Living in Europe full time, with Italy as a base and Albania as the reset It might be interesting to share how we pulled off living in Italy for part of the year. I will post some steps and what we are learning along the way. We love every minute of it, and what was once a dream is our life! We live in Tuscany in the Fall, then back again in the Spring, and in California for the rest of the time (in a previous blog, I explained why we live in Italy only part of the year). As we explore areas in Italy, we discover some gems worth sharing. Some are well-known tourist magnets, and others are lesser-known but always amazing. This week lets explore how to make the Schengen Shuffle easier, with Albania in the mix. The bottom line: The flexibility of spending part of the year in Albania can make the Schengen Shuffle workable for those who want to live in Europe full time with Italy as their base, without changing their residency. (What is the Schengen Shuffle? See: https://www.marktedesco.com/post/the-schengen-shuffle). Step 1: How to live in Europe full time without changing your residency. Some readers have written asking how to spend more than three months at a time in Italy. They want to live in Europe full time, but without changing their residency from their home country. For them, the Schengen Shuffle is the practical answer. And Albania is an option that can make it work. Several countries outside the Schengen zone can serve the Shuffle — the UK, Ireland, Turkey, Georgia, and the Balkans (Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Kosovo, North Macedonia), among others. We'll be exploring several of these in future blog posts. But Albania has something the others do not: Americans can stay there for a full year, visa-free. That is what makes Italy-as-a-base workable for those willing to do the Shuffle. Albania becomes the place to legally wait out the 90 days you cannot be in Italy, before returning to Italy for another 90. We are not doing this ourselves — our split of Tuscany in the fall and spring, with California in between, fits comfortably within the 90-day Schengen window. But the question is a real one, and we have a personal connection to it: here in Tuscany, we have several Albanian friends who came to Italy years ago for work. They speak fondly of home — the beaches, the food, the welcome they get on visits back — and they tell us we should go. Let me share what we have learned. Step 2: The one-year rule. This post rests on two facts, and they belong together. The first: U.S. citizens can stay in Albania for one full year without a visa, a residence permit, or any application. Just a passport. No other country in Europe offers Americans this kind of access. The second: stay more than 183 days in a calendar year and you become an Albanian tax resident. We will come back to this in Step 11, but it shapes everything that follows. The first fact is what makes Albania remarkable. The second is what keeps it practical only within limits. The one-year stay comes from a bilateral arrangement between the United States and Albania, formalized in 2022. As of 2026, it remains in force, and the U.S. Embassy in Albania confirms it on its official site: https://al.usembassy.gov/entering-and-residing/ A few details worth knowing: Your passport must be valid for at least three months beyond your stay. Airlines often require six months, so check with your carrier. On arrival, Albanian border officers traditionally stamped your passport. Lately, many entries are logged electronically without a stamp. Save your boarding pass as proof of your entry date, just in case. To "reset" the one-year clock and stay another year, you must leave Albania for 90 consecutive days. Shorter trips outside the country do not reset the timer. This rule is specific to U.S. citizens. Citizens of the EU, UK, Canada, and Australia generally get 90 days within a 180-day period, like the Schengen rule. The one year is a visa rule, not a tax rule. Albania uses a separate calendar-year clock for tax residency. Spending more than 183 days in any one calendar year — even if you are well within your visa-free year — makes you an Albanian tax resident. We address this in Step 11. Step 3: How the math works with the Schengen Shuffle. Here is the key insight. For someone who wants to make Italy their base, the Schengen rules limit you to 90 days at a stretch. After that, you must leave the Schengen Area for 90 days before you can return. Albania is the easiest, cheapest place in Europe to spend those 90 days out. In practice, a typical year for someone with Italy as their base could look like this: 90 days in Italy → 90 days in Albania → 90 days in Italy → 90 days in Albania That gives you the legal maximum of 180 days in Italy across the year — your home, where you really want to be — with Albania filling the off-periods between your Italian stretches. Other patterns work too. You could use Albania for one off-period and somewhere else (the UK, Turkey, Ireland) for the other. You could break a 90-day Albania stretch into shorter trips around the region. Either way, Italy can be your home for half the year, legally and reliably. Where to spend the off-periods is the next question. Step 4: Albania compared to other non-Schengen options. Turkey, Montenegro, Serbia, and the rest of the Balkans accept Americans visa-free, but only for 90 days at a time, followed by 90+ days out. For a rigid Italy/off/Italy/off pattern, they work as well as Albania. Albania's real advantage is flexibility. Within your one-year visa-free window, you can come and go freely — in any stay length — as long as your total Albanian days stay under 183 in the calendar year. So you could spend two weeks in Albania, slip down to Greece for ten days, return to Albania for a month, take a trip back to the US, and come back again. The 90/180 countries do not allow this kind of in-and-out movement; once you leave, you start a long clock before you can return.. Three other practical advantages: Proximity. Bari to Durrës is the closest non-Schengen exit from Italy. Italian-friendly culture. Italian is widely understood, especially in cities and along the coast. Cost. Albania is among the cheapest options in Europe. For a strict 90-on/90-off rhythm, Turkey or Montenegro work just as well. For anything more flexible, Albania is the practical choice. Step 5: Getting there from Italy. The easiest entry point to Albania from Italy is the overnight ferry from Bari to Durrës. The crossing takes 8 to 10 hours, with most departures leaving Bari around 10 p.m. — you sleep on board and arrive in time for breakfast in Durrës. Tickets run €45 to €75 one-way, and you can bring a car for around €80. The route runs year-round with multiple daily crossings in summer and fewer in the off-season. Adria Ferries and Grandi Navi Veloci are the main operators; ferryhopper.com lists current schedules. Flying is faster. Tirana International Airport is well-connected to Rome, Milan, and Bologna, with flight times around 1 hour 15 minutes and tickets often under €100. For the Shuffle pattern, the ferry is more flexible — you can bring more belongings, including a car — but flying is the simplest option. Step 6: Where in Albania to consider. Albania is a small country, smaller than the state of Maryland, but it has remarkable variety. Four areas come up most often in expat conversations: Tirana (the capital): Albania's main city and the country's economic and cultural center. The Blloku neighborhood — once sealed off for communist elites, now the heart of café and restaurant culture — is the expat favorite. Tirana has the best internet, the most international restaurants, the busiest social scene, and the country's main airport. The downside: chaotic traffic and significant urban sprawl. Saranda: A coastal town on the Albanian Riviera, just across from the Greek island of Corfu (30 to 45 minutes by fast ferry). Lively in summer, much quieter in winter. Popular with Albanians and a growing number of foreigners. Lower cost of living than Tirana, but smaller in every sense. Durrës: Albania's main port and second-largest city, with a long beachfront and 3,000 years of history. Convenient for ferry access to Italy, more developed than the Riviera, less polished than Tirana. A practical choice for someone who wants to keep close ties to Italy. Vlorë and the southern coast: A growing region of beach towns, less developed than Saranda but easier to live in year-round. Vlorë specifically has been seeing more investment and a small but steady international presence. Our Albanian friends in Tuscany have told us that the coastal villages remind them of how Italy looked decades ago — small, unhurried, and not yet remade for tourism. Step 7: Cost of living. This is where Albania really separates itself from Western Europe. A single expat can live comfortably in Tirana for $900 to $1,500 per month, all in; the Albanian Riviera runs slightly higher. The same lifestyle in much of Italy could easily cost twice as much, depending on the region. A meal at a local restaurant runs $3 to $6, and groceries for one person cost about $100 a month. Public transit and ride-sharing in Tirana are very cheap. Imported goods carry a 40 to 60 percent premium, which is worth knowing if you have specific brands you cannot live without. On the services side, high-speed fiber internet is under $30, utilities for an 85 m² apartment land around $100, and a visit to a private clinic is $20 to $40. For a fuller breakdown, Numbeo's Albania page is the easiest place to compare specific categories. Currency note: Albania uses the lek (ALL), not the euro. As of mid-2026, 1 USD is roughly 82 ALL. Rent is often quoted in euros even though daily expenses are in lek. Step 8: Renting for three months — and a note on buying. For your 90 days outside the Schengen Area, three months is the natural unit: you arrive in Albania, settle in, then return to Italy for your next 90-day stretch. Here is what to expect. Renting for three months Albanian landlords generally prefer 12-month leases, but three-month rentals are common in tourist-oriented cities and increasingly available in Tirana through local agencies and Airbnb. A furnished apartment in central Tirana (Blloku, Pazari, Rruga e Kavajës) runs about $500 to $600 per month, or roughly $1,500 to $1,800 for three months. Outer neighborhoods run noticeably less. The Riviera and Vlorë are cheapest in the off-season — €200 to €300 per month — but prices spike sharply in summer, and long-term rentals become hard to find at all. Soviet-era buildings are cheaper but expect older heating, plumbing, and sound insulation. Furnished apartments are standard for foreigners. Deposits are typically one to two months' rent, usually quoted in euros but paid in lek. For finding places, Tirana Rentals is a useful English-language site. Local agencies like Century 21 Albania, Habita, and RE/MAX Albania handle longer leases. Airbnb's monthly rates (often 30 to 50 percent off the nightly rate) work well for your first 90-day stretch while you scout the market. A note on buying If you stay long enough to want a real base, buying in Albania is unusually accessible. Foreigners have the same property rights as Albanian citizens under Law 7850 of the Albanian Civil Code, with no special permits required. You do not need a residence permit to buy — many foreign buyers complete purchases from abroad using a power of attorney with a local lawyer. The one significant restriction is that foreigners cannot directly own agricultural land, though registering an Albanian company gets around that. Sample 2026 prices: a one-bedroom apartment in central Tirana runs €90,000 to €150,000; outer Tirana runs less; sea-view apartments on the Riviera go for €2,200 to €3,000 per square meter. Closing costs run 3 to 5 percent. Annual property tax is striking: 0.05 percent of value — a €200,000 villa carries about €100 a year. An important caveat: Albanian property prices rose 18 to 26 percent in 2024, and coastal areas in some cases more than 30 percent. There is real risk of buying at the top of a hot market, and Albania has no centralized property listing service, so working with a verified local advisor — and doing thorough due diligence on title, permits, and encumbrances — is essential. For most Schengen Shufflers, renting first — for a year or two — is the prudent path. Step 9: Practical setup. A few practical notes. Banking is slow for non-residents, so most long-stay foreigners simply use Wise or Revolut for everyday spending and ATM withdrawals. A local SIM from Vodafone Albania or One Albania runs $10 to $15 with generous data; home internet is unusually fast and cheap. Public healthcare exists but most expats use private clinics, which are modern and affordable, with English-speaking doctors common in Tirana. For anything serious, many foreigners travel back to Italy, the UK, or the United States. Tirana traffic is widely described as among the worst in the Balkans, though roads outside the capital are improving. Albanian is unrelated to any major European language family, but English is widely spoken among younger Albanians, and Italian is common along the coast and among older generations who grew up watching Italian television during the communist era. Step 10: The expat community. Albania's foreign community is small but growing. The largest groups are returning Albanians from the diaspora, retirees from the UK and northern Europe, digital nomads from various countries, and a smaller but increasing number of Americans drawn by the one-year rule. Tirana hosts several coworking spaces and an active digital nomad scene centered in Blloku. Saranda has a smaller but established summer community. Facebook groups like "Expats in Albania" and "Americans in Tirana" are active and useful for housing leads, advice, and meetups. By all accounts, the community is friendly and unpretentious. There is none of the established expat hierarchy you find in long-settled places like the south of France or Tuscany itself. People are still figuring it out together. Step 11: Honest considerations. A post like this would not be complete without naming what is harder about Albania: It is a developing economy. Our Albanian friends in Tuscany did not come to Italy for fun; they came because work at home was scarce. The infrastructure has improved enormously since the 1990s, but Albania is still catching up to Western Europe in many practical areas. Power outages happen. Reliable plumbing is not a given in older buildings. Bureaucracy can be opaque. Healthcare quality varies. For routine care, Tirana's private clinics are good and affordable. For anything serious, many foreigners leave the country. Driving and traffic. As noted, Tirana traffic is genuinely difficult. If you plan to drive regularly, this should factor in. Tax residency. Spending more than 183 days in Albania in a calendar year makes you an Albanian tax resident. The typical Shuffle pattern (90 days in Italy, 90 in Albania, 90 in Italy, 90 in Albania) puts you at 180 days per calendar year, just under the line. The United States and Albania have no tax treaty, so Americans who cross the threshold have no protection against double taxation. Track your days carefully, and consult a tax professional before planning a year that approaches 183 days. Days of Stay is a free tool that handles both the 183-day rule and the Schengen 90/180 rule. Cultural distance. Albanian language, customs, and history are distinct from Italian or Western European norms. Not difficult, but different. Friends who have visited tell us that Albanian hospitality is exceptional, but you will be a clear outsider in a way you might not feel as an American in, say, Florence. Political and economic context. Albania is a NATO member and an EU candidate country, and the trajectory is broadly positive. But it is not the EU, and the institutional environment is less mature than in Italy. Step 12: A sample year with Italy as your base. For readers who want to visualize what this could look like, here is one possible structure: January–March: 90 days in Italy April–June: 90 days in Albania July–September: Second 90-day stretch in Italy (or another Schengen country) October–December: 90 days in Albania, or split with another non-Schengen destination The result: roughly six months in Italy, the legal maximum under the Schengen rule, with Albania serving as the most affordable and accessible base for the time outside it. Insights: The Schengen Shuffle offers a real answer for those who want to live in Europe full time without changing their residency. Italy can be the base, and Albania's one-year visa-free rule for Americans makes it the most accessible place to spend the 90 days outside the Schengen Area. The math works — 180 days in Albania per calendar year, just under the tax residency threshold — but only with careful planning. For those willing to do the Shuffle, Italy plus Albania makes a fuller European life possible. More next time. If you enjoy reading about Italian life, you may enjoy my book on southern Italy — where two Californians meet a region shaped as much by its history as by the people living in it now. Stories from Puglia: Two Californians in Southern Italy — a book of southern Italian life, culture, and history, told through my own experience of the region and the stories behind its towns, its people, and its past. "This book elevated my trip. Well written and fun." — Amazon reviewer https://a.co/d/0340l3Ak

