper. France ia just a 15 min drive from our airbnb.

Everything, in general, is more expensive in CH. Anyone with means will drive to DE, IT, FR to gas up, go shopping, etc

diesel came down .15 over the past 2 months to 1.60 per liter, still 6.40 a gallon. and what the heck is this adblue crap? lol

Just noticed that yesterday, I think deisel is 1,50 and super is around 1,70 here. I think AdBlue is an additive that reduces the diesel exhaust. We have 2002 Audi we use for local errands, ie non-Autobahn traffic, that runs on diesel and we can't use it.

I just switched basketball clubs last month and have to take the train in to the city. We get what is pretty much a national train pass for 50,00/mo. Covers all local metros and Deutsche Bahn. When I first moved here (2008) the monthly pass for the Munich Metro was 74,00/mo - my integration course was in the city. Going to be testing this out in the next several months.

Sorry to ask, just catching up ITT and the board in general, but which city are you in? I gathered that @The Z Machine is in Geneva. Welcome to this side of the pond!

i just added my first 5 liters of adblue, a piss and water combo to change the emission into something something. i am 15 minutes outside of orvieto and it’s nice to know others are living in europe. i sense that germany is much more western than my location, unless the country shuts down everyday for a 4 hour lunch. have to ask, pro basketball?

Naw, although I had a team about 7 years ago where we had 3 paid Americans. In looking for a new club I went back there, as thay have a women's Bundesliga team (and a ton of funding.) Situation isn't a good fit presently so I went to the city to a club that presently has a JBBL team (Bundesliga for u16) and working toward an NBBL (u19 Bundesliga). The train pass makes it workable as they are close to a main station.

Spain and Italy are different beasts, with the long midday breaks. We are just closed on Sundays, except for dining and gas, and can't mow the lawn, etc on Sundays or between 12 and 2. The public holidays and 5+ weeks vacation are great though.

 

[Chemical X]

BTW, if you like cheese and cured meats and bread, this is a great place for you. Fish is more popular than chicken it seems but pork and beef are much more common. Food prices are high and a lot of people shop in France as it's likely 15% cheaper. France ia just a 15 min drive from our airbnb.

Everything, in general, is more expensive in CH. Anyone with means will drive to DE, IT, FR to gas up, go shopping, etc

diesel came down .15 over the past 2 months to 1.60 per liter, still 6.40 a gallon. and what the heck is this adblue crap? lol

Just noticed that yesterday, I think deisel is 1,50 and super is around 1,70 here. I think AdBlue is an additive that reduces the diesel exhaust. We have 2002 Audi we use for local errands, ie non-Autobahn traffic, that runs on diesel and we can't use it.

I just switched basketball clubs last month and have to take the train in to the city. We get what is pretty much a national train pass for 50,00/mo. Covers all local metros and Deutsche Bahn. When I first moved here (2008) the monthly pass for the Munich Metro was 74,00/mo - my integration course was in the city. Going to be testing this out in the next several months.

Sorry to ask, just catching up ITT and the board in general, but which city are you in? I gathered that @The Z Machine is in Geneva. Welcome to this side of the pond!

i just added my first 5 liters of adblue, a piss and water combo to change the emission into something something. i am 15 minutes outside of orvieto and it’s nice to know others are living in europe. i sense that germany is much more western than my location, unless the country shuts down everyday for a 4 hour lunch. have to ask, pro basketball?

Naw, although I had a team about 7 years ago where we had 3 paid Americans. In looking for a new club I went back there, as thay have a women's Bundesliga team (and a ton of funding.) Situation isn't a good fit presently so I went to the city to a club that presently has a JBBL team (Bundesliga for u16) and working toward an NBBL (u19 Bundesliga). The train pass makes it workable as they are close to a main station.

Spain and Italy are different beasts, with the long midday breaks. We are just closed on Sundays, except for dining and gas, and can't mow the lawn, etc on Sundays or between 12 and 2. The public holidays and 5+ weeks vacation are great though.

lol at the lawn thing….gb europe

 

[Navin Johnson]

BTW, if you like cheese and cured meats and bread, this is a great place for you. Fish is more popular than chicken it seems but pork and beef are much more common. Food prices are high and a lot of people shop in France as it's likely 15% cheaper. France ia just a 15 min drive from our airbnb.

