So you're thinking of moving to Sicily.....

[@pasqualedimariano2759]

I'm from Palermo but I spent the last 23 years of my life between France and Finland. It's interesting to hear what foreigners think about living there. I personally wouldn't recommend it to anyone because nothing seems to work (unless if you come from an even worse place). There's a lot of interesting things to see in the city centre and awesome food but it's an unbelievable mess and crime has been on a steep rise in the last 15 years or so.

[@johngalbo1276]

Ms. Britney your commentary is refreshing. With 35 cousins in Palermo, my visits are frequent. You touched on the bureaucracy; medical treatment is quite dysfunctional. One doctor on duty, with 100 people in waiting room. The lack of an adequate health servi e is the single reason, I would not live here. The food and Sicilians are unique. As an anthropologist-sociologist, the sense of community here is quite strong and unique. You mentioned double parking; it is by design. The locals look out for each other. Creative parking is a necessity where cars vastly outnumber parking spaces. Like your sharing the positive attributes and critiques. The lack of any sense of environmental concern is disheartening. Smoking is pervasive and the land serves as the ashtray! Still, it's my favorite.

[@MsBritaly]

Thank you for sharing your insights!

[@jamesmillard6483]

Great video. Totally agree with all you said. As a Brit. living in a large town in Basilicata. The rubbish on the roads here is unbelievable. It still gets me after 30 years living here !!

[@MsBritaly]

Yes, it's so sad to see. Thank you!

[@claud1834]

Such an articulate and respectful woman. Sicily is lucky to have you as a sensitive resident. Thank you for the realistic views of the island.

[@MsBritaly]

Thank you too!

[@Marenqo]

Palermo is clean compared to Napoli. Tbf, i love Palermo, not despite but because of the reasons you cite as cons. I love the chaos, the proximity to Africa, the Cosmopolitan past etc. I was surprised and disappointed how things have 'improved' over the years. The only thing i started to dislike is the rise of tourism. Have been going 25 years, lived in Rome.

[@andrewdiprose]

Roma is worse than Sicily. Maybe Palermo is worse than the rest of Sicily but Rome is one of the worst capitals in Europe to live in.

[@MsBritaly]

Thanks for sharing your insights!

[@andreeanecula5293]

Santa Marinella, Sperlonga, Nettuno(beaches around Rome).

[@donalwalshe6825]

Thanks for your informative video ,I be spending Xmas there and into new year , so I beware of certain areas to stay or avoid ..

[@valentinaargiolas1596]

Mi hai giusto ricordato il trauma della mia ultima visita in Sicilia! un uomo il cui cane ha fatto una cacca gigantesca sul bagnasciuga e ha deciso intelligentemente di coprirla con la sabbia!

[@Ohioboiquan]

I was just there last October, and couldn’t figure out for the life of me, why fireworks was going off every night lol. But I loved it there and definitely plan to come back very soon I still wanna visit the miles Davis jazz club, im a jazz head lol

[@MsBritaly]

Ah nice! Yes, the fireworks drive me crazy!

[@jamesoliver6606]

Thank You M B -for your very insightful comments and truths. Sad to hear of trash concerns and The paralyzed bureaucracy , that does hamper so Much of a lot of Italy. Pro's were very spot on - Hoping to out weigh the Negatives. Great Video WELL DONE !!

[@MsBritaly]

Thank you!

[@sonyaarcidiacono746]

Bravo, this needed to be said. We have just had a week in palermo and firstly i loved the vibe in palermo and will certainly be back. The three things that i did find really disappointing are things that could easily be changed. The amount of dog poo on the streets that the owners can not be bothered to pick up, shop owners that just throw litter or other rubbish from their shop straight onto the footpath and dont sweep it up into a pile and bag it and graffitti not cleaned off in the city centre. Surely its time to take a bit more pride in the city. It has so many beautiful buildings, that need to be cleaned up. I also hear so many excuses about why its so dirty, nothing can be done etc etc, yet if the everyday citizen was fined on the spot for not picking up the dog poo or for throwing trash from the car or the store onto the footpath, it would be a start. The fines could be used to employ people to clean the buildings and to clean the streets. Oh and by the way yes give these vandals that destroy buildings or grafitti a whipping when caught. I would be the first to volunteer with the whip if no-one else had the balls to do it. There are so many ways to let the beauty of Palermo shine through but it is so achievable one small step at a time

[@MsBritaly]

Thank you for sharing your insights!

[@lmusima3275]

Ciao 👋 the part about bad driving and parking 🅿️ I noticed this is in Rome and Naples when I came in March this year, I hated crossing the road. Sicilian food 🥘 is super delicious

[@MsBritaly]

Yes, it can happen in other cities for sure.

