Turin – Villa Della Regina

Also known as the Queen’s Villa, the villa is situated in the Borgo Po district of Turin. Though the villa was first constructed in the 16th century by Cardinal Maurice of Savoy, it did not come into fame until the Savoy family ascended to the throne in 1713. Since the Duchess Anne d’Orléans, who was married to Duke Victor Amadeus II still owned the premises it automatically became known as the “Villa della Regina“, or the Queen’s Villa.

Strada Comunale Santa Margherita – Villa dell Regina Entrance

Strada Comunale Santa Margherita – Villa dell Regina Gate

Strada Comunale Santa Margherita – Villa dell Regina

Strada Comunale Santa Margherita – A long but gentle walk

Borgo Po – Turin does NOT use chemicals to fight Weeds

Villa della Regina – Reflecting Pond and Foutain

Corso Fiume – After Crossing the Umberto I Bridge – Residential Neighborhood

More History and Tourism

In 1865 the Villa became a boarding school for girls until World War II, when it was later bombed and received extensive damage. Finally in 1994 the Tourism ministry or Turin finally obtained it and started restoring the structure which had badly fallen into disrepair. It was finally opened in 2006 to the public for tourism, but even now shows signs of decline with the difficulties of the Italian economy.

VillaDellaRegina_Aug2019_14 — Examples of Landscaping Issues and Disrepair at the Villa

The Villa Inside

After purchasing a ticket which costs €5/person (unless you were lucky enough to enter on a free day, check the Turin website for dates), the Villa’s main hall is a real wonder and in very good condition.

Villa dell Regina – Main Hall Right – Apollo and Daphne

Villa dell Regina – Main Hall Left – Adoni’s Death

Villa dell Regina – Main Hall Windows toward Turin

Villa dell Regina – Hallway to King’s Rooms

The King’s Rooms

The visitor next sees the rooms the King would have when he was at the Villa. All of the floors in the Villa are parquet, with few exceptions.

There is a short hallway with another beautiful ceiling before entering the Queen’s rooms.

Villa dell Regina – Hallway to Queen’s Rooms

The Queen’s Rooms

The rooms that consist of those for the queen are unfortunately not in as good a condition as those of the King’s. This is most likely due to the extent of the damage from the bombing during the war to be more concentrated in this area.

The Queen’s Rooms – The 3 Tables in Scagliola

Five Appliques called Le Ventole – Giuseppe Maria Bonsanigo

The Queen’s Rooms – East Lobby – Ceiling Painting Lost by Fire

The Queen’s Rooms – East Room – delle Ventaglyne

Once you have finished the Queen’s rooms you find yourself again back at the Main Hall and your way out to the grounds, which at one point in their lifetime must have been beautiful, all the hallmarks are there.

The Grounds

Though poorly kept and in some cases falling still further into disrepair and eventual collapse, they are nonetheless impressive. The fountains though still functioning stand their vigil over empty pools of water that once might have kept chinese carp or goldfish but now just harbor algae.

VillaDellaRegina_Aug2019_57 — Villa della Regina – Roman Style Garden with Statues and Fountain

Finally, more photographs of the grounds and surrounding area.

28 August, 201928 August, 2019

Turin – Museum Wanderings

Recently while taking a break from planning our next big set of travels for September and October, we decided to visit another set of museums in Turin which one could call unusual if not down right odd. I would say odd because when one thinks of a museum, at least the first one below would not immediately pop into one’s mind.

The cost for each of the two museums above was €5 each. However, one can purchase a €10 entrance pass which includes the first two museums as well as the Museum of Fruit.

Museum of Criminal Anthropology

This Museum of Criminal Anthropology is located on the same block as the Museum of Human Anatomy. At via Pietro Giuria, it is housed in a somewhat unassuming building and if you were not actually looking for it you might pass by it altogether.

MuseumCriminalAnthropology_0 — Entrance to the Museum of Criminal Anthropology

The building inside, like so many in Turin, has a grand architectural style inside and was probably under the influence of one of the many great architects that have worked in this city.

MuseumCriminalAnthropology_2 — The Beautifully Adorned Ceiling before the Entrance to the Museum

So as to not bore you with the benefactor’s history of this museum, you may visit the website to learn more if you wish, let’s just say that once inside you get a very good idea of just how backward science and medicine were in those days. The main displays in this museum are those of skulls and artifacts from criminal patients who were often labeled crazy or insane. Many of the skulls were labeled with the crimes that each of the individuals committed, all of course written in Latin.

MuseumCriminalAnthropology_4 — Cases Housing Patient Skulls

The adjacent side of the floor contained numerous examples of the implements used in many of the crimes that were committed.

MuseumCriminalAnthropology_1 — Knives and other Handmade and often Strange Implements used by the Patients

If I were to sum up my thoughts of this very interesting museum it would be one of great curiosity. Not only for the obviously poor people who were involved and in some cases mistreated and misdiagnosed by their treating physicians, but for the times in which they lived. Many of which would have benefited from our medical knowledge of today, perhaps to the point of never turning to crime. As for the doctors and scientists involved it must have been a time of great discovery, however misguided some of them employed their influence and knowledge.

It took us a little over an hour to visit the entire museum and we would recommend it, though we would consider it a bit on the morbid side.

