DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
5 nights. And then to Sicily.
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My Italian Ex-Pat adventure is ***Officially*** in progress 2025-2026 edition! (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Chemical X
- Start date
Ron Swanson
Footballguy
My favorite square in Rome. We had a hotel with what sounds like the same view. The Pantheon is so cool.
Orange&Blue
Footballguy
share the listing when she completes her stay
Chemical X
Footballguy
it’s gotten roasting hot here and i see it’s mid 90s in rome. make sure if you come to visit that your accommodation has working ac…..it’s still hot or miss here. what i’ve found after almost 1 year is that my area does not have ethnic food. the restaurants are diverse, but the menus are similar. we’ve been making trips to explore and eat different foods. this week we went to viterbo, outside of rome, for chinese food. like authentic. the prices are so cheap. i got a spicy chicken dish for €6. 4 of us had beer, water, 2 apps and dishes with rice for €65. 2 weeks ago in terni we ate awesome indian. heading to perugia tonite for a fish festival: https://ilovefish.it/
this thursday i am firing up my outdoor pizza oven for a pizza fest. gonna throw in 4-6 doughs, some white and red pizzas. we planted lots of veggies and herbs, so i will pull basil and make a white with pesto.
this thursday i am firing up my outdoor pizza oven for a pizza fest. gonna throw in 4-6 doughs, some white and red pizzas. we planted lots of veggies and herbs, so i will pull basil and make a white with pesto.
Chemical X
Footballguy
oops, the other day i saw something almost identical to this driving around, no idea why:
Chemical X
Footballguy
the fish fest was awesome, what a diverse crowd. after 10p dj bounce was a spinning and the teens came out in force. we left after midnight and ate a boat load. managed to knock down a bottle of prosecco, bottle of orvieto classico and several beers. bottle of classico was €18. they did a casino thing, we exchanged at booths for money chips and paid the vendors with the chips. learned a new word, gettoni (chips).
Orange&Blue
Footballguy
what place, gb?
Chemical X
Footballguy
so, we took a day trip down to Rome, but we went specifically for the market/food hall located inside of termini. we had another eat-a-thon. we went for empanadas, chinese mini bao buns and nashville hot chicken with jalapeño cheese fries. also, i found a place that is 5 mins outside termini called The Beehive, it’s a hostel run by an american couple, but the husband also makes bagels and pickles. so i bought 18 bagels, 1 spicy and 1 regular jar of kosher pickles. nice size pickle jars were only €6 each. i made burgers last night and the pickles went well……
Harry Frogfish
Footballguy
In a great forum, this is the best thread. Thank you for sharing, Chemical X. It's interesting, informative and enjoyable.
Chemical X
Footballguy
hey, i appreciate it, really. this move has been many things, simple is not one of them. it’s one thing to visit, even for an extended period, another when you live here. staying to visit cities and drink wine and sightsee is the fun stuff, but daily tasks are not as simple as they are in the states. i can give many examples but, i will give you the italian post office. there are many local branches, but it isn’t like our post office, they do waaaay too many things and i am always trapped behind a 90 year old guy that is at the window paying a year’s worth of bills in cash. in my town we have 1 open window, so you can be on line for an eternity. door is wide open, filled with flies, no a/c. i see people with those old savings and loan type passbooks, cause i think the poste also acts as a bank. most of them have ATMs. you can pay all sorts of taxes there, buy insurance. no idea…..
also, try to never ever use a public toilet in italy. oh, you might get lucky and have a toilet seat. likely you’ll get a toilet sans seat. sometimes, like this thursday at a festival in porano we attended, you’ll get a large plastic pan type thing with a hole in the floor and raised foot rests. i thought i had to step on them to pee to make sure i don’t get my feet covered in piss, but a friend said it’s where you would put your feet to ensure you are over the hole when you squat for numero due…..lol. either way, omg.
