I’m Lara Barusso, a BA Computer Animation Art & Design student from Italy. Surprisingly, there are many Italians in Bournemouth; I’ve even found them in my same course, and in the years above me. I have met lots of Italians outside of class and outside of uni, although most of them came here to study, but there are also people who moved here for work. Due to this, I don’t feel as alone as I thought I would. Let’s start with some advice on how to keep up your Italian traditions, and an idea of what sort of differences you should expect.

Food

Probably one of the most important things for an Italian person is food! Well, I can safely say that I easily found everything I needed to cook my favorite Italian meals while I was in Bournemouth. I even did some pizza nights with my friends, where I made pizza from scratch and it turned out pretty well, almost as if it was made in Italy. For pasta, you can find good Italian brands for pasta and for sauces, or you can easily make them yourself; it’s easy to find the right ingredients, and UK shops even sell tortellini and gnocchi if you fancy them. So, don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of choice. Unless you are from Friuli, in which case you might want to take some Frico cheese and a good Salame with you! There are also lots and lots of Italian restaurants in Bournemouth that are very good.

Weather

The weather here is good (for an English town!) It’s nice, and you can have some great sunny days, but it can be a little unpredictable. It can also be really windy, and I rarely see this much wind in Italy, so be sure to take a jacket with you as it can be really strong sometimes. It’s also colder than Italy during the Spring and Summer, and generally less humid, but Autumn and Winter are normally warmer than in Northern Italy, with less snow but more rain.

Medicines

The only downside that I have found here is that I have struggled to get some medications that I am used to from Italy. If you often need antibiotics or a particular medicine, the best thing to do is to buy them in advance back home and carry them with you in case you need them. I’ve found that it’s not particularly easy to get certain medication sometimes, even with a doctor. However, don’t worry if you need to go and see a doctor, as the register works similarly to Italy’s systems.