I was going to include this info last time, but I forgot or something.
Pictures of the apartment (and an Italian map) can be found in the listing on the realty agency's website.
I'll also direct you to a map in English.
So, whaddya think?
I know! It's totally worth it!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Apartment Update
Hello again.
We wired our first month's rent to the rental agency in Florence. So, basically, we have an apartment now. We have yet to sign a lease, but hope to do so soon, as we need a signed lease in order to get our visas. Our lease is for ten months. Let's hope we don't run out of money before then. HA!
We have found out that after one turns in the appropriate documents to the Italian Consulate, it generally takes two weeks or less to have the visas in hand. That's encouraging. The documents that we have left to acquire are as follows:
Financial statements/Bank statements,
A personal affidavit from my mom (sort of like a vouch),
Proof of Italian insurance coverage,
&
Letters explaining why we chose Italy and what we plan to do there.
That list doesn't seem so overwhelming, and that excites us.
Another interesting development is that I recently found out from Lou and her parents, that Lou's great, great grandfather came to America from Italy in the early 1900s. This means that it potentially much easier for us to acquire Italian citizenship because Lou will be, technically, "reclaiming" citizenship as opposed to acquiring for no reason. So, once we get there, we're definitely going to try for that. An Italian citizen is a European Union citizen. This means, if we acquire citizenship we will be allowed to live, travel, and work in 28 countries including the U.S. That sounds pretty sweet to us.
We wired our first month's rent to the rental agency in Florence. So, basically, we have an apartment now. We have yet to sign a lease, but hope to do so soon, as we need a signed lease in order to get our visas. Our lease is for ten months. Let's hope we don't run out of money before then. HA!
We have found out that after one turns in the appropriate documents to the Italian Consulate, it generally takes two weeks or less to have the visas in hand. That's encouraging. The documents that we have left to acquire are as follows:
Financial statements/Bank statements,
A personal affidavit from my mom (sort of like a vouch),
Proof of Italian insurance coverage,
&
Letters explaining why we chose Italy and what we plan to do there.
That list doesn't seem so overwhelming, and that excites us.
Another interesting development is that I recently found out from Lou and her parents, that Lou's great, great grandfather came to America from Italy in the early 1900s. This means that it potentially much easier for us to acquire Italian citizenship because Lou will be, technically, "reclaiming" citizenship as opposed to acquiring for no reason. So, once we get there, we're definitely going to try for that. An Italian citizen is a European Union citizen. This means, if we acquire citizenship we will be allowed to live, travel, and work in 28 countries including the U.S. That sounds pretty sweet to us.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Oh, hey. It's us.
Hello friends and passers-by, and welcome to our blog.
If you do not already know, Lou and I are moving to Florence, Italy in August and staying for around six months to a year. This blog will chronicle our process while moving to Florence, Italy. This process will include, but will not be limited to, acquiring Italian visas, acquiring an apartment in Florence, packing up our house, packing our bags, buying new underwear, our pre-departure travels around the U.S., and our concerns about a life in Europe. After all of that is over with, we will keep you updated on our status in Italy, and give you insight into our daily (probably more like, "weekly") operations.
If you feel that this blog will divulge too much information or be too personal, then move along. There is nothing for you here. If you feel that this blog will not be personal enough, or will leave you wanting more, then use a phone and call us. If that is still not enough, then visit my "professional" blog at joshlafayette.com, and see if that helps.
Here's a taste of what's to come:
About a month ago, we sent Lou's passport off to be updated with her married name, "Laura Anne Williams LaFayette." That's a mouthful, we know. We recently received her updated passport in the mail. Now, we are in an ongoing dialog (via phone and email) with one Mr. David M. Gratta, a representative to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Relations, and he is helping us acquire our "elective residence visas." This type of visa allows one to stay in Italy for more than three months and less than a year, and that's perfect for us. We are also in an ongoing email dialogue with a rental agency that is helping us find an apartment.
Thanks for reading, and if you've decided to become a subscriber, or a frequent visitor, let us know in the comments!
If you do not already know, Lou and I are moving to Florence, Italy in August and staying for around six months to a year. This blog will chronicle our process while moving to Florence, Italy. This process will include, but will not be limited to, acquiring Italian visas, acquiring an apartment in Florence, packing up our house, packing our bags, buying new underwear, our pre-departure travels around the U.S., and our concerns about a life in Europe. After all of that is over with, we will keep you updated on our status in Italy, and give you insight into our daily (probably more like, "weekly") operations.
If you feel that this blog will divulge too much information or be too personal, then move along. There is nothing for you here. If you feel that this blog will not be personal enough, or will leave you wanting more, then use a phone and call us. If that is still not enough, then visit my "professional" blog at joshlafayette.com, and see if that helps.
Here's a taste of what's to come:
About a month ago, we sent Lou's passport off to be updated with her married name, "Laura Anne Williams LaFayette." That's a mouthful, we know. We recently received her updated passport in the mail. Now, we are in an ongoing dialog (via phone and email) with one Mr. David M. Gratta, a representative to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Relations, and he is helping us acquire our "elective residence visas." This type of visa allows one to stay in Italy for more than three months and less than a year, and that's perfect for us. We are also in an ongoing email dialogue with a rental agency that is helping us find an apartment.
Thanks for reading, and if you've decided to become a subscriber, or a frequent visitor, let us know in the comments!
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