Everything, in general, is more expensive in CH. Anyone with means will drive to DE, IT, FR to gas up, go shopping, etc

diesel came down .15 over the past 2 months to 1.60 per liter, still 6.40 a gallon. and what the heck is this adblue crap? lol

Just noticed that yesterday, I think deisel is 1,50 and super is around 1,70 here. I think AdBlue is an additive that reduces the diesel exhaust. We have 2002 Audi we use for local errands, ie non-Autobahn traffic, that runs on diesel and we can't use it.

I just switched basketball clubs last month and have to take the train in to the city. We get what is pretty much a national train pass for 50,00/mo. Covers all local metros and Deutsche Bahn. When I first moved here (2008) the monthly pass for the Munich Metro was 74,00/mo - my integration course was in the city. Going to be testing this out in the next several months.

Sorry to ask, just catching up ITT and the board in general, but which city are you in? I gathered that @The Z Machine is in Geneva. Welcome to this side of the pond!

i just added my first 5 liters of adblue, a piss and water combo to change the emission into something something. i am 15 minutes outside of orvieto and it’s nice to know others are living in europe. i sense that germany is much more western than my location, unless the country shuts down everyday for a 4 hour lunch. have to ask, pro basketball?

Naw, although I had a team about 7 years ago where we had 3 paid Americans. In looking for a new club I went back there, as thay have a women's Bundesliga team (and a ton of funding.) Situation isn't a good fit presently so I went to the city to a club that presently has a JBBL team (Bundesliga for u16) and working toward an NBBL (u19 Bundesliga). The train pass makes it workable as they are close to a main station.

Spain and Italy are different beasts, with the long midday breaks. We are just closed on Sundays, except for dining and gas, and can't mow the lawn, etc on Sundays or between 12 and 2. The public holidays and 5+ weeks vacation are great though.

lol at the lawn thing….gb europe

It's basically any loud power tools. Mostly the lawn mower for me. Sometimes I'll drill into these concrete walls.

 

[The Z Machine]

Wife got our internet (fiber to the house) set up while I was on a work trip to the UK. We had like 12 days in the apartment without internet because the ISP tried to deliver the box on a Friday when we took possession the following Monday.

Our stuff is scheduled to arrive in Basel on 26 September. I leave to go back to the US for 6 or 7 weeks on Sept 30. You know what day they are gonna pull up with the truck, right???

My kids and MIL got their "carte de legitimation" so they are now legal residents of Switzerland. Me? I'm still here as a tourist but every 2-3 weeks my company HR person asks me some questions, so it seems they are still working out the contract for me.

I've been pretty stressed about money though. So many things were more expensive to do than I anticipated. I'm not flat broke (yet) but I may have to take out a HELOC to cover the kids' school fees.

 

[Chemical X]

Wife got our internet (fiber to the house) set up while I was on a work trip to the UK. We had like 12 days in the apartment without internet because the ISP tried to deliver the box on a Friday when we took possession the following Monday.

Our stuff is scheduled to arrive in Basel on 26 September. I leave to go back to the US for 6 or 7 weeks on Sept 30. You know what day they are gonna pull up with the truck, right???

My kids and MIL got their "carte de legitimation" so they are now legal residents of Switzerland. Me? I'm still here as a tourist but every 2-3 weeks my company HR person asks me some questions, so it seems they are still working out the contract for me.

I've been pretty stressed about money though. So many things were more expensive to do than I anticipated. I'm not flat broke (yet) but I may have to take out a HELOC to cover the kids' school fees.

at least rates are down.

so, in an interesting tidbit, especially from a taxation standpoint, we may or not be under the 183 day rule in italy. have we physically been here this year for more than 183 days? we’ll, we arrived june 25 so seemingly yes; however, we are returning to the US at the end of December. those 13 days put us under the 183 days. italy can argue we own a house, but we can argue we have a home in the US and family, nothing else here besides a house. based on my interpretation, no italian 2024 tax will be due. we already reupped for the temporary transit vehicle thru eurocartt, from january -june 2025. it’s pricier than we want, but ease is worth the cost. praying the EU votes in a reciprocal license thing for the US.

 

[Navin Johnson]

Wife got our internet (fiber to the house) set up while I was on a work trip to the UK. We had like 12 days in the apartment without internet because the ISP tried to deliver the box on a Friday when we took possession the following Monday.