It might be interesting to share how we pulled off living in Italy for part of the year. I will post some steps and what we are learning along the way. We love every minute of it, and what was once a dream is our life! We live in Tuscany in the Fall, then back again in the Spring, and in California for the rest of the time (in a previous blog, I explained why we live in Italy only part of the year). As we explore areas in Italy, we discover some gems worth sharing. Some are well-known tourist magnets, and others are lesser-known but always amazing. Step 1: This week, let's revisit the Schengen Shuffle. I wrote about the Shuffle once before (The Schengen Shuffle), explaining what it is, who does it, and why. But a lot has changed since then. The European Union rolled out a new border tracking system in April 2026, another one is coming later this year, and there are far more tools and places to live than I covered the first time around. A revisit felt overdue. Step 2: Why this matters now. For expats living in Europe part or full time, the Schengen Shuffle is one of the few ways to spend more than 90 days in a 180-day window without applying for residency. Until recently, much of this happened on the honor system. Border agents stamped your passport, and tracking your own days was something most of us did with a free online calculator. That's no longer the whole story. A note before going further: the specific visa-free rules I mention below are written for U.S. passport holders, since that is most of our readership. If you carry a different passport, the day limits and visa-free arrangements vary by country — always check your own passport's allowances against each destination. Step 3: The big change — Entry/Exit System (EES). On April 10, 2026, the European Union activated the Entry/Exit System, known as EES. Now, when you enter or leave the Schengen Area, your information is recorded digitally and biometrically — fingerprints, facial image, the works. The database talks to itself across all member countries. There is no more relying on faded stamps or a missed page in your passport. In practical terms, your day count is now official, automatic, and instantly verifiable. If you've ever rounded down your days or hoped a border agent might not notice, that strategy is finished. This makes accurate tracking on your own end more important than ever. For the official EU explanation of how EES works, see: https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees_en Step 4: What's coming next — ETIAS. The European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) is expected to launch in the fourth quarter of 2026. For travelers from visa-exempt countries — Americans included — it will work like the U.S. ESTA: a pre-travel authorization you apply for online. The fee is 20 euros, and the authorization is valid for multiple entries over three years, or until your passport expires. It's not a visa, but it is a required step before flying to Europe. Worth applying for as soon as it's available, since it's tied to your passport. One important warning: the EU itself notes that many websites claim to be the official ETIAS application site, some even using the EU logo and collecting personal data. The only official ETIAS website is on the europa.eu domain. Bookmark it now so you'll know where to apply when the system launches: https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en Step 5: Day-tracking tools beyond the basic calculator. In my previous post, I recommended visa-calculator.com. It still works and it's still free, but the app world has come a long way since I first wrote about this. Here are the tools worth knowing: Free web calculators: visa-calculator.com — still simple and reliable schengencalculator.org — newer, with EES context built in Mobile apps: 90 Days Schengen — automatic tracking with push notifications when you're approaching your limit Schengen Simple — includes a "Passport Control mode" that displays your stay history in a format useful when questioned at a border TrackingDays — has been around for over a decade and tracks days across multiple countries, useful if you're also watching tax residency thresholds; see https://www.trackingdays.com/ Premium dashboards: Orbis — combines Schengen tracking with visa countdowns and tax residency monitoring across many countries, with alerts at 30, 14, 7, 3, and 1 days (https://orbistracker.com/). For most part-time residents, a free calculator and one mobile app is plenty. If you're juggling multiple passports, multiple visas, or tax residency questions, a paid dashboard like Orbis starts to make sense. Step 6: Albania — the option I wish I had included the first time. Americans can stay in Albania for a full year, visa-free, on arrival. No paperwork, no embassy visits, no application fee. Just a passport. Once your 364 days are up, you need to leave for 90 consecutive days, and then you can return. But during that visa-free year, you can take 90-day trips into the Schengen Area (Italy included) and come back to Albania in between. That makes Albania an unusually good home base for someone who wants to live in Europe long term while taking regular stretches in Italy. The cost of living is significantly lower than Italy. The Adriatic coast faces directly across to Puglia, with overnight ferries between Bari and Durrës. Tirana, the capital, has become a small hub for digital nomads and long-stay expats. There is enough to say about life in Albania — costs, practical logistics, what it is actually like as a Schengen Shuffle base — for its own dedicated blog post, which I will be writing next week. Step 7: Other non-Schengen options worth knowing. Georgia (the country, not the state): One year visa-free for Americans, and the reset is easier than Albania — you just have to leave for some period of time, then return for another year. Tbilisi has become a popular landing spot for long-stay expats. The United Kingdom: Six months visa-free for Americans. Not the cheapest option, but well-connected to Italy and culturally easy. Ireland: 90 days visa-free, and separate from the Schengen Area entirely. Often overlooked because people assume it's part of Europe in the visa sense. The Balkans: Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina each allow Americans 90 days. Because they border each other, you can rotate among them for a long time without repeating. We have not lived in any of these long term, but I have heard from people who have, and the reviews are generally positive. Turkey: 90 days visa-free with an e-Visa, easy to obtain online. Cyprus: Still outside the Schengen Area as of 2026, despite being in the EU. Step 8: Where to actually rent. This is the question I am asked most often: where do you find a place to live for 90 days that doesn't bankrupt you? A few platforms worth trying: Flatio — built specifically for monthly stays across Europe, including non-Schengen countries. The pricing is usually more transparent than Airbnb, and the contracts are designed for stays of one to twelve months. Spotahome — strong in major European cities, mid-term focused. Wunderflats — useful if any part of your year is in Germany. Blueground — serviced apartments, higher end, but available in many non-Schengen cities including London and Istanbul. Airbnb monthly rates — often 30 to 50 percent off the nightly rate, and available almost everywhere. A useful tip we picked up along the way: if you find a listing you like on Airbnb, copy a distinctive phrase from the description into Google. You will often find the same property listed elsewhere at a lower price, sometimes by the owner directly. For Albania, Georgia, and the Balkans, the most affordable rentals often come through local Facebook groups and direct contact with owners. The platforms above are starting to expand into these markets, but the local networks still tend to offer better prices. Resources from the shuffler community: For people doing this regularly, some of the most useful resources are the ones built by other shufflers. A few worth knowing: Schengen Shuffle Facebook groups — there are several active ones, and members share housing leads, country tips, and warnings about rule changes. Search "Schengen Shuffle" on Facebook to find them. City-specific expat Facebook groups — once you have decided on a destination, these are often where the best apartment deals show up first, before they reach the public platforms. Housesitting platforms — for shufflers willing to be flexible, sites like Nomador (strongest in France and Western Europe) and TrustedHousesitters (global coverage) connect homeowners going away with people who will stay in their home for free in exchange for taking care of the house and pets. This can dramatically reduce your costs during the non-Schengen months. A note of caution: scams targeting long-stay renters do exist, especially in destinations popular with expats. Stick to platforms with reviews and verified profiles, never wire money in advance to someone you have not vetted, and be wary of any deal that pressures you to pay quickly or move money outside the platform. Step 9: A sample year of the Shuffle. Here is one way to legally live in Europe for a full year: 90 days in Italy → 90 days in Albania → 90 days in Italy → 90 days in the United Kingdom Or, if you wanted more variety: 90 days in Italy → 90 days in Albania → 90 days in Italy → 60 days in Turkey → 30 days in Ireland Every combination requires running the numbers through a calculator before you book anything. The 180-day window is rolling, not a calendar year, and it is easy to miscalculate when you are combining multiple stays. Step 10: Common mistakes the new EES will catch. A few errors I see people make: Misunderstanding the rolling window. The 90 days are counted backward from the day you enter, not from January 1. Every day you cross the border, the system looks at the last 180 days. Counting partial days wrong. Both the day you enter and the day you leave count as full days in the Schengen Area. Same-day re-entries. Leaving Italy by ferry to Albania in the morning and coming back the next week does not give you credit for the day you left. Transit through Schengen airports. A layover in Frankfurt or Amsterdam between two non-Schengen destinations might still count, depending on whether you cleared passport control. Assuming the new system won't notice. It will. EES is designed exactly to catch these patterns. Insights: The Schengen Shuffle is more doable now than when I first wrote about it. With one good calculator, one tracking app, and one non-Schengen base, you can legally live a bigger life across two continents without changing your residency status. More next time. If you have enjoyed reading about our life in Italy, my book goes deeper into where it began. Stories from Puglia: Two Californians in Southern Italy — the stories of finding our way through the towns, food, and people of the deep south. "This book elevated my trip. Well written and fun." — Amazon reviewer. https://a.co/d/0340l3Ak

Charm versus Convenience It might be interesting to share how we pulled off living in Italy for part of the year. I will post some steps and what we are learning along the way. We love every minute of it, and what was once a dream is now our life! We live in Tuscany in the fall, return again in the spring, and spend the rest of the time in California. In a previous blog, I explained why we live in Italy only part of the year. As we explore areas in Italy, we discover some gems worth sharing. Some are well-known tourist magnets, and others are lesser-known but always worth the detour. Step 1: This week let's explore our experience of living in a historical center in Italy — and why we wouldn't do it again. Step 2: We were swept away by the charm of a 15th-century house in the historical center of a town we discovered in Tuscany. Stone walls, wood-beam ceilings, and terra cotta floors gave the home a sense of history that was a world away from our life in California. In other blogs, I recounted how we upgraded the home while keeping its original character — a new kitchen, a second bathroom, an upgraded main bathroom, double-pane windows, and a redone roof. But even with all of that investment, we eventually decided that living in the historical center was not for us. Keep in mind that this blog reflects our personal experience and does not claim to speak for everyone who lives in a historical center. So what were the issues that led us to that decision? Step 3: Parking When we bought the house, we knew we would have to rely on street parking some blocks away — a small price to pay for living in a town that was once a pilgrimage stop under the protection of the Knights Templar, just down the hill from a castle once inhabited by the Medicis. But over time, lugging cases of water, groceries, bags of pellets, and other supplies wore us down. When a festival or market came to town, parking near our place would disappear entirely, and we would end up hiking in from wherever we could find a spot. Parking and hauling goods home became more of a grind as time went on — but it was not the only factor that led us to leave. Step 4: Darkness Most homes in historical centers were built with small windows, and views are often blocked by the building directly across the narrow lane. Ours was no exception. At first, that was part of the charm — think of the history, the people who had lived there, the stories those stones had witnessed. But the reality is that many such homes are simply dark. Buildings packed tightly together mean that direct sunlight rarely reaches inside, and ours was no