The Museum of Human Anatomy

On via Corso Massimo d’Azeglio and the adjacent street and same block as the previous museum one can visit the Museum of Human Anatomy. This is another museum where some may not be appropriate, especially if they are uncomfortable with anatomy, blood, brains or guts. So plan appropriately.

MuseumAnatomy_1 — Museum of Human Anatomy

It can however be used as it had been in the past, as a very good pedagogical device for learning more about oneself and what composes the human organism. Having been used in the past as part of the medical university system in Turin it still offers valuable insights to visitors.

MuseumAnatomy_2 — Internal Entrance to the Museum

This museum is also housed on a single floor. As you begin your tour you first learn of basic anatomy and view examples human and other animal skeletons.

MuseumAnatomy_4 — The Introductory Case showing Human and Animal Skeletons

Once you move through the internal entrance door, after purchasing your tickets, you will see examples of human dwarf- and gigantism. This is followed by displays of the anatomical differences between the human sexes. After that, each successive colonnade displays in both wax and actual human form (samples that have been preserved in solution) specific areas of the body.

MuseumAnatomy_3 — Curios filled with Human Anatomical Samples

Finally in the back of the museum one will find an in-depth study of the human nervous system, brains and actual examples of how individual nerves are routed and connected in the body.

MuseumCriminalAnthropology_3 — A Large Figure showing how very important Anatomical Features are related

I would greatly encourage anyone with children to visit the museum. Though not for everyone, it can be used as a great teaching aid and perhaps put some young mind on the path of becoming a doctor of medicine or forensics. It’s also great just to learn how the scientific community in the late 18 and early 19 centuries learned about and taught anatomy.

Museum of the Risorgimento – The Apartment

Our next visit was actually triggered by an offer on Turin’s official website of free admission for a tour of the apartment associate with the Museum of the Risorgimento. The Risorgimento of course was the political and social movement that consolidated different states of Italy into a single state, or what became the Kingdom of Italy in the 19th century. It began in 1815 in Vienna and was completed in Rome after it became the capital Italy in 1871.

The part that we actually saw is not open often and is not actually part of the museum proper, but rather an adjunct to it. Special tickets are provided at a specific time during the day, so you must watch the website for when these are available.

MuseumRisorgimento_Apartment_0 — Cities and Towns where Baroque Architect Guarino Guarini had influence

The apartment and the museum itself owe their legacy to Guarino Guarini, an influential architect or the baroque style of his day. He is responsible for many important architectural works of this style, none more so than the examples he left in Turin. However, he is also responsible for many other important works in a wide area that covers both Italy and France, as shown above.

The Apartment and Rooms of Emanuele Filiberto di Carignano – Bed Detail

The Apartment and Rooms of Emanuele Filiberto di Carignano – Chandelier

The Apartment and Rooms of Emanuele Filiberto di Carignano – Bed

The Apartment and Rooms of Emanuele Filiberto di Carignano – Wall Portrait

The Apartment and Rooms of Emanuele Filiberto di Carignano – Baroque Details

The Apartment and Rooms of Emanuele Filiberto di Carignano – Baroque Mirror Walls

The Apartment and Rooms of Emanuele Filiberto di Carignano – Baroque Ceiling Fresco Bedroom

The Apartment and Rooms of Emanuele Filiberto di Carignano – Baroque Ceiling

The Apartment and Rooms of Emanuele Filiberto di Carignano – Floor and Hallway/Galley Way

Emanuele’s rooms as styled after the Baroque influences of Guarini are impressive. Though one can say the gold leaf is a bit overdone the parquet flooring is amazing, even though it is showing its age.

The Oval Shape of the Spiral Staircase as seen from below

Typical Ovens and Dumbwaiter as Designed by Guarini

Though our self-guided tour took all of thirty to forty minutes it was nonetheless well worth the time, since absolutely no other expense was incurred (thank you Turin!) for us by doing so. If you are also fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit these impressive rooms and architecturally significant buildings, we suggest you do so. We found them very compelling.

3 August, 20194 August, 2019

Susa – Old Roman Appeal

If one were to take Trenitalia from Turin Porta Nuova west to its logical end, one would find Susa, a quiet little alpine town built by the Gauls sometime before the Roman Empire. Excited? You should be, we were and were not disappointed.

We entered the town via the train station, an hour’s ride from our main train station in Turin. As we traveled down the Susa Valley, somewhere starting around Avigliana, we slowly became surrounded by hills, then mountains.

TurinPN_Susa_Aug_2019 — Train route down the Susa Valley

Upon reaching Susa, we were encircled by Graian Alps. , especially Rocciamelone which sits just due north of the town.

Susa_OverlookParkAugusto_Aug_2019 — Overlooking the *Park of Augusto*, with *Rocciamelone* towering overhead

We had arrived around eleven o’clock in the morning, ready for some serious tourist trekking of the town and a peak at the food festival they were having this weekend.

and before the massive food fight (tongue in cheek)

Gauls and Romans

The town, like many very old towns in Italy, enjoys a rich history dating back before and including the Roman Empire. When the Roman Empire ascended into existence after the Roman Republic, Susa became a voluntary part of it in the 1st century BC.

