Winter 2006

It’s that time of year again. Beginning of a new year when all seems possible and we’re full of fresh ideas. After the festivities and eating frenzy of Christmas time (we cooked locally farmed goose - delicious) we have made our somewhat rather rough plans for the year. Thomas has a head full of ideas and projects but knows that there’s a long list of jobs that need doing first!

I’m desperate for spring as it’s been a cold winter but the children are always wishing for snow! We took them skiing in Abruzzo for a day to a place called Prati di Tivo. A great little ski area and perfect for families. Dominik loved it and wants to do ski school now. Even though it was Sunday it wasn’t too busy and we’ll definitely be going back again.

Living in Italy means I’m a bit cut off from what’s happening in the media but I keep being given articles about Le Marche. For example, The Guardian December 10th 2005 writes: “There’s only one place to go now if you’re a Brit in Italy wanting to escape it all (but not be so escaped- from-it-all that there isn’t running water for 50 miles): Marche,Marche,Marche!”

The article goes on to say that Le Marche is all over the travel pages and how lovely it is and how few Brits are here.
Well. The Brit and German population is growing here that’s for sure. We now know quite a few English/US/German people in this area and it is great to meet up with them and swap stories of life in Italy. I hope we don’t become the ‘New Tuscany’. I believe most ex-pats in Le Marche aim to integrate into the local communities and as the locals are so friendly it’s indeed hard not to!

Another article from The Daily Mail (property section), Feb 3rd writes: “There’s still an affordable part of Italy that ticks all the boxes…Le Marche.” The reporter says that property prices in Le Marche are 40% less than in Tuscany and Umbria, and the long term investment potential is excellent.

We definitely didn’t come here to play the property market and make a killing and I hope people don’t come here solely to buy an investment property. I would hope that experiencing a bit of the Italian way of life is part of it. To make any real profits from property I think you needed to buy 20 years ago, before Le Marche was in the travel/homes abroad pages! We know a savvy German who did just that!

Brits do seem to be increasingly interested in our area of Le Marche and we’re enthusiastic about our new life here but it’s not an easy path and there are so many obstacles. There is richness to our lives now that has nothing to do with money. We have downshifted or whatever the term is to try to discover a better quality of life, turned our backs on materialistic living and convenience foods. I watched a kestrel soar above our house and our farming neighbour pruning olive trees. I cooked with home-made passata and home-grown vegetables doused with our own olive oil. There are negatives – stupid bureaucracy and the paper shuffling of our local commune, struggling to afford heating bills, no broadband, no family allowance or tax credits etc.

Learning new ways of living, doing things the Italian way, building a business is all a challenge but like the Italians we need to learn to love life itself!