Chemical X
Footballguy
not reading my other posts, so i’m not sure if i mentioned we have planted many herbs and veggies, raised beds and in the ground. everything is doing well but, it hasn’t rained here in like 3 weeks and it’s 90-95 everyday now. getting enough water down is an issue. luckily i have an irrigation system that seems to be doing ok. it’s just so hot and dry and i don’t want a €2k water bill. fescue hates the heat. i have had success so far with zucchini, so much so that today i created 2 jars to pickle the zucchini. i have numerous pepper plants and added a home grown jalapeño.
multiple tomatoes, eggplant, lettuce like crazy. the usual herbs. my cherry tree lost its fruit and i likely need to copper treat after the season, same with my peach tree, though i did get 8 peaches, lol. lemons seem ok, lime is unhappy. i found a spot to plant 2 artichoke plants and lets see what happens after the summer, when they get going. fried jewish style artichokes are a favorite of mine. gonna hit the comunale pool this week, it just opened.
multiple tomatoes, eggplant, lettuce like crazy. the usual herbs. my cherry tree lost its fruit and i likely need to copper treat after the season, same with my peach tree, though i did get 8 peaches, lol. lemons seem ok, lime is unhappy. i found a spot to plant 2 artichoke plants and lets see what happens after the summer, when they get going. fried jewish style artichokes are a favorite of mine. gonna hit the comunale pool this week, it just opened.
Chemical X
Footballguy
the light rule is rome and south of rome, in the ground will do great. there are so many different lemon varieties here. sicily and the amalfi is famous for their lemons. siracusa lemons are like little footballs and sweeter than the standard lemon, perfect for limoncello.
El Floppo
Footballguy
Oh yes. Tanti Limoncello was drunk.. really nice in a spritz with prosecco and soda
The Z Machine
Footballguy
Did you have a lemon party?
The Z Machine
Footballguy
Good update, X. While I love Italian food, I would go crazy if I couldn't also get Indian, Mexican, Thai, Japanese. Thankfully, Geneva has a lot of restaurants, all of which are like $30/plate minimum.
It's hot here in Geneva too. Been like 3 weeks straight above 30C (86F). There is no AC in private homes in Switzerland unless it's a portable unit. It's literally illegal. Buildings are made to stay warm in the winter, not enable cooling in summer. Overnight lows at 19-20C (67F) and it doesn't dip below 27C (80F) until about 10:00 PM. Hits above 27C at around 10:00 AM. You can imagine how the apartments heat up and stay hot all night. Sleeping hot is not easy for me. I'm pretty miserable and I let everyone know it. My wife is not pleased with my constant complaining... The kids go swimming in the river and at some friends' houses that have pools. They are living a pretty good life these last few weeks. One of their friend's are an Italian family, living over in France in the foothills of the Saleve mountain. They are so welcoming and friendly, and the father of the family is an amazing cook and brings out excellent wines too.
Anyway... kids finished school last week. Overall it was pretty successful for them. They were challenged in good ways, progressed considerably in math, science, and languages. They made friends and gained a ton of independence. I actually like a good chunk of their friends' parents. The 12 year olds are currently on a train (solo!) to meet up with a family from Baltimore. That family comes to GVA on Wednesday this week, bringing my kids back with them. It'll be nice to host some friends from "back home".
We went to the Cirque du Soleil show last week as a family. Lots of fun. We travel to the US on July 8. Kids are there for 4 weeks, but I'm only staying for 2.
It's hot here in Geneva too. Been like 3 weeks straight above 30C (86F). There is no AC in private homes in Switzerland unless it's a portable unit. It's literally illegal. Buildings are made to stay warm in the winter, not enable cooling in summer. Overnight lows at 19-20C (67F) and it doesn't dip below 27C (80F) until about 10:00 PM. Hits above 27C at around 10:00 AM. You can imagine how the apartments heat up and stay hot all night. Sleeping hot is not easy for me. I'm pretty miserable and I let everyone know it. My wife is not pleased with my constant complaining... The kids go swimming in the river and at some friends' houses that have pools. They are living a pretty good life these last few weeks. One of their friend's are an Italian family, living over in France in the foothills of the Saleve mountain. They are so welcoming and friendly, and the father of the family is an amazing cook and brings out excellent wines too.
Anyway... kids finished school last week. Overall it was pretty successful for them. They were challenged in good ways, progressed considerably in math, science, and languages. They made friends and gained a ton of independence. I actually like a good chunk of their friends' parents. The 12 year olds are currently on a train (solo!) to meet up with a family from Baltimore. That family comes to GVA on Wednesday this week, bringing my kids back with them. It'll be nice to host some friends from "back home".
