Meet Co through his emigration story

Experiences emigrating to Italy

What do people need to know about you to understand your emigration story? How did you prepare?

After a period of 10 years of travelling, during which I visited many warmer countries, I thought why not live in a more pleasant climate than the cold frog climate of the Netherlands? Maybe in Italy… a few years ago - during a sabbatical - I lived in Naples for eight months and worked there unpaid as a cook in a taverna. During that time I was appreciated for my dedication and beautiful dishes, but I did not reach the pace of the average cuoco so my adventure ended in Napoli - a city and culture that I had come to love.

The city of Napoli and the Neapolitan can - in my opinion - be compared to Rotterdam and the average Rotterdammer. It is a raw port city. The Neapolitan wears his heart on his sleeve and, like the people of Rotterdam, is straight to the point - even more so than the average Italian. Should I move to Naples, is a question I flirted with for a long time ... until friends hardly believed me. In 2019, I seriously started investigating a possible immigration to Southern Italy. I went there, first with my car and looked around in the villages in the foothills of the great Apennine mountains just outside Naples. I returned from that voyage of discovery disillusioned. The region was poor and often desolate. 

In my tiny house on the edge of Rotterdam, I - a city boy par excellence - had discovered that I found living 'outside' attractive. so moving to my favourite city, Napoli itself, was not an option. I have time to myself. After all, my working life is over. Well before my sixtieth birthday, I decided to live more minimalistically. Work was therefore not a sacred must. On the way back from Campania - including Naples - I drove along the Adriatic coast and stayed with friends from Rotterdam who had started a campeggio in 'le Marche' a few years ago. When I drove into the region, had lunch in Cornaldo - a beautifully preserved Borgho town - walled with sandstone - a feeling of peace, of home came over me. Although this does sound very new-age-like. 

Would I be able to settle here, was the big question ... When after about ten days I had explored the wide area around Corinaldo and visited several houses, my choice for the region was clear. In the years that followed, with the help of Dutch people who live in le Marche, I thoroughly investigated the possibilities of living in that region for the majority of 'the' year. An intensive process of looking for houses to buy followed. Unfortunately interrupted by the covid epidemic, I have been there more often. 'the duration and my age divided by the time of purchasing and renovating a house to buy' made me ultimately opt for a rental house. I found that house through a tip from my Rotterdam friend from Castelleone di Suasa - just outside the village. It is a lovely new house, but an exact copy of the old family farm that used to be there… I quickly got to know the locals and several expats who also live there - often for decades. Because I had taken Italian language courses before, I picked up the language fairly quickly. Although full mastery is not easy to acquire…

What kind of work or activities make you feel like you are really 'at home' in Italy? The surroundings are inspiring, views of the Apennines but also of the sea, it is the foothills of the mountains that make the landscape lovely. However, I must not leave unmentioned that it is also an agricultural region. All kinds of things are grown. The local wine, the verdicchio and the olive oil are the products of this. You will also find many golden fields of sunflowers ... 

How does your daily routine differ from that in your home country?

I spend my days with long walks, painting abstract paintings for which the ideas nevertheless bubble up in the landscape of Le Marche ... Because the driving distance from the Netherlands is 'doable' in two days, I regularly have guests over. I also visit - often with guests - the beautiful towns, markets and restaurants. In the Netherlands I had a busy social life; with many activities. In Le Marche I take it a bit easier. Lots of painting and long walks - that's true. Do you already have an idea about the future? In the near future I am thinking about whether I will stay in this village, or whether I might want to live closer to a big city. I am not the youngest anymore and would like to live in the immediate vicinity of amenities. 

Culture and interactions with the Italians

Do you have any tips to meet people?

My advice would be to take some education in the language of the country of the future beforehand. You will come into contact with the local population so much more easily. Learn a lot of words, then you will associate more easily, in my experience. Duolingo or an AI teacher online will probably also help. 

What is the best or most inspiring thing about your emigration?

The peace and quiet, the nature and of course the Italians, who are always willing to help you on your way - literally and figuratively. The fabulous Italian cuisine is also not to be sneezed at. 

What is the funniest or most painful misunderstanding you have experienced due to language or cultural differences?

The fact that there was a pig in a shed, as big as the pig in the yard of my house, made me unable to sleep because of annoyance. As a child of about 10 years old, I saw a pig being slaughtered - and heard it scream - and compassion for the species was the result. After my insistence, the pig was moved to a larger, better home. Although it's future should not be pictured as rosy. 