Our stuff is scheduled to arrive in Basel on 26 September. I leave to go back to the US for 6 or 7 weeks on Sept 30. You know what day they are gonna pull up with the truck, right???

My kids and MIL got their "carte de legitimation" so they are now legal residents of Switzerland. Me? I'm still here as a tourist but every 2-3 weeks my company HR person asks me some questions, so it seems they are still working out the contract for me.

I've been pretty stressed about money though. So many things were more expensive to do than I anticipated. I'm not flat broke (yet) but I may have to take out a HELOC to cover the kids' school fees.

at least rates are down.

so, in an interesting tidbit, especially from a taxation standpoint, we may or not be under the 183 day rule in italy. have we physically been here this year for more than 183 days? we’ll, we arrived june 25 so seemingly yes; however, we are returning to the US at the end of December. those 13 days put us under the 183 days. italy can argue we own a house, but we can argue we have a home in the US and family, nothing else here besides a house. based on my interpretation, no italian 2024 tax will be due. we already reupped for the temporary transit vehicle thru eurocartt, from january -june 2025. it’s pricier than we want, but ease is worth the cost. praying the EU votes in a reciprocal license thing for the US.

Driver's license? Those agreements are made on a state-by-state basis. CA doesn't have an agreement with Germany so I had to take the theory and practical tests here - they didn't make me take any courses which would have cost me thousands. I also had to surrender my CDL as it is supposed to be an exchange, but I just reported it lost when we went back to the states and the DMV gave me a new one for $15.

 

[The Z Machine]

The 40' container shipment left our house on July 25, and just passed through Swiss customs in Basel today. It will likely arrive at our place in Geneva on October 3. That's 10 weeks door to door. I had estimated 8 weeks, so it took a little longer than expected.

The biggest issue is that I am leaving Switzerland to go back to the US on Monday (Sept 30) and won't return for 7 weeks. My wife, MIL, and kids will have to deal with the arrival of the shipment.

It's been OK surviving on scrounged up second hand kitchen stuff, beds, etc. I could do it for another month easily. But it's the psychological impact of seeing the culmination of the work to get here and to have things "settled". We as a family are just now getting into a proper routine of work, school, life, etc. and now I'm leaving.

Also, all my winter clothing (jackets, hats, etc.) are in that container shipment. I have a jean jacket that I brought and it's the heaviest item I have here. Thankfully fall is milder in the US than in Switzerland, where it's obviously already Fall here.

 

[The Z Machine]

In other moving news, we still haven't bought a car yet and have been using public transit and the local equivalent of Zipcar. The 11 year old twins go to / from school on public transit (bus --> tram) and that's been going very well. They have monthly passes and its great not to have to drop them off and pick them up. We really only need a car for 3 things: 1) doctors appointments for my MIL, 2) grocery shopping in France, 3) day trips to explore the countryside. If my MIL wasn't around, we probably would do without the car.

That said, we can't afford a car right now. Don't have $10k extra without taking out a HELOC. Kids' school fees for the first trimester came due (CHF 21k = $25k) and we have that, but can't pay rent if we buy a car... The UN will reimburse 80% of the school fees, but not until the end of the school year. So we will pay over $50k out of pocket and then get back $40k in May. But then we have to pay up again in Sept for next year.

On the job front for me, no real progress on the Swiss contract. My US based HR rep says that, "they need to gather more information for the EMEA total rewards team." I guess it's not straightforward to try and convert 401k contributions to the Swiss pension system... In any case, the remote work has been going just fine and I don't think my leadership has any issues with me working from here. I do feel a little disconnected at times, but I'll work through that.

 

[Chemical X]

In other moving news, we still haven't bought a car yet and have been using public transit and the local equivalent of Zipcar. The 11 year old twins go to / from school on public transit (bus --> tram) and that's been going very well. They have monthly passes and its great not to have to drop them off and pick them up. We really only need a car for 3 things: 1) doctors appointments for my MIL, 2) grocery shopping in France, 3) day trips to explore the countryside. If my MIL wasn't around, we probably would do without the car.

That said, we can't afford a car right now. Don't have $10k extra without taking out a HELOC. Kids' school fees for the first trimester came due (CHF 21k = $25k) and we have that, but can't pay rent if we buy a car... The UN will reimburse 80% of the school fees, but not until the end of the school year. So we will pay over $50k out of pocket and then get back $40k in May. But then we have to pay up again in Sept for next year.