Susa_CesareAugustusArch_Aug_2019 — Ceasar Augustus Arch, Susa, 8 BC

The arch was positioned along the Via Cozia (today known as Via delle Gallie), the road that led to Gaul. Its age and architecture are impressive, it is also amazing that it has stood in such good shape for over two thousand years!

Susa_RomanAqueduct_Aug3_2019 — Roman Aqueduct Terme Graziane and Gates

The aqueduct above is impressive itself and was built to feed water to baths somewhere, however it actually disguises a dirty little Gaul secret. The wall that connects to it on the left masks a set of holes carved into the rocks that were supposedly used to collect blood from Gaul sacrifices. Nice right? Those Gauls knew how to party.

Susa_Patti_CivicMuseumGrounds_Aug_2019 — Patti on the grounds of the Civic Museum for Roman History

Susa Around Town

If you are not so inclined to delve deeply into the Roman history of the area, it is easy enough just to enjoy the town itself.

Susa_CathedralofSanGiusto_Aug_2019 — Cathedral of San Giusto

There is the old Cathedral of San Giusto, which was built in Romanesque style.

Susa_LookingTowards_France_Aug_2019 — Dora Riparia’s Glacial Blue color in Susa

The Dora Riparia makes its trek through Susa carrying its aquamarine glacial waters. It eventually is joined by other tributaries, especially the Cenischia, before it reaches Turin and joins the river Po.

Susa_ComuneDeSusa_Aug_2019 — Susa Torre, Comune di Susa

The Torre in Susa, a building obviously repurposed over the years.

Susa_PiazzaDellaTorre_Aug_2019 — Piazza della Torre, Susa

Pizzeria Ristorante Italia

Finally after a few hours enjoying the absolutely gorgeous weather and amazing scenery it was time for something to eat. We decided the street food we saw was not going to slake our thirst nor satiate us, so we ventured away from the center of town, which we also found much too noisy (they do allow cars to flow through it). From the Piazza Trento we walked down the via Francesco Rolando and found an obvious favorite, Pizzeria Ristorante Italia.

The restaurant was actually quite busy; the photograph above being taken before the mass of locals entered in small groups to eat their lunch. Many of which ordered the blue plate and much to our chagrin got served before ourselves. Oh well, it wasn’t like we were in a hurry, being retired is so nice…

Susa A Great One Day Adventure

We had a marvelous time in Susa and want to come back in the Fall and perhaps Winter to enjoy the change of season and their Christmas market respectively. So we encourage you, if you are ever in the vicinity of Turin, do not dismiss Susa as a possible day trip. Check their calendar first, just in case they have something special going on. Even if they don’t, a one day trip just for the history will be worth it. Until then, here are some extra photographs of Susa for your enjoyment.

Looking Southeast towards the Nature Reserve

Looking South towards the Nature Reserve

The 33rd Historical Tournament celebration party display

Fresco adorning the outside entry to the Cathedral

Image from doorway to the Museum looking towards the Nature Reserve and mountains

30 July, 2019

Avigliana – A Valley Jewel

A short trip by train just outside and to the west of Turin lies Avigliana, a medieval town some would call a small city. However, regardless of its size, it is charming nonetheless.

TurinToAvigliana — Turin Porta Nouva to Avigliana via Trenitalia

TrainStation_Avigliana_July2019 — Avigliana Train Station

We arrived on a picture perfect day with only a few clouds hovering over the mountains to the North and West and no threat of rain whatsoever in sight.

SacraDiSanMichele_Avigliana_July2019 — Abbey Sacra di San Michele

As soon as we left the train station we could see the Abbey Sacra di San Michele perched on the Monte Pirchiriano to the West. From Avigliana this is also an easy sight to visit if you are traveling by car. However, even if you are traveling by train and on foot it is also possible if you have the time. It lies some ten kilometers from town and has history that dates back to the tenth century. Our trip centered more on the historic part of town and visiting the lakes, which promised to be magnificent.

Our ascent to the town was along a more or less direct route from the train station. Instead of following the signs near the train station, we walked via San Giuseppe to via Porta Ferrata. Once you reach the fork in the road take the right branch which will bring you to the Church of Santa Croce and an uncommon overlook of the Susa Valley. Coming back down and continuing a bit further we came across the Porta Ferrata, an old medieval gate that dates back to the 13th century.

PrattoDelRio_MtMusine_Avigliana_July2019 — Panoramic view from the overlook at the Church of Santa Croce

We had now spent a little over an hour walking through the narrow streets and alleys, exploring those little areas that afforded us access. From the spine of the hill on which the town sits, one can get some great photographs of the mountains, including historic landmarks.

TorreDiOrologio_ParrochiaSSGiovanniEPietro_Avigliana_July2019 — From via Dell’Orologio the Torre dell’Orologio and cupola of the Parrochia SS. Giovanni e Pietro

From the via dell’Orologio we quickly descended the historic center of town to make our way to the lakes. (It is best before you leave to download any maps as well as familiarize yourself with your overall route. We found cellular service in the town a bit spotty, so if you are addicted to travel-by-phone only, you may run into difficulties and feel lost at times.) However, if you are lucky enough to find the main road, via Garibaldi that leads to Corso Laghi, you are all set; the maar lakes are South on that road.

