A deep dive with good friends Alejandro and Tatjana Dayan on leaving Ukraine, relocating to Florence with their youngest son, Rafael ~ and their beautiful Tuscan life that ensued! ✨

“After two decades of living around the world, the Dayan family arrived in Florence at a moment when they could finally choose where they wanted to put down roots.

From navigating Italian bureaucracy and buying a house, to learning the language and becoming part of the local community, they share what it really means to relocate to Florence and the challenges they are conquering.

Meet the Dayans; Tatjana (German) and Alejandro (Argentinian), on the threshold of their Tuscan house in Florence, Italy. Two of their three children have 'flown the nest' and the youngest currently attends school here in Florence.

Q. Tell me where this story of moving to Florence begins, geographically, but also personally.

"Our story starts with Ukraine. We were forced to leave because of the war, which was completely unplanned and unwanted.

We initially settled in Frankfurt because Tatjana is German, and has family and friends there. At first, we planned on it being a few weeks, but it turned into months, and eventually felt like forever. Though safe, we weren't feeling at home in Frankfurt anymore.

Forced to leave Ukraine for Frankfurt, but only as a stopgap.

“We had already lived in many countries and wanted to stay in Europe while experiencing something different.That's when we began considering Italy and the Italian way of life and people, which seemed very attractive."

The warmth and vibrancy that embodies Italy's beautiful way of making their 'normal' feel attractive.

Q. How did you navigate the visa process - what type, and did it unfold the way you expected?

"The visa issue wasn't a major concern because we thankfully both have EU passports. We contacted the recommended lawyers (who live and practice in Florence). They helped us understand the administrative and registration aspects of settling in Italy, which enabled our visas without issue."

Q. What were your lives orbiting around before Italy entered the picture?

"Our lives had been shaped by an international career and by constantly relocating.

Alejandro had worked for Nestlé for almost 30 years and had already decided to leave the company, at the end of February 2024 – a major professional transition after many years of international work.

We are a mixed family: Alejandro comes from Argentina and Tatjana from Germany. Over twenty years Alejandro's job took us to Croatia, South Africa, Switzerland, Germany and Ukraine."

Tatjana photographed wildlife in their natural habitat whilst living in South Africa. So beautiful!

"Tatjana supported Alejandro's career moves through five different countries while raising their three children. When living in South Africa, she studied photography and focused on capturing wildlife, portraits and later on, street photography in Ukraine. Now she combines her camera skills and embroidery, creating uniques pieces."

Embroidered flowers on a Ukrainian balcony, by Tatjana.

"Tatjana’s creative spirit has found new inspiration in the beauty and art that surround her in Florence. The next chapter will be about capturing the magic of Florence, perhaps even of Italy, through her eyes, brought to life through new embroideries of the distinctive and elegant scenery of Tuscany.

It certainly feels good to have our own Florentine house after renting in the same area. It allows for more creativity and personal touches, and to rent nearby where we finally bought, confirmed that Bagno a Ripoli is where we want to be for now. It's also very handy for the both city and rural access."

In the kitchen of their 'Tuscan Cascale' ~ a timeless renovated thirteenth century farmhouse.

"Work wasn't just about professional success. It shaped where our family lived, gave us the opportunity to experience different cultures and countries, and determined much of our family life.

When Alejandro decided to leave the company and our two older children began studying and starting their own lives, we asked ourselves: If a company wasn't deciding where we lived anymore, where would we actually choose to live?"

Q. Where did you truly call home before Florence?

"For us, home was wherever our family was at that moment. When we lived in South Africa, Johannesburg was home. When we lived in Croatia, Zagreb was home. When we lived in Switzerland, Montreux was home. In Ukraine it was Kyiv, and Germany in Frankfurt, which was our temporary home, before moving here to Italy. The location changed, but our definition of home stayed the same: home was where our family was together."

Q. What did work mean to you before the move, structure, identity, necessity, something else?

"Work was a major part of our lives and gave us the opportunity to experience different cultures and countries. When Alejandro decided to leave his company, and our two older children began their own lives, we suddenly had the freedom to ask ourselves where we actually wanted to live.”

At the same time as Alejandro leaving his job, our two older children were beginning their own lives.

That was when Italy became a possibility."

Q. At what point did “we should do this someday” become something more

immediate?

"The move wasn't originally a dream or a long-term plan. It grew out of circumstances. We had already lived in many countries and wanted to stay in Europe while experiencing something different.

After discussing the possibilities as a couple, we decided that Italy felt like a good option. We liked the Italian character and the way people live, including the fact that not everything is organised in the same way as in some of the countries we had previously lived in."

Q, When did Florence stop feeling like a place you were visiting and start feeling like somewhere you had opinions about?

"For Tatjana, the change came after the first year. Though, mostly the first year was difficult because we lived in a temporary apartment that she didn't particularly like.

The real turning point was when we decided to buy a property. Having our own home made a big difference. Since moving into the new property, it has really felt like the place where we want to be and stay."

Q. What have you stopped explaining to people back home?

"People often ask why we chose Italy, especially because neither of us has family roots or a history here. We've had to explain that choice many times to friends and family. But eventually we stopped feeling that we needed to justify it.

We made a rational decision to come to Italy, treated the first year almost as a trial, and realised this was the place we wanted to be. I.e., to stay in Europe and live somewhere where people enjoy life! We don't need to explain that choice anymore. ☺︎ "

We heard the coffee was good here too. :)

Q. What does “success” look like here compared to what it meant before?

"This is a very different phase of our lives. Two of our children are now living their own lives, studying and working, while our youngest son, Rafael, will finish school here.

