Getting sick in Italy: what does it entail? How much does medical care cost?
As an expat, how does the Italian medical system differ from that of the United States?
Is Italian healthcare really as disorganized as it can sometimes seem? And is European socialized medicine really as wonderful and stress-free as it might seem from across the pond?
Also: does an old, dingy hospital subconsciously affect how you perceive the quality of care you will receive there?
On Episode 573: Getting Sick in Italy, after a month battling bronchitis and pneumonia in Italy, Tiffany weighs in on the Italian healthcare system.
You can listen to the episode right here, or find the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, and elsewhere.
Related Episodes:
Episode 88: BLOOD (with Marsha De Salvatore)
Five key takeaways from the episode:
- Tiffany was sick with bronchitis that developed into pneumonia, requiring multiple doctor visits and treatments over several weeks, including antibiotics and homeopathic remedies.
- The podcast hosts discuss differences between healthcare systems in Italy and the US, with Italy having socialized medicine that has both benefits (like free primary care) and drawbacks (long wait times for specialists).
- Italian hospitals and clinics often have a more utilitarian aesthetic compared to the US, which can be off-putting to Americans used to a different healthcare environment.
- While Italy’s healthcare system is not perfect, it generally prevents people from going bankrupt due to medical bills, and provides good care for serious conditions without excessive costs.
- The hosts promote an upcoming “Bittersweet Life Roman Adventure” tour in October 2025, offering an exclusive, personalized journey through Rome’s lesser-known areas.
Full Episode Transcript:
Katy
Welcome to Rome. This is the Bittersweet Life with Katy Sewall and Tiffany Parks. Hello. This is the Bittersweet Life. I’m Katy Sewall.
Tiffany
I’m Tiffany Parks.
Katy
Tiffany in Rome, Katy in Seattle. And it’s been a long time since. It’s just been you and me. We’ve had three weeks in a row of interviews, which I know is not normal. Why did we do such a thing? I mean, besides the fact that they were great guests, of course. Of course. Why?
Tiffany
Why did we do such a thing? Why? Because I was on death’s door.
Katy
[Laughs]
Tiffany
Exaggeration. Yeah. I was very, very sick. And not just very sick. I was sick for, like, a long time. I had bronchitis, which, you know, I was convinced was, like, a very light. Going to be a very light case. And, you know, went into the doctor and she’s like, you have, you know, what they call in Italy, bronchitella, like the diminutive version, meaning, like, you have, like, a minor case of bronchitis. And I’m like, oh, you know, rolling my eyes because I used to get bronchitis all the time. And then I stopped getting sick, and I didn’t get sick for ages. And so I thought, you know, I was immune. I just had this. I had this hubris about it, you know, just like I never get sick. When you start talking like that, that is when the universe decides to spank you. And. And I got sick. So, you know, she said, well, you should probably get on antibiotics. And I said, oh. I said, do I have to? Like, can there. Can we do something else? Like, is there anything else? Like, because, you know, that, you know, it’s. So bronchitis is often viral, you know, do we know that it’s bacterial? And she’s like, well, all right, I suppose you could do some aerosol, which is a nebulizer, which. Italians are very big on the aerosol. Like, every family has their own aerosol machine.
Katy
You send me a picture of you with it.
Tiffany
It.
Katy
It’s like what I would consider what Americans would call a vaporizer, maybe, but it has a. A nose attachment like that you actually stick on your face. So you’re breathing the sound vapor, the steam, straight into your face.
