One year on… | Un'anno dopo la rotonda

So it's been a year.

We arrived in Italy last November, having driven through France on a very quiet All Saints day, passing under Mont Blanc in our proud old Fiat Bravo.

The year has gone by quickly for me. Getting accustomed to life here was easy in some ways, difficult in others; but the seasons have flown by and it feels like only yesterday that we were sitting down for our first meal together in our 'new' home.

Not quite new - we moved in with my wife's parents. There are all sorts of jokes in both languages about this kind of situation, but the experience so far for me has been a positive one. I do have the advantage of being the first boy in the house for a while, my in-laws having had three daughters. Needless to say my instant popularity came with a few advantages. I won't go into all of them, but I'm in no danger of starvation…

One year on, I now feel that I can start to comment on what I'm seeing and hearing around me with a little perspective. My next few posts will, in the main, be dedicated to how I feel about Italy, Italians and life here in the Bel Casino.

In the meantime… buona giornata a tutto voi!

Nothing/Everything Changes

It's been an intense few months. Italy failed to elect a government, so it picked itself amongst much wailing and gnashing of teeth. We've found the job market frustrating and nonsensical. I've jarred, shaken and bottled a variety of homemade spirits, following a housewives' '70's recipe book. Teaching has taken over my life and music is dozing on the back seat of the old Fiat. The weather has been decidedly average, which according to people here means a) it's my fault and b) I must be used to it. I've perfected the bemused look and shrug of the foreigner trying to keep up with the conversation. Summer has sputtered into life and the neighbours' tomato plants are striking upwards to the heavens. I've hardly done any cooking in over six months. Darn. So...

...a lot to write about, then!