On the job front for me, no real progress on the Swiss contract. My US based HR rep says that, "they need to gather more information for the EMEA total rewards team." I guess it's not straightforward to try and convert 401k contributions to the Swiss pension system... In any case, the remote work has been going just fine and I don't think my leadership has any issues with me working from here. I do feel a little disconnected at times, but I'll work through that.

the car thing here is crazy, we already reuppes with eurocartt. things continue to calm down, house is becoming more organized. my prices are much better than svizzera, so i am in good shape. not having kids seems very beneficial based on the above post. the only thing i hate is that i literally can not step outside for a moment without being bitten by mosquitoes. it is the one thing i really miss. we built last year a screened room on the lower part of our property, but i feel a little disconnected from the house and the “action” so to speak. me and my wife bought hysterical pajama onesies, so i can be covered head to toe if i want to sneak out. i hate spraying my legs with off.

 

[ChiefD]

It's been OK surviving on scrounged up second hand kitchen stuff, beds, etc. I could do it for another month easily. But it's the psychological impact of seeing the culmination of the work to get here and to have things "settled". We as a family are just now getting into a proper routine of work, school, life, etc. and now I'm leaving.

I can relate to you here. When we first moved up here to Wisconsin, all of our stuff was here but jammed in the garages and everywhere. I busted my *** the first month just to unpack as much as I could to "set up" the house and my shop. That psychological effect is real. And with visitors coming up to see the place we haven't really felt settled yet.

The only good part about you being gone is that your wife and kids will have some fun unpacking "their things" and maybe feel a little more home.

 

[The Z Machine]

Yeah, I wouldn't say I'm going to "miss" unpacking and all the work that entails.

 

[Navin Johnson]

Yeah, I wouldn't say I'm going to "miss" unpacking and all the work that entails.

We were lucky enough to have my wife's company hire a moving company. Took all the furniture and boxes to the room we tike them. Just had to unpack boxes and reassemble the furniture.

 

[The Z Machine]

OK, looking for advice on how to handle this situation. I'll try to keep it relatively short, but there are a ton of details.

We contracted with a US based moving company to provide "door to door" moving services from Baltimore to Geneva. Ended up with a 40' container, although I figure we occupied about 2/3rds of it. Departure from Baltimore was around 23 July. The US moving company did the packing and loading on the MSC container ship and sent us tracking info for the ship as it crossed the Atlantic. US company's service was fine, good even. Paid them $14500 but the contract noted that this did not include "DTHC" which is Destination Terminal Handling Charges. The contract also noted that hand carry above 2 floors was extra. BTW, we live on the 5th floor, but there's an elevator. I asked for an estimate so I could get an all in quote to compare across quotes, and the US based moving company said it would be about CHF 450, which like $525 or so. Contract was signed and we're good to go. During transit of the ship, the US based company said we'd be working with a Swiss based company for delivery of the container and unpacking in our apartment and put them on copy.

I'm tracking the ship and as it's about to reach Antwerp on 14 September, I reach out to the Swiss moving company for ETA at our apartment. They say that it'll take about 10 days to get from Antwerp to Basel and then "some time" for Swiss customs clearance and then delivery to our apartment. Lots of necessary customs clearance docs were exchanged and everything seemed OK. On 26 Sept, the container gets to Basel and passes through Swiss customs without issue. Again, I ask for estimated delivery date to our apartment in Geneva. Response says that they will notify us of delivery date once the container is in Geneva. OK, fine...

On Monday, 30 Sept, the Swiss shipping company says that they will unload and unpack into our apartment TOMORROW at 8 AM. They gave about 20 hours notice. Unfortunately, I had already left the country and was in the US and my wife had on-site training for 3 days and could accept delivery until Friday. They said that was OK. Then, later that day, they hit us with the invoice of about CHF 1050 including 3 extra days of "storage" and "detention" fees of about CHF 400. They didn't make the costs for storage clear at any point prior to that day, and in fact had not outlined any of the costs we would need to pay them for the work from Antwerp to Geneva. I assumed it would be about CHF 450 as estimated. They asked for a bank transfer or cash on delivery otherwise they wouldn't proceed...