Tiffany
There’s three. There’s three attachments. There’s a mouth attachment and nose attachment or a mask attachment. That would do, I guess, both mouth and nose, if you had your mouth open. And that’s the most common one. I think the. The technical word for it is nebulizer. But, yes, it’s Like a little machine that’s motorized. You plug it in and then there’s a tube and. And there’s a little attachment. And you put the medicine in the little attachment and that attaches then to the. The mask or the mouthpiece or nose piece. And then you. It. I think it’s a very effective way to treat coughs and colds and more minor stuff. Although some of the med. Like you actually can. There are antibiotics that are actually inhalable, but I didn’t have any of that. I just had some like, you know, a little bit of. A little bit of cortisone and a little bit of some other bronchial thing. Bronchial medicine. And so I did that for a week, thinking, you know, I’m going to totally get over this and be back up and ready to go. I did feel like I was getting better. That was the annoying thing. I had all of this, not to be too tmi, but I had a lot of dark colored phlegm at the beginning. And that started to go away. It started to get lighter and lighter. And I thought, well, this means the infection’s going away, you know. And I never had a fever either. Meanwhile, Claudio got sick. And he got sick for a very short amount of time, but he was very sick with a very high fever for three days, which was fun for me because that meant I was sick and I was taking care of him and my son. Right. That was brilliant. And so I think what the big mistake that I made was I didn’t give myself proper rest, especially when Claudio got sick. I’m going to the supermarket. I’m going to the pharmacy every day. I’m picking up Aurelia, taking him to school, taking him to karate, doing this, doing that. Plus, it’s January, you know, it’s pretty cold. And so I just, you know, I didn’t give myself proper rest. And after about a week, I went back to the doctor, actually went to a different doctor. And he’s like, yeah, you have bronchitis. And I’m like, he’s like, you really should get on an antibiotic. And I’m like, do I have to get on? And he’s like, well, it was the same exact reaction that my other doctor had had. It was just like he really clearly thought I should be on antibiotics, but he was trying to humor me, I guess. And so he put me on this whole regimen of homeopathic remedies because he’s a homeopath as well as being a traditional doctor. And I was taking homeopathic things. I mean, they. First of all, they cost a fortune. Not a fortune, but, you know, a lot. A lot. Because in Italy, if you have a doctor prescribe you medicine, it’s almost free. It’s, like, extremely cheap. But this is homeopathic, right? So it doesn’t count. It doesn’t. It’s not going to be taken care of. So I’m waking up every three hours in the night to take these little sugar pills. I mean, they look like sugar pills, they taste like sugar pills. They’re not sugar pills. But that’s. You know, they’re like little. I don’t know if you’ve ever taken homeopathic remedies. They’re like little cat, little cap. I don’t know even what you call them. Like little beads of sugar. That’s what it looks like, tastes like. And drops and this. And I’m taking all this different stuff. And. And honestly, that’s. That didn’t work at all. And then I started to get a fever. And he had said to me, he said, listen, if you’re not better by this date, or if you get a fever, come back in, you’re going on antibiotics. And both of those things happened. So I went back in. He gave me an oral antibiotic. Um, so we’re now starting week three. I start taking the oral antibiotic. I took it. I got really serious. I’m like, okay, I am going to rest. I’m going to sit on the couch all day. I’m going to have Claudio do the school pickups, you know, as much as possible, or rely on the carpool. And I’m just going to relax and stay inside, be in the warm house. And I did not get better. And I still had a fever every day for a week or four days, at least four or five days. And I went back in. He’s like, you still have bronchitis. Actually, it’s gone down further. It’s technically bronchial pneumonia now.
Katy
You told me to go on an antibiotic, and look, you’ve made it worse.
Tiffany
Yeah, well, I mean, it’s so weird. I mean, and this is. I mean, I know, going on and on and on about this, but it’s like, I don’t know about you. I don’t know about other people listening, but for me, like, whenever I’m sick, I always feel like. Like I don’t know who to trust. And I’m not to say I don’t trust doctors, but doctors are only human, too. You know what I mean? Like, I don’t Know if I should trust myself. I don’t know if I should trust them. Like, and even throughout this whole situation, like, I don’t know if it was the antibiotic that worked. And even the doctor said, after I went in, after I took. Because I. Long story short, I took a second and I had to go on a second antibiotic injection that was super, super strong and a super strong cortisone pill, steroid, basically. And that did the trick. That did the trick finally. But, you know, when I went in to see him, so it’s been a month now, right. And I’m significantly better. He said to me, he said, you know, I don’t know that it was the antibiotic that did it. It might just have been that, you know, you finally, the illness finally ran its course.
Katy
Goodness.
Tiffany
He says, we don’t know. We’re not gonna know.
Katy
Well, and you got on today, tonight, because it’s nighttime where you are right now in Rome, daytime here in Seattle. And the first thing you do is hold up your hand and show me that your fingers, for whatever reason, have turned brown, which.
Tiffany
The inside of my fingers, like the palms of my fingers, the skin is very, very dry, which is not new. I have very dry skin in the winter, but it’s also brown.
Katy
So any of you listening are doctors. I told her maybe a phone call would be worthwhile.
