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Living in Italy: The Real Deal - How to Survive the Good Life (an expat guide)
Living in Italy: The Real Deal - How to Survive the Good Life (an expat guide) | Stef Smulders
9 posts | 2 read | 4 to read
"a comical, often downright hilarious account" Reader's Favorite Review ?????????? "Smulders' storytelling artistry is wildly entertaining" Blogcritics/Reader Views ?????????? "There is more of the flavor of Italy in this book than in ... Frances Mayes Under the Tuscan Sun" Amazon review by Grady Harp HALL OF FAME TOP 100 REVIEWER "now I can add Stef Smulders to the list of my favorite ex-pat authors" N.N. Light In 2008 Stef Smulders, his partner Nico and their dog Saar emigrated to Italy to start a new life and set up their B&B Villa I Due Padroni. They sold their home, left their friends and family behind and took a leap into the unknown. Now Stef shares his experiences in a collection of witty short stories. The book treats the trials and tribulations of an emigration: what it was like to buy and renovate a house, to import a car, to gain residency, and much more. The reader is introduced to a full range of Italian characters, from the trustworthy to the rogue, from the gentle to the shameless, flesh and blood Italians. Some are stereotype, others unexpectedly original. Yet they never fail to amuse and entertain. Goodreads 4.43 rating (21 ratings) Readers reviews: I was hooked after the first couple of lines and couldnt put the book down until the end. What a fantastic read! Hilarious!" "Addicting!" "Recommended!"
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Tjackson
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20/52 - 🌟🌟🌟 - only 3 🌟. I enjoyed reading this book because there was so much information about living in a small Italian Villa. Because they were renovating a house to make it a B&B, there were chapters that just seems low. I still very much enjoyed the book and I‘m happy that I read it.

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Tjackson
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91% Read! It looks like I will finish this book today! I have learned that although I love Italy, I don‘t think I want to be an expat buying a house in Italy to convert it to a B & B. I am happy to stay at a B&B, but I don‘t think I want to renovate one in Italy.

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Tjackson
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Spent my week suffering with a cold and still working, but today it all about me curled up with this book trying to finish it!!! I am ready to move one to my other wonderful reads.

PolaroidPoet Are you visiting Italy soon? I live in a tiny villa halfway between Venice and Verona. We love living here. ❤️ 6y
cobwebmoth Hope you're feeling better soon! 6y
Tjackson I am going to Stresa on Lake Maggiore for 6 days in June for a wedding and Milan for 4 days for fun. I ❤️ Rome and Tuscany last year when I visited. 6y
Redwritinghood I hope you are feeling better and are able to enjoy the weekend. 6y
46 likes4 comments
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Tjackson
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Starting out another Sunday morning how I like it - reading and coffee! 72% Read. I hope to finish this one today between chores and errands. Happy Sunday.

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Tjackson
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I really enjoy reading books about places I‘m going to visit. At times I have been very excited about reading this book and it times it is been a little painful because it was slow. Now, this chapter is about food and wine and I‘m hoping to really enjoy it, as I really enjoy Italian food and wine.

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Tjackson
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Reading this book. Booked my flight to Stesa and Milan, Italy for my birthday and my friends wedding! This postcard arrived today from a different friend on the same day I booked the flight. What a coincidence. Happy Friday!

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Tjackson
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Trying to finish 2 more books today. I can visualize what the author is saying about Italy and he has a good id sense of humor.

Italy in June for my friend‘s wedding on MY birthday....life can‘t get much better.

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Tjackson
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#shakespeareiseverywhere #myyearwithwill. Whether I‘m reading a book about Shakespeare, watching a movie, or reading anything, I‘m likely to come across a reference to Shakespeare or his works.

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Tjackson
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I really didn‘t want to start reading another book without finishing up a few I have already started, but last night I could only think about my upcoming trips to Mexico City, NYC, Northern Italy, and Greece so I jumped into this book. A long weekend will hopefully give me time to finish reading a few on these babies!!!

PurpleyPumpkin Wow, you‘re travelling to all of those places this year? Awesome! Hope you enjoy. 😉👍🏽✈️ 6y
Tjackson @PurpleyPumpkin Thanks! I plan a year out so I can budget for these trips. In fact, I canceled cable and internet service to have more travel money! 6y
tpixie My son loves Mexico City!! He traveled quite a bit this last year. Won‘t as much in the next 12 months. Glad to see people traveling!! Love it 😊 (edited) 6y
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PurpleyPumpkin Good for you! Travelling is one of the best and most important things you can do in life imo. I love it! I look forward to seeing more of your adventures. 6y
Tjackson @tpixie @PurpleyPumpkin My goal is 3 international trips a year! This is year 4 of meeting this goal and hope to do it for at least 10 more years! I will share my adventures. Thanks for the encouragement. Some people think it is too much. 6y
tpixie @Tjackson what an awesome goal! Enjoy! 6y
PurpleyPumpkin I don‘t think it‘s too much at all! If I could, I‘d travel at least that much. But time and money are constraints I can‘t get past. My husband and I try to travel at least once per year, sometimes twice. Do it while/when you can and for as long as you can, that‘s my motto! 6y
Tjackson @PurpleyPumpkin I totally agree!! As long as I can, as much as I can!!! Happy Travels! 6y
55 likes8 comments