One stormy night, eight years ago, Carol Searle set off in her dingy from Sydney’s Scotland Island, en route to a friend’s soiree in Randwick. Little did she know it was an evening which would change her life.
First, the boat sank, and as she squelched into her car, dishevelled and shivering, only the thought of having to swim all the way back persuaded her of the merits of making jolly small-talk over a glass of fruit punch while catching pneumonia. In defiance of the social customs of the day, she duly arrived as the first guests were leaving.

Her waterlogged condition ensured that the alarmed host placed her in a prime position by the fire. Sitting there was Neil Moore (www.neilmoore.it), a handsome young Australian artist. For somebody suffering the early stages of pneumonia, things were looking up.

Amongst the rising steam, their conversation soon turned to Neil’s recent forays into the medieval splendor of Umbria, just below Tuscany in central Italy. He was living amidst the crumbling ruins of a 12th century castle in a tiny hilltop village, looking down over the rolling valleys of olive groves, vineyards, wild lilac and oak forests. The population of the village was seven (soon to be nine).

Neil (a former illustrator for the Sydney Morning Herald and National Times) was back in Sydney briefly, to launch a new book, which he had written and illustrated. Being a rather forthright person, by the end of the evening, he had asked Carol to come back to Italy with him and share his castle. Being a thoughtful person, by the end of the night Carol had accepted!

Neil went back ahead to prepare for her arrival (moving the motorbike out of the lounge room and buying a washing machine). Meanwhile, Carol shocked her friends, alarmed her mother, put her house on Scotland Island up for sale, wound up her fashion business, took a few hasty Italian lessons, packed and set off for Italy with her eight years old daughter, Amber.

As Neil drew, painted and etched, forming a loyal following throughout Europe, Carol struggled with the vagaries of the Italian language. The following year (probably out of revenge) she turned the tables and started teaching them English. They also had two babies, whom they christened Claudio, then later Leandro. Big sister, Amber, is now chatting in Italian like a native.

The business developed into the Speakeasy School of English, at Montefalco and then extended into the very successful ' Living Italy' program where Carol's network of Italian students teach Australian travellers to speak, cook, drink the wine and taste Italian life in general.