[@Joseph0457]

Great video (: Is there a coalition of expats in Sicily or Palermo that push for systemic change? Platforms such as yours can be an impressive/powerful accountability tool especially when you start calling out specific departments. I only ask because I'm looking to moving to southern Sicily and would definitely take part in something of this nature. Cheers

[@MsBritaly]

There are expat groups here but pushing for change - I’m not sure. Mainly the groups are for social purposes rather than anything else. Online groups tend to be more forceful for change.

[@devona6969]

I have been following you for a while now,, it's great with what you're doing you are living my dream. My grandmother and father are from Mezzo juso Palermo Sicily one day I would love to make it to the motherland I love your videos they are educational and inspirational thank you so much Palermo Sicily

[@MsBritaly]

Thank you!

[@MORCOPOLO0817]

I was in Sicily in 1972. More than 50 years ago. Is the language difference still great between Sicilian Italian and Italian from other parts of Italy? I know in modern times that has changed a little because of mass communication.

[@andrewdiprose]

In Sicilia now they speak dialect amongst themselves but comunicate competently in Italian.

[@andreadimatteo1036]

Sicily is in Italy and everybody can speak italian very well. The regional dialect is spoken at home, with friends or relatives. The italian language is exactly the same in all Italy, apart the regional accent. So there is no difference in language.

[@MsBritaly]

There are local dialects here that people still use.

[@andreeanecula5293]

They have beaches 1 hour away from Rome, 1 hour away from Firenze.... MAYBE MORE....

[@MsBritaly]

Yes, but they aren't Sicilian beaches 😉

[@SamtheStoic87]

Regarding the poo of the dogs, in Scotland scottish people leave poo wrapped in plastic.... Which in my opinion is even worst... I still don't know why they do that

[@MsBritaly]

Beats me!

[@LuneFlaneuse]

How are other parts of southern Italy in comparison? Calabria, for example? Just curious…

[@MsBritaly]

I've not explored Calabria yet so I can't say but certainly if we compare where I used to live - Salerno - there's a stark difference.

[@SamtheStoic87]

I thought was Stansted exactly the best one to go to Italy, I use that one

[@MsBritaly]

For me London Gatwick is simpler because it is closer to Central London and where I need to go.

[@houseofroos]

The bureaucratic issues and lack of civic pride, are they much better in Salerno or Sorrento for example? Is Palermo particularly worse than similar income places elsewhere in south Italy? Thanks, great vid. You’re obviously a sharp and practical person.

[@andrewdiprose]

If you listen to the video she reckons things are better in Salerno.

[@MsBritaly]

Palermo feels like a city unlike any other. I would say though that Naples is another city that for me had similar vibes. Salerno is very different as is Sorrento.

[@vassallo49]

Ti do ragione...

[@MsBritaly]

Grazie

[@AR-di8pf]

I've been all across the country, and I can assure that Palermo is single worst place to live in Italy. I don't even know why you're there, as a Londoner. We in the North tried for decades to fix the South, but the problem is the mentality as you say. "the Sicilians never want to improve for the simple reason that they think themselves perfect; their vanity is stronger than their misery; every invasion by outsiders, whether so by origin or, if Sicilian, by independence of spirit, upsets their illusion of achieved perfection, risks disturbing their satisfied waiting for nothing; having been trampled on by a dozen different peoples, they think they have an imperial past which gives them a right to a grand funeral." - Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, The Leopard

[@MsBritaly]

Those words ring so true. Although it is far from perfect here, there is a warmth and spirit that runs through all of the many problems.

[@patriciasandler3964]

If you think Palermo is filthy, look at Catania outside the centro storico.

[@andrewdiprose]

But the province of Catania is a lot better. And some comuni in the province of Catania are great.

[@MsBritaly]

Oh dear!

[@kst7347]

You should insert pictures of the things your talking about. Your videos would be stronger. 🙂

[@MsBritaly]

Thanks for the tip!

[@irenemacginley6022]

With all you've rhymed off, the sea certainly wouldn't keep me there. I'm in the north and beaucracy is a bit slow here, too....I see you now have adverts interrupting your videos, is your channel monetised.....?

[@alos66]

Sicilians and people from Palermo have a high standard about food but a very low standard about the quality of life when it comes to citizen services such as hospitals, sports facilities, equipped parking lots city cleaning etc etc. Last but not least the majority has no civic sense and respect for others, just look at how "kind" and generous they are when they drive, they seem to be at war with each other!! They do nothing but blame others for their problems such as the institutions of the city and in part only in part it is true but in the end they want the governance of the city to improve but they never think that everything starts from changing themselves. There is no hope they will change that in my opinion.

[@andrewdiprose]

Hospitals in the province of Catania are great maybe they are not so good in Palermo.

[@Pivvip57]

I live in Terrasini. Less than an hour bus ride from you. Come on over for a morning/afternoon. I'll give you a tour of my lovely town and 2 beautiful beaches. I just was there last week. To the puppet museum. It was incredible. 😊

[@MsBritaly]

Thank you for the invite! I've been to Terrasini before - it is nice!