different. Coming from California, I missed the light more than I had expected. On rainy days especially, the house felt closed in. You might find a home on the edge of a historical center with more open views, but many homes — built surrounded by other historical buildings — live in the shadows. Step 5: Drafts and Heat Our home came with two pellet heaters — one in the main bedroom and one in the kitchen. The kitchen unit took up too much floor space, so we had it removed and replaced with heat-generating electric logs in the fireplace. What we discovered was that no matter how much heat we generated, drafts remained. Many historical homes were never designed to be wind-tight, and we did what we could to address that. Whether the drafts came through the front door area or from some other unknown source, we could never eliminate them entirely. Some neighbors had installed glass wind proof doors over their front entrances, which probably helped — we considered doing the same. We also went to the expense of installing double-pane windows throughout, but the drafts remained. The best we could do was seal off rooms and heat them sufficiently while other areas stayed cold. Step 6: Water Issues Our historic home had a tile roof, and one exterior side of the building was made of exposed stone and mortar — beautiful to look at, but with downsides. Not long after purchasing the home, we had leaks from the roof that sent us into a panic. Our contractor climbed up and found that the tile roof had no sealer or tar paper beneath it — just tiles laid directly on the wood structure. Our realtor told us this was common in historical centers in our area of the Monte Amiata, and that it had generally been sufficient. But with the increasingly heavy wind-driven rains of recent years, such roofs were no longer reliably water-tight. We had the tiles removed, sealed the roof underneath and then replaced them; the roof is now water-tight, but it was a stressful and costly lesson. The stone exterior walls presented a similar issue. The only thing keeping water from seeping through during a driving rainstorm is the mortar between the rocks, which in some cases may be centuries old. We had water dampen interior walls during strong storms, and had to take the necessary steps to resolve it. Step 7: Pellet Heating and Air Quality Nearly all of our neighbors in the historical center relied on pellet heating, as did we. It generates strong heat and is cheaper than most electric or gas options in Italy. But it comes with downsides. The first is practical: keeping a supply of pellet bags on hand means lugging them from the car and finding somewhere to stack them inside. The second issue — for me, the more significant one — is air quality. On cold days, stepping outside sometimes meant walking straight into a cloud of pellet smoke. I have a history of asthma, and the acrid smoke from all those heaters burning at once would irritate my lungs. I learned to carry my inhaler whenever I went out. What seemed like a minor inconvenience at first became a genuine concern: on colder days, clean air in our historical center was simply unavailable. Step 8: Vacant Properties Our historical center, like many others, had a significant number of vacant properties — some listed for sale, others simply abandoned. What we came to understand is that many locals do not want to live in the historical center, for exactly the kinds of reasons I have described here. So properties sit unsold, waiting for a foreign buyer drawn in by the charm. Being surrounded by vacant homes began to concern us. We decided it made more sense to invest somewhere that locals also want to live. Step 9: Delivery Issues Because vehicles cannot enter most of the historical center, getting larger items delivered — appliances, furniture, construction materials — became a real logistical challenge. Our contractor had to hire workers simply for moving materials from the truck to our front door, and for hauling away debris. It is an added cost and complication that comes with the territory. Step 10: Our Solution What it came down to, in the end, was a choice between charm and convenience. We chose convenience. We moved to Santa Fiora, where we live just across the bridge from the historical center in a six-unit, more modern condominium building with a new roof and a restored facade. We are close enough to enjoy all the charm of the centro storico on a daily walk, without actually living inside it. Large windows, lots of light and new electric and plumbing turned out to be the best fit for us. We are grateful for our time in the historical center — we learned a great deal from it. But we are equally grateful to have moved on to something that simply works better for how we live. More next time. If you have enjoyed reading about our life in Italy, my memoir goes deeper into where it began. Stories from Puglia: Two Californians in Southern Italy — the memoir of finding our way through the towns, food, and people of the deep south. "This book elevated my trip. Well written and fun." — Amazon reviewer. https://a.co/d/0340l3Ak

Confessions of a Big Guy in a Small Box It might be interesting to share how we pulled off living in Italy for part of the year. I will post some steps and what we are learning along the way. We love every minute of it, and what was once a dream is now our life! We live in Tuscany in the fall, return again in the spring, and spend the rest of the time in California. In a previous blog, I explained why we live in Italy only part of the year. Step 1: Today's mystery Our Mystery series collects things I encounter in our life in Italy that puzzle me at first — until I learn what is really going on. This week, we step into another modest but mighty puzzle — the shower. Specifically, the tiny one. The very, very tiny one. Step 2: The first encounter When I first moved to Italy, it was my pre-gym era. I was a skinny young guy with a light suitcase. I lived in a seminary in Rome, and somehow I never really noticed the size of the showers there. They fit me, more or less, and I gave them no further thought. Fast forward several decades. These days, strangers ask me all the time if I played football. Perhaps it is because, after years of workouts, I have more of a football player's build than the skinny guy who moved to Rome in the 80s. When I returned to Italy and stepped into one of those same showers, that was when the mystery began. Step 3: The art of not turning around The first lesson came quickly: in many showers here, I do not turn around. A smaller person can. I cannot. I learned to step in, position myself, and accomplish everything from that one spot. Need to rinse the other side? I don't rotate — I shuffle, sideways, like a crab planning his next move. I have knocked shampoo bottles off shelves with my elbow more times than I can count. Even worse is the shower with no shelf at all. You set the shampoo on the floor at your feet, and when you need it again, you discover that retrieving a bottle from the floor requires shutting off the water, opening the door, leaning out, and bending down — because there is nowhere inside the shower to bend. My one real workaround is the hand-held washing wand. When the shower has one, I can spray any part of myself without needing to turn around. When it doesn't, I am back to the crab shuffle. A friend here, when I confessed all this, looked at me with the patient kindness one reserves for slightly slow children. "Mark," he said, "you don't turn. You arrive already facing the right way." Step 4: Washing my feet, an unsolved problem Then there is the matter of the feet. In a shower the size I'm used to, you reach down with a washcloth and you wash your feet. Simple. In a shower the size of a phone booth, the problem starts the moment I try to lift a foot — because raising it means bending my knee, and bending my knee means my knee meets the door or the wall when my foot has barely left the floor. So I tried the other direction: bend down and reach the feet with the washcloth from above. That did not work either. There is no room to bend down. My head hits the opposite wall before I have made it halfway. After several embarrassing close calls, I made peace with a quiet truth: my feet would have to settle for whatever soapy water happened to flow down to them. Step 5: But still — why? For a long time, I assumed the tiny shower was an architectural oversight — that someone, somewhere, had simply forgotten about people of various sizes. But the more places I stayed in across Italy, the more I realized that small showers are common here. Not every shower is tiny — but enough of them are that it cannot be an accident. So I asked some local friends. Step 6: The reasons behind it It turns out, from what my friends here told me, that the tiny shower is not a design flaw at all. It is a thoughtful response to several practical realities. The first is the bathroom itself. A 1975 hygiene law in Italy requires every bathroom to have four fixtures: a toilet, a bidet, a sink, and a shower or tub. In older homes here, bathrooms were often small to begin with — and fitting all four fixtures into them while complying with the code means each fixture must accept its share of the squeeze. The shower, being the most flexible in size, gives up the most ground. The second is energy. Electricity and gas here are among the most expensive in Europe, and heating water is one of the larger draws on either. Most homes use tank water heaters — the scaldabagno — that hold a finite supply of hot water and require energy to keep it hot. A smaller shower means a shorter shower, which means less hot water used and less energy spent heating it. Generations of households here have built a quiet efficiency around this, and it shows up in the dimensions of the shower itself. For many of us Americans, a shower is often part bath, part therapy session — a place to stand under hot water and let our worries swirl down the drain. Here, the shower has a simpler job: get clean, then get out. The third is the building stock. Many homes here sit in historical centers where walls cannot be moved, ceilings cannot be raised, and footprints cannot be expanded. You work with what you have, and what you have is usually charming, old, and not particularly generous with square meters. Seen this way, the tiny shower is not a problem to solve. It is a sensible answer to a real set of constraints — and a quietly elegant one, even if my elbows disagree. Insights I have come to respect the tiny shower in Italy, even on the days when it does not respect me back. It uses less water, fits beautifully into spaces a larger shower could not, and asks something of the bather that the oversized American shower never does: a little efficiency, a little grace, a little willingness to fit yourself to your surroundings instead of expecting them to accommodate you. More broadly, living in another country has taught me to be slow to complain and quick to embrace. When something works differently than what I am used to, the temptation is to declare it wrong. But that habit turns the foreigner into a cultural judge — and judges, by definition, are no longer learning. An open mind is the price of admission to a new place, and the reward is the chance to see the wisdom in ways of doing things that are not your own. Even, occasionally, the wisdom of a shower whose size reminds me that it is not a place to meditate, but a place to get clean and get out. More next time. If you have enjoyed reading about our life in Italy, my memoir goes deeper into where it began. Stories from Puglia: Two Californians in Southern Italy — the memoir of finding our way through the towns, food, and people of the deep south. "This book elevated my trip. Well written and fun." — Amazon reviewer https://a.co/d/0340l3Ak

It might be interesting to share how we pulled off living in Italy for part of the year. I will post some steps and what we are learning along the way. We love every minute of it, and what was once a dream is our life! We live in Tuscany in the Fall, then back again in the Spring, and in California for the rest of the time (in a previous blog, I explained why we live in Italy only part of the year). As we explore areas in Italy, we discover some gems worth sharing. Some are well-known tourist magnets, and others are lesser-known but always amazing. Step 1: This week let's explore the before and after of the second house we purchased in Tuscany, in Santa Fiora. Step 2: Our first house in Italy. Arcidosso. As readers of this blog know, the first house we purchased in Italy was in the town of Arcidosso, in southern Tuscany. The house was built in the 15th century (depending on who you asked) and was full of charm. We decided to upgrade it, adding a second bathroom, new kitchen, double pane windows, washer/dryer and all new appliances. At the same time, we strove to keep the original charm: wood beam ceilings, rock walls, terra cotta floors. (see blog on the before and after of our Aricodosso house here). During the renovation of the Arcidosso house We were pleased with the way it turned out. At its completion, almost as a dare, my partner suggested we put it on the market to see if there was any interest. If there was, we could purchase a larger house and start the renovation process all over. Though I resisted at first, I relented, and we put it on the market. About three weeks later we got an offer and sold the home to an American couple who loved it. We then used the money from that sale to purchase a house in the village next door which was owned by our contractor, who had already started renovating it. Step 3: Our second house in Italy. Santa Fiora. Our contractor had purchased a condo in a 6 unit 1950s building in the welcoming town of Santa Fiora; his original idea was to renovate it and move in with his family. But for various reasons, he abandoned that idea and purchased a larger house nearby. When we looked at the house, it was already stripped down. Unlike the Arcidosso house, which was full of charm but presented the challenge of upgrading a historical property from the 1500s, this house was basically a cement box, cleared to its bare bones. The challenge here would be to complete the house, give it some character, add a second bathroom and not blow our budget. Step 4: The area and the building. When one lives in the historical center of a town or city, sometimes convenience is sacrificed for charm. Parking far away and lugging groceries or water, paying extra for deliveries of furniture or larger items, wore on us after awhile. Dealing with the quirks that older properties always carry, whether it be roof, plumbing or electrical issues, took their toll too. We reached the point where we were ready to trade some charm for convenience. Santa Fiora has the advantage that both the historical and newer areas of the town are lovely, and most of the town is supplied by geothermal heating (discussed below). The part of town we are in is less than a ten minute walk from the historical center, with all its charm, and yet is in the newer part, about a five minute walk to the supermarket and other amenities. Plus there is parking in front and behind our building. The roof has recently been replaced and the facade refinished. Though not architecturally significant, the building is nice, newly painted and well kept up. Our neighbors are amazing and can't do enough for us. In fact, the other day one of them said, "Get some of your friends to move to Santa Fiora too!" Condominium fees in our area are much lower than in