Why yes. The grass is always greener

I mean literally.

 

Remember my late night rant when I was wrapped up in the heaviness of living in a Tuscan farmhouse and dreaming of being an Expat?

Just a couple days later we sat with our wonderful hostess on a rainy afternoon and she began to explain exactly what is was really like living in Italy.

Like her FIFTY-SEVEN PERCENT income tax on top of the hotel tax she has to collect from her guests.

And that the government decided that anyone using a tractor must have a drivers license and attend a driving course paying around 500 euro. They had an 80 year old farm hand that had driven tractors all his life and did not have a drivers license. Suddenly Italy decided he needed to pay them 500 euro for them to teach him how to drive a tractor that he's driven for 7 decades.

Our upstairs neighbor in Fort Myers actually lives most of the year in Rome.

We had a long discussion one day at the pool. Apparently Italy requires her to prove the amount of property taxes she pays in the state of Florida. And it's not enough, so they have to pay property tax in Italy for the property they own in Fort Myers Florida, United States of America. You realize of course that's on top of the income tax they pay in Italy.

So yes. The grass is always greener.

Some Italians are suggesting a revolution unfolding. A deliberate revolt against the oppressive rules and taxes they are burdened with.

I have always maintained I couldn't live in Italy because I'm too used to our conveniences. But it appears that some of the inconveniences actually have nothing to do with physically moving about the country.

I wouldn't mind staying a couple months though.