Retirement in Tuscany. Is life in Cortona working out for Hazel?
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2024
- #cortona #Tuscany #lifeinitaly
Hazel is a retired Sky News Weather presenter who settled in Cortona, Tuscany. You might recognize the name of this town from the beloved book by Frances Mayes and its film adaptation, which made it a trending Tuscan favourite! 📚✨
She too is an author and all proceeds of sales of her book go to the local kennel that she supports. She is very much part of the Cortona Community and is also a very talented watercolour artist.🎨🖌
To buy Hazel's book and support the kennel click here (the link below is NOT an affiliate link):
➡amzn.eu/d/8gwkjt1
I hope you like the video.
Hit the subscribe and get notification buttons on my channel @realexpatslivinginitaly so you don't miss all the next videos coming out soon!
#expatsinitaly #Tuscany #lifeinitaly
I have been in Italy for over 30 years now. I love it. There is never a morning when I look out of the window without being totally wowed by the sheer beauty of it all.
Lovely to hear. Thank you for watching
I've got French background and live in Australia. I cannot explain to people how 'at home' I feel in France and parts of Italy., but it's definitely about the aesthetics.
Taking it all in and filing it away for future reference. One of the issues is that Italy has an ageing population so that;s going to place more strain on the hospital system and caring system for people who need assistance for daily living.
I couldnt agree more... I feel so lucky to be living here...
I prepared to move to Italy by learning Italian, by finding myself an office job and came in 1970. I am still here in the Udine area. I am married to an Italian and have a grown up daughter. I changed careers and retired 13 years ago. Since my marriage in 1975 I have dual nationality. I am fully integrated and naturally bilingual. Thank you for these videos.
Gosh a long time!! I too got married to an Italian, but in 1980. Luckily, just before the law changed, it was automatic to acquire Italian citizenship. Glad you are doing well and thanks for watching.
Wow! How organised were you? I came out on a wing and a prayer. I knew the Cortona and Lago Trasimeno area, from a holiday. I bought the second property I saw... and am still in it 19 years on. I too have my citizenship, and am very happy about that.
When my wife & I decided to emigrate (we are NOT ex pats), it was a choice of either Germany or France. My wife's French was better than my German, and so in 2003 we moved to Central France. Neither of us have regretted moving, and we certainly would not return to Britain. The lifestyle here is excellent, & the people wonderful. In fact, we both agree, we have been better received here than had we moved 20 miles up the road in Britain. There are a few English folk here but NOTHING like "Southend on the Med" or even the Dordogne. Unlike many, we listened to what was needed for "Permanent Residency", did what was required, (with a great deal of help from the Authorities) and now enjoy the same rights as a French Person. I do still feel for Britain, and the mess she is in now horrifies me, because did not have to be like this.
I also regard myself as an immigrant, however expat seems to be a word that is widely used. (My parents were also immigrants in Australia, they moved from London as 10 pound poms, itchy feet runs in the family!) I am pleased to hear you are enjoying your life, that's what it's all about isn't it? I think there is something about the actual act of making the 'big move', it's that decision that aids the mental shift required to make the most of life. Maybe it isn't even about the country one chooses, but the fact that you muster the courage to do something big to dust off the trudgery and dissatisfaction that can accumulate. Italians are also very welcoming, but glad to hear you have found your place in France. Cheers and thank you for watching.
@@realexpatslivinginitalyThank you. I am pleased you too had the courage to 'up sticks' and has made a success of it. One of my father's brothers married an Italian girl during the war, and so I have from her learned much about the Italians. She came from Foggia. Her eldest daughter, (my cousin Anna), has lived in Southern France for about 15 years. But, there are no plans for a family invasion ! lol
Hi, my wife and I are planning on moving to central France. We took a trip last year and drove 2,000 miles around France to settle on an area. We liked central France. Can you tell me which town you moved to?
@@peterchapman9423 Hi, the nearest big town to us is Chateauroux (36000) We are not in the town itself, but more rural. It will be more difficult for you post Brexit than it was for us. However, I wish you well & hope if you do move you will be as happy as we are !
You may check Vichy : it is not too small and not too big. It’s a nice city with a lot of history, architectural buildings and many walking parks. A nice covered market, an opera theater and all the waters infrastructures.
I'm always fascinated by people who choose another country in which to live. I love that adventurous attitude. Good for you.
