Thank you for your wonderful response. I am aware of Dzogchen, that was a possibility, I guess the Gelug approach seems more logical to me... I stress "to me", because I'm absolutely unfamiliar with Tibetan Buddhism (I did practice forms of East Asian Buddhism before though). It seems to be structured like a university... while the Dzogchen school in Italy seems more chaotic and it's not really clear where is the beginning - the vajra dances, Yantra yoga, just seems more confusing. Again, this was just my perception, I realize I'm totally ignorant. Just sharing the impressions of an ignorant beginner.

What you say about Kagyu/Nyingma, that they have a longer history of lay tradition, is actually a big plus on their side. Whenever I listen to teachers in the Gelug lineages I am impressed by their practical insight, their understanding of psychology, - this was my impression... So that the Gelug isn't too hasty to start speaking about ultimate things of the mind, but is also satisfied to explore and analyze psychological and other, more conventional topics. They seem to have a wide breadth / scope and they seem to approach practice from the PoV of a beginner, from the conventional reality, while the other two you mentioned seem to prefer to speak form the "ulltimate" level. Again, this is just my impression and I share it with you so that you can correct it if it's too wrong-headed

I guess the fact that it's simplified monastic program isn't a problem in itself except if that means that the tradition limits the amount of teachings available to the lay people? Can a lay person advance as much as a monk in their tradition - in spiritual terms, not "clerical"?

There actually is a Sakya place nearby, too! I'll have to research them more, I know the least about them. I reckon they are more simialar to the Gelugs in that they, too, stress the study of texts in addition to practice