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The Lake Como Trilogy #1
An Italian Home - Settling by Lake Como
Artist Paul Wright and his partner, Nicola had had enough of Britain the 1990s recession and took themselves off to Italy - except that they had no work there and Paul could not speak a word of Italian! That didn't stop them diving head first into the life of their adopted medieval village, on the shores of Lake Como. They soon found work; Paul as a mural painter and Nicola in an office in Milan, Paul was recruited by the local football team and they both took part in the fabulous summer and Christmas festivals and the mangialonge - the 'long eats' where groups of locals drive off into the country to feast on the best local food and wines, all day. They gain a new neighbour, George Clooney, who gained great popularity amongst the locals, and they lose an older, very near neighbour, fashion designer Gianni Versace who brought back to rest in his native Moltrasio after he was gunned down in the USA. Paul's dry sense of humour and artistic observation brings the inhabitants of the Lake Como to life, and he is guaranteed to make your mouth water with his wonderful descriptions of the local food
275 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2011
97 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Paul Wright
71 books9 followersPaul Wright is a professional artist and author. He has three books currently on sale under the Italian Trilogy’ heading. The first book in the trilogy is An Italian Home ISBN: 9781 9805 22645 the sequel is An Italian Village ISBN: 9781 9805 66465 and the third book is Cats Do Eat Spaghetti ISBN: 9781 5218 03134
From the age of fifteen, he attended Southport Art College on Merseyside. After painting beat-clubs in Liverpool during the Beatle-era, he became a scenic artist at the Liverpool Playhouse Theatre. He later became the assistant set designer. From the experience gained at the Playhouse, for a further sixteen years he worked in theatres throughout England including London West-End theatres He then had a spell working for BBC TV as a set designer with the ‘Dr. Who’ team. From there he progressed into films and TV advertising.
In his youth, Paul was a semi-professional footballer on Merseyside before moving to play for Cheltenham Town.
After the theatre, TV and film world Paul started his own studio in the county of Surrey where he specialised in hand painted interiors for palaces, villas, hotels, offices, night clubs and the private homes of some of the world’s wealthiest and famous celebrities, including royalty.
In the 1991, Paul moved his studio to northern Italy. Specifically to the shores of Lake Como from where he continues to paint interiors for private clients and watercolour landscapes of Lake Como and the local villages.
info@wrightart.com
From the age of fifteen, he attended Southport Art College on Merseyside. After painting beat-clubs in Liverpool during the Beatle-era, he became a scenic artist at the Liverpool Playhouse Theatre. He later became the assistant set designer. From the experience gained at the Playhouse, for a further sixteen years he worked in theatres throughout England including London West-End theatres He then had a spell working for BBC TV as a set designer with the ‘Dr. Who’ team. From there he progressed into films and TV advertising.
In his youth, Paul was a semi-professional footballer on Merseyside before moving to play for Cheltenham Town.
After the theatre, TV and film world Paul started his own studio in the county of Surrey where he specialised in hand painted interiors for palaces, villas, hotels, offices, night clubs and the private homes of some of the world’s wealthiest and famous celebrities, including royalty.
In the 1991, Paul moved his studio to northern Italy. Specifically to the shores of Lake Como from where he continues to paint interiors for private clients and watercolour landscapes of Lake Como and the local villages.
info@wrightart.com
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 5, 2012
It seems an age ago now that my wife and I holidayed in Argegno, a friendly and colourful village on the shores of Lake Como. A little over a year, as it happens. I wrote a blog post about the holiday, full of glowing praise for the scenery, the serene and stress-free days on the lake and the people – most notably the wonderful staff at the Hotel Argegno where we often dined and our brilliant and thoroughly entertaining host, Paul Wright, at whose B&B we stayed.
Unfortunately, my netbook went and died and took – amongst other things – that blog post with it. Luckily then, along comes this opportunity to revisit those memories and in the company of a terrific storyteller.
Of course, in staying with artist and author, Paul, we were spoilt, treated to huge helpings of local tales, at least as colourful as the setting, all washed down with plenty of dry wit wine.
In Paul’s book, An Italian Home, the authorial voice is, inevitably, an edited version of the man himself and that’s a shame, but to be fair it’s a bit like that common niggle we all make, that we perhaps enjoyed a movie but it wasn’t as good as the book. At the end of the day, if you haven’t read the book, then that’s not going to be a factor and besides they’re two distinct art forms, aren’t they, so they’re bound to be different.
So while there are some stories and turns of phrase that didn’t make it into print, Paul still writes an engaging account of his and his wife’s uprooting and relocating to in Italy. The small, friendly village of Moltrasio – rather than Argegno, where they now live – provides the main focus for the story, as Paul and Nicola do battle with the horrors of Italian bureaucracy, come up against unexpected cultural differences and struggle with the language barrier in their quest to hold on to their dream of a new life.
