As I reflect on 2022, I think of all the fun things we’ve done. For many months, we were living the dream. Yeah, right, we hit some bumps, but hey, overall, the ride was a great experience. The end of 2022, however, has brought reality to our lives. Not bad stuff. Just reality.
At the last minute I've dropped in a photo of the snow that dumped on us last weekend.
Continuing from my previous blog, my having Covid for three weeks kept us from doing anything significant for almost a month. And we kept a low profile over the Christmas holidays just to be safe. We took this time to plan out what we need to do to make sure our life here in Italy is safe and that we are falling in line with local and national laws.
Toward that end, here’s some details on we’ve been up to.
Find an Accountant. This year (2023) we have to pay income taxes to both Italy and the US. Finding an accountant, called “commercialista” here, who speaks English and understands the complexities facing ex-pats, could be challenging. Fortunately, our American friends Heidi and Ray recommended one to us. We are in the process of following up with her.
Find a Lawyer. To be within Italian law, we need to have a proper Italian will drawn up, signed, and legal. Again, our American friends Heidi and Ray referred us to their lawyer. That, too is in process and we will meet with her this week.
Get a Mammogram. My annual mammogram was due last August, but I put it off because we were traveling, and then I got Covid. So I had to get a new script from my doctor here in Casalanguida. Mammograms are free here if you are on the national health care system, but you do have to wait several weeks for an appointment. Maria went with me to the clinic in Vasto to make an appointment, and to make sure I understood what was going on. The clerk asked if was paying, it would be 70 euros and I could do it now (“addesso”). So I opted to have it done then and there. Bingo! Less than 30 minutes later it was all done. I returned a few days later and picked up the results along with a photo and CD of the scan. Here in Italy everyone is responsible for their own health care. One must keep records of everything: scans, scripts, procedures, etc.
Find a Dentist. When we lived in the States, Mike and I faithfully went to see our dentist every six months for a clean and check. Finding a dentist here was like finding a lawyer or commercialista. Our American friends Martha and Bob, who live in Vasto, recommended their dentist. Not only do they think he is very competent, but he also speaks English fairly well. We both saw him this week. Dental work is not covered by Italian health care, so we will have to pay. The cost is less than US, but still not cheap. We will return next week for a cleaning, then again in the Fall to have some major work done.
Find an Eye Doctor. Again, we rely on friends for guidance. Maria and Robert referred us to their eye doctor in Vasto. This too was an interesting experience. Similar to the visit to Mike’s cardiologist, there was a small waiting room, and then the doctor’s office/exam room all in one. The doctor took our glasses and read the script off of them using a machine on his desk. He asked us routine questions. Then he pulled out his phone and took a photo of Mike’s glasses. Mike has tri-focals. The doctor had never seen such a thing. He was fascinated. Then I moved over to the exam chair, which was next to a rotating table, kind of like a lazy susan. Various tools moved around to examine my eyes. No eye chart. No questions like “is this better?…. Is this better?” He printed off a copy of the eye exam report for each of us, we paid a relatively small fee, and we left, pleased to know that our eyes passed his inspection.
Help the Neighbors. I’ve talked many times about how great our neighbors are. They help us without blinking an eye. So, when Giuseppe said he was going to slaughter one of his pigs, Mike immediately offered to help. I graciously excused myself, and no one seemed to mind. If you are so inclined, I have some photos of that momentous day. Click here.
Get Mike’s Permesso di Soggiorno. This is the document from the police that gives one permission to live in Italy. You have to apply for it within eight days of arriving in Italy. Then you show up at the Questura (police station) on your appointed date/time. Here you get fingerprinted and are given a receipt. Then you wait. We did that last April. Then in May I was recognized as an Italian citizen, which changed things for me. And I thought Mike too. So we tried calling and emailing the Questura. Skipping over the long and boring details, Mike finally got his PdS. And it expires March 25, 2023. And one is supposed to apply for renewal 60 days before expiration. And now that he is married to an Italian citizen, he is eligible for a Carta di Soggiorno which is good for five years, not just one. So we are now in the process of figuring out how to get all the paperwork needed and filed in time.
Get a Driver’s License. I may have already said this, but Italy does not recognize American drivers’ licenses. So I have to go to driving school, take a written test, take driving lessons, and take a driving test. All in Italian. The written test is 30 true/false questions taken from a pool of about 6,000. You’ve got 20 minutes to complete the test and can only miss 3 questions. I’ve completed a six-week on-line course introducing myself to the terms and what to expect at driving school. Now I have to find a school and get signed up.
Socialize. It always seems to center around food. Food is very important here. Good food only. One day we enjoyed hosting our neighbors for aperitifs.
After the pig was butchered and the meat prepared, Angela and Giuseppe hosted a big dinner for all of us and their children and grandchildren. It was food overdose with various cuts of pork prepared with Angela’s high standards.
We also hosted a lunch one day with Bob and Marsha and Maria and Robert. Bob is facing knee surgery, which Maria has had done, and he had a ton of questions about what to expect.
Another evening we enjoyed going out for pizza, in spite of the fact that snow warnings were out. Paul drove, otherwise we were going to take a pass. We’re glad he did. It was his birthday and we got to spend a little time with British friends Dave and Anne Reffold.
Yesterday we went to Vasto for sushi with Paul and Justina and our Ukrainian neighbor Uri and his sister-in-law Eugenia. The sushi was good, the service not so. It was nice to meet Uri and see Eugenia again. You'll find some photos here.
Now we hope to wrap up a few things over the next few weeks, Wills, taxes, Permesso, driving school, and scheduling visits from family and friends. It’s going to be a busy Spring and Summer.
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