These days Italy might have fiber optic internet, sushi and matcha, but it is still a very traditional country. Family still reigns supreme and dinner time is still sacred. In fact, I find that the vast majority of Italian’s traditions and have to do with food and their values can be found in the daily rituals… Read more »
There are a few universal things that belong on any trip list to Italy, no matter what your Italian destination! 1) Eat gelato twice or three times in one day Gelato once a day is normal, but the real treat is to indulge more than once in one day! We’ve all done it on a trip… Read more »
Summer is coming and with it waves and waves of visitors to Italy. Understandably so. Italy is beautiful in summer and that’s when most of us have the chance to take some time off. Unfortunately, it also inevitably means news stories about tourists not living their best life. There’s the one that broke an ancient statue,… Read more »
Let’s dedicate some time to … time. We all generally follow the same societal standards of time: a decade, year, month, week, day. Seasons, minutes, appointments, dates. And yet how we relate to those standards of time is radically different across cultures. “On time” in Germany seems to mean at least five minutes early. On… Read more »
You’re in Italy, you’ve got your rental car and you’re ready to go. Seatbelt buckled, car in gear, you begin to slowly ease into the traffic when seven cars zoom past you. Two turn even though you have the right of way, others begin to swerve into your lane with nary a signal. Welcome to… Read more »
Every experience in a new culture comes with a heavy dose of judgement. Some more politically correct than me wouldn’t admit to such a thing, but we all know it’s true. Read: 50 Things Americans First Think About Italy As humans we need to tackle novelty and mold it into a shape that makes sense to… Read more »
I sat with three close Italian friends and my Italian husband as they, some quite literally, rolled with laughter. “And then, and then,” my friend Marco said, gasping for breath between laughs, “They cooked the pasta for TWENTY MINUTES!” “It’s like cooking it in a pressure cooker!” my husband agreed. “I’ve heard that they add pasta… Read more »
We already have a very succinct, but very precise Manifesto for any and all travelers in Italy (Check it out here, it’s important) but I believe there’s more explanation needed for first-time travelers in Italy (and even repeat offenders!) Everyone wants to seem like a local when they travel, here are some ways to help:… Read more »
A lot changed when I moved to Italy, not least of which myself. Over these three years I’ve grown personally, and I’ve also grown geographically. I’ve assimilated many Italian habits and beliefs, for better or worse. Here are some of the American habits I lost along the way: 1) Enjoying personal space Moving to Italy… Read more »
Any trip to a new country ignites a storm of comments and questions. It’s only natural to compare, to delight in the novelty and be shocked by the foreignness. After my recent post, 50 Things Italians Think About America, I realized that that’s really only half of the story. For every time an Italian is marveling at the… Read more »