Thank you for watching!
nice to hear from a single female living and retiring in italy. Thanks.
Thanks for watching!
Beautiful interview!! Well done. She's so lovely.
Isn't she?! Thank you for watching
I hope to venture further up north and further down south, I'd really like to hear your story too!
@@realexpatslivinginitaly Hope to see you here one day!
Thank you! I am a retired American educator. We helped a new school open in Lviv, then spent 6 weeks in Krakow; we're in Tallinn for a month before heading back to Oregon. My wife and I hope to visit Italy soon....maybe buy a home and renovate it? There are several significant advantages to living in Italy: climate, healthcare, culture, and food. Plus Italy is so close to the countries we want to visit. Thanks again! Dean and Cindy.
Italy is an amazing country, just make sure you do your 'due diligence' as Damien suggests in his video.
Thank you both for this series. I’ve watched from the beginning.
Thank you for watching and for your support.
First time viewing your channel. Loved the interview with Hazel. I'm just down the road in Chianti. My children were small when we arrived here 20 years ago. I learnt Italian and much more along with them. I'm now divorced and my children are grown up and doing there own thing. Just myself and 2 cats in a little village house, and I have no intention of returning to the grey skies of Britain any time soon.
Like Hazel, I enjoy the quiet winters and the busy summers when all the second home owners return.
I have Italian friends, enjoy local yoga and trekking groups, and love the small community that I feel such a part of. I'm semi-retired, involved in property management during the busy season. Bureaucracy is a downside. Going through house purchases and sales and a divorce over here can be frustrating and time consuming, at the best of times.
Buona giornata!
Thanks for watching, nice to hear from you. Glad you are living a life you like. All the best to you and your kids
what a FANTASTIC channel. We (me, my wife and two year old) moved to Italy from Canada last April. We had no plan, no work and no idea what we were doing. We're in Reggio Emilia now. While it's difficult to adjust, it's been the best decision we've ever made. All your videos show such an honest side of the Italian expat journey. Absolutely love it
Thank you Joel, that is so kind of you. I am glad you are settled here and that things turned out. Maybe I can interview you too! I might be coming to Reggio soon!!
What a lovely interview. Thank you so very much. God bless you both ❤
Thank you, Hazel is such a nice person.
Thank you for watching.
I really enjoyed this interview and Hazel is a wonderful person!
She is indeed. Thank you for watching.
Thank you for a very enjoyable chat. I am looking forward to more 😊
Thanks for watching!
What a nice interview! I have been several times in Cortona, it's such a lovely hilltop town. The icecream shop at the square in the video is famous.
Thank you for watching, Cortona is lovely!
So pleased to have found your channel, I think that I am going to enjoy following you. I did live in Italy for a while in the early 1990`s and always dreamed that I would return one day to live out my retirement. However, I ended up in Czech Republic, for my sins!!! Never mind, I shall now live `la dolce vita` vicariously through people like you. Bravo😘
Thank you for your kind words, it really means a lot to me. Don't give up on your dream. Life is full of surprises. If you get to Rome, drop me a line. Ad Maiora!
Love the book!
Thanks for sharing this! 💯
Thanks for watching
I claim this reading! ❤
Brilliant interview hazel, just loved it, never been to Italy maybe to late now, but who knows
Never too late!! Thank you for watching
New subscriber! Great video! She’s living the dream.
Thank you for watching!!
What a lovely, interesting and charming lady! She seems really happy in beautiful Cortona.
She is lovely, so friendly and hospitable. Thank you for watching
Terrific interview! Thanks so much for doing these. Makes buying a place or moving to Italy much more doable.
Thank you, that's very kind of you. Good luck with your purchases
My husband and I are in the "dreaming" stage and hope to move to either Italy or Spain from the US.
Thanks for watching. All the best
Ive just found your channel and have enjoyed it very much.... i live in Abruzzo and i enjoy the life here.
Glad you enjoy it! Where abouts are you, I may want to interview you ;)?
Thank you very interesting video,
Thank you for watching!
Nice. This is my first viewing of your channel. In early March, I'll be going to Italy for 3 months; sort of my expat move. We have a place in Umbria, between Orvieto and Perugia, and even though I've been many times, and I have an Italian passport, I'm sure it will be quite an adjustment. A good one, I hope! Must review your other videos to find out what others have experienced.