California, and are well worth the peace of mind that the building is being taken care of while we are not here. Step 5: Geothermal heating. Santa Fiora is one of the few towns in our area connected to the geothermal district heating system, which is a real advantage. I wrote another blog explaining how geothermal energy works (see post here), but here is the short version: hot water from a geothermal plant beneath Monte Amiata circulates through underground pipes and transfers heat to homes through a heat exchanger. It is efficient, renewable, and the costs are generally lower and more stable than conventional heating. We have ample heat and hot water without the bills that usually come with them. Step 6: The before. When we walked into the house in Santa Fiora, the only thing that was in place was the front door and the tile floors. Everything else had to be done. Our first decision had to be: what type of a home did we want? Did we want to try to imitate the historical charm that our first house had? But that could mean fake wood ceilings and beams and imitation stone. That wouldn't work. But the house was sterile as is. How could we give it character? In the end we decided to reach into two worlds: our Californian roots, where Palm Springs midcentury modern architecture is dominant, and our Tuscan life, with its wood floors and wide windows opening onto the countryside. The furnishings, lighting and wall art we chose echo a vintage feel, with framed travel posters from Palm Springs and Italy, and light fixtures that are more of another era than this one. We got used to the dark tile flooring that resembles wood, but broke it up with lighter carpets. What is special about this house is the light; unlike homes in the historical center, which tend to have smaller windows, this home faces the soccer field in the back and the beautiful town in the front, with large windows bringing in so much light from both sides. Living room: Before and after Step 7: The after. We are not yet in the 100% after phase, since we still have some projects to do and some artwork to decide on but we are almost there. We made the most of every space, and the washer/dryer combo sits on wheels within the utility area that houses the geothermal system components. We have three work areas: a desk in the den, the dining room table next to the window facing the soccer field, and the living room facing the TV. So when one or both of us has work to do on the computer, there are choices. Before and after: the den (with a new second bathroom) The house feels open and spacious. Living in a historical center was a great experience for us and we learned a lot, but we realize that this is a better fit — a place where we can introduce our own charm in a home that works for us day to day: parking nearby, a more modern building, none of the issues an older property brings. Step 8: Next steps. Now we are finishing the house and settling in, developing relationships with our neighbors and locals, and adjusting to living in Santa Fiora and beyond. The next steps include putting healthy routines in place — gym, hiking, keeping active, eating clean — and taking one day at a time. Before and after: kitchen Insights: Upgrading the house in Arcidosso to fit the needs of two Californians, while respecting and highlighting its charm, was the right move for us and for the house. Finding a way to express where we came from and where we are now in the Santa Fiora house, with references to California vintage and our Tuscan adventure, seemed the best way to express the uniqueness of the house with that of our lives. We also learned something about ourselves in the process: living in a historical center was a chapter worth having, but knowing when a chapter is over is just as important as living it fully. A few more before and after photos: Main bedroom; before and after Before and after: main bathroom More next time. If you have enjoyed reading about our life in Italy, my memoir goes deeper into where it began. Stories from Puglia: Two Californians in Southern Italy — the memoir of finding our way through the towns, food, and people of the deep south. "This book elevated my trip. Well written and fun." — Amazon reviewer. https://a.co/d/0340l3Ak

The ideal Renaissance town About This Series: Living part-time in Tuscany has turned us into passionate scouts for towns that could welcome fellow international residents. After years of splitting our time between southern Tuscany and California, we've learned to evaluate places through the lens of someone considering making Italy home. During the following months each blog will be dedicated to a unique town, examining everything from practical conveniences and community life to tourist impact and daily challenges. Our goal is to provide authentic, unvarnished insights for fellow international residents considering making Italy home, whether full-time or part-time. This week, we're exploring Pienza. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site and the first example of planned Renaissance urban design. The town is beautiful, the views are famous, and the pecorino cheese is legendary. But living here means sharing your home with thousands of tourists. Whether that's a dealbreaker depends on you. Our Experience I can still remember the first time we visited Pienza. The stone buildings in the historical center framed views of the Val d'Orcia's rolling hills that seemed almost unreal. It was summer, and the town was packed with tourists, many of them Americans. But that didn't bother me—I was too fascinated by the place itself. Pienza is the Renaissance ideal city, consciously designed by Pope Pius II to embody principles of harmony and balance. It's the first example of planned urban design, and walking through it, you feel that intention in every carefully positioned building and piazza. The cathedral stopped me in my tracks. With its soaring Gothic interior and huge clear glass windows, it felt more Northern European than Italian, flooding the space with light. Yet Renaissance paintings on the walls reminded you exactly where you were. I found it both beautiful and meditative, though the sloping floor and visible cracks in the walls made me acutely aware of time and gravity at work. The floor slopes because the cathedral's rear section extends over unstable clay soil that has been gradually shifting since construction—a reminder that even Renaissance perfection must reckon with geology. We've returned many times since, eating at various cafes—some excellent, others just okay, like any tourist destination. For me, Pienza is about those views over the Val d'Orcia. For others, it's the famous pecorino cheese, and I understand that too. We keep coming back. Even the newer parts of town have their charm. My partner always says he'd love to live here, though it's well out of our price range. Maybe not out of yours though. Location & Accessibility Pienza sits at about 1,755 feet in the Val d'Orcia, in the heart of the famous Tuscan landscape. Transportation Options: Airports: Florence is about 2 hours by car, Rome Fiumicino about 2.5 hours Trains: Chiusi-Chianciano Terme station is 45 minutes away, with high-speed connections to Rome (1h 15m) and Florence (1h 30m) Buses: LFI runs to Montepulciano and Siena, but schedules are limited Nearby: Montepulciano (15 minutes), Montalcino (20 minutes), Siena (1 hour) You'll need a car. The location is central, which makes it a good base for exploring the region. Historical Significance Pienza started as a humble village called Corsignano. In 1459, Pope Pius II decided to transform his birthplace into an "ideal Renaissance city." Working with architect Bernardo Rossellino, he created what UNESCO now calls "the first application of the Renaissance concept of urban design." The pope's idea was that harmonious architecture could create a better society. He died before finishing the project, but the three-year building campaign produced something remarkable—a town designed according to humanist principles rather than just growing organically over centuries. The town was renamed Pienza ("Pius's city") in his honor. Visual Character The Renaissance center is contained within medieval walls. Honey-colored travertine buildings surround Piazza Pio II, which is often called one of Italy's most beautiful squares. The cathedral forms the backdrop. The Palazzo Piccolomini's hanging gardens offer views across the Val d'Orcia to Monte Amiata. Every street, every building, every vista was designed deliberately. Five centuries later, you can still feel it. The main street, Corso il Rossellino, has views of the countryside framed between buildings. It's beautiful. It's also full of tourists. Distinctive Features Architecture: Palazzo Piccolomini: The pope's residence, with a triple-loggia overlooking gardens and panoramic views Cathedral: Gothic interior with enormous windows flooding the space with light. The building is slowly settling—the cracks and sloping floor are part of its character now. Underground: Etruscan and Roman foundations visible in the Palazzo Vescovile's basement Recognition: UNESCO World Heritage site (1996) "I Borghi più belli d'Italia" Practical Conveniences Basic Information: Population: About 2,085 Internet: Reliable broadband in the historic center Housing Costs: Rentals: €600-€900/month average; 2-bedroom apartments from around €700. Higher than surrounding areas because of tourism. Buying: €2,800-€3,500 per square meter—well above regional averages due to UNESCO status and tourist appeal. Small apartments start around €150,000. Houses with views run €300,000+. Note: Prices from Immobiliare.it and Idealista (September 2025). Services: Basic needs met locally: alimentari, pharmacy, tourist shops Major shopping requires trips to Montepulciano or Siena Parking limited in the historic center; residents can get permits UNESCO protections mean any building modifications require extensive permissions. Community & Social Life Pienza has a mix of longtime residents and newer arrivals drawn by the town's beauty. There's an established expat community, though smaller than in larger towns. English is more common here than in most Tuscan villages because of international tourism. But Italian is still essential for real integration. The constant tourist presence creates a unique dynamic. You're never truly anonymous, but you're also not the only outsider. Living here means sharing your daily environment with thousands of visitors during peak season. Tourism Impact This is the reality of Pienza: during peak season (April-October), thousands of visitors come through daily. Streets get crowded. Restaurants book up. Parking disappears. Tourism sustains local businesses and funds preservation. But residents adapt—shopping during off-peak hours, finding quieter routes, accepting that the main piazza isn't really theirs in summer. Winter is different. The tourists leave. Mist rolls across the Val d'Orcia. You can hear your footsteps on the Renaissance stones. Some businesses close or reduce hours, but you get the town back. Cultural Attractions & Leisure Sites: Palazzo Piccolomini state rooms and gardens Diocesan Museum with illuminated manuscripts The cathedral Experiences: Pecorino cheese tastings—Pienza is synonymous with pecorino di Pienza DOP. Shops everywhere offer varieties aged in different conditions. Architecture tours Classical music concerts Festivals: Fiera del Cacio (first Sunday in September): Cheese festival Medieval festivals throughout the year Day Trips: Bagno Vignoni thermal baths (15 minutes) Montepulciano (15 minutes) Montalcino (20 minutes) You're in the heart of the Val d'Orcia—everything is close Photography: Some of Italy's most photographed landscapes are literally at your doorstep. If you're a photographer, this is paradise. Daily Life Through the Seasons Summer: Warm, low 80s°F. Also the heaviest tourist crowds. Tour buses arrive continuously. Restaurants are fully booked. The town can feel overwhelmed on peak weekends. Autumn: Perfect balance. Moderate crowds, ideal weather, the Val d'Orcia at its most photogenic with autumn colors. Winter: The town returns to residents. Mist, quiet streets, some businesses closed. You can actually experience the Renaissance stones without crowds. Spring: Wildflowers, moderate tourists, beautiful weather. Another sweet spot. Living here successfully means embracing this rhythm—enjoying the energy tourists bring while knowing how to find peace when you need it. Practical Challenges What to know: Tourists: You'll navigate daily crowds during peak season. This is non-negotiable. Cost: Housing and some services are expensive because of the tourist economy. Parking: Restricted in the historic center. You'll need a resident permit. UNESCO regulations: Strict requirements for any building modifications. Renovations are complicated. Jobs: Limited year-round employment. The economy depends heavily on tourism. Healthcare: Basic services locally; hospital care requires travel to Montepulciano or Siena. The Verdict: Pienza at a Glance Ideal for: History and architecture enthusiasts who want to live inside a Renaissance masterpiece Photographers and artists Those seeking a central Tuscany location for regional exploration People comfortable with tourist environments Remote workers who thrive in inspiring surroundings Consider carefully if: You prefer quiet, undiscovered places You need affordable housing You want to avoid tourist crowds You require local employment opportunities You value privacy and anonymity Our assessment: Pienza offers something rare—the chance to live in one of the world's most deliberately designed towns, surrounded by the landscape that defines the Tuscan ideal. The tourist presence is real, and during summer it's intense. But it also ensures good restaurants, cultural events, and a community that's accustomed to outsiders. It's out of our price range. My partner would move here tomorrow if we could afford it. The views, the architecture, the cheese, the light—it's genuinely special. But you have to be honest with yourself about the tourists. If sharing your hometown with the world sounds exhausting, look elsewhere. If it sounds exciting, or at least manageable, Pienza might be exactly what you're looking for. More next time: We'll continue exploring other captivating towns in our area that caught our attention during our ongoing search for perfect destinations for international residents. My new novel is on sale now for $2.99! "Onward: A Life on a Sailboat" is a tale that will draw the reader to the Amalfi coast, the deserts of Algeria, the south of France, and beyond. https://a.co/d/3hhJkxE Amazon Italy- my book "Lei mi ha sedotto. Una storia d'amore con Roma": https://amzn.eu/d/13nuZCL. Please check out my blog: https://www.marktedesco.com/blog