Tiffany
Yeah. So I really. I really feel like I’ve been through the ringer here. Yes, I have a lot of more compassion. Not that I didn’t have compassion for people struggling with chronic illness, but, like, I really feel it more. I feel for. I feel for people who are going through stuff that is way, way worse, way a hundred thousand times worse than this, you know, cancer or other terminal illnesses where they’re just trying everything and they’re trying to find something that works, and they can’t. You. I. I can only imagine how maddening and frustrating and. And disheartening that must be, because I know that eventually I’m going to get better. You know, that I am relatively young, so a case of pneumonia shouldn’t put me into my grave, hopefully. Knock on wood.
Katy
Yes.
Tiffany
But, you know, there are a lot of worse things out there. And so I’m. I’m actually grateful that. That it was just this.
Katy
Yeah, I have questions. I have questions.
Tiffany
Yeah.
Katy
Okay. So I couldn’t find this article, unfortunately. But a number of years ago, I read a great article and I should have saved it. That was about how the messages that are telegraphed to us, by the way, that medical Clinics and doctor’s offices are decorated and that each country sort of has their own aesthetic. And of course, I know it’s been a long time since you’ve lived in the United States, but I would say that the U.S. aesthetic for medical clinics is sort of a pastel vibe. You know, it’s light teal and pink and light blue, you know, with nature scenes maybe and non offensive furniture. And if we’re really lucky, if it’s a particularly magical clinic, it has a fish tank in it. And, and you know, all of this is I suppose to project calm. But what this article was also saying, and I wish I could quote it directly, was that it also is. It’s almost like the aesthetic fulfills the expectation. Like I am comfortable going into this medical clinic because it resembles medical clinics I’ve seen in the past. And so it was saying, you know, you might go to a. Have to go to the hospital or to a medical clinic when you’re traveling abroad or living abroad. And you could feel distrustful of it just because of the way it looks. Like if Italy decided it was gonna only decorate in yellows and bright reds or something, you would think something’s wrong here. This isn’t the normal, calm, pastoral aesthetic I’m used to. So I was curious, what would you say is the aesthetic of these clinics since you’ve now been in them so many times in the last month?
Tiffany
I don’t think there’s really one through thread. I really think they’re all different, they’re very utilitarian. Like a lot of times there’s no decoration at all. There’s no, it’s just like white walls.
Katy
There’s no Ann Geddes calendar with like babies sitting in fruit, things like that.
Tiffany
I’m not gonna say that there’s never any decoration, but at the hospitals, the hospitals to me are very basic. Now, of course there are going to be more expensive hospitals, there’s going to be more basic hospitals. There’s private hospitals, there’s public hospitals. But so many of the hospitals in Italy are just, I mean, really run down. Some of them are nice. Like there are, there are a few quite nice ones, particularly one of the, the more modern location of the sort of famous children’s hospital in Rome called Bambin Gesu. There’s like a. There’s like the old version which is up on the Jeniculum hill. And then there’s the. Another location in Ostiense which is more modern. And that hospital is quite nice, especially the lobby area, very open, very sort of you know, modern architecture. But so often, I mean, they’re just kind of depressing, like, kind of almost scary. Um, I think that the typical American, especially if they’re used to private clinics, going into a public. Public. Typical public Italian hospital, might be a little bit freaked out. Not that the care isn’t as good. It’s really the aesthetic, like you’re talking about. It’s just like, if you get an old enough hospital that hasn’t ha. Hasn’t been spruced up in a while, it can really feel like. Like almost Third World.
Katy
Yeah. I do remember that because of that concussion I so awfully got when I was living there in 2013. I do remember going to the hospital there for that.
Tiffany
Did you go to the one in Trastevere, right by your place, Regina Margherita?
Katy
I went to the one on the island.
Tiffany
Oh, okay.
Katy
Which is called what again?
Tiffany
Fate. Bene Fratelli. Yeah.
Katy
So there’s a hospital that exists in Rome that’s on this little tiny island that’s in the center of the Tiber river and right across from a coffee shop, helpfully for those people who are.
Tiffany
Bringing stuff, everything is right across from.
Katy
And a church. So, yeah, if I die and everything right across the street. Yeah. But I do remember it feeling both extremely dark and also very fluorescent. I don’t know how you can put those two together. And I also remember there was a lot of people on cots in the hallway. Like, there wasn’t anywhere to put anybody.
Tiffany
Right.