LagoGrande_Avigliana_July2019 — Lago Grande di Avigliana

After about a fifteen or twenty-minute walk we came across the first lake, Lago Grande, meaning “large lake”. The term maar comes from the fact that both of these lakes are essentially volcanic craters. The volcanoes are of course extinct, but since the lava domes they once had have collapsed, the depressions have filled with water making these amazing lakes. The green tint comes from a mixture of mountain glacier runoff and algae. However they got there, on a beautiful sunny day they are just amazing to see and enjoy.

Residents must enjoy the peace the lakes and mountains offer them since it appears that no motorboats are allowed on the them, only sailboats and others that require human power. We also witnessed several people swimming the width of the large lake which must be close to one kilometer. There is also a diving school on the East bank of the large lake where you can take diving lessons. Though we were within a short walk to the smaller lake we decided not to go, We had both walked over three miles and were starting to get a bit tired.

GriffinPatricia_LagoGrande_Avigliana_Juli2019 — Patti enjoying the weather and a rest from all of our walking

The stroll back into town took another twenty or so minutes and we were now both hungry and looking for something to eat. We had thought about eating somewhere along the lake, but none of the restaurant menus there appealed to us. So we headed for the main piazza in town, piazza Conte Rosso.

ParrocchiaSSGiovanniEPietro_Avigliana_July2019 — Chiesa de San Giovanni

Retracing our route back to the piazza and up the long street stairs of via Garibaldi we see the Church of San Giovanni from under the Porta San Giovanni. The church stands there almost confused that it is no longer held up on the one side by a building that most likely once stood there. It most likely had been torn down centuries ago, but the scars from its lost companion are still obvious in the relentless sun. The facade, which one must say is somewhat unique, dates back to the 14th and 15th centuries and seems to borrow from several styles.

PiazzaConteRosso_Castello_Avigliana_July2019 — Piazza Conte Rosso

Piazza Conte Rosso is a working piazza, with cars co-mingling with pedestrians. From here one can see the ruins of the old castle on the hill, Castello di Avigliana. There are also several caffés and bars here, as well as the restaurant, San Michele.

RistoranteStMichele_Avigliana_July2019 — Ristorante San Michele

The food at Ristorante San Michele is very good and moderately expensive. There are daily specials and several dishes that are unique to the Piedmont. They also serve bio wine which is environmentally friendly, from the Piedmont, quite unique and is very, very good!

If you are in the area of the Piedmont or Turin and have a few hours or a day extra, then Avigliana might be a very relaxing choice for you. There is definitely enough to see and do, you can rent boats on the lakes and swim, and there is more than enough to eat and drink.

Here are some other photographs, enjoy!

13 July, 201923 August, 2020

Cinque Terre – Manarola & Corniglia

Our plans for visiting Cinque Terre were for spending most of our time in Monterosso, which we felt was the more livable town, and visit the other four. First, Vernazza by hiking to it from Monterosso, then taking the train and by-passing the subject towns to have lunch in Riomaggiore. Subsequently, taking the train indirectly back to Monterosso by way of the other two smaller towns quickly in the afternoon. This means that even with an approximately two-hour hike in the morning to Vernazza, you too can visit all the towns this way too!

Manarola

Manarola being a smaller town has few things to do, but its a colorful little town and is busy with activity.

Manarola will also remind you that it’s still a working fishing port, or that’s what they want you to believe at least. As you head toward the old port you will increasingly come across boats that have been dragged up from the shore and stored along the street sides.

Of course there is always the sea to visit and a short walk down to the seaside is a must.

20190710_141859 — Taking In The Seaside Is A Must, Here Swimmers Can Dive From The Rocks

20190710_141903 — There Were Plenty People Swimming Even Though There Was Technically No Beach

If you have to eat in Manarola we can definitely suggest the old Cinque Terre Gelateria, they have gelato, unlike some others we have come across (and there is bad tourist gelato around), that is just amazing.

20190710_143423 — Cinque Terre Gelateria – A Big Thumbs UP!

Corniglia

After jumping on the train again we found ourselves in the last of the five towns, Corniglia.

20190710_144250 — Corniglia Train Station

This town has the dubious distinction of having four hundred plus steps to reach it from the train station. While my wife Patti and daughter Ericka decided it was a bit too hot to attempt to summit our last town, I took on the challenge.

20190710_144750 — A long walk awaits you prior to your climb

In the baking heat, and it was reaching low to mid 90’s each day here, before you even reach the stairs you are, shall we say, uncomfortable.

20190710_145101 — The stairs switchback and forth

20190710_145605 — If you climb too far, this will remind you its the start of a trail too!

The stairs are well-kept and there is some shade along the way where you can rest. Since I am no longer in my twenties, I availed myself of the shade twice (before I blew a blood vessel or suffered a stroke). Fortunately when you reach the top the town has strategically placed a fountain where one can top off their bottle of water (thank you!). If you continue you will quickly realize by the signs that you have gone the wrong way and you will meet the customary trail signs to the next town. Turning around you should notice the town and your mistake.

Getting to the center requires a little navigation, but you will eventually pop out close to the town center and where the bus stop is. Even climbing the steps and taking several short breaks I was still able to beat my wife and daughter to the town center, but I admit that was on a busy touristy day!

