Italian Life Experience: Expectation vs. Reality

Life in Piove di Sacco (an Italian Borghi)

When our immigration lawyer told us he could get us an appointment in Piove di Sacco, we thought ‘What’s the worst that could happen? It is a town of less than 20k inhabitants, with a train station and a hospital, It sounds like an adventure…’ So we did it. Read on to hear about our Italian life experience.

When we first arrived it seemed like a charming little town, we had secured a two-bedroom, 1.5-bath apartment. It was in the historic center with a view of the bell tower. Within a month we found that some things were not what we expected, but some were!

Our balcony view in Piove di Sacco

Jump To A Section

• What didn’t meet our expectations?
  • The language (dialect)
  • Trips out of town (by train)
  • Socialized medicine
• What was as we expected?
  • Siesta!
  • Markets and fresh produce
  • The food
    • Food by Region
    • 3 Pieces of advice on food in Italy
• How it’s going now

What didn’t meet our expectations of Italian life experience?

1. The Language! Parli Veneto Dialeto? NO!

When we took four years of Italian in college, we had the incredible opportunity to learn proper Italian! We were able to explore the beautiful Tuscan dialect and delve into the works of renowned writers and poets like Dante and Bocaccio. We thought living in a small town would be a great opportunity to be forced to speak Italian. This was a greater challenge than expected. The majority of the population speaks a local dialect (Venitian or Veneto), not Italian. When we spoke Italian they didn’t understand us and the majority of the people who spoke English were teenagers. 

We took Italian courses in Padua for 2 months, 20 hours a week, 4 hours a day, 5 days a week. We spent 2 or more hours a day on a bus round trip to these courses. This was well worth it because there were no Italian lessons available in the town we lived in. With long days dedicated to the classes we hardly got any time to use what we were learning. Our Italian did improve. While we loved learning the language, we still had to leave the area to put it to use. We had a great excuse for needing to travel. Making the best of a challenging situation is an important skill for a traveler to have. Things happen and only you decide if they will ruin your experience!

2. Trips Out Of Town By Train

You might remember we said that Piove di Sacco has a train station. There is only one train line, it goes from Adria to Venezia Santa Lucia (Venice). We had hoped to take a short walk to a train station and explore more of Italy. With Italy having the most extensive train line network in Europe we figured this would be a huge part of our Italian life experience. We discovered that the most efficient way to reach the other parts of Italy, would be by taking a bus to the train station in Padua. The station is approximately 30-60 minutes one way, depending on traffic. We did this before beginning our train journeys to visit the places we wanted to see (we love the trains).

We did take the train to Venice a few times. It was a relatively inexpensive option that proved to be much more convenient than it used to be. The train used to only go as far as Mestre, which is outside of Venice. Now, however, it goes right into the heart of Venice on the Grand Canal. The disappointment with this route is the last train home was too early for us to have dinner in Venice. We went on a few day trips to go shopping, and once to see all the costumes during Carnival. We of course made the best of it and got very familiar with the bus route to Padua. From there we took the train to places like Rome, Florence, Bari, Vicenza, Montegrotto Terme, Lucca, and Bologna. If you plan to visit some smaller towns in Italy check the Trenitalia site for routes, the app has a door-2-door option that will also tell you which bus lines you can use and combine with trains to get there.

Piove di Sacco train station

3. Socialized Medicine is Not Actually Free, or Easy to Navigate

We are beyond grateful to have ‘free health care’ as citizens of Italy. However, navigating it hasn’t been easy and it’s not as free as we, Americans, think it is. 

While the costs are very low (for example $35 for an x-ray or blood labs) there is still some cost. Some things just aren’t covered (vision and dental for example). The cost didn’t bother us much, especially considering we were new citizens and hadn’t paid into their tax system yet. When we decide to go with private care and pay for medical needs it’s still much cheaper than the USA. $570 for a colonoscopy with a private doctor, for example, would be thousands in the USA. 

