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Once the decision to uproot ourselves from England and begin life again in Italy had been made, I set about the task of finding out as much as possible about making such a huge change to our lives.
I scoured the internet, joined Forums and asked numerous questions, read as many books as I could find and I watched just about every programme on TV, no matter which country or region was featured.
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One of the more relevant programmes was 'No Going Back' as it related to exactly to what we planned to do which was sell up completely in England and move lock, stock and barrel to Italy. We avidly watched the TV programme of the Frasers' move to Tuscany but I didn't come across the book until we were actually settled here.
I have only read the first book so far and it is a wealth of useful information relating to moving to Italy in general not just Tuscany. Sarah Fraser writes about the experiences of the family with a great sense of humour and the book is packed with useful tips like this one with which we wholeheartedly agree! |
"You will never achieve anything on your first trip to an official and losing your temper gets you nowhere. Italians are used to negotiating knotty bureaucratic spaghetti and take it in their stride. Shouting or openly showing your irritation gains only blank stares and referral to the end of yet another long queue. I found that simply asking for help and saying I was English and didn't understand the system generally worked as a bit of a fast track. The other sneaky trick was to take Gregory with me-you always have the edge when you brandish a bambino".
At the back of the book, Sarah gives some great tips on preparing and preserving home-grown produce. Last summer I used her method of bottling which is very easy to follow and I am still using my bottled tomatoes and passata nearly 8 months later and they are delicious.
A great book, beautifully illustrated and full of useful information. Last update : 04-05-2007 12:00
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Puglia Uncovered 
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