Katy
But it also is a hospital that exists on a small island in the middle of the Tiber River. So I had no idea. Is this the aesthetic or is this, you know, just the fact that this hospital is ancient and clearly outgrowing itself? Who knew?
Tiffany
Yeah, well, I mean, probably both.
Katy
So if you could go back in time and think back to the. The younger Tiffany who first moved to Italy. Did it take you aback when you first encountered this system that didn’t look like at least what you grew up with?
Tiffany
Maybe a little bit. Not a ton, though, because I had spent some years in Boston when I was, like, making no money. And I remember going to sort of like the. The very, very inexpensive public hospital when I. I guess I broke my wrist. And I think I was between jobs. I didn’t have any health insurance. And so I went to the cheap hospital and, you know, waited all day in the emergency room. And I remember that that was not very nice. It was not that far of a. Of a road from the kind of thing you see in Italy. So I’d experienced some of that already. And I mean, I’m trying to think if I ever, if I’ve ever been to any other hospitals in any other part of the world. I know I’ve been to a private clinic in Thailand. Not for me. I think I was traveling with someone and he, for whatever reason needed to go to the clinic. And I don’t think it was any kind of emergency, but for whatever reason we went and it was extremely nice. It was nicer than anything I’ve ever seen in the States. It was super, super fancy and nice and modern.
Katy
I went to one in, in Mexico when I was suffering from heat stroke or heat rash or whatever. I forget what the actual diagnosis was, but it was very painful. But I went to a small clinic and remember most vividly about it was it was a single room, it was like a little house, but it was just like one room. And the doctor, when he left the room, I have no idea where he went. As far as I could tell, there was nothing else in the building. Like maybe he just went and stood in, you know, outside for a while. Well, as if he was, I don’t know.
Tiffany
But it, as if he was in his office.
Katy
Yeah, it was just like this very tiny place. And I was attended to by his daughter who looked like she was maybe 12. So it was like those two together and they did give me a shot of something in the, in the butt. I have no idea what it was or if it did anything, but that was my experience. It wasn’t. They were very friendly and warm. It wasn’t that I felt like, oh, these people don’t even seem like doctors. Although, you know, it is weird having a 12 year old attending to you.
Tiffany
Was she doing like nurse duty? Like, was she like taking your blood and giving you the shot at 12?
Katy
No, I believe her father gave me the shot. But she was acting as like a little nurse. Yeah, yeah, but it wasn’t. Yeah, they were certainly friendly. They definitely seemed competent. But you know, I don’t know. I don’t know. Well, let’s, I mean, talk about that to a certain degree. Of course, here in the United States, we don’t want to get in too far down the road about how complicated our medical insurance system is with all the different private companies we can work with and all the different private hospitals and how there’s all sorts of different hospital chains and you can go to this one, but you can’t go to that one. And depending on what your insurance is, you can cover this and not that or this and that or whatever, forever changing depending on where you get it and what level of insurance it is, I guess how much you can afford or how much your company can afford. Not getting into all of that. But of course, it has been a long, a long debate in this country, you know, where people are. Some people think, no, we have to keep it privatized. This is how we have decent hospitals. This is how we have. And then we have the other people who are like, for goodness sake, other countries socialize this. We pay for it through our taxes. Why are we tying ourselves to our jobs to try to get insurance so that we survive? It’s not fair. And the debate in the argument just goes on and on and on, as do the reasons why things do or do not change. But you live in a socialized healthcare system, and as do many expats. I mean, we can wax poetic about it over here as much as we want. We don’t really have any real experience with it. What is the reality of it?