Happily, we avoided the Tuscan Sun. 😂
Thanks for discovering my channel, there will be many more videos coming! Good luck with your move, you have the advantage of having an Italian passport, that makes all the difference. Just do your research and keep expectations real.
Thanks for the reply. We're past the romantic expectation stage for sure, and so it is excellent to have your clear and realistic discussions with others who can offer real-world, long-term experiences. @@realexpatslivinginitaly
Wonderful interview! You have a new subscriber!
Thank you so much!
That place looks wonderful compared to our Norwegian winters. I might run away in summer, though… 🥵😄
Italian summers can be very hot at lower altitudes.
Great video, love italt
Thanks for watching!
I wish I had done my hair a bit better!!! Now I am here I cant wait to watch all the others, but the sun has returned here today, so I am going to paint!!!!!
You look great Hazel! And you have the most amazing voice
Heather, what a lovely home you have. I was also interested in the last bit of information on the video..your dizzy spell. Was it vertigo ? as ivd had a couple episodes too. I'd be interested to know what you were told and how to handle it. Many thanks. Anne
@@anneforster510 I keep getting vertigo. Apparently tiny crystals in my inner ear are out of place. I went to physio and it helped a lot but feels like it’s coming back. Only when I move my head certain ways. Really annoying as I like to do yoga and it’s impacting that.
@@realexpatslivinginitaly thank you so much. Its weird I still find it difficult to listen to my voice even after all my years in broadcasting - it always sounds very childish to me... so thats good to hear.
@@anneforster510 There are all sorts of reasons, and i ended up having an MRI and an ecodoppler... the most common reason is something in the ears (see my reply to jggriffin below) but in my case it looks like I need to go on blood thinners.
Delightful video ❤
Thank you!
Adoro i suoi video e il lungo stile di conversazione
Grazie di cuore!
What a fantastic srory
Thanks for watching
Great video,
Thank you for watching!
I’m very much like Hazel. Semi retired here in Milan. I rent and hoping to rent outside Milan shortly. I had some adventures in the beginning of my move here that I can’t believe I survived but I’m still here and gearing up to move.
I wish you all the best. My son lives in Como and he loves it. If you don't insist on a lake view,some flats are quite reasonable. Thank you for watching
By all means, come up to Piemonte!
There's a bunch of negative comments here among the positive ones, and so I just wanted to say that I have been enjoying these videos. Thank you for making these and keeping them honest and down to earth! 🙂
Thank you.
oh my goodness-i thought something terrible was happening due to the photo used to promote this video--why? Shes lovely and seems happy. Did I miss something?
I took this still from the video, it's where she comments on bureaucracy. Thanks for watching. Hazel is really a lovely lady, so kind hearted.
Thank you for your most interesting interview! What is Hazel’s last name and the title of her book?
Thank you for watching. There is a link to the book in the description, you'll find all the details ( it's not an affiliate link, btw ).
Interesting to hear only 3 years to get citizenship, was that after Brexit? I've been waiting for my voluntary Permesso di Soggiorno for a year. Will have some time from next week to pursue it and maybe finally apply for citizenship. Good on the Weather Girl for finding a new life! Just realised, yes after Brexit because she got it during covid ( it's after lunch ).
Some people have told me that the time frames differ depending on where you request it, saying that applying whilst in your own country can be quicker. When in Italy it will depend how many applications an office has to deal with. Damien (another video) is the guy to ask. There are of course many lawyers who deal with this (as Matt tells us in another video, he paid 4000 euros circa, but the lawyer was very efficient and fundamental to their application).
What is the name of Hazel's book? We can't see the book.
'Lock down Tails from Tuscany' is the name of the book in English. In Italian, 'Vita da Cani durante il Lockdown'. Thank you for watching
Why in Italy to take from it Thomas.
If I were going to spend a few months in Italy how could one meet these Ex Pat communities to compare notes?
It would depend where, for example in Rome and environs there are Welcome Neighbour groups for physical meetups, otherwise check out specific groups on Facebook. Thank you for watching
its a shame you used click bait and inaccurate thumbnail and title. I find that off putting
It's a still from the video, where Hazel comments bureaucracy.
What do you think about the difference between a Italian house and a British one in quality
Very difficult to compare, depends on where and which materials.
Lovely lady, nice interview.
But the thumbnail picture you chose is a bit of a clickbait. She looks desperate in that photo, which is the complete opposite of what she conveys in this interview. 🙄🤷🏻♂️
The thumbnail is a still from the video when she talks about her views on Italian bureaucracy.