A Medieval Town on Europe's Largest Volcanic Lake Part About This Series: Living part-time in Tuscany has turned us into passionate scouts for towns that could welcome fellow international residents. After years of splitting our time between southern Tuscany and California, we've learned to evaluate places through the lens of someone considering making Italy home. During the following months each blog will be dedicated to a unique town, examining everything from practical conveniences and community life to tourist impact and daily challenges. Our goal is to provide authentic, unvarnished insights for fellow international residents considering making Italy home, whether full-time or part-time. This week, we're exploring Bolsena. It sits on the shores of Europe's largest volcanic lake in northern Lazio, right where Lazio, Umbria, and Tuscany meet. Medieval center, working town, clean water, and none of the crowds you'd find at more famous destinations. Our Experience We knew nothing about Bolsena when we set out one morning. Nothing of its history, anyway—we just wanted to see the lake. We parked easily near the historical center and walked uphill through town. When we reached a spot overlooking the lake, I couldn't help myself. "Wow, this is beautiful," I said, looking out over stone buildings, tile roofs, cobblestone streets, and Lago Bolsena stretching beyond. We'd planned to visit the Basilica di Santa Cristina, but it was closed until late afternoon. So we wandered instead—narrow streets, quiet alleys, no agenda. What struck me was the combination: a charming historical center, a newer town that actually works, and a location within easy reach of Orvieto, Viterbo, Rome, and our area of southern Tuscany. The nearest train station is Orvieto, 22 kilometers away. For someone looking to live in Italy, Bolsena offers medieval beauty, lakeside living, and none of the crowds. We'll be back. Location & Accessibility Bolsena sits at about 1,148 feet on the northeastern shore of Lake Bolsena in northern Lazio, where three regions converge. Transportation Options: Airports: Rome Fiumicino (1 hour 45 minutes), Rome Ciampino (1 hour 50 minutes), Florence (2 hours) Trains: No direct rail service. Nearest stations at Orvieto (22 km, 30 minutes) with high-speed to Rome and Florence, or Montefiascone (15 km) with regional connections Buses: COTRAL buses to Viterbo, Montefiascone, and Orvieto, though limited, especially Sundays Road: 120 km north of Rome via A1 (about 1 hour 40 minutes) Nearby: Orvieto (30 minutes), Viterbo (40 minutes), Civita di Bagnoregio (30 minutes), Pitigliano (25 minutes) You'll need a car. But the location puts you at the intersection of three regions, with easy access to two major airports. That's worth something. Historical Significance Bolsena has layers. The town sits on what was once the Roman settlement of Volsinii, itself built on an Etruscan city. Archaeological discoveries continue to surface. The town's position on the Via Francigena made it a stop for medieval pilgrims heading to Rome. But what put Bolsena on the map was the Miracle of Bolsena in 1263—a pivotal Catholic event that led to the establishment of the Feast of Corpus Christi, now celebrated worldwide. The Basilica of Santa Cristina houses the relics of an early Christian martyr and contains Paleochristian catacombs dating back over 1,700 years. The medieval castle, Rocca Monaldeschi della Cervara, dominates the town and now houses the Territorial Museum of Lake Bolsena. Visual Character Bolsena has two parts: the medieval center perched above, and the lakeside district below. Narrow cobblestone streets wind upward through honey-colored stone buildings, many from the 13th and 14th centuries. The lower town has tree-lined promenades, beaches, and a small harbor. The lake itself is the main attraction visually. At 270 square kilometers, it's large enough to have its own weather patterns and wave action. The volcanic origins give it clean, deep blue water. Two islands—Bisentina and Martana—sit in the center. The view from the castle takes in the entire lake and surrounding countryside. It hasn't changed much in centuries. Distinctive Features Basilica of Santa Cristina: Nearly 2,000 years of Christian history in one complex—underground basilica, Paleochristian catacombs, medieval Romanesque structure above. Rocca Monaldeschi della Cervara: Medieval castle built between the 11th and 14th centuries, now housing the Territorial Museum with Etruscan, Roman, and medieval artifacts. Lake Bolsena: Europe's largest volcanic lake, formed 370,000 years ago. Reportedly the cleanest lake waters in Europe. Swimming, sailing, fishing, boating. Hydrangeas: The town has a hydrangea culture—the Festival of Hydrangeas in June fills the streets with color, and there's a local hydrangea liqueur you won't find anywhere else. Practical Conveniences Basic Information: Population: About 3,734 permanent residents; grows to around 20,000 in summer Internet: Reliable broadband in historic center and lakeside areas Housing Costs: Rentals: Very limited long-term rentals; most properties are seasonal/vacation. Airbnb long-term stays may be the only monthly option. Buying: Apartments from €65,000-€130,000 for smaller properties needing work; €140,000+ for renovated with lake views; rural properties and villas from €200,000+ Note: Check Casa.it and Idealista for current listings. The rental market here is a challenge. Services: Co-op supermarket, independent shops, pharmacies, banks, post office Good selection of restaurants and trattorias Ample parking around historic center and lake Healthcare locally; hospitals in Viterbo (40 minutes) and Rome (90 minutes) Community & Social Life Mix of permanent residents and seasonal visitors. Less overwhelming than major tourist spots. Growing expat community, though less established than in Tuscany. English is less common here than in heavily touristed areas. Italian matters for real integration. The community includes longtime Italian families—fishing, agriculture, local businesses—alongside newer residents drawn by the lake and the location. Summers are lively with festivals and lake activities. Winters are quieter, focused on local life. Living here means being part of a working community, not a tourist destination. The lake creates its own culture—seasonal rhythms, outdoor life, a more relaxed pace than typical hill towns. Tourism Impact Moderate seasonal tourism, focused on the lake rather than cultural sightseeing. Summer brings swimmers, sailors, families on the beaches. It gets busier, but it's not overwhelming. The town maintains its character year-round. This isn't a place that exists for tourists. Cultural Attractions & Leisure Sites: Basilica of Santa Cristina with catacombs Rocca Monaldeschi castle and museum Chiesa di San Francesco Lake Activities: Swimming in reportedly Europe's cleanest lake Sailing (school at nearby Capodimonte) Fishing (license required) Ferry trips to Bisentina and Martana islands Festivals: Festival of Saint Christina (July) with costumed reenactments Festival of Hydrangeas (June) Summer lake events Day Trips: Orvieto (30 minutes) Civita di Bagnoregio (30 minutes) Pitigliano (25 minutes) Viterbo (40 minutes) Easy access to Tuscany and Umbria Food: Fresh lake fish: coregone, fried latterini Local wines from volcanic soils Traditional Lazio cuisine Daily Life Through the Seasons Summer: The lake comes alive. Swimmers, sailors, families on beaches. Restaurants extend hours. The evening passeggiata along the lakeside promenade. The lake keeps things cooler than you'd expect. Autumn: Golden light on the water. Perfect weather for hiking and cycling. Quieter. Winter: The town returns to residents. Morning mists rise from the lake. The pace slows. Mild enough for outdoor dining on sunny days, even in January. Spring: Hydrangea blooms. Ideal conditions for exploring. The seasonal rhythm feels natural. Tourism adds life without overwhelming the place. Practical Challenges What to know: Car essential: Public transport is limited, especially weekends Seasonal variation: Some businesses reduce hours in winter; summer crowds affect parking near the lake Healthcare: Local services available; specialists require Viterbo or Rome Shopping: Local services are good; major shopping requires travel Language: Less English than tourist centers; Italian important for integration Rentals: Finding a long-term rental is difficult; buying is more realistic The Verdict: Bolsena at a Glance Ideal for: Those seeking lakeside living with historical character People who want good value in central Italy Lake enthusiasts—swimming, sailing, water sports History lovers interested in Etruscan, Roman, medieval layers Remote workers wanting peaceful surroundings Anyone wanting access to Tuscany, Umbria, and Rome without crowds Families attracted to clean water and outdoor life Consider carefully if: You need established English-language services and expat infrastructure You prefer mountains or cities over lakeside living You require immediate access to major medical facilities You need frequent public transport to major cities You want to rent rather than buy—the market is very limited Our assessment: Bolsena offers a combination that's hard to find: medieval town, volcanic lake, clean water, three regions within reach, and prices that haven't caught up with more famous destinations. Apartments start around €65,000 for properties needing work. The challenge is rentals. If you want to try before you buy, you'll likely need to do extended Airbnb stays. The long-term rental market barely exists. But what we found that morning—walking uphill through the stone streets, reaching that view over the lake—stayed with us. A working town, not a museum. A lake you can actually swim in. Easy access to places we already love. We said we'd be back. We meant it. More next time. My new novel is on sale now for $2.99! "Onward: A Life on a Sailboat" is a tale that will draw the reader to the Amalfi coast, the deserts of Algeria, the south of France, and beyond. https://a.co/d/3hhJkxE Amazon Italy- my book "Lei mi ha sedotto. Una storia d'amore con Roma": https://amzn.eu/d/13nuZCL.

PART 161: It might be interesting to share how we pulled off living in Italy for part of the year. I will post some steps and what we are learning along the way. We love every minute of it, and what was once a dream is our life! We live in Tuscany in the Fall, then return again in the Spring, and spend the rest of the time in California (as I explained in a previous blog, we only live in Italy part of the year). Step 1: As we explore areas in Italy, we discover some gems worth sharing. Some are well-known tourist magnets, and others are lesser-known but always amazing.  This week, let's explore how to go green in the energy sector in Italy. Step 2: Our realtor introduced us to green energy through the company "Italia Gas e Luce." They assured us that switching to their services would save us money while contributing to the use of renewable energy. We made the switch, and now we are enjoying the benefits, including reduced energy costs. Step 3: Why go green? Energy is central to the climate challenge and essential for finding a solution. A significant portion of the greenhouse gases that surround the Earth and trap the sun's heat are produced through energy generation, primarily by burning fossil fuels for electricity and heating. Fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and natural gas, are the most significant contributors to global climate change, accounting for over 75 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions. The science is unequivocal: to avoid the most severe impacts of climate change, we need to reduce emissions by almost half by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. To do this, we must eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels and invest in clean, accessible, affordable, sustainable, and reliable alternative energy sources. Renewable energy sources—such as solar, wind, hydropower, waste, and geothermal energy—are abundant and replenished naturally, emitting little to no greenhouse gases or pollutants into the atmosphere. While fossil fuels still account for more than 80 percent of global energy production, cleaner energy sources are making progress, with approximately 29 percent of electricity currently generated from renewable sources. Step 4: What is this company that relies on renewable energy? "American Power and Gas" ( https://americanpowerandgas.com/  ) is the parent company of Italia Gas e Luce . Founded by Tom Cummins and Jim Bridgeforth, the company aims to provide green energy solutions throughout the United States. According to their website, "We have established outstanding rebate programs, renewable energy options, and a strong demand for skilled and experienced live customer care personnel, all headquartered in the U.S." As American Power and Gas expanded internationally, Italia Gas e Luce  was established, bringing with it 30 years of experience in the energy sector from the United States. The company is dedicated solely to offering green energy sourced entirely from sustainable methods that do not rely on fossil fuels. Italia Gas e Luce  also provides competitive rates and efficient customer support. From the company website: "Switching to Italia Gas e Luce  can be advantageous, as we are innovative in every aspect, from our renewable energy supply to our customer service. By choosing Italia Gas e Luce as your energy supplier, you can play a crucial role in helping the planet move toward a better future." The energy supplied by Italia Gas e Luce  is generated entirely from non-polluting, 100% sustainable sources, including energy produced from water, sunlight, and wind. Step 4: 100% Green Energy Italia Gas e Luce  has consistently focused on providing its customers with 100% green energy sourced exclusively from renewable resources. This means no oil or coal—only energy generated from water, sunlight, and wind, all of which are certified as environmentally friendly. The source of this energy is guaranteed through certificates issued by the GSE (Gestore Servizi Elettrici), which confirm that the energy comes from wind, photovoltaic, geothermal, and other renewable sources. Again, from the company: "As soon as you become an IGL customer, this certificate will be sent to you via email. You can use it to demonstrate your commitment to protecting the planet by displaying it in your home or office and sharing it with your customers and friends." Step 5: Financial Incentives For each utility—electricity and/or gas—supplied by Italia Gas e Luce  for 12 consecutive months, the company will calculate the average monthly expenditure based on your invoices. Consequently, you will receive a guaranteed refund of 25% on that average amount, and this offer is valid every year. Step 6: Costs of Italia Gas e Luce The costs associated with Italia Gas e Luce (IGL) are quite competitive, and our expenses in Tuscany are lower than they were before the switch. What distinguishes IGL from many other suppliers is its commitment to providing 100% green and ecological energy, along with one of the best customer service experiences in Italy. According to the company's website, "Customers of IGL are consistently satisfied with the ease and speed of reaching customer service, whether by phone or email. Services such as meter closures, connections, transfers, and new activations with IGL are provided at no additional charge. The only extra costs you will see on your invoice are those charged by the distributor." Step 7: How to Sign Up If you own or will buy a home in Italy, you can sign up! Since we use Italia Gas e Luce  at our home in Tuscany, we enjoy their referral program, and you can too by referring others. This program rewards your loyalty and encourages you to share the benefits of Italia Gas e Luce  (IGL) with your friends and family. Italia Gas e Luce  is a 100% renewable energy company operating throughout Italy. They currently have a special promotion offering excellent discounts. You can sign up for free in just five minutes, with no activation fees. For every person you refer, you can earn €30! You can sign up here, using a special offers referral code E473309. https://italiagaseluce.it/offerta-social-special-30/ More next time.