Tiffany
So it’s definitely not the perfect system. I don’t think the perfect system exists. I know. I love to, you know, I love to argue, like, especially if I’m talking to conservatives. Sorry, mom. Like about, you know, how much better it is over here, you know, because we have socialized medicine and there are, trust me, a lot of benefits. A lot. Like you don’t lose your house because of medical bills ever. That doesn’t happen. That’s not a thing. You don’t go into debt over medical bills almost never. But, you know, there are drawbacks. So I will say up front, just to, you know, to say my final thing at the beginning, I do think it’s better. I do think the Italian system is better, all things considered. Even if you consider all the cons. I still think it’s a better system, personally. But there are cons. And for example, like, I have to have an appointment with a pulmonologist. Is that the word, Katy? A lung doctor. I have to have an appointment with a lung doctor, okay. And I have a CAT scan of my lungs, and I have to have a lung doctor look at it, make sure everything’s okay and yada, yada, yada, and kind of give me the all clear so I can sort of really fully re. Enter life and start living normally and working out and, and, you know, doing my normal activities. And I called the hospital nearest me, you know, just to see, you know, when’s the next appointment for a visit with. With a lung doctor. And they’re like, it’s June. Okay. And so this was in late January, early February. I’m not sure it was either late January, early February. So. So June would be the earliest time. And I said, okay, well, what if I go. I’m trying to think of the expression. It’s either. It’s privato sociale. Privato sociale is. And I don’t know the exact definition of it, but it’s some kind of in between, between being public and private. It’s like the doctor is an employee of the hospital, but, like, they have separate hours where they’re allowed to see private patients at the hospital. Does that make sense? It’s sort of. Sort of in between. And it costs less than going to a private doctor, like at their clinic. At their private clinic, if they have one. But it’s not free. And nothing is truly. I’m not saying nothing is truly free. You usually have to pay what they call a ticket, which I guess is sort of the equivalent of a copay, but it’s not through insurance, so it’s not really the equivalent of a copay when you go to that. Like, if you have an appointment, truly public appointment with a public doctor at a public hospital or clinic, you do have to usually pay something. But it’s like it might be €15, it might be €30. It depends on what it is. But it’s not very much, and the rest is covered, so that’s the cheapest way. And then there’s this, like I said, this sort of middle version, which I believe is called privato sociale. And then you can just go private. And I asked, well, you know, do you have a. You know, do you have an appointment that’s this. Or this privato social? And they said, yeah, April or late? Late April, still too far away. And so when I went to the doctor, he said. And I told him this, and he said, yeah, you’re just gonna have to go with the private doctor. You mean you can get an appointment tomorrow if you. If you go with a private doctor. So I actually haven’t booked the appointment yet, and I. So I can’t tell you how much it’s going to be. But from my experience, when you go to see a private doctor, a specialist, I’m not talking about, like, really crazy stuff. I’m not talking about really extreme cases. I’m talking about something like this. Like, I’ve had bronchitis, I’ve had pneumonia, I need to go to a long doctor. How much does that cost? Or when I was pregnant and I would go to see my, you know, my gynecologist. How much does that cost? It’s usually around €130. Like 130 to 160, I would say is a typical price. Maybe 180 is like the typical price for a, like a one time specialist visit private. So it’s annoying when you pay taxes for public health care and you nevertheless have to go and have a private appointment. However, 180 or whatever it is, it’s, it’s affordable, you know, it’s quote unquote affordable. It’s not going to be affordable for everyone, but it’s also not going to cause you to go bankrupt. So, you know, a lot of Italians complain about this and they say, oh, we have to speak, you know, we borrow our taxes. Especially people who make a lot of money and they pay a lot of taxes because you know, obviously it’s people, you make more, you make pay more taxes. And you know, I still have to, you know, go to the private doctor or I know people who have insurance, who actually have health insurance. Most Italians don’t have health insurance. But it’s becoming more and more prevalent because the healthcare system is starting to break down and they’re starting to be more and more problems. And I think one of the big problems is just the, the, the population is just aging. You know, it’s just so many old people in Italy and so and Italians kind of, and it’s a stereotype, but it’s true. Italians are kind of obsessed with health and especially the older generations, like they love going to the doctor and they love like, you know, having appointments. And I think they all, it’s honestly like their hobby once they’re retired, dealing with all of their doctor’s appointments. And so I can see how a public system would get overrun, you know, and would get bogged down. So it’s clearly not perfect. And you know, some things end up costing quite a bit of money. Like I had to have some blood work done and the tests were very, very specific. They were kind of weird things that are not typical. And in fact the doctor said, before you go and get this done, call the clinic first and