@@realexpatslivinginitaly Fair enough! But then, if that’s the case, why did you choose to focus on the ONE negative aspect of her story when all the rest was a positive? She has a GREAT life in Italy. She would never move back to Blighty as she clearly states.
Bureaucracy is something that we all know is a disaster in Italy… Nothing new to focus on.
I would have chosen a happy face of a happy person describing her life in Italy. 🇮🇹
I get your point. Thanks for watching
Terrible lighting.... you need to sit with the face of the interviewee with their face towards the light. Don't hold a book up in the shadows we can't see anything. Move the furniture to get the lighting right.
Thanks for your advice. In someone's home this isn't always possible. Also, I want my 'guests' to feel relaxed and at ease, so I avoid setting up too much like a studio. But I appreciate the tips, I am pretty new at this and I am still learning!
@@realexpatslivinginitaly OK then try to bring your own light unit with you?
There are foldup ones. It's really essential IMO. It's very important because not only can't we see the book but we can't see her face.
As for 'not always possible in people's homes' I'd be much more confident and persuasive on that score. Explain the importance of getting the light right and do that when you negotiate in the first place. Signal that you might need to move a few chairs or similar to get the right angle.
You are promoting her book as apart of it but explain it's ineffective if they can't see the book. or her face. Most people will comply as they want the best result. I appreciate it's difficult to deal with the questions as well and being on your own is also challenging. But light is just so important. Try also to not photograph older people with the light side-on, it's very unflattering indeed.
If partially in shadow, the camera makes automatic adjustments and can get an average of the two...so neither is good. It's best to not have any shadow, so don't put the subject into shadow, the camera will go for the light. Hope this helps it becomes second nature after a while and it's a question of engendering confidence. If you have well lit interviews the whole things goes well it brings out the best in your subject and increases overall wellbeing.
Excellent topics handled well. I thought you brought her back to the topics very well and also translated the narrative back into what the person at home is going to appreciate and hold their attention about. So well done!
Thanks for that, I'll follow your suggestions. Nice of you to take the time to write that all out.
All you need is money .
If you do not have Italian citizenship, that seems to be the case. If, like Hazel, you do then you can live on much less. As far as I am finding out, the visa that people apply for to retire, requires quite high passive income ( and you cannot work).
Post Brexit that is probably the case. I don't have Italian citizenship, but do have permanent residency, carta di soggiorno permanente. I pay Italian taxes, but am entitled to the same government benefits, assistance and health care as if I was Italian.
Yes, an Elective Visa, which is what I have and I'm in Arezzo@@realexpatslivinginitaly
Scotland hate me no indifferent Thomas'.
Nice woman and story....but very messy background.
Nothing is staged, it is real life, and we are often in people's home, who kindly let us into their lives. Thank you for watching.
@@realexpatslivinginitaly I understand. But in this case it was rather easy to find a better more beautiful background.......
The Rif Raf market...how condescending...
Does anyone butter your biscuits ?
What a mess, terrible camera work.😢
I am learning still. And I have just my phone. In the meantime, if you don't like it, you are under no obligation to watch. Have a wonderful day.
Yawn ......
No-one is obliged to watch. Some people though are interested in glimpsing at real life in Italy.
Geez you are rude
@@realexpatslivinginitaly Best to ignore such comments. Probably a 10- year old.
Get you some Xanax and you'll be happy afterwards 😊
Living your retirement years in a country that is not yours, completely deprived of your roots, immersed in a different culture, in relationship with a language whose nuances you will never understand and far from your loved ones and friends of all life, is absolutely one of the most infinitely sad things a man can do. I pity those who make this unfortunate choice.
Depends on the person. Some people go and live in vans. Not everyone has family. Maybe the adventure takes the place of just that void. Italy is probably so popular because its population is renowned for being hospitable and friendly. Myth or not, we'll find out.
You must be a fun chap at parties! 😂😂😂
I definitely see your point, but clearly this choice to uproot yourself and immerse yourself in a new country is a great choice for some people.
Why are you even watching this channel? Meeting new people with different life experiences, making new friends, learning the nuances of a new language, maintaining your connections with the friends and family of your home country (technology is your friend) and even hosting them is also seen as a wonderful way to stay involved, engaged, and vibrant in those retirement years.
What are you talking about?