We went to the Cirque du Soleil show last week as a family. Lots of fun. We travel to the US on July 8. Kids are there for 4 weeks, but I'm only staying for 2.
Chemical X
Footballguy
this area has no ethnicity at all. a couple of sushi and light chinese places. light chinese meaning they have the usual dishes, just not the same as the states, especially NY style takeout. we’ve improvised and found it’s a great way to travel and explore different areas that have ethnic fare. when we travel outside the orvieto area, we never eat italian, always ethnic. in rome we’ve had great falafel and mexican. in florence, it’s been chinese and indian. viterbo is chinese. locally, there is a vineyard operated by expats that every so often have a sunday thai lunch. it’s really expanded my knowledge of areas and made me enjoy the experience more. as for a/c, last summer was hideous. our house basically has 6 rooms, i don’t count bathrooms. 4 had a/c, 2 with and 2 without motors, splits. the kitchen and formal LR did not have a/c. the old units sucked, limited by age and lack of BTUs. we said we are going to splurge and get 6 new units, 12k btu each, all on motors. we busted open holes in the LR for a new a/c and somehow figured out the kitchen using a ceiling mounted compressor located in an adjacent storage room with standard style duct work for a central a/c feel. best money we have ever spent. the toshiba app is pretty good and i run schedules so we don’t suck power. good thing is we are rarely in the 2 spare bedrooms and many times we don’t use the LR, since the TV room and wife’s office are one and the same. no a/c is an absolute deal breaker for me. with global warming and it being 100 here now every summer, you’ll die in these stone walls. in fact, in 20 mins my kitchen a/c kicks on for 3 hours during meal prep and dinner time…..thank god!
Chemical X
Footballguy
oh, speaking of spritz…..i’ve moved over to the hugo spritz. you’re welcome in advance.
Navin Johnson
Footballguy
We go back and forth between Aperol and Hugo. Lately I have been drinking Agua de Pepino (cucumber-lime agua fresca). Refreshing in this heat
Chemical X
Footballguy
i have a cucumber thing. no matter the dish, if it contains cucumber, it’s the only thing i taste. yet, i am a fan of
The Z Machine
Footballguy
I'm the opposite. I don't want cucumber pickles on anything as that's all I taste.i have a cucumber thing. no matter the dish, if it contains cucumber, it’s the only thing i taste. yet, i am a fan of
El Floppo
Footballguy
This Hugo sounds pretty aggressive.
Navin Johnson
Footballguy
Super easy to make. 3 cukes, 5 c water, 4 oz sugar, 4 oz lime juice (2 limes). Blend, strain and chilli have a cucumber thing. no matter the dish, if it contains cucumber, it’s the only thing i taste. yet, i am a fan of
Chemical X
Footballguy
basically uses elderflower liqueur instead of aperol. if i’m not mistaken.
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
Correct. Too sweet for me.
El Floppo
Footballguy
Sorry... Sounded like you were getting a dude named Hugo to spritz you.
The Z Machine
Footballguy
I'm gonna make a limoncello spritz. Just bought some limoncello at Carrefour.
Chemical X
Footballguy
i took Hugo Spritz as one of my riders in the TDF fantasy pool.
Chemical X
Footballguy
this might be more for @DA RAIDERS but, this weekend we had the opportunity to hit a winery event over in Todi for something called Concinnate. winery is run by rollie and sally heitz. apparently Heitz was/is a big name in Napa. he spun off in Napa to open Midsummer, then moved here.
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Chemical X
Footballguy
spending the weekend in florence for my wife’s birthday. we are fortunate that we found out the vasari corridor is open Friday evenings, so we have a booking for 7.40p on the 4th. typically, access is only combined with uffizi tickets, making it more expensive. very stoked for the walk above ponte vecchio.
The Z Machine
Footballguy
That sounds super dope.
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
Lehigh98
Footballguy
Great thread @Chemical X , I always thought it would be a great experience to try living outside of the US but haven't had the opportunity with our jobs. I'm jumping in to see if you (or others here familiar with Italy) could help with some advice for a potential trip to Italy next summer. We are a family of myself (49), wife (49), and two sons (19 & 17). We made our first trip to Europe (and anywhere outside of the US except for Canada and Jamaica) last year when son #1 graduated HS to try and give the kids a little culture and experience outside the US. It was a big hit with stops in London, Amsterdam, and Reykjavik. Here's a post with the initial plan and some pics after.