To me, this is totally unacceptable service. After repeatedly asking for arrival process and delivery date information for weeks, you turn around and give less than 24 hours notice?? I emailed both shipping companies that I was very unhappy with this level of service and it was totally unacceptable. They simply outlined the costs on an invoice, knowing that they had us over a barrel since they had our stuff. I tried in vain to get a hold of the US based shipping company to help, but they were closed for many days and didn't provide any help. So, what did we do?

We agreed to pay cash upon delivery. My wife was there on Friday to supervise the unpacking, which went fine. As far as I know, nothing was damaged in transit. They hauled the large furniture up the stairs and used the elevator for boxes. When it came time to settle the bill, we refused to pay for the extra 3 days of storage and detention fees. All other items were totaled up and paid in full in cash. My wife also gave a tip to the Portuguese delivery folks, who were great. Despite getting grief from the Swiss company over the phone, the Portuguese movers left without issue.

It is our opinion, that the extra fees were the result of their poor communication and transparency in costs and should not be borne by us. If they had given more notice or even outlined the costs before hand, my wife may have been able to rearrange her schedule to accommodate the original delivery date on Tuesday, or I may have changed my flight (which was on Monday just before all this happened...).

Obviously the Swiss moving company is demanding payment in full. They have not admitted their poor service or communication and have not offered to negotiate. Thus far they have only outlined the costs again.

How should I play this?

 

[Chemical X]

OK, looking for advice on how to handle this situation. I'll try to keep it relatively short, but there are a ton of details.

We contracted with a US based moving company to provide "door to door" moving services from Baltimore to Geneva. Ended up with a 40' container, although I figure we occupied about 2/3rds of it. Departure from Baltimore was around 23 July. The US moving company did the packing and loading on the MSC container ship and sent us tracking info for the ship as it crossed. They were fine, good even. Paid them $14500 but the contract noted that this did not include "DHTC" which is Destination Terminal Handling Charges. The contract also noted that hand carry above 2 floors was extra. We live on the 5th floor, but there's an elevator. I asked for an estimate so I could get an all in quote, and they the US based moving company said it would be about CHF 450, which like $525 or so. During transit of the ship, the US based company said we'd working with a Swiss based company for delivery of the container and unpacking in our apartment and put them on copy.

I'm tracking the ship and as it's about to reach Antwerp on 14 September, I reach out to the Swiss moving company for ETA at our apartment. They say that it'll take about 10 days to get from Antwerp to Basel and then some time for Swiss customs clearance and then delivery to our apartment. Lots of necessary customs clearance docs were exchanged and everything seemed OK. On 26 Sept, the container gets to Basel and passes through Swiss customs without issue. Again, I ask for estimated delivery date to our apartment in Geneva. Response says that they will notify us of delivery date once the container is in Geneva. OK, fine...

On Monday, 30 Sept, the Swiss shipping company says that they will unload and unpack into our apartment TOMORROW at 8 AM. They gave about 20 hours notice. Unfortunately, I had already left the country and was in the US and my wife had on-site training for 3 days and could accept delivery until Friday. They said that was OK. Then, later that day, they hit us with the invoice of about CHF 1050 including 3 days of "storage" and "detention" fees of about CHF 400. They asked for a bank transfer or cash on delivery.

this sounds actually similar to my situation.
basically, they don’t want to hold your goods. i believe that they give you up to 7 days free for port storage, but after that you begin to incur 2 types of charges; 1) port storage, which is X from 1-5 days, 6-10 days, over 10….or something like that. 2) container storage, because you need to return to the container empty back to port in the same timeframe.

we had the same instance where they tried to force delivery on an undesirable date. i calculated waiting a week and understood the expense would be around $1000. given how much i had already spent and knowing that i expected an upcharge, i didn’t mind the wait to ensure we were ready. but i did have to wire the money, part directly to the port and the other part directly to my local moving agent.

for the delivery to your apartment, i have found local movers are much different than those in the US. i would suggest that when they arrive, find the foreman and tell him what you want (with some cash as a tip upfront). maybe 100-150$ US. if they do a good job, maybe a bit more, if they leave crap downstairs, you tried. my delivery team was 5 guys and i have 3 floors, i tipped upfront and they went above and beyond, even moved some stuff out…..tipping is not normal.

 

[The Z Machine]

The delivery went fine. The guys were nice and my wife tipped them. It's the Swiss moving company that sucks.

