Living in Italy: the Real Deal - Hilarious Expat Adventures

Stef Smulders

Aug 2018 · Babelcube Inc.

About this ebook

Read the Dutch bestseller, now available in translation! Already over 30.000 copies sold! Would you dare to follow your dream and move or retire to Italy to live La Dolce Vita? Have a Reality Check first!
Would you dare to follow your dream and move or retire to Italy? Stef & Nico did, although their dog Sara had her doubts. Now from your comfortable armchair you can share in the hilarious & horrendous adventures they experienced when they moved to Italy to start a bed and breakfast. For lovers of amusing travelogue memoirs who like a good laugh. And for those interested in practical advice on how to buy a house in Italy there is useful information along the way, pleasantly presented within the short stories. Glossary of Italian words included! Learn the true meaning of Italian phrases and expressions like "non ci sono problemi", "di fiducia", "persone serie", "tutto a norma" and many more. Learn a bit of the foreign language before going to Italy.
"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

Ratings and reviews

Italy, new beginnings, humor, nonfiction Culture shock plus bureaucracy makes for some really great stories,and I think that Emese Mayhew did a fantastic job of translating from the original book written from personal notes by the Dutch author. The publisher's blurb gives clues but can't begin to prepare you for all of the insanity of totally changing countries and lifestyles told with an irrepressible sense of humor. I really didn't want to put it down, but life is what it is. So grab a copy and laugh yourself silly! I am so glad that I entered and won the LibraryThing Giveaway!

About the author

Stef Smulders and his husband Nico are two adventurous Dutch men who decided to start a new life in Italy. In 2008 they made the big move with their dog Saar and set up Bed and Breakfast Villa I Due Padroni in the beautiful wine region of the Oltrepò Pavese to the south of Milan. In 2014 Stef published his first collection of amusing short stories (in Dutch) about daily life among the Italians, entitled “Italiaanse Toestanden - Leven en overleven in Italie”. It was so well received that he published a follow-up volume of humorous anecdotes in 2016. The third volume is under preparation, expected to be in press by spring 2017. "Living in Italy: the Real Deal" is the translation into English of the first volue.