What of your plans/views changed after you bought

First topic message reminder :

Before we bought here, we thought we would buy, have a swimming pool, tour Italy, sit around in bar and café, go to nice Italian restaurants and sun bathe in between all that and doing the gardens…
 
So, what did we end up doing? No swimming pool as they are far too much trouble and expense, apart from which we have no time to do so unless we have guests… Tour Italy, well we got as far as the other side of our region last year, oh apart from an enforced trip to Rome to get back to the UK… We have found few or no decent restaurants that suit our tastes, but most importantly can half match our own food (it’s of course the ingredients that do it – so said, but I know it’s the copious and easily available superb vino as well). That leaves the sun bathing; well work that one out for your good selves, but anyone insisting I will reveal all…   

Ghiro not too sure how I missed your post, guess the "post since last visit" has a blip... However I think it's a wonderful message to future buyers. But as you hinted, it can be costly for many. I read once that most people buying leave within 5-7 years. So I think you have to prepare for all eventualities and be able to stand any loss or have plan "B" for the place. This in no way touches on those who come here to work, that's a different matter totally! Our story is similar to your own, in as much as many people said they thought we were brave doing what we did, but I suspect a lot also thought we were mad. A number thought and said, we would never do it... Hence the pressure, apart from the buying bit...   I would add that if we had to give up living here tomorrow, I would not regret a day of it... It's still like a dream to me as it's still so magical...   

stevegwmonkseaton wrote:It's still like a dream to me as it's still so magical...   

Agreed - in spades!!   

I fully agree with what has been said and we should be flexible enough to adjust to new circumstances. Life is just that, a set of circumstances and these change all the time for reasons beyond our control. It will be very difficult for our original plans to come to full fruition; however, if we learn to enjoy the present and treasure our past memories, we will have a happy life. We know that, at some stage and because we are not getting any younger, we will not be able to travel the way we do it nowadays. On the other hand we enjoyed the time we spent converting our ideas into a reality and we keep on treasuring memories and having a good time in the present and near future. No regrets, we did something positive when we embarked in our Italian adventure and it proved to be, and still is, a great experience.

As we say here, ''If Life hands you Lemons make Limoncello''.

Flip wrote:As we say here, ''If Life hands you Lemons make Limoncello''.

Just love the comment,but can take or leave the Limoncello   

Human nature is unpredictable and complex. Some people react very badly if everything does not work according to plans and take it as a personal failure. Granted that sometimes, even with the best laid plans, things go wrong because of circumstances beyond anyone's control. I still believe that careful planning is most important; however, there are always factors that nobody can predict. I see life as a combination of experiences, some sweet, some bitter and some bitter-sweet. Transforming these into Limoncello, requires not only extra sugar, but also a positive attitude. Without boring you with personal details, we had a terrible family problem only two months after purchasing our home which could have ruined everything for us.Fortunately, six years later, everything is fine and we have enjoyed our house and our holidays in Italy. It has been, and stll is, a great experience.

i read this you put in some time ago.it got me thinking however on a different aspect.That being the very different perception of the countryside/country life for italians as opposed to the anglo/north european perception of the same.
When as a manager in milano i announced that i was leaving to live in the country in the marche and run a smallholding etc people's reactions were:
i was stupid or had just become so.
che avevo bevuto il cervello, that they'd never heard of the place and why would anyone want to live in abruzzo anyway,how could we give up Milano for flies,peasants,sheep etc,no one leaves milano to live in dumps like that,you'll be back soon,you'll regret it...anyway the list was long.
Even in one of the nearest small towns to where i live(15 minutes by car) i STILL meet people who've never been around where we have our house and who never go into the country/hills/mountains where only "contadini" live,poor people,flies,sheep,difficult roads etc...and these people are,as far as i'm concerned on the plains just down the road!
oh so different from the perception of the brits of country life
ah,yes,Downton Abbey,the piscina, the Pimm's on the terrace by the pool,the long early summer evenings etc.
And yet..it's all true .from the late fifties to the early seventies millions of italians migrated from the countryside to the cities and towns to work in the burgeoning numbers of factories,offices,public employment preferring the anonymous modern apartment,public transport,new cars,fashionable clothes,holidays.Leaving behind what for most was or would have been a fairly tough existence full of menial tasks,heat,cold,financial precarity.Most never to return..anyway just a thought on all this country life/rustic idyll no?

sebastiano............

great post, I live near Penna San Giovanni and my immediate neighbour has only ever been to the village(where he lives), neighbouring properties to mine which he owns (in campagna) 1½  kms outside of Penna, and to his wife's village (Monte San Martino) twice.... 9km away. He is 62 years of age !

He has never been to the sea or the mountains (both 40 min drive away).

But like him we love it here !

V

Life in the countryside has never been idyllic, unless we are talking about Downton Abbey-Highclere Castle level or similar. A castle, a villa with servants or even a well appointed cottage have nothing to do with real peasant life. I can imagine that it was a hard, monotonous, miserable life, not an idyllic one and this is the reason why so many left noot only for the cities, but also migrated to other countries. And this happened all over Europe, both North and South. Living conditions have improved nowadays and this has prompted some people to return to the villages, but their future life will have very little to do with the one endured by older generations.

Yes Sebastiano., another great post.... Reading a post on another forum on the same topic I think your point on "rural v city" living/experience is very relevant

We lived in a small village in Norfolk, before moving here and even there, a few of the residents had never gone further than the nearest town, approx 5 miles away, so a similar situation in some ways!!!
I far prefer living in the country (apart from the deep snow or mudslides), as the air is fresher and the views can be fantastic.

I would love to know Sebastiano why you swapped Milano for a more rural living?

stevegwmonkseaton wrote:I would love to know Sebastiano why you swapped Milano for a more rural living?

yes,we didn't have any glass gazing insight into the future back then...however..we thought we saw the way it was all going to go..(i had a priviledged back room view into that then early nineties)that was before the euro/recession and all the rest.
we had over a number of years ,i suppose,already decided that that was what we wanted to do and we had regularly frequented central italy in the countryside.we had to make decisions (fairly irrevocable) i said to my wife that IF we wanted to "do it" themn we had to do it then because there would be a lot of physical work involved and at 65 we wouldn't have wanted or have been able to start.Despite the fact my wife is of Sicilian origin and my family  (fathers side) had lived in Sicily between 1850>1920 neither of us felt comfortable with the idea of living and more importantly working in the south of italy.neither of us felt we wanted to stay in the north which we considered "finished".short of leaving the country that left the area comprising tuscany/umbria/le marche/abruzzo/north of lazio.then decided on the marche (we liked it's ruggedness,still integral rural comunities,and having a coast not too far away..the dice were thrown..no regrets..now wonder how one could have lived in the city,could never live in a condominium again,and thanks to newer tecnologies can stay in touch with the rest of the world thru the net.............

Many thanks Sebastiano, fascinating insight! Differs little from our own decision, only the weather and the fact we ended up in Abruzzo. I must admit however there was also the different culture to learn about, good or bad, we wanted the experience.