20190710_151549 — The Cappella dei Flagellati Corniglia

Climbing the stairs to the right of this church yields an uncomprimising view of the water.

…and that just about sums up our visit to Cinque Terre. Though a lot of traveling is involved, walking, hiking, climbing and sittings on buses and trains it is more a less worth it. However, one can also make the argument that it is a bit of a manufactured tourist trap and part of an industry to help the locals out and/or inconvenience them, some times its difficult to tell. We leave that thought for the reader to consider before visiting.

12 July, 201923 August, 2020

Cinque Terre – Riomaggiore

In order to enter the park for hiking between the towns, you have to purchase tickets. These will give you trail access and can be purchased at the National Park Service counter at the train station.

These same tickets give you complete shuttle bus and train service between the five towns as well. Even if you don’t hike, this is probably your best travel option at 16€ per person.

We took the train from Vernazza to Riomaggiore and in order to get to the town center, you must walk through a tunnel.

The main street looks similar to the other towns, perhaps with a bit more vertical pitch.

The climb up to the castle is a bit long and on a hot day can be somewhat oppressive.

You cannot miss it, there is a big clock on it!

There are benches and an overlook to the right, once you reach the top.

If you are looking for narrow stairways or alleys, there are plenty of those to explore. After our long hike and short train ride, we actually ate lunch here as well and can recommend Veciu Muin.

11 July, 201923 August, 2020

Cinque Terre – Vernazza

Vernazza is not so much about the town itself as getting there, the old fashion way, by foot! You may also choose the train, ferry or car, but you would be missing out on adventure and some great views.

On the second day of our visit in Monterosso, our plans were to attempt the hike, approximated by the Park Service as two hours in length, to Vernazza. I had purchased the customary cheap hat for the occasion and am glad I did, for even the early mid-day sun is unrelenting here.

The trail to start with is somewhat improved on both ends, but quickly deteriorates and is at best modestly kept by the park service. The stairs are long and very steep in some sections and the trail drops off precipitously on one side in many areas. We saw many people in difficulty from time to time, so it’s best to be in at least moderate shape to attempt, as well as enjoy it.

The views once up on the cliffs are amazing.

There are also some surprises, including an arched bridge over a stream which affords one a photo-op.

The trail can be treacherous, but the sights extraordinary – Vernazza in the distance

The trail sign along the way is marked with white/red stripes. Follow these in either direction and you are on the coastal path! After one 1/2 liter bottle each of water, the sight and signs of Vernazza grow clearer.

Trail signs, they are there, pay attention

After descending the requisite number of steps, you finally emerge into Vernazza, trail beaten, but there!

The town itself is very small but the swimming looks great. The water is crystal clear though the beach somewhat wanting for real sand as in Monterosso.

One of the more expansive views you will get in this town, is by the beach.

The town itself is an inter-connected series of narrow alleys with one main street; where all the shops and cafes are.

The side streets are quiet; the main street mayhem

An interesting little town, but probably better to visit during the Winter months, since during our time here, it appeared overwhelmed; at least on the main street by tourism.

11 July, 201923 August, 2020

Cinque Terre – Monterosso

Our visit to the Cinque Terre starts with Monterosso, our home base for this adventure in food, wine, hiking and sightseeing.

We arrived here via the Inter-city train from Turin, our home town. A leisurely ride of about two hours, which to us is much better than driving and stress-free. Our hotel is the 3 star Hotel Margherita, which provides spartan, clean and adequate accomodations in the heart of town, with breakfast included, for more than a fair price (it’s also air-conditioned).

The seaside is amazing and provides both free public beach and paid accomodations and access for those willing to pay more; including cafe delivery to your chair. Even though a tourist destination itself, it’s big enough to more than handle the influx of tourists, one of the main reasons we chose it.

The town of course is very colorful and will remind some of the brightly painted styles of Bermuda and the Caribbean. The town also grows flowers everywhere!

You are free to wander about as you like, there are few impediments. However, if you venture too far, as in the other towns of Cinque Terre, you will run out of real estate quickly or face a stair climb that leads you nowhere.

It is all worth it though for the great views and fabulous Italian cuisine, especially the seafood. As one can imagine being next to the sea, octopus and shrimp, as well as daily fish is on every menu. There are of course the regional favorites and pasta is always on the menu. For wine, there are many local favorites, including one from Cinque Terre itself, which was served at the bar of our hotel for 5€ a glass and is very good. One can always find other great wines, including Amarones. So wine with dinner is always no problem.

The above is the town from the start of the Nature Preserve hiking trail to Vernazza. More on hiking and the other towns in this pentagonous coastal favorite later…

9 July, 201923 August, 2020

Sestri Levante – Quiet Pleasure

Traveling through Italy, especially along the coasts and especially during the Summer months, one usually expects a throng of tourists where ever one goes. We had just such an expectation when we arrived in Sestri Levante, a quaint little town just south of Chiavari.

We were however pleasantly surprised to the contrary. Yes there are tourists, including ourselves and others from Europe. However the bulk of tourists here appear to be Italian. So this may be one of their secrets.

The town itself has an obvious appeal, though not very big it is very colorful and seems to have all the amenities.