Where Medieval Tuscany Meets Modern Connectivity NEW BLOG SERIES! About This Series : Living part-time in Tuscany has turned us into passionate scouts for towns that could welcome fellow international residents. After years of splitting our time between southern Tuscany and California, we've learned to evaluate places through the lens of someone considering making Italy home. During the following months each blog will be dedicated to a unique town, examining everything from practical conveniences and community life to tourist impact and daily challenges. Our goal is to provide authentic, unvarnished insights for fellow international residents considering making Italy home, whether full-time or part-time. This week, we're exploring Santa Fiora. This isn't the typical Tuscan hill town that graces postcards—it's a mountain village on the southern slope of Mount Amiata, with medieval churches, a famous fish pond, and Italy's first "Smart Village" fiber optic infrastructure. If you're a remote worker looking for affordable, authentic Italian life with reliable internet, Santa Fiora deserves a serious look. Our Experience Since Santa Fiora is only about 15 minutes from our first house in Tuscany, it didn't take long for us to discover this wonderful town. We first stumbled upon it when our contractor and friend met us for lunch at a local workers' restaurant. The food was excellent, the prices were reasonable, and the friendship was palpable. After our meal, we drove down to central Piazza Garibaldi, where our friend urged us to follow one of the paths through the historic center until we reached the famous Peschiera—the medieval fish pond. Along the way, we discovered several historic churches, including one containing beautiful ceramic artwork by Andrea della Robbia. Once we reached the bottom of the village, we looked back up and saw a beautiful medieval town climbing the hillside. We returned often to Santa Fiora because the town is charming, the people are friendly, and the food is great. When we decided to sell our house in Arcidosso to take on a bigger renovation project, through a series of unforeseen events, we ended up buying an unfinished home in Santa Fiora owned by our contractor friend. By the time this blog is published, the renovation of our home in Santa Fiora should we complete. So our adventure in this remarkable place continues as we make our home there. Location & Accessibility Santa Fiora sits at about 2,250 feet on Mount Amiata's southern slope, in the province of Grosseto. Transportation Options: Airports:  Florence and Rome Fiumicino are each 2.5-3 hours by car. Rome Ciampino is about 2 hours 45 minutes. Trains:  No direct rail service. The nearest major station is Grosseto (about an hour's drive), with high-speed trains to Rome. Buses:  TIEMME runs local buses to Grosseto via Arcidosso, but service is limited—about 3 hours with transfers. Weekend service is sparse. Nearby:  Arcidosso (15 minutes), Castel del Piano (20 minutes), Saturnia thermal springs (45 minutes), Siena (1 hour 25 minutes) You'll need a car. Public transportation exists, but it's designed for locals making occasional trips, not for regular access to airports or cities. Historical Significance Santa Fiora has a long history. First mentioned in 890 AD, it became the seat of the powerful Aldobrandeschi family—important enough that Dante mentioned Count Omberto Aldobrandeschi in the Divine Comedy. The town served as capital of its own independent state, the County of Santa Fiora. In 1439, a marriage between Bosio I Sforza and Cecilia Aldobrandeschi brought the Sforza dynasty to power. Florence eventually absorbed the territory in 1633. What funded all this? Cinnabar mines beneath the mountain. Mercury extraction created the wealth that built the palazzos and churches you still see today. The town also historically welcomed diverse communities, including Jewish families from the 16th-18th centuries. Visual Character The historic center spreads across a volcanic stone hill, divided into three neighborhoods: Castello (the oldest part), Borgo (where artisans worked), and Montecatino (the "newer" section—still medieval). The main landmark is Palazzo Sforza Cesarini, built in 1575 over the original Aldobrandeschi castle ruins, flanked by two surviving medieval towers. Chestnut forests surround the town on the mountain slopes. It's officially recognized as one of "I Borghi più belli d'Italia"—Italy's most beautiful villages. Distinctive Features La Peschiera: The famous 16th-century fish pond, surrounded by gardens. Noble families once sourced their dinners here. Today it's a peaceful park where families feed enormous fish and children play. Churches: Chiesa della Madonna delle Nevi:  Glass floor panels reveal the Fiora River rushing beneath your feet. Parish Church of Sante Flora and Lucilla:  One of the largest collections of Della Robbia terracottas in Italy. Art historians travel from around the world to see it. Smart Village: Santa Fiora is Italy's first official "Smart Village," with fiber optic throughout town and municipal incentives for remote workers. The town has embraced modern connectivity while keeping its medieval character. Mercury Mine Museum: Documents the industrial heritage that funded the town's prosperity. Practical Conveniences Basic Information: Population:  About 2,500 Internet:  High-speed fiber optic throughout town—excellent for remote work Housing Costs: Rentals:  Very limited. When available, basic apartments run €600-€900/month. The municipality offers rent subsidies (up to €200 or 50% of monthly rent for 2-6 months) for remote workers, but finding rentals is the challenge. Buying:  Significantly below provincial averages—about €1,000-€1,200 per square meter versus the provincial average of €2,586. Renovation projects start around €80,000-€120,000. Habitable apartments run €120,000-€200,000. Houses with gardens typically €150,000-€300,000+. Note:  Prices from Immobiliare.it and local sources (2025). Services: Basic needs met locally: supermarket, pharmacy, essential services Major shopping requires trips to larger towns Geothermal district heating available in newer parts of town, which reduces heating costs significantly Community & Social Life Santa Fiora is a small, tight-knit mountain community. About 2,500 people, and you'll quickly become a familiar face. The town genuinely welcomes international residents, particularly remote workers. The Smart Village project includes municipal assistance for housing and integration. Italian is important here. English has limited utility in daily life. But the community is warm, and people appreciate newcomers who make an effort to integrate. There's a calendar of traditional festivals, summer concerts, and seasonal celebrations. Community identity is strong. Tourist Impact Santa Fiora sees minimal tourism. Some visitors come during summer festivals, and weekend day-trippers stop by from the thermal springs at Saturnia. But there's no overcrowding, no strain on services, no inflated prices. The town maintains its genuine character year-round. Visitors tend to be respectful—cultural tourists, not tour bus crowds. This is the ideal balance: enough tourism to support local businesses, not enough to overwhelm the community. Cultural Attractions & Leisure Historic Sites: Palazzo Sforza Cesarini with medieval towers Parish Church with Della Robbia terracottas Chiesa della Madonna delle Nevi with glass floor Mercury Mine Museum The Peschiera: Peaceful walks, fish feeding, a quiet place to sit and think. Festivals: "Santa Fiora in Music" summer concerts Palio delle Sante Flora e Lucilla (July) Autumn mushroom and chestnut celebrations Day Trips: Saturnia thermal springs (45 minutes) Val d'Orcia: Pienza (30 minutes), Bagno Vignoni (25 minutes), Montalcino (45 minutes), Montepulciano (1 hour) Outdoors: Monte Amiata hiking trails Chestnut forest walks Mountain biking Seasonal mushroom foraging Food: Amiata brown chestnuts (PGI designation) Seggiano olive oil (PDO) Local mushrooms Mountain produce Daily Life Through the Seasons Santa Fiora has a real mountain climate—not the mild coastal weather of lower Tuscany. Summer:  Comfortable, reaching about 86°F maximum in August. Festivals bring energy to the medieval streets. This is when the town feels most alive. Autumn:  Mushroom and chestnut season. Rainy—November is the wettest month. Beautiful foliage in the chestnut forests. Winter:  Cold. Lows around 39°F in January, and at 2,250 feet, you'll need proper winter clothing. The town gets quiet. Many businesses reduce hours. Spring:  The mountain wakes up. Good hiking weather. The seasonal rhythm is real. Summers are vibrant; winters are very quiet. Some people love that contrast. Others find the off-season too still. Practical Challenges What to know: Car:  Essential. Public transport serves only occasional local needs. Language:  Italian proficiency matters for daily life and community relationships. Jobs:  Minimal local employment. Remote work is essential for most international residents. Seasonal quiet:  The town gets very quiet outside summer. Some businesses reduce hours or close temporarily. Healthcare:  Basic services locally; hospital and specialized care in nearby Castel del Piano. Shopping:  Daily necessities available; major shopping requires driving. Weather:  Mountain climate means cold, wet winters. Plan accordingly. The Verdict: Santa Fiora at a Glance Ideal for: Remote workers seeking peaceful mountain living with excellent internet Those wanting affordable access to authentic Italian life History enthusiasts who appreciate living among centuries of culture Nature lovers ready for mountain rhythms and seasonal changes People seeking genuine integration where neighbors become friends Consider carefully if: You need extensive English-speaking services You depend on local employment You need frequent public transport to major cities You want consistent year-round activity Cold, wet winters and seasonal business closures would bother you You prefer urban amenities over village simplicity Our assessment:  Santa Fiora works for the right person. The Smart Village infrastructure makes it unusually practical for remote workers—fiber optic internet in a medieval mountain village is genuinely rare. Housing prices are well below the provincial average, making it accessible in ways that more famous Tuscan towns aren't. But success here requires embracing the quiet. Summers are lively, with festivals and community life. Winters are still—very still. The streets empty, businesses slow down, and you're living in a small mountain village that feels like a small mountain village. We bought a house here, so clearly we think it works. The people are friendly, the setting is beautiful, and the food is great. But it's not for everyone. If you need constant activity, or if winter quiet would feel like isolation, look elsewhere. If you find peace in seasonal rhythms and don't mind being the town's international resident, Santa Fiora offers something genuinely special. Since we will be living in Santa Fiora part time, twice a year, it totally works for us. We love it. More next time : We'll continue exploring other captivating towns in our area that caught our attention during our ongoing search for perfect destinations for international residents. My new novel is on sale now for $2.99! "Onward: A Life on a Sailboat" is a tale that will draw the reader to the Amalfi coast, the deserts of Algeria, the south of France, and beyond.   https://a.co/d/3hhJkxE Amazon Italy- my book "Lei mi ha sedotto. Una storia d'amore con Roma":   https://amzn.eu/d/13nuZCL .

