But if you’re not well connected and your family isn’t rich life in Italy is really, really hard. Salaries are abysmal, rents are through the roof. People can’t afford to move out of their parents’ house, get married or have kids (Italy has an extremely low birth rate and Itlaian women have children very late). If you’re not from a rich, educated well connected family, you’d be a lot better off in Australia. Free, beautiful beaches open to everyone, salaries which are enough that you can afford rent and maybe even a car. And you can get a job by doing well at university! You don’t need to know anyone. I got my job after uni without knowing anyone – I just had good marks and interview well. Hard to believe for Italians. Oh and I was able to live completely independently of my parents (financially and physically) as soon as I finished uni. Now that I have a kid I also realise how great the parks and playground are in sydney – they have nothing like that here in Rome. And there are no public pools here. It’s sad for those of us who are stuck here for the summer with kid(s).

BTW – “La Dolce Vita” (the film title) was meant to be ironic.