The beach is without a doubt very rocky in places, but the town and hotels take care to rake them to make your visit more enjoyable.

Finding places to eat is also not a problem. There are very good restaurants at the two four star hotels near the beach, as well as Osterias, Caffes and Pizzerias on many of the small side streets.

We enjoyed our three days here relaxing on the beach and uncrowded surf. Definitely high on our list for a return trip.

4 July, 201930 October, 2019

Moving to Europe – Things To Consider

Introduction

After finally moving to Turin, Italy and being here since March 2019, I thought it was a good time to reflect and write about some of the process we went through in the planning and implementation of our move. Of course for an individual or student, such a move is much easier and although we do not want to trivialize that process, older couples looking to retire or make a very large change in their life’s journey, have much more to consider. So with that it is vitally important to understand that everything you have done in the years prior to your move will directly impact whether or not you are successful or not. Planning and research are key! Without either you may not fail but you will find the problems you encounter, especially from the States, all the more daunting.

Please note: since this is to document the steps we have taken for our move, this article may be updated from time to time as I recollect additional things we may have done in preparation. So if you are at all interested you may want to check back from time to time.

Some Background

My wife, Patricia and I, had been thinking about moving and living in Europe for some time. Not to digress, but this had been a dream of ours for some time and we finally agreed some fifteen or so years ago to make it a goal. Upon doing so we have both been doing our parts, her on the citizenship side and dealing with the Italian government, and I on the financial and logistical side. Both are essential and just knowing what the process thoroughly by reading the government websites and asking questions on forums will greatly reduce your initial stress. We actually made a timeline or calendar for the first 30-60 days we were here and what we needed to get done, including a place to live. You should think of doing something similar if you are also contemplating such a move.

Preparation – The Year Before

Your House

Sometime within a year of your move you have to make decisions regarding the disposition of your home. If you are keeping it you still have some work either preparing it for rental or closing it up. In any case, some of the things we had done to sell our house may still be of consideration.

If you have decided sell your house you probably have already spent months, or years (like we did), getting rid of stuff. There are some things to consider.

First, items that you no longer need. Anything that is broken, too old to use, clutter in your attic or basement, etc. Throw it out! Don’t get sentimental about it, its junk.

Second, items that are in pretty good condition still, sell. We found that an initial purge using the yard sale to be somewhat effective for this purpose. But, yard sales are a lot of work and you rarely get enough money back for it to be worthwhile. Only use them initially for getting rid of good stuff that is bordering on junk and keep the price low, otherwise no one will buy it.

Third, use both Craigslist and eBay for high ticket items. I prefer Craigslist over the latter since there are no charges involved. Make sure you pick a good public place that is well lit and safe for deliveries, you don’t want to spend a lot of time in your car. Bring some cash for change, but not too much and don’t go back in the car for it. Use your common sense.

Fourth, for those things you are going to keep you must consider storage. Frankly, if you are selling do not expect to bring anything with you, this will complicate your move and is very costly (unless of course you can afford it and money is of no matter to you). We ended up with only a dozen or so boxes of our own for storage and the rest we stored but we gave to our children (e.g. furniture, tools and other useful items that are expensive to replace but in excellent condition). Storage for us ran around $100/mo with insurance. Since we paid for two full years we were able to secure a fairly good discount too, so look into that.

Fifth, there will always be those items you must bring with you. For us we decided we were only going to travel with one large suitcase and one carry-on item. That meant anything else had to be shipped. So any additional clothes or other items you want enclosed in a sturdy packing box. We found the small and medium storage boxes from Lowes Home Improvement to be just fine, but any double-walled packing boxes from U-Haul or other vendors would be fine. See the following section on how-to ship this stuff prior to leaving for more details.

Lastly, selling. If you are selling you may want to consider this when timing your move. For us that meant moving in early Spring. Spring and early Summer are the hottest times for house sales. Regardless of how you sell your house the chances are it will not stay on the market as long during this time period than other times during the year. Again, consider this when timing your move. The other advantage to this is weather. We moved from the southeast United States and it does get hot during the Summer, so you may want to take weather into account too. Again, this is where a timeline will help you greatly, even if its been drawn on a napkin.

In short what we actually did was from five to one year(s) prior, we got rid of items we didn’t want. Then we one year prior we sold our house in Spring, moved last items into storage and moved into a small apartment. This forced us to downsize. From there the international move was a lot easier since our lease was written to take into account all of our travel plans. It also gave us the flexibility to do other necessary things without the worry of a house or other unnecessary American luxuries.

Important Documents and Cards

Depending on what your plans are, it would be a good idea to recheck all of your important documents. Do this well in advance, you do not want to worry about this just before leaving. The list is long but it should include your Wills (including Living Wills), financial instruments (stock accounts, IRAs etc.) and other government issued cards or documents. If you have any assets at all, it’s probably a good time to talk an accountant and/or lawyer, just to make sure everything there is in order. Make sure all Passports are up to date. If you are a dual citizen this may require you to travel within the U.S. to obtain a renewal, it did for us.