make sure they do it, you know, because not all clinics do these particular tests. So I called a clinic that I usually go to and they’re like, yeah, we, we looked and we actually do do this one really rare thing, like we can do it, but the total price of all these analyses is going to be €250. And to me, I mean, to Me, that’s a lot of money for blood work. I mean, I felt like that was a lot. So. Yeah. And so I was like, you know what, I’m just going to go to the hospital and get it done there. And so I got my official doctor to do the official prescription. So like, you can have a prescription on a piece of paper from a specialist or from a private doctor. That’s enough to get your prescription. Like the pharmacist will give you the medicine, but they won’t give it to you with the special discount that you get if it’s done by your primary care doctor. So everybody in Italy has a primary care doctor who they can see for free. That’s one of the huge benefits of the Italian system. Everyone has one. You usually pick someone who’s in your neighborhood. You have to go to like the health office in your district. You go to that health office and you. There’s like a list of all the doctors in your neighborhood and the address is where their, where their offices are. And obviously not all of them are going to have space, but whichever ones have space, then you just pick. That’s your primary caregiver. And if you don’t like them, you can change. I’ve changed a dozen times. And you can go to them as many times as you want during their office hours and you do not pay ever. But they’re not specialists. Like, so they might say you need to go see a long doctor, but they have the ability to create prescriptions for you that have like a code in which you take it to the pharmacy and you pay very, very little for the medicine. And the same is true for blood work. If you, you know, if you need blood work and your doctor writes you a prescription for it, you take it to a public place like a hospital, and you get it done for much less. So I got her to make me this thing and I went to the hospital and I waited in line. It was like an all day affair, you know, the traffic to get there, the parking and then waiting in line for an hour, you know, just to pay. And I get up to the, you know, to the desk, it’s finally my number is called. And they’re like, we don’t do this, like, what is this? Like, I didn’t think to call the hospital. I just assumed that the hospital would do it, you know, like, sorry, we don’t do any of these analyses. So I had to leave. I had to go to the, I.
Katy
Go to the clinic.
Tiffany
Yeah, to the clinic. And pay 250 bucks. So, you know, it’s not a perfect system. But on the other hand, giving birth is free. You have your personal doctor and all children have their own pediatrician who they can see when I mean. And as a parent, that is gold. Knowing that you can go to your pediatrician anytime and it will never cost you anything. And like people talk about the lines, the weighting is not bad. I never wait to see my doctor. I just walk right in or maybe wait 10 minutes, 15 minutes, pediatrician, maybe a half an hour, 40 minutes.
Katy
Do you have to call ahead of time? Do you have to make an appointment? Or you can just drive there and walk in the door.
Tiffany
You, you can walk in even though.
Katy
You could get in that fast. Blows my mind a little bit.
Tiffany
Yeah, you have their office hours and it’s usually like three hours in the morning every other day. And then on the other days it’s three hours in the afternoon. So it’s not like all day. You have to look at their schedule and you have to make sure like, you know, they’re there. And you know, I have waited, I’ve had different doctors that they had too many patients and I’ve changed because of that. So the more patients that they have, the more money they make. So.
Katy
Oh, see, this was something I was going to ask you about because of course here in the US even from when you’re a little kid and you thinking, like, what are you going to do when you grow up? And you’re like, well, the best two things I could get, I get paid the most if I, if I’m a doctor or a lawyer, you know, I gotta be a doctor or lawyer so I can get paid the most. And you know that from like the time you’re a kid. Is that the same? In Italy under socialized healthcare, they’re definitely.
Tiffany
Considered good careers, they’re considered well paying careers, but they’re not as good as the states. You might make double or three times what like a typical job might pay, but you’re not making 10 times, you know, and, and I think especially in the case of lawyers, you have to pay your dues. Like you have to work for nothing almost for like a cut like several years before you start making real money. And doctors, I honestly think doctors is the same. They really, they work a lot. They work a lot. So I don’t know that it’s, I don’t know that it’s worth it. I mean, I guess it’s worth it if, if that’s your, you know, your Passion. But I don’t think that people become doctors here to become rich. It’s more, unless I mean there, there might be a sub-section of doctors who like, you know, work in very exclusive clinics, like fertility clinics or plastic surgery or stuff like that. But, you know, your typical doctor, I don’t think is, is raking the money in.
Katy
What do people do to rake in the money in there?
Tiffany
They don’t. Nobody’s raking money. You, you. This is how you do it. This is how you do it. You gotta, you gotta be the child of a business person. That’s how you do it. You be the child of the Ferrari or the Berlusconi family or that’s the way, you know, it’s the Armani family, Valentino. Those are the only people. Look at birth.
Katy
Look at birth. Okay. Yeah.