So we told son #2 that we could do another trip when he graduates and he (and my wife) are interested in Italy. We're at square 1 though and a little overwhelmed even getting started with cities to visit and the best way to fly over (from Philly / Newark area) before getting into details of what to do while there. I think the things we liked most about the last trip were experiencing new cultures, touring cities / architecture / history, but definitely looking forward to the food more in Italy too.
Initial thoughts were that Rome must be a stop to see Colosseum, Parthenon, and all the history there even if it's touristy. There is also some renewed interest in the Vatican / Sistine Chapel now since my wife is a Villanova grad. One we initial thought of was Venice but have seen not-so-glowing reviews and don't want to waste time on something we won't enjoy. Same for Tuscany, we had that one in our heads from pop culture probably but some other not great reviews.
So at this point, just looking for some initial, point-us-in-a-direction for some research as we're getting started. Any thoughts would be appreciated and we'll do our homework to find out more about what may work best for us. We're thinking about something like 10 days and maybe stopping at 3ish places again but open to suggestions. Planes, trains, and automobiles in the area will be new to us so need to figure out best way to travel around as well.
TIA!
So we told son #2 that we could do another trip when he graduates and he (and my wife) are interested in Italy. We're at square 1 though and a little overwhelmed even getting started with cities to visit and the best way to fly over (from Philly / Newark area) before getting into details of what to do while there. I think the things we liked most about the last trip were experiencing new cultures, touring cities / architecture / history, but definitely looking forward to the food more in Italy too.
Initial thoughts were that Rome must be a stop to see Colosseum, Parthenon, and all the history there even if it's touristy. There is also some renewed interest in the Vatican / Sistine Chapel now since my wife is a Villanova grad. One we initial thought of was Venice but have seen not-so-glowing reviews and don't want to waste time on something we won't enjoy. Same for Tuscany, we had that one in our heads from pop culture probably but some other not great reviews.
So at this point, just looking for some initial, point-us-in-a-direction for some research as we're getting started. Any thoughts would be appreciated and we'll do our homework to find out more about what may work best for us. We're thinking about something like 10 days and maybe stopping at 3ish places again but open to suggestions. Planes, trains, and automobiles in the area will be new to us so need to figure out best way to travel around as well.
TIA!
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Orange&Blue
Footballguy
Our family of 5 (kids ages 17,11,11) planning to visit Italy mid/late March 2026.
Plan is to fly into Rome and spend 4 nights there. Then travel north and spend 4 nights in Florence/Tuscany before traveling for 2 nights in Venice and returning to United States.
My oldest is enamored with Tuscany after loving our time in Alsace France earlier this year.
My plan is take a train from Rome to Florence and then rent a car to tour the countryside/Florence those days there. There are so many beautiful villas that I'm finding it difficult to try and pick one... lol.
Any recommendations for Villas?
Plan is to fly into Rome and spend 4 nights there. Then travel north and spend 4 nights in Florence/Tuscany before traveling for 2 nights in Venice and returning to United States.
My oldest is enamored with Tuscany after loving our time in Alsace France earlier this year.
My plan is take a train from Rome to Florence and then rent a car to tour the countryside/Florence those days there. There are so many beautiful villas that I'm finding it difficult to try and pick one... lol.
Any recommendations for Villas?
Orange&Blue
Footballguy
what time of the year are you going? peak season will be crowded and hot. that will influence a lot of the reviews.
i haven't been there, but flying into rome and then using rail to get around seems to be the best. don't rent a car if staying in metro, but will need one if staying in tuscany from what I've read.
we are traveling in March next year (cooler and less crowds). we will be flying into rome and out of Venice most likely. I'd avoid Florence airport. It's small runway and apparently has a lot of bumps/cancellations/etc for the bigger planes.
My thought is you should do no more than 3 hubs for your duration otherwise you are spending a lot of time traveling around instead of seeing.
Navin Johnson
Footballguy
We bought the two day Roma Pass when we went.
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
Chemical X
Footballguy
i’m in florence right now but will provide additional thoughts when i return home tomorrow. @DA RAIDERS linked the right thread, i’ve provided my insight there numerous times. for @Lehigh98 , doesn’t AA fly direct to rome from philly? do not use EWR.
