A Brexit-voting retiree says she is missing fresh ricotta, watermelons and her €500-a-month cottage on the Italian coast.
Speaking to the i newspaper, Ruth, 68, a retiree from Manchester whose name has been changed, says her nomadic lifestyle and small business have been mostly destroyed by the “abominable travel restrictions” introduced after Brexit.
After voting to leave the European Union in 2016, she now says she wishes she could “vote again to Remain”, adding that “this time I’d really know what it would entail.”
Ruth would enjoy long stays at a seaside cottage near Terracina, along Rome’s southern coast, coming and going as she pleased and often staying for weeks at a time before returning home with a bounty of local produce.
But all that has changed now as new post-Brexit rules dictate that Brits can only stay in the European Union for no more than 90 days in every 180 days and there are strict controls on what food visitors can bring back.
“I feel trapped, it’s a nightmare. Why didn’t our politicians clearly tell us everything was going to change and our Italian dream-like expat life would be shattered?” she asked. “I was fed a lie about Brexit, just like everyone else.”
She also credits trips to Italy on her decision to switch to a healthier lifestyle, saying fresh produce at farmers’ markets make it an easy choice.
“I feel like the cottage has turned into a forbidden heaven because I can only stay there for a limited time. All this hassle has caused me insomnia”, Ruth added.
“I regret voting for Brexit, if only I could vote again to Remain, this time I’d really know what it would entail.”
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