To be fair, it’s mostly Paul who has the struggles with Italian and he’s refreshingly blunt and honest when it comes to admitting his reticence and stubbornness as a language student. There’s none of the illusory effects of Paul’s trompe l’oeil paintings; he tells it like it is and while the world of Lago di Como is, take it from me, paradise – albeit with too much traffic – he gives a very clear picture of the daunting aspects of their adventure, right alongside all the warmth and enchantment that made the two so determined to overcome those hurdles.
The book breezes from chapter to chapter – interest only flagging (for me and my wife) when it explores some of the idiosyncrasies of Italian football, but that’s just our personal anti-football bias and it’s true to say that Paul’s own passion for the sport clearly shines through in the writing. And among the comic episodes (that we had the pleasure of hearing live) that did make it into print are the story of Paul and Nicola’s encounter with the local police chief, Signor Pompino, and poor Nicola’s faux pas (or whatever Italian for faux pas might be) when waxing freely about sticky fig juice in among some of her and Paul’s Italian friends. You will likely feel her embarrassment while laughing at the same time.
Although by no means a tourist’s guidebook, well worth a read, even if you’re only planning a holiday in the region. Guidebooks give you facts, while stories like this give you flavour. And if you’re entertaining similar dreams of relocation, well, you’d do well to read about Paul’s and Nicola’s shared dream, entertainingly told.
Dreams may not always come true, but with a measure of courage, determination and hard work, you can make them.
Unfortunately, my netbook went and died and took – amongst other things – that blog post with it. Luckily then, along comes this opportunity to revisit those memories and in the company of a terrific storyteller.
Of course, in staying with artist and author, Paul, we were spoilt, treated to huge helpings of local tales, at least as colourful as the setting, all washed down with plenty of dry wit wine.
In Paul’s book, An Italian Home, the authorial voice is, inevitably, an edited version of the man himself and that’s a shame, but to be fair it’s a bit like that common niggle we all make, that we perhaps enjoyed a movie but it wasn’t as good as the book. At the end of the day, if you haven’t read the book, then that’s not going to be a factor and besides they’re two distinct art forms, aren’t they, so they’re bound to be different.
So while there are some stories and turns of phrase that didn’t make it into print, Paul still writes an engaging account of his and his wife’s uprooting and relocating to in Italy. The small, friendly village of Moltrasio – rather than Argegno, where they now live – provides the main focus for the story, as Paul and Nicola do battle with the horrors of Italian bureaucracy, come up against unexpected cultural differences and struggle with the language barrier in their quest to hold on to their dream of a new life.
To be fair, it’s mostly Paul who has the struggles with Italian and he’s refreshingly blunt and honest when it comes to admitting his reticence and stubbornness as a language student. There’s none of the illusory effects of Paul’s trompe l’oeil paintings; he tells it like it is and while the world of Lago di Como is, take it from me, paradise – albeit with too much traffic – he gives a very clear picture of the daunting aspects of their adventure, right alongside all the warmth and enchantment that made the two so determined to overcome those hurdles.
The book breezes from chapter to chapter – interest only flagging (for me and my wife) when it explores some of the idiosyncrasies of Italian football, but that’s just our personal anti-football bias and it’s true to say that Paul’s own passion for the sport clearly shines through in the writing. And among the comic episodes (that we had the pleasure of hearing live) that did make it into print are the story of Paul and Nicola’s encounter with the local police chief, Signor Pompino, and poor Nicola’s faux pas (or whatever Italian for faux pas might be) when waxing freely about sticky fig juice in among some of her and Paul’s Italian friends. You will likely feel her embarrassment while laughing at the same time.
Although by no means a tourist’s guidebook, well worth a read, even if you’re only planning a holiday in the region. Guidebooks give you facts, while stories like this give you flavour. And if you’re entertaining similar dreams of relocation, well, you’d do well to read about Paul’s and Nicola’s shared dream, entertainingly told.
Dreams may not always come true, but with a measure of courage, determination and hard work, you can make them.
August 2, 2018
I read this book whilst holidaying at Lake Como. We stayed in the next village from Moltrasio, where the majority of the tales are based. It was fascinating to read and view at the same time!
September 14, 2025
Oh for a proof reader!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.Although yet another of the "How we sold everything and went to live in..." books that im so fond of, it is interestingly written and very good at describing the life of the Aughor and his wife when they upped sticks and went to live in Italy.