Have you adopted local customs?

Nowadays, I always eat my salad after the secondo - the second course. Italians often have an antipasto - a starter - then often a pasta follows - called primo - after which the secondo follows. That is often meat or fish with vegetables - contorni - and when they finish the meal comes the dessert - dolce - and then an espresso. I can hardly handle a meal like that; far too much. 

Are there any customs in social interaction that you found difficult to understand or that you had to get used to?

A custom that also appeals to the imagination is the bidet, an Italian cannot and does not want a house without a bagno with a bidet. Now I was already used to using a water pistol; learned from my travels in Southeast Asia, but the mandatory presence of bidets, I found amusing. The fact that you do not drink cappuccino after 12 o’clock, is another custom that has not gone unnoticed. Italian waiters eventually serve it, but not wholeheartedly.

How do the locals react to the fact that you now live and work here?

Italians in ‘my’ village are curious and in the beginning my move was ‘talk of the town’. I was recognized and linked to the yellow house in which I live - casa Gialla.

What is your favorite local tradition/holiday?

The markets that every village or town has, have a great attraction for me. I also can't ignore the annual onion festival - festa di cipolle. 

How does friendship here differ from how it is experienced in your home country?

Friendship with Italians often takes place in the public space. You don't quickly go to an Italian's home. You meet each other in a bar or a restaurant ... 

Challenges and growth while emigrating

Have there been times when you doubted your choice/emigration, or what disappointed you?

No, I don't regret a single day, but my choices are also based on a thorough orientation. In retrospect, what would you have liked to know about Italy in advance? I wouldn't know it right away. Although, perhaps naively, the middle of Italy certainly has winters in which snow and slippery conditions are not excluded. 

What would you do differently next time and what would you like to pass on to others with the same idea?

Nothing, what I advise is to make a thorough orientation of the neighborhood, the population, the role of religion and cultural customs. 

What was the biggest culture shock?

That a new car costs a lot less in Italy. The Netherlands uses bpm and that tax is particularly high.

What skill did you never think you would need, but have developed anyway?

Being patient was not my strong suit at first. I had been doing much better at that for a while. Now being and staying calm is second nature. In Italy this is a welcome quality - not to say very important. Italy is certainly not very effective and efficient like the Netherlands. The bureaucracy is often a reason to grind your teeth and know that getting angry is pointless.

How do you deal with homesickness/loneliness? What do you miss the most?

I have no problem with that.

Are there things you appreciate more about your home country now that you are here?

That the Netherlands is clean, very well organised and hardly corrupt; I like that and I no longer take it for granted. Also that a lot is well organised in the Netherlands. My adage 'travelling is the best antidote to ignorance' also applies here.

How do you deal with the bureaucracy in your new country?

As a good Buddhist should - ahem; it comes and goes like water - offer no resistance …

What was the most difficult rule to understand/follow?

The driving behavior of the average Italian is cringe-inducing. They drive as if their life depends on it. This is not a rule, even though you would almost believe it. In the first three months, two people from the village were killed by reckless driving. No easy task, I would say. Learning to interpret the mood of my conversation partner is a point that requires attention. The gesticulation that is accompanied by firm language is sometimes hard for me to handle. The emotions naturally support the story, but when I think I should call the police, they suddenly fall into each other's arms and normal life resumes. 

What are the biggest differences in costs between this country and your home country?

The average cost of living is lower here, and much more so in the south of Italy. 

Practicalities in the country of emigration

What have you learned about insurance, taxes and other financial obligations abroad?

Not much, except that a business owner is obliged to give you a receipt, and that his accounting system passes on the invoiced and received amounts to the local tax office … 

Have you used local health care (GP, specialist, dentist etc.) and what did you notice?

The public health care system is in a precarious condition - it is like going back 50 years in time. 

What is similar or completely different to the Dutch health care system?

No GP available, poorly accessible primary care, standard secondary care is often inaccessible. 

What is useful for others to take into account?

Are there any specific issues or tips around 'safety' or 'health' that would be useful for other people who are going to live or work in your destination for a longer period of time? I couldn't say (yet)...

What would you like to put in the spotlight about your work?

Nothing.

What are some communication issues you have encountered? 

Hardly a problem, with video connections virtual meetings are at least pleasant …