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Katy, here. Picture yourself in the heart of Rome. Not just seeing the iconic landmarks, but experiencing the hidden corners of this ancient city, away from the typical tourist crowds. It’s true, with everything happening in the world right now, you might be wondering if it’s worth the risk or the crowds, especially with the Jubilee bringing more people to Rome in 2025. But here’s the secret. If you come on the Bittersweet Life Roman Adventure this October, you won’t find yourself on a tour of the overcrowded spots. This is an exclusive, personalized journey through Rome’s most secret corners. Places where few have ever ventured. Now, we know there are concerns with the Jubilee bringing more travelers to the city. Hotel prices in Rome have skyrocketed this year and they’ll probably just keep going up. But here is the good news. We’re taking care of that for you. We are absorbing the rising costs so that you don’t have to. You’ll stay in a carefully selected luxurious hotel right in the heart of Rome without having to pay the premium that most others will. And each morning, Tiffany and I will lead you through the city to see the real Rome. Places even most locals don’t know about. Imagine strolling through ancient streets, standing in awe of secret churches, hidden piazzas, breathtaking views, all while avoiding the busy crowds. And when the afternoon rolls around, the city is yours. Every afternoon is completely free for you to explore on your own. But don’t worry, we’ve got your back. You’ll receive a special booklet packed with insider tips to guide you. It’s your personal roadmap to the best overlooked museums, the most incredible food, and self guided walking tourists that will let you dive deeper into the soul of Rome. This is your chance to explore Rome at your own pace, without the stress of planning or missing out on the real treasures of the city. The world may be in a bit of chaos right now, but Rome, Rome is waiting for you with open arms and a quiet, timeless beauty that’s just waiting for you to discover it. We’re going to roam October 5th through the 11th, 2025. You can find details at our website, thebittersweetlife.net or just send us an email at bittersweetlifepodcast@gmail.com. This year we are only offering eight rooms. It will be a small, intimate trip where you’ll get to know Tiffany and I on a more personal level, and you’ll get to see the most wondrous things. I hope you decide to come.
Tiffany
I do want to say one, one other thing, and that is that if you have major medical problems, if you have cancer, if you’re born with a heart condition, and a friend of mine, her son was born with a heart condition, so I have some, like, secondhand knowledge of it, you are taken care of. You are going to be fine. I mean, not that you’re going to be fine because you’re sick, so you might die, but as far as what the doctors can do for you, they are going to do it, and you are not going to be paying hardly anything. If you have certain medical conditions, you get what they call assensioni, which I guess means, like, exemptions. So you don’t have to pay for visits that you would ordinarily have to pay for. For example, yes, I would have had to wait five months or six months to get a visit with a lung doctor because I’m not in any immediate life peril. But if I were, like, if I had cancer of the lungs, obviously, I would, I would be able to get in immediately. So that’s the other really great benefit of the Italian system is that if you are truly in a dire position, you are going to be taken care of and looked after. You’re not going to be sucked dry of every penny you have because you have cancer.
Katy
But never a fish tank in the lobby.
Tiffany
No, never.
Katy
Well, what’s, what’s next for you? I mean, are you feeling like you can get back to life now?
Tiffany
I think so. Although the doctor said, like, you can’t work out until you’ve seen the lung doctor. And, like, he gives you the alt clear.
Katy
Okay.
Tiffany
And he doesn’t want me spending too much time out in the cold.
Katy
Right.
Tiffany
Which I get because I was out in the cold the other night and I felt it. I really felt it.
Katy
Okay, but as far as you know, you’re gonna be able to like, appear on this show regularly? Yes.
Tiffany
I’m back. I’m back, everybody. I am back.
Katy
With us airing the old episodes on Fridays now, which for me has been a total delight to listen back to some of those, at least you, you have been present even though in my life, I’m here in The Bittersweet Life offices. Like walking in circles being like, when is she gonna return? Answering emails.
Tiffany
Thank God for antibiotics, right?
Katy
Yeah. Answering emails. All lonely by myself, the rain on the window streaking sideways. Yeah. Great to have you back.
Tiffany
Thank you. It’s good to be back.
Katy
All right, well, we’ll leave it there for now. You can always reach the show and send us your topic ideas. Just write to bittersweetpodcast@gmail.com. We are also on social media. You can always follow us on Instagram. Just look for @thebittersweetlifepodcast and you will find us. Give us a follow and we’ll leave it there. And until next time, this is the Bittersweet Life. I’m Katy Sewall.
Tiffany
I’m Tiffany Parks.
Katy
Join us again. Bye. If you love the show, help spread the word to others by giving us a quick five star review. Wherever you listen, we love reading your comments and compliments. They are like fuel to the work. Thanks for taking the time.