Cindy Sheahan: IL Italy Correspondent

06/06/2026

Buona sera from the rooftop of the Torre di San Nicolò here in the Ballarò neighborhood of Palermo.

Panoramic views of the city await those willing to climb the many spiral stairs to the rooftop of this 13th century Gothic tower.

30/05/2026

I know we hear it all the time… It’s less expensive living abroad than in the US! But how about an example? 🧐

I have a favorite frutta 🍉 e verdura 🌽 stand that I go to every week. The guy who owns it helps me practice my Italian as I choose my stuff, and gently corrects me if I use the wrong article or the incorrect ending of the word. In Italian, the nouns have to be plural or singular and then feminine or masculine, and the article needs to match that! It’s always tricky for me to say the sentence correctly the first time but he is a sweetheart and helps me every time.

But I digress. Here is a picture of my haul for the day. I bought a large head of Romaine lettuce 🥬 , some of the best tomatoes I’ve ever tasted, beautiful juicy strawberries, Italian cherries 🍒 , a shiny red pepper, 6 or 7 of those amazing donut 🍩 peaches that are phenomenally fab, a couple ears of crunchy sweet corn 🌽, two tart Sicilian lemons 🍋 🍋 , a cucumber that actually tastes like something, a pound of green beans, and two red onions.

Total cost? €13/$15 USD for 5.7 kg/12.5 pounds of fresh and delicious produce.

I did a quick search of the prices for produce in Denver this week using the online sales flyers and came up with a estimated price of 25 USD for approximately the same fruits and vegetables as I purchased here.

That’s more than 35% higher than what it cost me here!

And although I was not purchasing organic here, I do know that anything that was used to help grow these fruits and vegetables here is less dangerous and more restricted than what is allowed in the states.

Thinking of living abroad? Do the math - you’ll be surprised! 💰

23/05/2026

Living in Italy allows me the opportunity to travel to places like Croatia, Tunisia and Switzerland on a short - and often inexpensive - flight.

I took advantage of this and popped over to Paris for a week to see some places I hadn't visited the first 2 times I was here.

The Paris Liberation Museum was a powerful and well-curated collection highlighting the Resistance effort to free Paris from thr N@zi occupation in WWII. I took the tour with the Virtual Reality guide - the video shows me signing documents and closing a notebook! Highly recommend this museum.

I've been spending the days wandering the lesser-visited neighborhoods and finding street art everywhere, exploring Montmarte (I'm a huge fan of Impressionism!!) and finally seeing Versailles.

And bonus!! My stay cost nothing! I'm using HomeExchange and stayed in a lovely apartment in the 12th Arrondissement (curious? Ask me how!)

13/05/2026

Last night, I walked 7 minutes to the movie theater near me, where I bought a ticket to see the new Michael Jackson movie for €7. Before the movie began, I bought a glass of Nero d’Avola wine 🍷 from the concession stand for €6.

For €13, I was able to see a first-run movie and have a lovely glass of quality wine. 🍷

I just checked the average price of a movie ticket in Denver and it is more than $16. And that, of course, does not include any adult beverage. 🍷 😘

When I left the movie theater at 11 o’clock at night, I happened upon a big celebration in front of the Opera House with dancing and costumes and music along with a vintage car show. After watching for 10 minutes or so, i went home, completely unafraid to walk down the street alone.

(And in case you’re wondering, I absolutely LOVED the movie!! Grew up listening to the Jackson 5, and had some of his albums like Off The Wall and Thriller)

This is life in Italy. 🇮🇹

10/05/2026

Just another day in paradise… ☕️ 🇮🇹

21/03/2026

06/02/2026

Wondering what the deal is on those €1 homes in Italy? 🤔 Does it sound too good to be true?

Here’s a recent article I wrote about the perils and pitfalls - and a way to avoid that potential money 💰 pit.

https://internationalliving.com/forget-italys-one-euro-houses/

#1€

Forget Italy’s €1 houses. In Palermo, real, livable homes start under $20,000, from fixers to move-in-ready city apartments.

27/01/2026

There’s no better way to spend a Sunday morning in Palermo than perusing the tables and booths at the weekly flea market in Piazza Marina.

From bags 👜 and belts to Barbies, baskets 🧺 and bell bottoms. Jackets, jewelry 💍, and a jumble of old postcards and photos. Linens to lamps, pottery 🏺 and plants 🪴. You’ll find it all here!

And if you’re not available on Sunday, check out the tiny shops of Mercato di Pulci on Via Papireto. Antiques, junk, watches, furniture, paintings, tea cups… the list goes on and on.

Yes, I bought the green coat.🤷🏻‍♀️And yes, my new daughter-in-law bought the plum colored fur-trimmed vintage leather jacket…and I picked up 2 matching coffee mugs as well! Total cost? €55. 😍

Always interesting, never dull. A wonderful way to spend a morning!

22/01/2026

There are 3 famous markets here in Palermo: Vucchiria, Ballarò, and Capo Mercado.

Filled with booths and tables selling fresh seafood, gorgeous deep purple artichokes, shiny sweet Sicilian lemons 🍋, juicy blood oranges, a multitude of exotic spices from afar, deep fried rice balls called arancina, fancy and delicious pastries, juices freshly squeezed to order, tomatoes of various shape and size, olives of every sort sold by the kilo, and restaurants serving lasagna, spaghetti cooked al dente with clams, crunchy calamari, and pane ca meusa, Palermo’s infamous street food, a sandwich of veal spleen - and lungs and other miscellaneous bits and bobs.

Walking through the sights and smells of these Sicilian markets is a joy to experience!

15/01/2026

For me, Sicily is about the colors.

There’s nothing muted or reserved about this place including the linens, the cafes, the buildings. Everything is cheerful, joyous, and beckons you to smile.