In the countries where we previously lived, success meant doing well professionally and maintaining a good family life. Following a plan, even though we knew we would eventually move again."

Our newish addition fig tree to the land we bought that enables us to grow vines, fruits, nuts, herbs, vegetables and other local produce to enjoy all year round.

"Italy feels like the place where we will probably settle for much longer than the typical five years we had spent in previous countries. Success now means feeling genuinely integrated: speaking the language, building relationships with Italians as well as maintaining our international friendships, and feeling truly at home.

Home is also changing its meaning for us. Our children will eventually live elsewhere, so home is no longer simply where our family happens to be. It is the place where we feel at home, and where we hope our children will always want to come back."

Museo della Accademia, Florence ~ early morning tickets and madding crowds.

Q. Have you been “adopted” by any locals yet, or are you still on probation?

"We're definitely trying to be adopted by the locals! We moved into the countryside in Bagno a Ripoli, where we have around ten Italian families as neighbours. We are surrounded by olive trees, fruit trees and nature, and all our immediate neighbours are Italian.

We know they still see us as the stranieri of the neighbourhood, but little by little we feel more local, but at least we are having conversations in Italian now, which eases things up.

Our joke is that the ultimate step would be to be adopted by the nonni, with an invite for Sunday lunch, the closest to family we would get here, and that's when you know you have finally made it into the fold!"

A famous quote here in Italy is "Quando niente va bene, chiama la Nonna" (When nothing is going well, call grandma)

"We're also making a conscious effort to build friendships with Italians through school, work and the different projects and activities we're involved in.

We insist on speaking Italian, even when people switch to English. We know our Italian isn't perfect, but making the effort to speak the language is important to us."

Q. What’s the least romantic part of owning a home in Florence that no one puts on Instagram, and what’s the most romantic?

"The least romantic part has been getting everything renovated and completed on time and as planned. For example, we ordered a new kitchen, but it wasn't delivered when expected, so we lived with a half-finished kitchen for several weeks. We also had to make changes to some windows and coordinate different workers, all in Italian.

At the same time, we were lucky to meet good people along the way, electricians, painters and others who helped us get everything done"

Q. What are the most enjoyable moments lately?

"The most enjoyable part has actually been our neighbours. We live outside Florence and have a lovely group of Italian neighbours. Before we even moved in, they organised an end-of-summer gathering where everyone brought food and ate together.

They were our first real introduction to the Italian community around us, and despite being the stranieri, we immediately felt very welcome."

A delicious platter put together by an American friend for an afternoon of catching up at ours.

Q. What did you misunderstand about buying here that only became obvious after signing?

"One of the biggest challenges is making sure that everything that has been built or changed on a property has been properly approved by the local commune. The rules, particularly in Tuscany, are very strict because of the desire to preserve traditional buildings and the character of the area. But this can make even relatively simple changes difficult, and people sometimes make changes without obtaining all the necessary approvals.

When buying a property, it's therefore very important to make sure everything is properly approved before transferring ownership."

Our nearby land that we bought with the house. It provides ample space for growing fresh produce and for fun sports and entertaining.

"The second challenge was finding a property that wasn't either a ruin or something requiring two years of major renovation. We wanted to move relatively quickly and didn't want to spend years managing construction. Eventually, we found the balance we were looking for in the property we have now."

Alejandro doing what he is excellent at. Every Argentine man believes he makes the best asado! 🔥🥩

Q. What’s your relationship now with patience? Was there a moment when you realised the system wasn’t broken, it was just… Italian?

“Living in several countries has helped us to learn that the locals shouldn't have to adapt to you… We often say: when in Rome, do as the Romans do; when in Florence, do as Fiorentinos do. So when we came to Italy, we realised that we needed to adapt ourselves to Italy and the way things work here."

The say; “Read Italy, one page at a time.” BTW Lenin’s connection to Italy was primarily ideological and political, rather than personal. So we hope you are enjoying reading this personal blog!

Q. If Florence is a chapter, what kind of chapter is it?

"Florence is an important chapter for us because it feels like the end of a long journey through many countries. It's also where our youngest son will finish school and where, as a couple, we're choosing to stay for a longer period.

For many years, our location was determined by Alejandro's company. Now there is no company telling us where to live.

That makes Florence an especially important chapter for us."

We are deciding.

Q. Anything you wish to add that makes your life happier here?

"What makes our life happier here, above all, is the people.

We feel that Italians have a more easy-going approach to life. They have their challenges, but they seem to make more space for enjoying life, an aperitivo after work, family and friends on the weekend, and long meals together."

Florence really is a beautiful place to live. Speaking the native tongue is the secret to integrating, whilst appreciating how lucky we are to be anchored here.

"We find that the locals are very receptive when you make the effort to approach them in their language. It can take time to build relationships, but there is a real warmth and openness...

And personally, we love having our little campo around the house. We've planted fruit trees, olive trees and some vines. Have been lucky enough to enjoy some pears and apples this year, and are looking forward to the day when we can harvest our own olives for cold pressed oil.

That connection with the land and the opportunity to spend time outdoors is another thing that makes us very happy here, it's the icing on the torta!"

Thank you both for sharing your experiences of moving to Florence and building a new and beautiful life here. We can all learn from the experiences of others, and are grateful for your openness and thoughtful reflections.