Navin Johnson
Footballguy
Been in the 90's all week in Munich as well. I get up at 530, open up the doors and windows, and run three fans to getthe cooler air in the house, then keep everythinng shut throughout the day. Windows and rouladen shut in rooms that don't need much light and open the canopy.
Chemical X
Footballguy
i would try to avoid july and august, the temperature will simply suck your will and ac usage in public places is still not common. if you are sticking in the center of italy, i would put siena and assisi on the radar. naples does have pompeii, but naples is rough. i personally am not a venice fan, id much rather see you hit bologna, parma, modena. you really need 4 nights in rome, 3 in florence and then figure what you want to see. genoa gets you access to cinque terre. milan has the lakes, but maybe not worth the hike.
Chemical X
Footballguy
so, we spent the weekend in florence with friends for mrs. x birfday. $tayed at the we$tin, using points and free night, otherwise, unaffordable. amazing the affected that stay at this place. lots and lots of trophy wives. ate at an amazing seafood only joint in the altrarno. ate at our favorite indian restaurant and i had the spiciest vindaloo i have eaten. shopped a bit. wandered. might not do it again during july-august. it is simply too hot to enjoy. it was 97 boff days. we walked the vasari corridor and while the history was great, it was a bit of a let down, as they simply don’t market it well enough. it is guided, but they are not tour guides, so nothing is explained. no audio guide, no self guide. no signage. no ac. it could be so so so much more, but a missed opportunity. you know, tell me more about the medicis, when and why. what was it like. the merchants below were different…., give us something for that €24 entrance fee.
Chemical X
Footballguy
so, tomorrow might be a huge day for us. though we have not received the coveted SMS message from the police station, the online status of our visa conversion to elective residency now says ready. tuesdays and thursday is pick up day, so i am going to go down tomorrow and see if i can get my physical card.
Chemical X
Footballguy
We officially now have received our Elective Residency Permesso di Soggiorno. The is essentially the retirement visa that is so hard to obtain from Italian consulates in the states. 1 year expiry, which we expected, next renewal gives us 2 years, then 5.
Yambag
Footballguy
Congrats, it's been great following your journey!
Chemical X
Footballguy
conversion was unexpected and we didn’t really have a plan to do it. real plan was to renew the student PdS. we are lucky to have found a local attorney who knows the local process, which differs greatly from the US. this takes a weight off of shoulders and means we no longer have a study requirement nor the financial burden that comes with it.
next up, Nile Rodgers in Lucca, but first we hit the local pool this week. Bathroom reno is 65% done, they have pretty much completed the demo and remudding. they just cut in the tub/shower niches yesterday. architect delivered our japanese style toilet, with automated hot/cold bidet. i thought of a new shirt that say; “i voted for bidet”
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Chemical X
Footballguy
vegetables continue to rock and we basically have lettuce to feed numerous rabbits. i am having especially good fortune with my peppers, i’ve harvested; jalapeño, rossa etna, lungo piccante and am waiting for hot cherry and calabrian chilis to ripen.
another scale story for me; being in italy i don’t necessarily think i’m eating bad, but man, lots of pasta, pizza and bread, not to mention cheese and cold cuts. last week in florence at the indian restaurant i felt i hit my limit and was simply too heavy. i just couldn’t continue eating. i try to be around 167 or so. last december in the states my doctor got me around 173. i am active, not exercise wise, but a lot of yard work and walking and toiling around. finally decided to weigh my self and i was at 163 somehow. i’ve been skipping lunch every now and again, lol, seems i have some room. however, that 10 night cruise followed by 3 nights in bologna has me thinking to stay the course.
also, no one has passed thru italy this year?
another scale story for me; being in italy i don’t necessarily think i’m eating bad, but man, lots of pasta, pizza and bread, not to mention cheese and cold cuts. last week in florence at the indian restaurant i felt i hit my limit and was simply too heavy. i just couldn’t continue eating. i try to be around 167 or so. last december in the states my doctor got me around 173. i am active, not exercise wise, but a lot of yard work and walking and toiling around. finally decided to weigh my self and i was at 163 somehow. i’ve been skipping lunch every now and again, lol, seems i have some room. however, that 10 night cruise followed by 3 nights in bologna has me thinking to stay the course.
also, no one has passed thru italy this year?
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