# Mantova??



## Missou

Hi!

We decided to move to Mantova for the year. Anyone have thoughts/comments? My kids will be going to the School of the Redeemer. We will live 15 minutes walk away, still in town. Thoughts? I have not yet been, so am very anxious to hear anything!:confused2:


----------



## Rider of Rohan

Hello! I have just moved to Cremona around the corner from you. My husband and I pressed a reset button on our life and are learning to make violins. I haven't been to Mantova yet, but it looks like you've been here for a couple of months now. How have you liked it? Any suggestions? Best of luck to you!


----------



## deeelaan

Missou said:


> Hi!
> 
> We decided to move to Mantova for the year. Anyone have thoughts/comments? My kids will be going to the School of the Redeemer. We will live 15 minutes walk away, still in town. Thoughts? I have not yet been, so am very anxious to hear anything!:confused2:[/QUOT
> 
> Hi
> We live in the province of mantova, got our kids in a small school here, we are about 25km out of mantova city so quite rural but we have been here a month and the kids (our 2 girls are 4 and 12) think its great, the system has been very helpful. Our youngest is a boy of18months and he has the village charmed. The language is the big thing, but kids get it quick, if you need any help or advice, I speak italian quite well and know the ins and outs, get in touch.
> Dylan


----------



## Rider of Rohan

Ciao Dylan,

Thank you so much for the message! I'm so, so very glad to hear about your good experience being here with your kids. One of our reasons for the transition from the US was to be able to start a family. The luthier school here in Cremona is also a high school. Since I'm here to learn Italian and fine woodworking/violinmaking and to explore a new culture the experience is wonderful. But from the point of view of this being my experience of the educational system in Italy I've been a bit appalled. To describe the classes as disorganized would be a compliment, and although I've been told that what we're experiencing is an exception I've been wondering what I might be subjecting future children to if we decide to stay here. Otherwise we love the woodworking, this city, the concerts, the culture, learning Italian, etc. Can I ask if you have any advice on choosing an apartment for rent? We have a temporary place till the end of November, but we'd like to find something bigger for the two of us. Do you have any experience with the heating bills? I'm looking at energy ratings A though G that seem to indicate vastly different costs to heat an apartment through the winter, but everybody we've asked about example costs to heat, say, 100mq, at 50kwh/mq vs 170kwh/mq just shrugs and smiles. The best I've found for an apartment in the historic center is a class C, but of course all the charming options are class F at best, and I'm wondering if renting anything over 100mq where we can't close rooms off through the winter will be a frightening money pit. Do you have any thoughts? 
Again, I'm so glad to hear your own positive experiences. We've encountered patience, kindness and good humor from just about everybody. Being here continues to be the best of experiences, which is exactly what attracted us...plus the beauty of the duomo and the Piazza Stradivari, ecc, etc!


----------



## deeelaan

Rider of Rohan said:


> Ciao Dylan,
> 
> Thank you so much for the message! I'm so, so very glad to hear about your good experience being here with your kids. One of our reasons for the transition from the US was to be able to start a family. The luthier school here in Cremona is also a high school. Since I'm here to learn Italian and fine woodworking/violinmaking and to explore a new culture the experience is wonderful. But from the point of view of this being my experience of the educational system in Italy I've been a bit appalled. To describe the classes as disorganized would be a compliment, and although I've been told that what we're experiencing is an exception I've been wondering what I might be subjecting future children to if we decide to stay here. Otherwise we love the woodworking, this city, the concerts, the culture, learning Italian, etc. Can I ask if you have any advice on choosing an apartment for rent? We have a temporary place till the end of November, but we'd like to find something bigger for the two of us. Do you have any experience with the heating bills? I'm looking at energy ratings A though G that seem to indicate vastly different costs to heat an apartment through the winter, but everybody we've asked about example costs to heat, say, 100mq, at 50kwh/mq vs 170kwh/mq just shrugs and smiles. The best I've found for an apartment in the historic center is a class C, but of course all the charming options are class F at best, and I'm wondering if renting anything over 100mq where we can't close rooms off through the winter will be a frightening money pit. Do you have any thoughts?
> Again, I'm so glad to hear your own positive experiences. We've encountered patience, kindness and good humor from just about everybody. Being here continues to be the best of experiences, which is exactly what attracted us...plus the beauty of the duomo and the Piazza Stradivari, ecc, etc!


hi
Good to hear back from you!!
Well, I will say that in italy patience is an undeniable virtue!!