Also, they didn't pay to block parking on my block and didn't put up signs. They blocked the street with their truck and the police got involved. This highlights the ****ty service and care that this Swiss company took with our delivery. Bare minimum of effort.

 

[The Z Machine]

In other nickel and time Switzerland news, my wife booked a "mobility" car (like Zipcar) to pick up a free IKEA wardrobe from a colleague that was moving away. We double parked the Seat Alhambra van, turned off the engine and put the hazard lights on. Loaded the car in 15 mins and... car wouldn't start. Battery dead.

Called the Mobility people and they sent roadside assistance, who gave us a jump. Made it home 90 mins later than anticipated.

Mobility charged us for an extra 90 mins of car usage (like CHF 40) AND the cost of the roadside assistance (CHF 100). WTF! It was their car that was faulty and has a bad battery. Leaving the hazards on for 15 mins shouldn't cause a battery in good condition to go flat and not be able to start the car! Anyone with any knowledge of automobiles knows this. Mobility insists that it was our fault for leaving the hazards on for "an excessive amount of time."

:chemX:

 

[Chemical X]

In other nickel and time Switzerland news, my wife booked a "mobility" car (like Zipcar) to pick up a free IKEA wardrobe from a colleague that was moving away. We double parked the Seat Alhambra van, turned off the engine and put the hazard lights on. Loaded the car in 15 mins and... car wouldn't start. Battery dead.

Called the Mobility people and they sent roadside assistance, who gave us a jump. Made it home 90 mins later than anticipated.

Mobility charged us for an extra 90 mins of car usage (like CHF 40) AND the cost of the roadside assistance (CHF 100). WTF! It was their car that was faulty and has a bad battery. Leaving the hazards on for 15 mins shouldn't cause a battery in good condition to go flat and not be able to start the car! Anyone with any knowledge of automobiles knows this. Mobility insists that it was our fault for leaving the hazards on for "an excessive amount of time."

:chemX:

and i thought i was off to a bad start here.
i’m the jets and you’re the browns!

 

[Chemical X]

in positive news, there is an app out there called “too good to good”. it’s here and the US. i found a local bar that has a grande bag for €3.99 most evenings for pick up between 6.30-7.30p. going on my 4th friday of doing this, as they load me up with around 12 end of day italian pastries, including croissants, fruit crostatas, cream puffs, chantilly laced items. i highly recommend taking a look in anyone’s area.

 

[The Z Machine]

in positive news, there is an app out there called “too good to good”. it’s here and the US. i found a local bar that has a grande bag for €3.99 most evenings for pick up between 6.30-7.30p. going on my 4th friday of doing this, as they load me up with around 12 end of day italian pastries, including croissants, fruit crostatas, cream puffs, chantilly laced items. i highly recommend taking a look in anyone’s area.

I did it in Geneva once and got a crappy, tiny, cold veggie pasta meal for like CHF 8. I would have made better at home for less than 4 CHF.

 

[The Z Machine]

Mobility charged us for an extra 90 mins of car usage (like CHF 40) AND the cost of the roadside assistance (CHF 100). WTF! It was their car that was faulty and has a bad battery. Leaving the hazards on for 15 mins shouldn't cause a battery in good condition to go flat and not be able to start the car! Anyone with any knowledge of automobiles knows this. Mobility insists that it was our fault for leaving the hazards on for "an excessive amount of time."

Update: We blinded them with science about how long hazard lights should be left on and they agreed to remove the extra charges.

 

[The Z Machine]

They have not admitted their poor service or communication and have not offered to negotiate. Th

Update: They have still not offered to negotiate and are threatening legal action. Got an email from their "attorney at lay". If this was the US I'd say sure, bring it. But it seems that the creditors/debtors thing in Switzerland is different and even to contest the claim of non payment would cost me CHF 40 regardless of outcome. And the "creditor" party is the only one that can remove your name from the list. I suppose that future landlords or even employers would look at that list.

Makes me thing I should send them an invoice for my time spend on this crap and when they don't pay, I should report them. I'm sure people have done that.

 

[The Z Machine]

Got some good news yesterday. The US moving company will pay the Swiss charges. I didn't see that coming, honestly.

Also, @Chemical X , you and I picked a hell of a time to move away from the US. I wonder how many else will join us.