Living in Sicily Italy: 7 Harsh Truths They Don't Tell You

I want to hear the good and the bad as I plan to retire in Sicily! My ancestors are from Godrano, Palermo. From what I am researching this is a very small commune.

Every region has its problems
My relatives live in the south east part. I am going this week! So excited to see the whole island this time

Carol, how is your Italian? Just like to know if you need to speak Italian?

A lot of valuable information thanks for sharing. Sicily is a my list of places to visit the next time I’m in Italy 🇮🇹

How are foreigners connected to the trash issue?

Good information, as always. I have seen the situation with the rubbish, and it really does need to be sorted. The government needs to take control and start imposing rules and regulations.There should be a work programme for each town put in place for the youths that don't work. It's a shame for such a beautiful island to have this reputation. I have seen many comments from tourists that have complained about the rubbish. Many of the other issues, I guess you learn to live with, even though it can cause anxiety. I suppose wherever you live in the world, there will always be some kind of issue that is a problem. Thank you, and I look forward to more videos.Take care, and have a great day 😊💕

Great video! Cheers

Wow. What a 180 from some of your other videos. 🤔 but I appreciate the whole story of what’s going on there.

Shortage of water in Sicily has been an ongoing issue! I remember visiting my relatives in Agrigento in the 80s they had run out of water for 7 days.

Very Informative. Thank You. Y'all are So Sweet 😘🙌🤗👍

Truly enjoy your videos. They are short and on point with no bs. Please keep them coming !😊

Great info! I can live with those frustrations. Good to have realistic expectations though.

And the hospitals?

Great video !! Have been enjoying your series and look forward to each installment. Quick question for Carol….do you have your Italian driver’s license or will you have to take the written/driving test (administered in Italian, naturally) at some point ? Thanks a bunch.

The thing with the trash really shocks me. I can't understand it.

Deposit scheme as in Germany. Half the money that goes to the island just vanishes, we know where, the bridge is a case in point. Super fast ❤️

Is there somethink you like?

I was in Carini last year in October. I had stayed in Palermo for several nights and wanted to see Carini. I had an espresso and a cornetto at the Cafe in Carini. Then I walked around and went into a Church. Then I drove up the mountain, Google took me up the mountain onto a dead end street, in front of someone’s fenced garage. Then I noticed there was a fire on the mountain, very close. I got so scared seeing the smoke was so close, I left the mountain and drove to Cefalu. As well, while driving to Cefalu, I saw 2 other fires on different mountains. That is very scary these fires happening all over.
What made you choose to live in Carini?
After staying a couple of nights in Cefalu, I then went and stayed in Caccamo several nights.
I am coming back to Palermo this Fall. 😊

What about the Mafia? Are they visible to you? Any problems or issues with them?

Interesting that he blames the trash problem on government corruption, and then she goes on to point out that it is actually due to personal behavior and habits.

Migrants have nothing to do with the trash all over Sicily. The truth is that Sicilians have their houses so clean that you could eat off the floor, but when it comes to keeping their streets and towns clean, they couldn’t care less…..don’t ask me why.🤔

Another problem is people not paying their council taxes, which includes their rubbish being picked up from their front doorstep. If they don’t pay their council taxes, their rubbish won’t be picked up so they dump it in the streets.

thats wear you get the saying 'spend a penny'!!

the tax on television is paid throughout Italy, not just in Sicily. The term TV license fee, improperly called Rai license fee, refers to a tax on the ownership of a television, calculated per household and not per number of televisions in the home. For some years, the annual amount has been charged on the electricity bill divided into 10 installments from January to October. from January 1, 2024 the amount has been reduced. collection through the electricity bill will last for the whole of 2024, then there will be a reform of the laws, at the request of the European Union

Narrow streets have never been a problem for real sicilians. We actually love our ancient, small villages and we believe that those narrow stone paved streets are so charming.

I stayed in Sciacca for a vacation in 2018. Sicily is one of the best palaces I ever went to. The people were great. What a great time we had.

The traffic sounds like here in Florida 😂

Those are just minor inconveniences. Gotta go with the flow. 😊

I'm here for a year plus, and none of these things perturb me. And, I certainly don't depend upon l'uomo to drive in, "scary," places! The garbage is bad in Marsala area, an area to avoid for many reasons. But, the little towns on the north shore between Palermo and Messina all seem to be super clean and garbage-free. P.S. You will have really arrived after taking and passing the exams for the Italian patente.

Yes, in Italy, Greece, France... pharmacy is the place where you find people who know what they are exactly the drugs they are selling and they also make preparations prescribed by doctors like special creams or personnalised preparations. The pharmacy is not selling pizzas or ice cream...😂

I too hate the trash it’s so sad , thanks for this it is very interesting 😊

In New Orleans you have to pay for the bathroom in a lot of places

In Italy at any supermarket if you want to touch the fruit or vegetables you have to use see thru gloves. If you don’t you will receive a scolding.

An additional negative is that there is a level of cognitive dissonance about the realities of facing ever increasing drought in Sicily an island which is already 70% desertified. Just been listening to various farmers throughout the island who point out they haven't had rain for between 6 and 14 months. They fear they will have to abandon their farms unless the government and the ppl wake up and take action.

Yes, some parts are spotless. 😊