PART 167:  It might be interesting to share how we pulled off living in Italy for part of the year. I will post some steps and what we are learning along the way. We love every minute of it, and what was once a dream is our life! We live in Tuscany in the Fall, then return again in the Spring, and spend the rest of the time in California (as I explained in a previous blog, we only live in Italy part of the year). Step 1:  As we explore areas in Italy, we discover some gems worth sharing. Some are well-known tourist magnets, and others are lesser-known but always amazing. This week, let's explore some of the towns in Italy that have notable festivals. Step 2: A reader's suggestion I am grateful to sometimes receive suggestions for future blog topics. This week, a reader wrote in asking how to find out which towns and regions host specific festivals. "Is there a 'master list' that can be referenced? This information is important for me in deciding where to live." It's a great question. And if you're thinking about where to live in Italy, festivals actually tell you a lot about a town. Step 3: Is there a complete list? While some websites claim to have a "complete list" of festivals in Italy, to my knowledge, no such complete list exists. There are, however, partial lists that reflect the knowledge and experiences of the writers who created them. So I pulled from several of those, added my own experience, and organized everything by season. Let's take a look. Step 4: Carnevale "Carnevale" originates from Latin and refers to Carnival, the festive season celebrated before Lent in many Roman Catholic countries. This period is characterized by feasting, parades, masquerades, and general merriment — often regarded as the last chance for indulgence before the more austere season of Lent begins. Venice:  The largest and most well-known Carnevale celebration takes place here. https://www.walksofitaly.com/blog/things-to-do/carnevale-in-venice Viareggio:  Located farther south, Viareggio hosts spectacular Carnevale celebrations every Sunday in February, featuring massive man-made floats. The themes range from beautiful scenes to satirical political commentary. https://viareggio.ilcarnevale.com/en/ Acireale, Sicily:  Acireale's Carnevale is considered one of the most beautiful in Sicily. Parades are held in the town's historic Baroque center, showcasing allegorical papier-mâché floats and famous flower floats. https://www.carnevaleacireale.eu/en Putignano, Puglia:  Puglia is home to more Carnival celebrations than any other region in Italy, but special mention goes to Putignano for being Italy's longest and possibly oldest celebration. https://www.carnevalediputignano.it/ Step 5: Spring festivals Once Carnevale wraps up, spring gets going — and the festivals shift. You'll find religious processions, traditions that go back centuries, and some wonderfully odd local events. Ravello:  This popular destination attracts travelers year-round, but it becomes even busier during specific dates in spring and autumn for the annual Ravello Arts Concerts. During this time, music lovers fill the gardens and banquet halls of the historic Villa Rufolo. https://ravellofestival.info/ Trapani, Sicily:  The Procession of the Mysteries is one of the most famous Easter events in Italy. Since 1400, this festival has featured parades and pilgrimages, making it one of the country's oldest. It also lasts an astonishing 24 hours, making it one of the longest. https://www.italia.it/en/sicily/things-to-do/misteri-di-trapani-history-and-route Florence:  Easter Sunday is celebrated with the Scoppio del Carro fireworks — a dazzling spectacle featuring a 30-foot antique cart filled with fireworks, white oxen, a mechanical dove, and a procession of musicians and Florentines dressed in medieval costumes. https://www.tuscanynowandmore.com/discover-italy/essential-advice/scoppio-del-carro La Cavalcata Sarda, Sardinia:  To welcome the arrival of spring, Sardinia hosts one of its biggest events in Sassari — the Cavalcata Sarda, or Sardinian Horse Race — on the second-to-last Sunday of May. https://www.sardegnaturismo.it/en/cavalcata-sarda-festival-beauty Festa dei Ceri, Gubbio:  Every year on May 15th, the people of Gubbio participate in a mystical procession, carrying enormous wooden "candles" from the town center up Mount Ingino to the Basilica of St. Ubaldo. https://www.italyguides.it/en/umbria/gubbio/travel-guides/travel-tips/festival-of-the-ceri Cocullo, Abruzzo:  On May 1st, the Snake Festival takes place in the tiny medieval town of Cocullo. Local snake catchers and charmers, known as serpari, compete to catch four types of harmless snakes. These snakes are then distributed to worshippers, who gently place them on a wooden statue of San Domenico, their patron saint. https://lifeinabruzzo.com/cocullo-snake-festival/ Palio dei Somari, Torrita di Siena:  Approximately 80 km southeast of Florence, the Palio dei Somari (donkey race) takes place on the first Sunday after March 19th. Eight districts compete, with jockeys striving to be the first across the finish line. https://www.visittuscany.com/en/events/palio-dei-somari/ Fermignano, Le Marche:  The Palio della Rana features contestants dressed in historic costumes racing their frogs on wheelbarrows. Yes, you read that correctly. https://www.italy-villas.com/to-italy/2019/events/easter/palio-della-rana Sagra del Pesce, Camogli, Liguria:  Seafood lovers should not miss the Sagra del Pesce (Fish Festival) in Camogli, celebrated on the second Sunday of May and dedicated to all things fish. https://www.tasteatlas.com/la-sagra-del-pesce-camogli Matera:  The Festa della Madonna Bruna is held on July 2nd to honor the Madonna, the city's patron saint. The day begins with a solemn religious procession through Matera's UNESCO-listed stone streets and culminates in the spectacular destruction of a giant papier-mâché float. https://www.lalucana.com/post/festa-della-bruna La Quintana, Ascoli Piceno:  For a taste of medieval Italy, visit Ascoli Piceno for the La Quintana festival, held in July and August. This event transports visitors back to the days of knights and jousting tournaments, with a grand medieval joust as its highlight. https://www.italymagazine.com/featured-story/quintana-ascoli-piceno And there are many more spring festivals to explore! Step 6: Summer festivals Summer is when Italy really comes alive with festivals. Long evenings, open-air stages, and some of the country's biggest competitions. Vogalonga Regata, Venice:  This enormous gondola race was created to protest the use of motor traffic in Venice's canals and to renew pride in Venetian handicrafts and traditions. Each year on Pentecost, approximately 1,550 boats with about 5,800 rowers participate. https://vogalonga.com/en/ Festival of St. Ranieri, Pisa (June 16–17):  On June 16th, the churches and buildings lining the Arno, including the cathedral that houses the saint's remains, are illuminated with over 70,000 lights and candles. https://www.visittuscany.com/en/events/luminara-of-san-ranieri-in-pisa/ International Festival of Arts, Taormina, Sicily (June–August):  Also known as Taormina Arte, this cultural festival runs throughout the summer, hosting concerts, exhibitions, and the Taormina Film Fest. https://taorminaarte.org/ Taormina Opera Festival (June–September):  Coinciding with the art festival, Taormina's Summer Opera Festival starts in April and continues through the summer, with some concerts running until December at the open-air Greek theatre. https://www.italianoperataormina.com/ Verona Arena Summer Opera Season (June 13–September 5):  Each summer marks the beginning of Verona's summer opera season. With affordable tickets and outstanding performances, this is a great way to experience opera in an incredible setting. https://www.walksofitaly.com/blog/art-culture/attending-opera-in-the-arena-of-verona Perugia Jazz Festival (July):  Each July, Perugia hosts a 10-day jazz festival. Music lovers flock to the town's piazzas, gardens, and wine bars to enjoy one of the world's best-known jazz events. https://www.umbriajazz.it/en/ Palio dell'Assunta, Siena (August 16):  This ancient horse race is held twice each year, on July 2 and August 16. The August race tends to be the most famous, as it falls near a national holiday. https://www.visittuscany.com/en/events/palio-di-siena-tuscany/ Step 7: Fall and winter festivals Once the heat dies down, Italy moves into harvest season. That means food festivals, historic pageants, and the slow build toward the holidays. Regata Storica di Venezia, Venice:  Practiced for thousands of years, Venice's Historical Regatta is a grand event featuring a water pageant showcasing costumes and boats from the 16th century. The procession includes the Doge of Venice, his family, and all the officers, traveling up the Grand Canal. https://www.regatastoricavenezia.it/en/ Italy's Sagre Harvest Festivals (October–November):  October and November are prime months for some of Italy's most beloved festivals — known as sagre, or food festivals. These typically focus on a single seasonal ingredient and celebrate the harvest and the changing of the seasons. Some of the most famous are the truffle festivals in Piedmont and Umbria, the chestnut sagre in Tuscany, and the olive sagre in Puglia. There are so many sagre in Italy that the best way to find one near you is to ask locals. Here is a partial list: https://www.visititaly.eu/food-and-flavours/festivals-in-italy-the-most-famous-in-each-region The Chestnut Festival, Arcidosso:  This festival takes place in the Monte Amiata area and celebrates not only chestnuts and chestnut dishes but also the town of Arcidosso itself. Many historical landmarks can be found in and around the area, making the festival a great opportunity to experience them. Festival-goers can even attend tours of the nearby chestnut woods. https://www.valdorciamiata.it/en/the-chestnut-festival-of-arcidosso/ Immaculate Conception (December 8):  This traditionally Catholic holiday celebrates the Virgin Mary's immaculate conception. Italians use this date to mark the official start of the winter holiday season, when trees, lights, and decorations go up across the country, and Christmas markets spring up in cities and towns. https://www.walksofitaly.com/blog/things-to-do/christmas-markets-italy Christmas Day and Santo Stefano (December 25–26):  On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, you can participate in a midnight mass in any town in Italy and enjoy the various nativity scenes set up in seemingly every spare corner. In some places where locals take pride in their nativity scenes, like Assisi, these displays may even feature real people and animals. https://www.umbriatourism.it/en/-/living-and-artistic-nativity-scenes-in-the-assisi-area La Fiaccolata, Santa Fiora (December 30):  I saved this one for last because it happens in our town. On the evening of December 30th, Santa Fiora holds its own version of New Year's Eve — a torchlight procession that winds through the narrow streets and alleys of the historic center, ending at the base of the town hall tower where a large bonfire is lit. It's a tradition with medieval roots, and the whole town comes out for it. There's something about standing in those stone streets with the flames lighting up the buildings around you that stays with you. If you're in the Monte Amiata area around the holidays, this is one you don't want to miss. https://www.visittuscany.com/en/ideas/10-fire-festivals-in-tuscany/ And many more! Insights: One thing that stands out when you look at Italian festivals as a whole is how tied they are to the rhythm of the year. Carnevale ushers in the end of winter with spectacle and satire. Spring brings processions rooted in centuries of faith and tradition. Summer fills ancient arenas and piazzas with music and competition. And fall circles back to the land itself, with sagre celebrating whatever the harvest brings in. What also strikes me is the variety. In the same country, you'll find solemn 24-hour Easter processions, frog races on wheelbarrows, snake festivals, and world-class opera under the stars. There's no single way Italy does festivals. For those of you considering where to live in Italy, even part-time, festivals matter more than you might expect. They tell you a lot about a town. And as I mentioned, no complete list exists. The websites I've shared are good starting points, but our experience living in both Puglia and Tuscany has taught us that the best festival tips come from the people around you. A neighbor mentions a sagra in the next village. A friend insists you join them for a procession you've never heard of. The longer we live here, the more I'm convinced that life in Italy is built around these connections — and festivals are often where they begin. Sources https://www.walksofitaly.com/blog/things-to-do/italian-festivals-guide#Spring https://bookingsforyou.com/blog/the-most-unusual-festivals-in-italy/ https://issimoissimo.com/blogs/news/italys-weirdest-festivals https://medium.com/@EUBlogshub/underrated-italian-festivals-to-experience-this-year-739212065f51 More next time. My new novel is on sale now for $2.99! "Onward: A Life on a Sailboat" is a tale that will draw the reader to the Amalfi coast, the deserts of Algeria, the south of France, and beyond. https://a.co/d/3hhJkxE Amazon Italy- my book "Lei mi ha sedotto. Una storia d'amore con Roma": https://amzn.eu/d/13nuZCL .