[@MORCOPOLO0817]

Do you have air-conditioning there? As an American, I cannot do without air-conditioning.

[@andrewdiprose]

It's your own choice, if you pay you get it as Palermo is hot.

[@dianamartin9558]

A lot of the air b and b have air con. If you buy a place , you can always have a mini split installed.

[@sonyaarcidiacono746]

You do get airconditioning in many accommodation options

[@MsBritaly]

Yes, in most places.

[@SamtheStoic87]

Nobody will disagree with u about burocracy, regarding the rubbish I'm having a bad experience in Scotland, Kirkcaldy, that I've never seen in Italy. But I'm not Sicilian, and I know Sicily is the worst in Italy in regard to that topic

[@MsBritaly]

It's such a shame that these basics can't be sorted out.

[@Kabirio93]

I'm from near Agrigento. I also lived in Palermo and left Sicily 9 years ago. You are brave to move In Sicily, especially as you come from "wealthier" country like UK (everything is totally much more wealthier than Sicily.) My pros of Sicily: 1) Amazing food. High quality food. 2) Good weather. Stop LOOOL Cons: 1) Horrible job market (I wonder how you afford to live in Palermo. I guess you are an English teacher?) 2) Horrible salaries. 3) Dangerous (I don't think Palermo is safe at night, especially for a woman and in certain areas). 4) Sicilian mentality (trash everywhere, very few international opportunities, chauvinism, creepy obsession for food almost like religion). Fun fact: Sicilian people do not speak English at all but they love foreigners more than Sicilian people itself LOL. 5) Dirty. I would never recommend to move in Sicily unless you are retired. Even as retired I would question this choice as I do think quality of life is one of the worst in Europe.

[@MsBritaly]

Thank you for sharing your insights!

[@Kabirio93]

@@MsBritaly your answer sounds like McDonalds personnel. When I do order a cheeseburger people are also polite and fake like this LOL. Enjoy Sicilia ahha

[@MsBritaly]

@@Kabirio93 It's actually British politeness but take it as you will. 🤣 I physically cannot answer every comment with immense detail as it is me, myself and I with very little time however I prefer to answer every comment rather than ignore people who have taken the time to leave a comment.

[@MIEJ4]

Didn’t have you down as falling for the ridiculous “The UK is falling apart due to Labour” scaremongering 😢

[@MsBritaly]

I'm not normally down for that either but unfortunately some of their decisions are going to impact vulnerable, elderly people and I don't agree with that.

[@Caleidus]

Absolutely right about the low civic sense in Palermo (and other parts of Italy) but as partial justification of Palermo's dirtiness we should also see how the waste management (public) companies work. In some parts of Italy they don't work at all. People that are supposed to sweep the streets work instead in cozy offices, others get advantage of generous legal frameworks inspired by the unions to avoid heavy tasks or stay at home, top management is either not fit to the task or worthless. London is marvelous as well as the civic sense of its inhabitants but at every corner you bump into a street sweeper in a candid uniform where you can read the name of the company he is working for: VEOLIA. a private waste management company where there is no room for disorganization or job dodgers. I am not a big fan of privatization but this is the only alternative when strategic public provided services fail pathetically over the years.

[@mariamj6668]

I'm married to an Italian and every time we visit I've noticed an increase in racism (northern Italy). Would you say there is much racism in the south? Really enjoy your content btw.

[@andrewdiprose]

Racism is more on the mainland of Italy than in Sicily. In Lazio it is much worse.

[@NaturaBreeze]

there are fewer non-Italians in the South generally.....

[@andreadimatteo1036]

yes, there is much racism here. Every years thousands of millions of strangers are murdered in Italy. How possible you don't know?

[@MsBritaly]

Thank you. I can't say that I personally have noticed this but that's not to say that it doesn't exist.Smaller villages often equal smaller minds.

[@GH-zy2dh]

you have beautiful hands

[@MsBritaly]

Ah thanks!

[@lorenzom7237]

E' innamorata...

[@BriggitaS-d4z]

As a local I understand your complaints but in the end this is Sicily. It's not right. It's not wrong. It just is what it is. It's been thousands of years, people from everywhere in the world have come and gone. The Sicilians are still there. Point is, better not judge another culture to the standards of your own. I'll never be able to live in the UK or Germany, because it's just culturally too far from what I'm used to. Now who's there to tell me that I'm wrong. And I can assure you, Sicily today is infinitely better to live in than 40 years ago. So it's certainly not like nobody's doing anything, although I can agree that change here is slow compared to other places.

[@MsBritaly]

I agree that Sicily is this. Change is slow but to live here means accepting what is.

[@angelodichiara7909]

L'Italia ha un SERIO bisogno di essere ridotta, da Stato satellite degli Stati Uniti, a dipendenza svizzera (o giapponese) completa e diretta.