We had anticipated the cost, but we were less prepared for the complexities of navigating the system. It’s a process that feels like stepping back 20+ years in time. For the majority of our healthcare needs, we are required to visit our General Practitioner or ‘medico base’ first. This could be to obtain a prescription for any meds, specialists, or procedures (including a gyno). We then proceed to the hospital, in person, to make an appointment at the CUP counter. Some regions are slowly getting online booking services for certain types of appointments but they are far from being comprehensive. We must pick up results from labs, scans, or x-rays, and then bring them to our doctor. We are responsible for maintaining our medical records. Some things, like blood test results, can be found online, most are physical results that we keep track of though. 

The difficulty of all of this was often compounded by the dialect of the language I previously mentioned. We always managed but it often involved a lot of patience and problem solving!

What was as we expected with our Italian life experience?

As you can see, there was so much about this little town and our Italian life experience adventure that was not at all what we expected, but some of it was! Siesta was a big one!

1. Siesta!

During our travels in Spain and Italy, we experienced siesta, it was one of the parts of the Italian lifestyle that drew us to Italy. We absolutely love the idea of forced downtime! It’s the perfect opportunity to catch up on some sleep or get some work done. If you haven’t yet experienced the magic of siesta, you’re in for a treat! It’s a 2-3 hour period in the afternoon, many shops and services close, giving you the chance to relax and recharge.

The reason for this pause varies by country and region. It’s often used for a delicious, relaxing lunch and a well-deserved rest before returning to work. Some cultures do this because it is meant to aid with digestion by resting, which is a great idea! Some do it to escape the highest heat of the day (in summer), which is a wonderful way to cool off.

Guess what? Our tiny town was no different! In fact, it’s most noticeable in the smaller towns. You will find that more amenities will be available in larger cities during this time (and during the tourism season). Piove di Sacco (the small town we moved to) completely shuts down every day from 12:30-3:30. Fortunately a couple of cafés and a grocery store remain open, you can always find a café or spritz. Sundays are a great day to relax, with most things closed, including grocery stores. Restaurants don’t open for dinner until 7/7:30, so you can enjoy a leisurely evening meal, sorry no early bird specials here!

Piazza Vittorio Emanuele in Piove di Sacco, During Siesta

2. Markets and Scoring Fresh Produce

We’d been to Italy several times before moving here, so we already knew what to expect when it came to grocery shopping. We knew that most grocery stores were like discount grocery stores, mostly because Italian culture is all about going to a specialty market. A macelleria for meat, a salumeria for cured meats (and cheeses), an ortofrutta for produce, a paneficio for breads, a pasticceria for bakery items, and so on. That means the specialty shops and markets often have the best produce, and many grocery stores have lots of pre-packaged produce. We were really looking forward to a routine that included regular trips to the market for fresh items. The preservatives and chemicals used in the USA are not used here so produce doesn’t last as long. Sometimes we got produce while at the grocery store, just to make things easier (especially if it was raining or hot). 

Open-air Markets

If you’re lucky enough to be traveling to Italy, be sure to ask your hotel front desk, host, or the tourism office when and where the markets are! The markets are a significant part of the culture and the Italian life experience. This is a really fun way to pick up some tasty treats for your room or for a picnic! Just remember, don’t sit on any monuments or fountains while you’re picnicking, OK? The tourism offices can also tell you where you can have a nice picnic without disrespecting the monuments. 

At the markets, you’ll find the freshest, most delicious local produce, all perfectly in season! It’s always a good idea to know a few words in Italian, like numbers, half (mezzo), or done (basta). You’ll probably want to ask for items by quantity or weight. Italians use the metric system, so items will be by kilo, not lbs (1 kilo is just over 2 lbs). It’s also helpful to know how to ask what something costs (Quanto costa?) and to understand the answer. And of course, you’ll want to know how to say hello (ciao, buongiorno, buonasera, or salve) and thank you (“grazie”- GRAHT-see-yeh), not “grazi”- GRAHT-sI)! When in doubt point to items if you don’t know the name, and smile!

Grocery Store Surprise

What did surprise us at the grocery store was a few ingredients that we couldn’t find. While we did find some of these in larger cities we were missing cilantro and corn tortillas. You could find corn tortilla chips but no corn tortillas. We also found the spice and herb varieties to be lacking a bit. We ended up having our cousin bring us cajun seasoning, ground mustard, and hot sauce. He was in the Army and could go on base when he visited from Germany. 

