Back to Tarquinia: The Town That Never Left Our Hearts (moving to Italy)

Where renovation meets reinvention — our real Italian story, beyond the bella figura.

Twenty years ago, we did something most people only dream about. We left our life in Worcestershire, packed up our home — horses, dogs, our four-year-old son — and moved to Italy. Not for a holiday, not for a gap year. We lived here. Worked here. Raised our little boy here, while I trained as a personal stylist in Milan and fell head-over-heels in love with Italian style, life, and everything in between.

We lived in Tarquinia — a sun-drenched medieval town perched just above the sea, where every cobbled street felt like a secret and every meal tasted like a celebration. And then, life pulled us away. We went back to the UK for family reasons, and while we built a life there again, a part of our hearts stayed behind.

For years we talked about returning - moving to Italy. And now… we finally have.

This time, we didn’t arrive with a moving van full of dreams. We arrived with a caravan, a renovation project, and a few extra wrinkles (the good kind — the ones that come from living). But the dream? It’s still here. In fact, it feels bigger now. Deeper. More rooted.

This blog — La Vita Not-So-Dolce (Sometimes) — isn’t just about moving countries or fixing up old walls. It’s about what happens when you decide to start again. When you choose to chase the life you thought might have passed you by. When you embrace the beauty and the breakdowns — because both are part of the story.

So what can you expect here?

You’ll find the real stuff:

• Caravan chaos and cappuccino moments

• Renovation dust and rekindled friendships

• Trips to the ferramenta (hardware store) and the market stall with the perfect €8 sunglasses

• Stories of rebuilding a home and a life — one that feels more aligned than ever

  
  

And because style is always stitched into who I am, you’ll find threads of it here too — but not the polished version from my professional site. This is about everyday elegance, the kind that happens when you drink your espresso from a chipped cup in the morning sun and feel more like yourself than you have in years.

We’ve come full circle. Not to recreate the past, but to finally build the future we were meant for. The not-so-dolce, totally-worth-it kind.

Welcome to our unfiltered Italian life. I’m so glad you’re here.

PS:

If you’ve ever dreamed of moving to Italy, reinventing your life, or simply living more beautifully — even when things aren’t perfect — make yourself at home. I’ll be sharing the good, the gritty, and the gloriously unexpected every week.