We arrived here a week ago from Barcelona, Spain. i.e. from a bustling city to the deepest, most isolated countryside... I'm still rather shell-shocked by the change and would love to meet up with people in the area (I was told yesterday by a neighbour that parent and baby groups don't exist around here, and there don't seem to be any playgrounds...) I'm a chef and translator (Italian and Spanish to English) and my husband (Italian) is a website designer. We have a baby girl who is almost 6 months old. She needs to nap frequently, so even a trip to Florence is quite an endeavour...

I'm not near but I'm a Mum living in the deepest darkest Marche countryside. If that helps.

Thanks for the reply Kirstin. So, how did you make friends in the deepest darkest countryside? In Barcelona I owned a restaurant which I lived down the street from. I couldn't walk 100m in the neighbourhood without stopping to greet several friends and acquaintances. Here it's quite the opposite. Maybe I have to wait till Luisa starts at nursery?? I'm thinking of giving some English classes so I hope I'll meet some people like that...

I've been visiting for a while, so had a few friends.

I also came during the summer so spent every morning on the beach with the other families. got talking to lots of people there. They were all evry patient with me and my murdering of the language. My eldest is at School so when school started I did meet afew more people there.

However because I teach in a school I tend to be working all the school hours and then planning in the PM.

I think teaching might be a way to go. I started by starting a children's group with an English speaking friend. I advertised at the local education department, schools and asili.

The winter is the hardest because your stunk instide. When the weather inproves so does the chances for meeting people.

Hi there

Not sure how easy it will be for you to get into Florence? But we have a Mum's and Toddlers groups that meets in the American church every Monday morning. Find Details at:

http://xoomer.virgilio.it/kvanzi/intro.html

Also we advertise in the Florentine newspaper in the Personal section at the back.

Hope to see you soon
Jo

Hi Shilpa,
I understand you as I live 6 months a year in burstling Madrid and 6 months in a farm in northern Le Marche!
The deep and isolated countryside can be great, though, once you understand the way it works!
Good luck!

Shilpa and Giulia,
I would love to hear all about Spain and the differences between here and there...G.???

Hi Shilpa, and welcome to you and your family! If you explore this board, (check out Forum/Expat GTG's....get togethers) you will see that we are planning a MONSTER GTG for June 3 near Siena....I hope you can join us, there will be close to 150 of us, expats and friends of expats, and expat wannabees....(some town mice, some country mice!).

Hey Laurie, Bardigiana, Jo and Giulia,

Wow, I hadn't logged in for over a month and was delighted to see your replies. Thanks so much!

I will try to make it into Florence with Luisa when her nap schedule is a little less demanding, and I will certainly try and make it to the get-together in Siena, nap schedule or no nap schedule.

Things are going a little better - we have met some nice people and feel a little less isolated. Unfortunately, Certaldo is a little on the dead side. As well as offering to give English classes at the local cultural association, I also suggested Indian cookery classes. This was met with a shrug "No chance. That might work in Florence, perhaps. But we're in Certaldo, remember" was the friendly coordinator's apologetic reply...

Thanks again for your support :-)

Shilpa