I would recomend looking around at the other parts of the italian education system as one thing I do know is that the smaller more rural schools tend to be better. It may be that we are easily pleased as the irish education system we have just left was an abomination. The local kids seem to have accepted ours very well
As for the renting of an appartment I cannot offer you much advice. We are renting a very large crumbling villa with a load of outbuildings etc, we are paying a nominal ground rent on the condition that we do the place up a bit, bit brave!!
We are heating using solid wood stoves as seems to be the norm in the village where we are. We are also sorting a methane gas system that is installed here but needs work and activating. As for an energy rating I would say that we are off the scale the wrong way!!

I think that unless you are tied to being right in cremona you may find better luck on the outskirts. Some appartments do have a heating system which is for a whole block and you have no control over when it comes on or goes off, a thing to check!!

If you need any help get in touch. I have a big van here if you need help moving and we both speak fairly good italian and I know how hard it can be!!

My number is 3495641595

Dylan


----------



## jessabella

Anyone still in this area. We have just moved to Viadana with a 2 year old..and closest friends are in Reggio Emilia ..so needless to say in need of some local friendships as we are home all day doing not much!


----------



## deeelaan

*hi*



jessabella said:


> Anyone still in this area. We have just moved to Viadana with a 2 year old..and closest friends are in Reggio Emilia ..so needless to say in need of some local friendships as we are home all day doing not much!



Hi 
We are just up the road from you in dosolo, we got a 20 month old, a five year old and a 12 year old! We shop in viadana every week, or if you fancy a trip out to sunny dosolo, can meet up if you like.....
Dylan and Denise


----------



## deeelaan

Hi Kira
Sorry for not getting straight back to you, busy as anything over the festive period!! Glad you got a place sorted and we look forward to meeting up with you in the new year. I would recomend a bus for part of the way if you are thinkin of cycling!!
Dylan


----------



## jessabella

deeelaan said:


> Hi
> We are just up the road from you in dosolo, we got a 20 month old, a five year old and a 12 year old! We shop in viadana every week, or if you fancy a trip out to sunny dosolo, can meet up if you like.....
> Dylan and Denise


Oh that would be fab. I have yet to been as far as Dosolo..only to pompenesco...would love to meet up!! We are still working on getting our SIM cards to work here so still using UK mobiles but can reach me on FB (if you use it) pretty much 24hrs a day

https://www.facebook.com/remyholic


----------



## deeelaan

jessabella said:


> Oh that would be fab. I have yet to been as far as Dosolo..only to pompenesco...would love to meet up!! We are still working on getting our SIM cards to work here so still using UK mobiles but can reach me on FB (if you use it) pretty much 24hrs a day
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/remyholic


Hi Jessabella,

So you have seen lovely pompenesco eh, we only live about 4km past there, villastrada to be exact, the sim card thing can be difficult, you sort of need your codice fiscale bla bla.
How is your italian?? if you are stuck with anything give us a shout. It turns out that we will be in viadana probably sunday to use the launderette in the centro commerciale as the washing machine died on us today!! typical!
I will leave you my number, give us a text or a call as I do not do facebook, Might see you then.
Dylan and Denise:
3495641595 (mobile)
0375 899100 (landline)


----------



## jessabella

deeelaan said:


> Hi Jessabella,
> 
> So you have seen lovely pompenesco eh, we only live about 4km past there, villastrada to be exact, the sim card thing can be difficult, you sort of need your codice fiscale bla bla.
> How is your italian?? if you are stuck with anything give us a shout. It turns out that we will be in viadana probably sunday to use the launderette in the centro commerciale as the washing machine died on us today!! typical!
> I will leave you my number, give us a text or a call as I do not do facebook, Might see you then.
> Dylan and Denise:
> 3495641595 (mobile)
> 0375 899100 (landline)



Aww okay will send you a text if we are not in Milano at church. We have sim cards for our phone and we already havev codice fiscale..thats not the problem..the problem is that our iphones are still locked in Uk..because they are umm..useless..hahahaha still trying to get them unlocked even though our contracts are up..but our phones are still working at the moment as of today..so who know...for some reason they are not unlocking them yet still charging us for a phone here ...we were under the impression that they were unlocked and have already bought our two Italian sim cards..

As for my Italian..its terrible!


----------



## thelexieness

*late reply*



jessabella said:


> Anyone still in this area. We have just moved to Viadana with a 2 year old..and closest friends are in Reggio Emilia ..so needless to say in need of some local friendships as we are home all day doing not much!



Hi Jess, i know this a completely late reply, but I'm wondering if you're still here in viadana? I just got here on Friday and I don't really know anyone. Would love to meet you if you were still living here


----------

