POST ON YOUR DREAMBOARD
So, you work remotely? Italy is making it easier for you to live there. Imagine logging off from work and instead of calling UberEats for takeout, you’ll descend the stairs of your Renaissance abode, hit the cobblestones and head to the local market to pick up some easy dinner fixins (which means an embarrassing amount of cheese you’ll eat in one sitting). Maybe you run into your new Italian friends on the way and join in for an aperitivo. Half of my team works and lives in Italy and I lived there for years, so I know from “real life” that the cost of living compared to most North American cities and towns is drastically lower. Rents are like 1980’s rates and that’s not just in the boonies. Quality of life is very high because life is just … Italian. If your current cost of living is rising and your mood is lowering — consider potentially relocating. So many places to go in the world of course… but if you love Europe — the new Italian Visa requirements might be just what the dottore ordered. These easier to obtain visas are not law yet — they still need to be voted in. So knowing Italian red tape… that could be another 400 years. Definitely enough time to pack.
Image: Caroline White
SLEEP HERE
We’re always drawn to the laid back beach hotels in Italy. There’s an Amalfi hotel called Hotel Miramalfi and it’s been a landmark of sophisticated sleeps since 1956. I dig that every room has an ocean view. That avoids the annoyance of getting overly excited on a booking platform and booking a room that has nothing to do with the photos on the website (you think you snagged the last ocean view room but your view is just of a nonna’s kitchen and she’s doing laundry). I adore their beachclub and would most definitely take them up on the boat tour that they organize. Andiamo?
WHAT WE’RE LOVING RIGHT NOW
Summertime in Italy means there’s even more going on than normal. One thing that you should research if you’re summer traveling is the outdoor concerts. This summer in Vernazza (Cinque Terre) they are hosting an Opera Festival — a mix of concerts and recitals in one of the most beautiful villages in all of Italy. You can book tickets at a tour operator’s office in Vernazza (the office is called Cinque Terre Riviera). Shows are every Wednesday and Friday from June 1st to October 14th, from 7pm – 8:30pm. You’ll find the venue just behind Santa Margherita’s Church in the harbor. Insider tip: Book a table at Gianni Franzi for 9pm (outside table) — it’s where the locals eat!
WISH YOU WERE HERE
The trails above the Cinque Terre are wow. Here’s the view of the trail that connects Monterosso (where we host our Cinque Terre tour) and Levanto.
PS Send us an email with “HOLIDAY ME,” and we’ll send you details about the last spots of this season in the Cinque Terre and Sicily (we have a few departures in September 2022).
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With love + margherita pizza
Bianca
PS Want to join us on this tour in September? Send us an email with “Cinque Terre ME!,” and we’ll send you details about the last spots of this season on September 1-8 or 22-29, 2022.
PPS On another note completely — who needs support with their business or business idea? You’ve seen me grow Italian Fix from $80 and a library book to the small but mighty company it is today. I’m dishing out free advice: Click here to get on my calendar.