My only beef has been the number of misuses of words, rogue apostrophes, repetitions, etc. If only a proof had gone through it. Never mind, despite it all, it is a good read.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.Although yet another of the "How we sold everything and went to live in..." books that im so fond of, it is interestingly written and very good at describing the life of the Aughor and his wife when they upped sticks and went to live in Italy.
My only beef has been the number of misuses of words, rogue apostrophes, repetitions, etc. If only a proof had gone through it. Never mind, despite it all, it is a good read.
December 4, 2018
I'm looking for insight into how my Italian relatives lived in their Piedmont village before they immigrated to America in the early 1880s. There's not a lot written about it that I've been able to find, but this one is interesting in the glimpse it gives into northern Italian village life in the present, George Clooney and all.
September 24, 2023
I read most of it, but started skipping ahead towards the end & didn’t finish. While he did describe the settings pretty well & had some interesting & amusing anecdotes, the writing wasn’t amazing. I’ll stick with ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’.
March 18, 2020
I enjoyed this book. I believe that has something to do with the fact that my relatives are from Northern Italy!
English artist Paul Wright and his wife Nicola are looking to spend their retirement in another European country. They believe they will first try Spain. But a friend has a house in Northern Italy that is free to use so they decide to give Italy a try. They settle into the house in Moltrasio, which sits on the shores of beautiful Lake Como.
Nicola can speak Italian - she was once a nanny in Italy when she was younger. Paul does not know a lick of Italian and he definitely has a tough time learning it.
Nicola knows that the citizen of Moltraiso are very tight-knit and will treat the couple as outsiders unless they get to know people. They frequent the local bars and join committees that participate in the many town festivals.
Paul describes the inefficient bureaucracy in Italy - of how difficult it is just to register a car!
All in all, it sounds like a beautiful place to live!
English artist Paul Wright and his wife Nicola are looking to spend their retirement in another European country. They believe they will first try Spain. But a friend has a house in Northern Italy that is free to use so they decide to give Italy a try. They settle into the house in Moltrasio, which sits on the shores of beautiful Lake Como.
Nicola can speak Italian - she was once a nanny in Italy when she was younger. Paul does not know a lick of Italian and he definitely has a tough time learning it.
Nicola knows that the citizen of Moltraiso are very tight-knit and will treat the couple as outsiders unless they get to know people. They frequent the local bars and join committees that participate in the many town festivals.
Paul describes the inefficient bureaucracy in Italy - of how difficult it is just to register a car!
All in all, it sounds like a beautiful place to live!
August 6, 2015
Culture enlightening
Being Italian descendant had leaved in UK for a few years helped me understand the subtle underlines of this story.
I was quite surprised with all the details given and with how much the Italian culture was kept in my home country although it's not Italy.
Fun and difficult to put down.
Being Italian descendant had leaved in UK for a few years helped me understand the subtle underlines of this story.
I was quite surprised with all the details given and with how much the Italian culture was kept in my home country although it's not Italy.
Fun and difficult to put down.
February 25, 2017
Beautifully written
If you were ever interested in moving to Italy, this is the perfect book. It gives you insight on the does and don'ts which are hidden in the heartwarming story of a young English couple who pull up sticks and move to the Lake Como area. It's fun, interesting, has great characters, and shows us a lot about a culture whose roots go back hundreds of years.
If you were ever interested in moving to Italy, this is the perfect book. It gives you insight on the does and don'ts which are hidden in the heartwarming story of a young English couple who pull up sticks and move to the Lake Como area. It's fun, interesting, has great characters, and shows us a lot about a culture whose roots go back hundreds of years.
February 13, 2020
I didn't 'love' this memoir but I liked it. I was torn between 3 & 4 stars. Moving to and making your life in a village in Northern Italy, Lake Como - sounds pretty idyllic - but, its not always easy moving to a different country. An enjoyable read. The author introduces us to the landscape, the people, the joys and the pitfalls. A good 'holiday' read.
June 23, 2013
It is always fun to read about people that move to new areas and adventures. It was nice to google earth to see the towns. Lake Como is a beautiful area. Italian people are happy and helpful. My family is from the Lake Como area so reading this book was even better
May 5, 2020
Am enjoying these books of traveling and living in a foreign country as I am currently confined to my home during this coronavirus pandemic. I began years ago commuting to work listening to Peter Mayle. Like this book a lot. Not quite as amusing though. But informative.
August 27, 2013
Liked it as I am Italian and liked to read how people there live. My mother was born and raised in Lucca and she often shared stories of her life there. It took me home
August 17, 2018
3.5 stars
September 15, 2020
Descriptions
Loved the descriptions of the local settings. Could feel what was really there.
And maybe hear the accent used by the Locals.
Loved the descriptions of the local settings. Could feel what was really there.
And maybe hear the accent used by the Locals.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews