Welcome to my story! I am a retired Graphic artist and Web designer. My husband and I lived in Germany for a number of years and ever since returning to the US our dream has been to return to Europe.
During subsequent trips after our return, Italy became our go-to destination. Soon it became our dream to live there.
Here are maps. First one of Italy with Umbria marked. As you can see we are smack in the middle of the country. We are in the only landlocked state (with no foreign border) but we are exactly an hour and a half from both the Mediterranean and the Adriatic seas. Next you will see a map of Umbria with our town marked. Now you know where we are and can orient yourself. Click for larger versions. The name of our town is Umbertide. It is pronounced Um-BER-tee-day. Accent on the second syllable. Just think of Umberto, whom it is named after, and you’ll pronounce it right.
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To navigate the site in chronological order you need to go to the navigation on the right and chose December 2013 in the archives. This will start you from the beginning of our adventure.
And this is our town!
Sweet Heidi! We are not far apart. Enjoy reading the (too long) blog!
What a small world it is. We also love going to the monthly antiques market in Arezzo! We’re in the small village of Caprese Michelangelo – his birthplace actually. We love wine as well, so I need to spend some time reading through your old posts for recommendations! How fun if our paths cross one day!
Hi Heidi, I’m glad you found me. We are pretty close to Arezzo. We go to the antiques market and shop at the Essalunga occasionally. We love wine and I used to be able to get my husband, “the wine guy” to write “guest” posts. But not lately! He is such a perfectionist it takes him ages to be happy with what he wrote. Me, I am more’of a “seat of the pants” writer. I write just what I’m thinking at the time 😁 Anyway, someday, maybe we can get together for a drink or caffè
Hi! I just discovered your blog by reading about wineries in the Maremma – it brought up one of your older posts.
When not in California, we live part time in a tiny town in Arezzo! We have younger children but found our dream place (for the retirement years) a bit early. So now we spend the summers and holidays in Tuscany. I’m looking forward to catching up on all your blog entires!
Hi David, lots of reasons. It is a real town. Not a restored Disneyesque hilltown. Actual life goes on in Umbertide. It is active all seasons. It is flat. Easy to walk to everything. It has two weekly markets. It has a train to connect with the main line. It sits in the beautiful Upper Tiber valley and is next to the river. It is a couple hours from Florence and Rome. It has a nice walled centro with a ninth century fortress. It has many restaurants, butchers, bakers, pizzerie, groceries, a theater, a cinema, a hospital. It isn’t fancy. It isn’t pretentious. It is inexpensive. And it isn’t overly touristed but it is popular with summer residents from all over. I am an Umbertide booster. 🙂 🇮🇹
why umbertide?
Buonasera, I am italian and I am reading your blog, very interesting for me to understand how non-italian people see and appreciate italian culture, and not only for negative well-known aspects.
Nancy, we are arriving on an elective residency visa and will be seeking a rental property. Should you know of any….well send ’em my way! I read somewhere else in one of your blogs that you are leaving Umbria after you sell your home due to the limits on residency available to foreigners and the cumbersome re-application for your PdS each year. Have you decided what region is more open to foreign residency? I’d hate to get to comfortable only to know there wasn’t a path to residency after 5 years. Thanks – Margaret