To apply for residency you will probably need a long list of documents, including Birth Certificates (w/ Apostille), Marriage Certificates (w/ Apostille), and any other supporting documentation for all parties. You must research this and make sure you understand all the requirements can be met with the documentation you will be bringing. Here, you have to bring hard-copy since documents with Apostilles on them cannot be tampered with. We used a hard plastic case file folder to keep all of our documents in order, including travel insurance, etc., so you may consider purchasing one of those.

Additionally, consider getting your credit cards re-issued. This is just to make sure the expiration date is out at least a few years. This is not such a big item to worry about, but if you have time you may want to consider it. Also make sure your spouse has a card as well, especially Debit Cards, just in case one is lost or stolen.

Electronic Documents and Devices

Even if you plan on bringing a laptop, which by the way is a very good idea, I would suggest backing up any electronic data using cloud storage with encryption. You may either purchase a complete service, there are many and some are better than others, or perform your own encryption and store things on Google cloud or some other public cloud service. Just make sure what ever you do your data is encrypted using very strong encryption technology. Even if you carry this data on your cell phone, its best to back that data up in the event you lose your phone or laptop.

It is also a great idea to encrypt your phone as well as well as lock it. I use Android and they offer complete phone encryption on their later models. So, your phone should be encrypted, your SIM card locked with a pin code, and your phone locked with a pin code as well. It will make it annoying booting the phone up from time to time but this is the safest thing to do. You may also want to turn on any phone tracking, in the event you forget your phone or its taken. It will help you recover it.

The last thing I will commend is a password locker. I have used them on and off over the years, but if you plan on traveling a lot, they are indispensable. I would suggest purchasing a good one, you don’t want advertisements cluttering your life here! I use Acebit’s Password Depot, latest version. The nice thing about this application is you can install it anywhere, phone, laptop or PC. Additionally, you can store more than just passwords and use the auto-fill capabilities. You can also use it to store your SSI, foreign social security number, insurance information and other important data and numbers you want to keep secure. Also the application automatically encrypts all the data it stores, so you do not have to worry about it getting stolen on your phone, even if you phone is. I would suggest not leaving home without one. One word of caution though, once you have created your password locker and installed it on all your devices, back the file up on the cloud (you’ve been warned). Yes, this is all a big pain in the ass, but it may save you from having a very bad experience.

Survey Trip

Sometime within 90 to 120 days of your move you are going to want to take a survey trip. This will not be a vacation and you should consider it a job with real costs and daily tasks that must be accomplished. The whole point of this trip is to get a firm idea where exactly it is you want to live. In our case we were unsure whether we wanted to live in the country, the Tuscan area or a city. We had an added twist in that our son was going to travel with us for the first year, so we had to make sure there was plenty to do.

Once you have decided the variety of places you want to see its best to plot them on a map. Then determine what mode of transportation you will be using. A car of course gives you the greatest flexibility but it has drawbacks like anything else. I would suggest choosing the mode of transportation that you intend on using once you have moved. This will give you a good idea as to its capabilities, flexibility, cost and usefulness. We decided our central location for this trip had to have excellent rail service since we were not going to own a car here. That proved to be a very good decision since we had a pretty good idea within a week what we could do, the direct costs and within a month more or less rail and metro experts.

Your central base for day trips should be just that, more or less central to your points of interest. We made ours in a town we were not necessarily interested in living in. But since it had an excellent train station (access to fast rail) it turned out to be a great choice. We even toured it as well quite rigorously to make sure we had no interest really in living there.

There is the question of travel cost. Though figures here would be quite useless since it depends greatly on what you plan to use, etc., planning can be difficult. It’s probably essential to pick your mode of transport prior to trying. However, once you have done this, do not switch, since it will be difficult later to try an estimate your travel budget later (though not impossible). Also keep in mind rural locations have fewer options than cities. We picked a city and are able to choose between metro, street car, bus, local rail and fast rail, though again not all cities may have all of these options available. Again, research is key.

Shipping Items Prior To Your Leaving

For those important items you have identified that must come with you must either travel with you or be shipped. Again, we decided to simplify our travel by just bringing what we could reasonably carry to two items each. Everything else was shipped. There are several carriers to choose from that offer these services. Of course, there are FedEx and DHL, but we found them too expensive for our needs. However, a few internet searches provided a few services from which we selected after reading forums and asking some questions. We ended up going with SendMyBags. It is important to engage them months before if only to get their special shipping tags (large zip-lock plastic clear envelops) for the outside of your boxes. You can also ship luggage, so these will come in very handy with zip-ties. They will be used for the manifest (list of contents) of each box or bag. Be detailed in your description and number of items. Also adhere to any restrictions, if they say you cannot ship something, DON’T! It will save you tons of grief with customs.

In the interest of brevity that is all I will say about shipping items. If you thoroughly read the website for the service you are using you should have no problems. The carrier that is ultimately used presents your bags on behalf of you to custom officials. The bags in most cases are scanned. If they see anything that does not fit the description on the manifest or if it looks suspicious, your bag or box WILL BE OPENED. You may also be asked to pick your item up at the customs office. You want to avoid this so AGAIN, do NOT ship anything that is on their list of restricted items.

For us, we used SendMyBags, and we never had any problem. The biggest fear we had were that the bags might make it to our destination quicker than we would. However, that was not to be the case, even though it was close. Our bags and boxes arrived in two shipments within days after our arrival. No bags were opened and only one of the manifest envelopes were opened and taken. We assumed that perhaps they did something else for the other shipment or just placed it back neatly so we couldn’t notice. In any case we had a very good experience with them and would recommend their service.