3. Buon Apetiito! The Food!

Italian food is so satisfying, simple, and delicious! It’s one of the best parts of the Italian life experience. If you ask anyone in the United States what their favorite type of food is, you’ll probably hear Mexican, Asian, or Italian. If you’ve ever had pizza, bolognese, carbonara, or tiramisu, then Italian might be on your list too! 

Italian food is just as diverse as the different regions of Italy itself! Just like the foods from the south, the West Coast, and Texas all have their own unique take on cuisine, Italy is no exception. Italian regions are very proud of their local specialties, and the produce grown in that particular region. 

Italy is made up of 26 regions, and while we’ve been to 42 cities, we’ve only been to 5 regions. So, we’re going to focus on those. We’ve heard that Sicily and Naples are known for their food, too, and we’re really excited to visit those places! We simply adore Tuscany, Lazio and Puglia – they’re our favorite places to eat in Italy! We’ve also spent some time in Veneto, Lombardy, and Liguria, which are great, too.

We are foodies and we have to be honest with you, we were disappointed in the dining options in the little Borghi we moved to. We couldn’t even find a proper panino there. This made leaving town a special treat, we appreciated the opportunity to try other places. 

Italian Food by Region

Italy is a world of flavor! These are a couple of our favorite dishes throughout Italy.

Tuscany

Pappardelle al Cinghiale (wild boar ragù), duck ragù are also delicious, Tordelli or Tortelli (specific to Lucca), Finocchiona salami, Cantucci e vin santo, olive oil from Lucca, anything truffle, and sformilata/ flan (think soufflé). 

Lazio (Rome)

Cacio e pepe, amatriciana, ‘alfredo’ (menus usually say fettuccine with butter and Parmesan), supplì, trapezzino, pizza in taglio, and porchetta. 

Puglia (Bari)

Spaghetti all’assassina, polpo panini (octopus panini), focaccia barese, and panzarotto.

Veneto (Venice & Padua- this is where we lived when we first moved)

Risotto al mare, Baccala macinata (creamed cod usually served with toast or crostini), tramezzino, Aperol spritz, clams, and mussels.

Lombardy (Milan)

Risotto Milanese and Panettone.

Liguria (Cinque Terre, Genoa)

Pesto, Focaccia- all of it, one of our favorites is the Recco Focaccia (from Recco), seafood.

Any of these dishes could change the way you look at food. Or at least wow your taste buds and inspire you to recreate the dish when you get back home. We found spaghetti all’assassina to be life-changing. If you are thinking about visiting any of these regions head over to our Travel Inspiration page for destination inspiration.

Life changing Spaghetti All’Assassina at Al Sorso in Bari, Puglia Italy

We’ve got three pieces of advice on food in Italy:

1. Eat dishes from the region you are in, it will likely never be as good as where it’s from. For example, Carbonara is from Rome (Lazio region), Bolognese is from Bologna (Emilia Romagna region), and tordelli is from Lucca (Tuscan region). 
2. One great way to get a taste of the local flavors is to take a food tour early on in your travels. You’ll learn about the local dishes and customs. You’ll also get an idea of what you should be ordering to to get the best flavors of the area. Learning about local dishes and how they came to be lends to your understanding and appreciation of the culture.
3. We encourage you to be adventurous and try new things. Try to avoid requesting changes to a dish and order something that is already made as you would like. It is true that the chefs may take offense if you don’t want it the way that they make it. Sometimes they will not be willing to make the change. If you are gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegetarian tell your server and they can help make recommendations.)

Ultimately though, eat what you like, it’s your trip. We don’t want you to find out that you’ve been avoiding something only to find that you love it at the end of your trip.

How It’s Going Now

After 10 months of this Italian life experience, in the small town we moved to, we became restless. We were craving a bigger city with more variety (and better food, of course). Our sleepy little siesta town didn’t offer the multitude of dining options that we would prefer to have! We spent a month in Bari (Puglia region) and thought we wanted to move there. Then we spent four nights in Lucca (Tuscany region)  and just knew it was where we wanted to be! It took eight months to find a place, and we moved to Lucca three months later.

Spoiler: We love Lucca!

Sant’Anna neighborhood Lucca, Italy

---

---