Thank you in advance for taking time to read my forum question and consider your reply. After spending brief time on mainland Italy four different years and growing quite weary of cold and snowy winters in the USA midwest, we have tentatively decided to begin spending the winter months in Italy. There are a multitude of reasons for choosing Italy over a traditionally hot beach climate such as Central America, etc., the foremost being we simply love Italy!! Qualities that are important to us include mild temps (I have Raynauds which results in great discomfort in extreme cold and hot temps), historical ambience, mid-size town, proximity to airport, walkability, out of the main mass of tourist crowds, cultural and intellectual stimulation, provisions such as fresh food markets and plenty of restaurants. Our careers are in the areas of engineering and professional music (vocal/theater/piano). In college I studied Italian and have continued using it regularly, though sadly almost exclusively for vocal performance and teaching vocalists which focuses on pronunciation/diction without application of grammar and vocabulary. We both have recently begun studying Italian with more commitment and vigor.
We have struggled to find a location on the mainland that provides warm enough temperatures to warrant such a big step. We have not identified the exact location, but our preliminary research has led us to Alghero. Warmer temps. Historical merit. Mid-sized town. Seaside. Many activities/merchants remain open through winter. On the mainland we are considering the lower elevation areas of Abruzzo; maybe Puglia.
WHAT OPTIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS ARE WE MISSING? Thank you!