The First 30 Days

Temporary Housing

You will no doubt have to find housing for the first 30 days. There are many options, none better than any other. We procured a place online for four weeks with the option of extending that period weekly for an additional three weeks if we needed. Not all landlords are willing to do this and it is best to check with them directly if they are able to offer you this option. Fortunately we did not need to use it.

The cost for housing the first 30 to 60 days will be somewhat expensive, probably higher than you would normally pay for a normal rental. Additionally depending where you planned to stay may make your apartment search easier or more difficult. Again, it is best to do some research prior to leaving just to see what’s available.

Residency

I am not going to go into depth on this subject, since it would fill a book of its own. Rather, I am going to acknowledge that before you even leave the States, you have to realize you will have to apply for residency, wherever you have chosen to live. This will require documentation and you MUST bring all the important ones with you, Birth and Marriage certificates, etc. The chances are they will all have to have an Apostille on them and in some cases the Apostille issued within the last six to nine months. In the case where you are moving to a country that has a different language, you may also have to have a translated copy of the document in question and get an Apostille for that as well.

Phones

Before you move to the continent you have to make some hard choices about your phone service. Make no mistake, if you delay this decision until you arrive and continue your state-side service it could cost you dearly. I would also suggest purchasing a new phone, or at least a reasonable upgrade. This will give you three of four years of piece of mind. If you are purchasing a new one, DO NOT do it through your current carrier. Buy one on the internet. It is very easy to find an ‘unlocked’ phone and you want it UNLOCKED. I will not go into here but its important if you are to install a foreign carrier SIM card into it that it be unlocked.

Domestic Phone Plan

If you are truly ‘cutting the cord’ so to speak, you will no longer need a domestic number. You should plan on terminating your plan so that your last month of service is STILL IN AFFECT while you are traveling. This will ensure, hopefully, that you have continued service while in airports state-side. Once you are airborne this will no longer be an issue of course. You may want to adjust your travel plans such that you don’t get ripped off too much on the last month’s bill. I would also suggest actually going into a local store to make sure there are no hidden last-minute charges, etc. This is the option we selected.

For those less willing to totally divorce themselves from domestic service, you have a few alternatives. You can continue your service and pay exorbitant rates by the likes of AT&T and Verizon, or choose a more friendly domestic carrier like T-Mobile (German based and provide much better rates than domestic only carriers). You can also choose to suspend your service. I imagine there are still other options, but since we chose the former option we will not go into them here.

International Phone Plan

Needless to say you have many options once you get here, just like in the States. However, the first thing you want to do is get a pay-as-you-go SIM card as soon as you arrive. Though they can be somewhat restrictive you should be able to find at least a 20-30GB data plan for about 30€. This is a very attractive option for the first month or two until you are able to shop around and compare all of your local plans. This is exactly what we did until we settled on our carrier, ILIAD, which provides a very good data and voice plan for just 9.99€/m introductory and 14.99€/m after one year. This rate has probably changed since we purchased it so the above rates should just be used to compare against any existing plan you have. This carrier is able to reduce rates by offering SIM cards via a kiosk, although they do have other kiosk like stores with representatives in them that can help you.

The Next 60 Days

Housing

Finding a house or an apartment to live in will depend on the country. I can only speak for Italy, and specifically Turin. To sum it up succinctly, it’s a mess. Not only finding a specific area you would like to live in, but an apartment that is reasonably laid out, has the features you are looking for and in the price range that is acceptable to you.

We made a repeated attempts to perform this difficult task ourselves, contacting several RE/MAX agencies and other local ones. All I can say is for an American based company, RE/MAX is a waste, especially in Italy. The two establishments we visited just yes’ed us to death and never did anything. They are only interested in selling homes, not their rentals. This is probably due to several factors, none of which I will get into here. We finally contacted a private company who worked for us, that is, we paid them as well as the owner. This is a bit expensive and probably not a solution for most people. But in a large city market where location is key, for services, etc., it is key to have someone represent you. We were actually lucky to find them since it was through several people we got to know that we discovered them.

Residency

At least in Italy, you have to make sure your documents are less than six (6) months old. This means, if you have something apostilled, or from an Italian government agency, it cannot be older than six months. We are actually still waiting for residency because of some documentation that must be sent from another commune. Needless to say, Italian bureaucracy is SLOW. You are thinking snails, tortoises? These are quick compared to them! We are of the opinion that before we get our residency we will be re-applying for a permission to stay again at the police department.

Utilities

In Italy at least there are some utility advocates that work for the consumer. That is not to say that they will help you after they make a utility! Eventually after they have fulfilled their duty to get you signed up at a new utility, they slowly stop responding to your requests for help with anything. For example, bill payment or meter readings.

We are attempting to ply the Italian business waters without a Postal or Bank account. The reason is there are better EU based solutions on the internet that provide better and cheaper service. This can cause issues, so if you plan on using something exclusively like TransferWise, or something similar, you may struggle until you have figured out how to pay your utility company. Especially if you do not speak the language yet.

Again, I will be updating this, so please check back later...!