PART 159: It might be interesting to share how we pulled off living in Italy for part of the year. I will post some steps and what we are learning along the way. We love every minute of it, and what was once a dream is our life! We spend the Fall in Tuscany, then return in the Spring, and spend the rest of the time in California (as I explained in a previous blog, we only live in Italy part of the year). Step 1: As we explore areas in Italy, we discover some gems worth sharing. Some are well-known tourist magnets, and others are lesser-known but always amazing.  This week, let's explore the three homes we have had in Italy. Yes, we have one home at a time! Step 2: Puglia as home. Renting We turned to our Italian friends when we first decided to live in Italy. They lived in Rome but returned each summer to homes they owned in Puglia. Where to live was a daunting question. We explored numerous towns and villages before settling on Salento, in southern Puglia, because we already had a sense of community there. During our first visit to the area, we noticed our friend was renovating a property he had just purchased. He had updated it to modern standards, added a second bathroom, and was building an awning for the rooftop terrace. We walked in and wondered: should we ask if we could rent it? He agreed immediately. That's how our life in Italy took shape—two weeks at first, then three months, then a year-long lease. Renting turned out to be an excellent way to start. Rather than committing to one place, we could experience southern Puglia and see if it truly fit. It offered flexibility—the freedom to move on if we wanted, no responsibility for upkeep, no worries about reselling. But it came with trade-offs. If the owner decided to sell, we had no say in the matter, and we couldn't make the place our own. Experience is the best teacher, and ours eventually led us away from Puglia. In another blog, I explained why we left for Tuscany. In short, the lifestyle felt too similar to southern California. We hadn't come all the way to Italy to replicate the life we'd left behind. Step 3: Tuscany as home. Buying, renovating, and then selling. I always assumed Tuscany was out of reach, so I never seriously considered it. But our friends in Puglia kept urging us to visit the Monte Amiata region in the south. Housing was affordable, they said, and they believed we would love it. A year or two passed before we finally made the drive. We assumed we would rent again. Our friends gave us a list of towns to explore, and I scheduled a few property viewings—not because we intended to buy, just to see what was out there. I've written about our shift from renting to buying in earlier blogs. It happened organically. We were comfortable as renters. But when we walked into a home for sale in Arcidosso, full of old stone and beamed ceilings, we looked at each other and had the same thought: this is a gem. Maybe we should buy it. The decision to make an offer was almost impulsive—if they accepted, great; if not, that was fine. We weren't attached to the outcome. They accepted. We bought the house and began renovating. To summarize the renovation: we wanted to preserve what made the house special while updating it so we would feel at home. We accomplished that, and we're proud of the result. When we finished, my partner asked if we might sell and take on something bigger in the same area. We had learned so much from the experience. At first I resisted, but eventually I came around, and we put the house on the market. It sold a few months ago. Now we're ready for what's next. Step 4: Return to Tuscany as home. A bigger project and challenge We're about to take on a larger renovation—and a real challenge. The unit sits in a modern six-unit building, completely gutted. There's no charm to work with. Our task is to create warmth and character while adding modern amenities—a space that feels like Tuscany but works for how we live. We believe it's possible, though we're still working out how. Insights: Each home taught us something different. Renting in Puglia showed us that you don't need to own a home to build a life in Italy. It gave us time to learn the rhythms of a place without the pressure of a long-term commitment. If you're considering a move to Italy, renting first is one of the smartest things you can do. It lets you test your assumptions before they become expensive ones. Buying in Arcidosso taught us that the right home doesn't always arrive on schedule. We weren't looking to buy—but we were open to it when the moment felt right. We made the offer without putting pressure on ourselves, and that made all the difference. Renovating taught us even more: how Italian contractors work, how to navigate permits, and how to balance preservation with comfort. Selling taught us that a home can be a chapter, not a forever commitment. Letting go of something we'd built with our own vision wasn't easy, but it opened the door to something bigger. And now, starting from a gutted shell with no existing character, we face the opposite challenge from Arcidosso. There, we preserved what was already beautiful. Here, we have to create it from nothing. More next time. My new novel is on sale now for $2.99! "Onward: A Life on a Sailboat" is a tale that will draw the reader to the Amalfi coast, the deserts of Algeria, the south of France, and beyond. https://a.co/d/3hhJkxE Amazon Italy- my book "Lei mi ha sedotto. Una storia d'amore con Roma": https://amzn.eu/d/13nuZCL .

This is a bonus blog this week! It might be interesting to share how we pulled off living in Italy for part of the year. I'll post some steps and what we've learned along the way. We love every minute of it, and what was once a dream is now our life. We live in Tuscany in the fall, then return in the spring, and spend the rest of the year in California (in a previous blog, I explained why we live in Italy only part of the year). As we explore different areas, we discover gems worth sharing—some are well-known tourist magnets, others are lesser-known but always worth the visit. Step 1: This week, let's explore how to live in Italy for part of the year (like us!). Step 2: Background When my partner and I first discussed living in Europe after retirement, we assumed our only option was to move there full time—establish residency and cut ties with the US. But obstacles got in the way. We had obligations in California, and my partner wasn't fully sold on the idea of a permanent life abroad. It took us a while to learn about the Schengen Zone (https://www.marktedesco.com/post/the-schengen-shuffle) and its guiding principle: one can remain in the EU (countries that are part of the zone) for 90 days out of every 180. Eventually it became clear that living in Italy part time—twice a year for two to three months—was the best fit for us. I don't claim to be an expert on relocation, but in this blog I'll share some of our experiences. Step 3: Budget The first step in our journey was defining our budget. After accounting for our mortgage, car insurance, and other expenses in California, how much could we actually afford to spend on housing and transportation in Italy? Working through those numbers kept us from wasting time on cities and areas where housing was beyond our reach—and it had an unexpected side benefit. It forced me to take a hard look at unnecessary spending back home. Too many Amazon orders, for one. For anyone considering a part-time life in Italy, getting clear on the budget early makes everything that follows more manageable. Step 4: Housing We found that renting in Italy can be much cheaper than in California, especially outside major cities. We started out in Puglia, where we rented a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment for 2,000 euros a year, plus utilities. In our current area of southern Tuscany, rents typically run 400–500 euros a month. We rented in Puglia for about 18 months before deciding to buy in Tuscany (https://www.marktedesco.com/post/our-italian-adventure-housing-from-renting-to-buying). Our budget put us in the 70,000–80,000 euro range, with a little left over for renovations. We didn't think we could find anything in that range in Tuscany until our friends in Puglia encouraged us to visit the Monte Amiata area, in the southern part of the region, where historical homes could still be found at affordable prices. We planned a trip and realized the area would be a great fit: near the cultural and natural sites Tuscany is famous for, and accessible to miles of hiking trails, ski runs, and mountain biking. Culture and nature together drew us there. On that visit, we found a house, made an offer, and it was accepted. We took a 15th-century home and upgraded it with modern amenities while preserving its character. We've since sold that house and bought another in the same area, which we are renovating now. I've written about that journey in earlier blogs. The lesson in all of this: once you've established a budget, it becomes much easier to decide which areas fit and which to rule out. Our local friends helped steer us toward areas they thought matched what we were looking for, and we ended up with a great realtor team who have since become friends. For anyone ready to begin, the process looks something like this: research on sites such as Casa.it, then reaching out to a local realtor to get a feel for their service and availability, and finally visiting the town in person. There's no other way to get a sense of a place than going there. Step 5: Transportation When we started out in Puglia, we quickly realized that a car was necessary to see the things we came to Italy for. Our local friends told us about a rental service, run by friends of friends, where one could rent used cars — insurance included — starting at 15 euros a day. We used their services the entire time we were in Puglia. The only downside was that the lower-end cars weren't reliable for long trips, so when we drove to the Amalfi coast, for example, we rented a different car. We haven't found a similar service in Tuscany. Our area isn't well served by trains — the closest major station is in Grosseto, about a 50-minute drive — so a car here isn't optional. And for much of Tuscany, that's the reality. Public transportation simply doesn't reach the places that make this region worth living in. I've written a few blogs about renting and leasing in Italy (https://www.marktedesco.com/post/our-italian-adventure-updates-on-reducing-the-cost-of-renting-a-car-in-italy), so I won't repeat all of that here. But no matter how one goes about it, having a car is a major expense — and the options are limited. Registering a car is tied to residency, so purchasing one while maintaining residency elsewhere isn't possible. That leaves leasing (which can be cheaper for stays of two months or more) or renting (daily or long term). We go back and forth between the Renault lease program and the long-term rental option from Sicily By Car. Both have drawbacks, but they're the best options we've found so far. Calculating transportation costs early is essential. It's one of the less glamorous parts of planning a life in Italy, but it shapes daily life more than most people expect. Step 6: Relationships Relationships are what make life flow in Italy. Whether we've been baffled by bureaucratic procedures, cultural differences, or access to services, our local friends and acquaintances have smoothed the way. How do I pay the property taxes? How does recycling work? What's the easiest way to get to Florence? Where can we find tile in our area? Every one of these questions has been answered by someone we know, not by a guidebook. But relationships here go beyond solving problems. We come from a culture of "getting things done," and sometimes we forget to pause and experience the people around us. Living in Italy is helping us slow down, enjoy the moment, make time for friendships, and reconsider what matters most. Taking the time to cultivate those connections has been one of the most important steps in building a life here. Step 7: Experience I'm a retired high school teacher, and my students taught me that experience is the best teacher. When they became glassy-eyed as I explained the glories of the Italian Renaissance, I knew something was wrong. The subject was fascinating to me — so why not to them? Because it was abstract. They had nothing to connect it to. So we organized a tour of Florence in the classroom, setting up seven or eight stations that students would visit in groups and complete a task. One station was Brunelleschi's dome, where students had to figure out how to create a dome with their bodies, using their hands to balance the student on the other side, and then write about the engineering principles at work. At another, they watched a two-minute video on Michelangelo's David and made a quick sketch in their notebooks. The next day, their boredom had turned to interest — because now they had experience to reflect on, not just ideas. Living in Italy has worked on us the same way. For example, our Italian friends tend to be more spontaneous than our American friends, often inviting us to a local festival or a pizza outing only hours beforehand. We learned to stop resisting and say yes. Each invitation became its own kind of lesson — not just about Italian culture, but about ourselves. The more we experienced life here, the more we began to question assumptions we'd carried from home. What we thought was the "right" way to do things turned out to be just one way. That openness has changed how we see other cultures, and it's changed how we see our own. Insights Living in Italy part time didn't happen all at once—it came together in steps, each one building on the last. It started with a practical question: could we afford it? Defining our budget gave us clarity and kept us from chasing places that were out of reach. That single step narrowed the field and made everything that followed more manageable. Housing taught us to be flexible. Renting first gave us time to learn the rhythms of a place without the weight of ownership. When we eventually bought, it was because the right opportunity appeared—not because we forced it. And when we sold, we discovered that a home can be a chapter rather than a final destination. Transportation is one of the less glamorous realities, but it shapes daily life more than people expect. In much of Tuscany, a car isn't optional—it's essential. Building that cost into the budget early saved us from surprises later. Of everything we've learned, relationships have mattered the most. Our local friends have guided us through bureaucracy, connected us with services, and invited us into a way of life we never could have accessed on our own. Investing in those friendships hasn't just made logistics easier—it has changed how we experience Italy. And finally, experience itself has been our greatest teacher. Every step—renting, buying, renovating, selling, starting over—taught us something we couldn't have learned any other way. The willingness to say yes, to be spontaneous, to trust the process, has made this life possible. For anyone considering a part-time life in Italy: start with your budget, rent before you buy, invest in relationships, and trust that each step will teach you what you need for the next one. More next time. If you have enjoyed reading about our life in Italy, my memoir goes deeper into where it began. Stories from Puglia: Two Californians in Southern Italy — the memoir of finding our way through the towns, food, and people of the deep south. "This book elevated my trip. Well written and fun." — Amazon reviewer. https://a.co/d/0340l3Ak