RuMR Posted May 20, 2008 Posted May 20, 2008 (edited) So...what's the ex-pat scene like at these places? Decent community??? Inquiring minds want to know... Edited May 20, 2008 by RuMR Quote
sobo Posted May 20, 2008 Posted May 20, 2008 Haven't been to Chamo, but we stayed a week in VDA about 9 or 10 years ago on the engagement trip. Very nice valley, quite picturesque, lots of climbing year round, and you're only an hour's bus ride from Courmayeur and the cable car over to Chamo. Personally, I'd stick to the WOP side because I like northern Italian food better than what the Froggies eat. Either side is gonna be spendy. What else you wanna know? Quote
Hugh Conway Posted May 20, 2008 Posted May 20, 2008 cable car is closed in winter to get to Chamonix Chamonix = big tourist seen with the French greatly outnumbered by expatriot climbers Aostatal = quieter lower key, more polluted If you are looking to stay for a bit it's easier to rent properties/register a car in France than in Italy Quote
RuMR Posted May 20, 2008 Author Posted May 20, 2008 I've been to both as a "tourist climber", but not to live there for an extended period... Quote
sobo Posted May 20, 2008 Posted May 20, 2008 Is this to where you've narrowed your search for your sabbatical? Quote
RuMR Posted May 20, 2008 Author Posted May 20, 2008 well...europe anyway...now i'm researching how much i'm gonna fuck my kids up by pulling them out of school for one academic year and homeschooling them while they ski/climb their asses off 5-6 days a week... Quote
RuMR Posted May 20, 2008 Author Posted May 20, 2008 i have slightly over 1 1/2 calender years to go... "Its all part of the plan" [insert maniacal laughter] Quote
sobo Posted May 20, 2008 Posted May 20, 2008 well...europe anyway...now i'm researching how much i'm gonna fuck my kids up by pulling them out of school for one academic year and homeschooling them while they ski/climb their asses off 5-6 days a week... Not one goddamned bit. My folks did it to us for a 4-year stint in Italy when I was 9. And for another 1-year stint when I was 15. Didn't hurt any of us one goddamned bit. Do iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit! Quote
RuMR Posted May 20, 2008 Author Posted May 20, 2008 well...europe anyway...now i'm researching how much i'm gonna fuck my kids up by pulling them out of school for one academic year and homeschooling them while they ski/climb their asses off 5-6 days a week... Not one goddamned bit. My folks did it to us for a 4-year stint in Italy when I was 9. Didn't hurt any of us one goddamned bit. Do iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit! you don't need to convince me...rather, the "boss" (that would be she who wears the "pants") needs "convincing"... what brought you to Italy? Quote
RuMR Posted May 20, 2008 Author Posted May 20, 2008 Them's going to be some lucky kids yep...the laugher is that they already have some mad skills...this will only drive the nails in... Quote
sobo Posted May 20, 2008 Posted May 20, 2008 what brought you to Italy? Dad was a civilian in the Corps of Engineers, working in the Middle East for several years in the mid-to-late 60s. Came back home and the Corps wanted him to go back. Mom said "no way, you take me with you." Dad said "no way, they'll stone you for not wearing saris and veils." Dad goes back to the Powers That Be at the Corps, and explains the situation. He's given five alternatives: 1. Go back to Saudi alone and fuck your family, 2. Stay in Walla Walla and watch your career take a dive, 3. Go to Tennesse and play with the Corps on their TVA shit, 4. Go to Chicago and do some Corps shit in that shithole, 5. Go to Pisa for 4 years. A no-brainer, wouldn't you say? Quote
Hugh Conway Posted May 20, 2008 Posted May 20, 2008 I've been to both as a "tourist climber", but not to live there for an extended period... well, well, mr smarty pants! in researching expat places to bum France looked to be the easiest to do so legally. Quote
rmncwrtr Posted May 20, 2008 Posted May 20, 2008 well...europe anyway...now i'm researching how much i'm gonna fuck my kids up by pulling them out of school for one academic year and homeschooling them while they ski/climb their asses off 5-6 days a week... I'll be your test case as to how much it'll mess up kids, Rudy, since I'm doing that to my three this coming schoolyear. Though more emphasis on the skiing since I only know how to top rope. Quote
Off_White Posted May 20, 2008 Posted May 20, 2008 Kalymnos, Greece looks pretty swell too... of course, there's no skiing there. Quote
swissman Posted May 21, 2008 Posted May 21, 2008 RuMR, don't think you'll mess up the kids much with a year of home schooling. Check out that book, "A Year Off", should be comforting you in taking your sabbatical. One Year Off: Leaving It All Behind for a Round-the-World Journey with Our Children by David Elliot Cohen (http://www.amazon.com/One-Year-Off-Round- World/dp/1885211651/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211379303&sr=8-1) Chamonix's a fun place. Cheaper to live on the italian side though. Olivier Quote
crackers Posted May 21, 2008 Posted May 21, 2008 Some thoughts. France is easier to set up residency for a year than italy. Supposedly, it should be the same, but it's not. Even though the french bureaucrats go on strike all the time, it's still easier there than in italy. That's according to 3 or 4 guys I know who're over there for work in the past four years. Kalymnos is frigging hot in summer and cold and rainy in winter. I'd say that was a horrible idea. Have you considered Slovenia? Ljubljana is a fantastic little city, and the country has amazing climbing and some decent skiing. Not cham type skiing, but not bad. Your kids will be eternally grateful to you for providing them this opportunity to become fluent in another language thus getting higher paid jobs and to learn another culture as well. Tell your wife it's for their education that your family is doing this... Quote
mvs Posted May 22, 2008 Posted May 22, 2008 Munich has it all, good schools, skiing, climbing. It is usually ignored though, not sure why. Germans are no fun I guess. Quote
sobo Posted May 22, 2008 Posted May 22, 2008 Munich has it all... Germans are no fun I guess. Might be that Dachau thing... took all the fun out of being ein Munchener. Quote
Off_White Posted May 22, 2008 Posted May 22, 2008 "Ich bein ein Berliner" -JFK photo of three Berliners "I am a jelly donut" Quote
sobo Posted May 22, 2008 Posted May 22, 2008 I just knew someone would come back with that line... Ich bin ein Berliner... Quote
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