My top tips for eating in Italy!!

Armed with just a little bit of knowledge will help you avoid being ripped off in Italy's restaurants and cafes. Yes, even in the touristy areas.
#1 The farther away you eat from a tourist site, the less likely you are to be ripped off. It is a sad truth that every country, even Italy will prey on tourist. #2 In general, whenever you see as many non-Italians as Italian, be on your guard. #3 Another tip-off that you're in a touristy establishment is that there is a "host" outside the door asking you to come in. I try to avoid these places, but we do love to sit in the famous piazzas and people watch while we eat so it is very possible to eat in these places, but just keep your wits about you. #4 If you sit down in an Italian cafe to just have cup of coffee you will pay a table charge of around 2 Euro. If you want to blend in and look like a local then stand at the bar and drink your coffee. #5 If you want water when you sit down for a meal then you do have to pay for it. A large bottle of mineral water will cost no more than 2 Euros, and it is always nice and cold! There will never be any ice. #5 Remember, you have to ask for your bill at a restaurant. They will not bring it until then. Make sure to ask for an itimized bill, like this, "il conto lungo." #6. Tips? First of all, waiting tables in Italy is much different than waiting tables in the States. Many Italians are paid off the books, meaning they're not paying taxes. If they are on the books, then they get paid vactions (some six weeks per year or more) and paid sick leave. And secondly, the tip is probably going into the owners pocket anyway! With that being said, if the service is very good and you want to leave a tip, a few coins is sufficient. I know this may make you grimace, but Italian culture is different than ours and adjusting to their way is showing respect to the locals. #7 And finally, if you think you have been ripped off by the bill even after you have asked for an itemized copy then point to your receipt and say these three words, "Guardia de financa" ("Gwahr-dee-yah dee feeh-nahn-zah") These three words will scare any waiter and or the owner into fixing your bill very quickly! Those three words mean Italy's I.R.S. ...with guns! They mean business and they have the power to do everything from leving huge fines, to shutting down the business. We have NEVER had to do this, but just knowing these things helps you to look and appear more knowledgable and less of a target. Lesson over

The first receipt is not legal!! The second receipt IS LEGAL!! Notice the stamp.....

Visiting Italy in January

January is really not the best month enjoy Italy unless you like to ski! On the other hand everthing in the country is less expensive than in the other seasons.  You can find great deals on airfair and accommodations. One more advantage is no hordes of tourist which would mean no lines and a more peaceful atmoshere.
But if you do love adventure sport and skiing you should definitely visit the country in January. Italy is internationally known for its world class ski slopes and it great mountains that remain covered with snow during the winter months. The famous Dolomites are the best place to visit in January for those who love winter sports. The most famous places along the Dolomites are Alleghe, Auronzo, Falcade, Urtjei and Arabba. Apart from skiing, visitors can also stroll many charming mountain villages.

Italian Festivals in January

Festivals in Italy go on all through the year and January is no exception. Good festivals are organized in different part of the country. Visitors can visit different areas and get a sneak peak of traditiona life of locals in Italy. Some festivals are very unique and then others may be just an excuse for the locals to party, with lots of music, drinks and food. That is in my opinion what they do best!

The most important festival in Italy in January is Epiphany. In fact, Epiphany is more important in Italy than Christmas. This festival is celebrated in the country on January 6th. That is when Italians exchange gifts and the children hang their little stockings on the 5th night. There is no Santa Claus, but a very old women named La Befana delivers gifts to children in the festival. The legend goes that the Three Wise men knocked on her door and asked for shelter for the night. She refused them but later changed her mind and then went to search the world for the Kings and to deliver her gifts to children.

New Year's Traditions in Italy

Italians are no different than us in wanting to bring good luck in the new year.
1. Banish past bad luck - and old pans - Italian Style! Traditionally Italians, and particularly in southern Italy, have launched there celebrations on New Year's Eve...by throwing old pots, pans, clothes, appliances, even furniture out the window! It is meant to symbolize "letting go" of the past unhappiness and to prepare yourself for the future. However, most Italians HAVE abandoned the tradition, but if you happend to be in Southern Italy and especially Naples, on New Year's Eve, do watch your head!
2. Fire up the Yule Log one last time! Another tradition is to fire up the Christmas log on the last day of the year. Turns out, evil spirits don't like fire! It's also a gesture of invitation to the Virgin Mary, who can warm newborn Jesus next to the warm flames.
3. Wear red undies to ring in luck! Yep, that's right: Red underwear brings luck. This goes for men and women. So if you happen to be in Italy this time of the year that would explain all the red underthings hanging in the shop windows.
4. Eat the right dishes for a wealthy New Year! Just like in the US, the Italians like eating certain foods for good wealth. Different parts of the country do different things. Rice represents coins, lentils symbolizes wealth, and raisins represents good luck.
5. GIve treats to make the New Year sweet! To enjure a sweet new year, ancient Romans gave each other jars of dates and figs in honey, along with a bay branch for good fortune. This hasn't changed much, and today people exchange figs wrapped in laurel leaves.
6. Fireworks are huge! Fireworks and lots of noise also schare the bad spirits away. hmmm, maybe thats why we use noise makers..... So of course they have lots of firework displays throughout Italy! Practically every city, and many of Italy's towns put on a dazzling display!
Felice Anno Nuovo!!!!!

Kathy's Italy

The name of my tour company!!! I do small group tours, private tours, and itineraries!!! Check out my website

http://smallgrouptouritaly.com                                                            Kathy's Italy!!!!!!

  

Let's Start With Rome!

You will find Christmas celebrations all over Italy, but today I want to give you a feeling of what you could see, smell and touch if you go to Rome in December! #1 Piazza Navona Christmas Market: Romes largest piazza also holds the Rome's largest Christmas market. You will find several stands selling different nativity figures, toys, decorations, gifts, and all kinds of Christmas sweets! There is a merry-go-round and Father Christmas (also known as Babbo Natale) makes an appearance! A large nativity scene is erected in the piazza later in the month too! I love strolling through the piazza this time of the year! #2 Saint Peter's Square: A HUGE Christmas tree is erected each year next to the oblisk in the middle of the square. A life size nativity scene is built from scratch each year and not unveiled until Christmas Eve. The Pope says midnight mass inside St Peter's Basilica and it is shown on big screen TVs that are set up in the square. #3 Santa Maria Maggiore Christmas Crib: The nativity in Santa Maggiore is said the be the oldest permanent nativity scene. It is carved out of marble for the first Jubilee held in 1300. Below the altar in the church is a reliquary said to contain pieces of the original manger.  Who wouldn't want to see that? #4 Christmas Trees: Not generally a tradition, but becoming more popular is the Christmas Tree in Italy. Rome will usually erect one in Piazza Venezia and next to the Colosseum, and in the area in front of the Museums on the Capitoline Hill. Some shops, hotels, and restaurants display small trees usually decorated fairly simple, with just lights. I saw my first EVER black Christmas Tree in Rome!! Still don't know what I think about it!! This is the one thing I missed about Christmas in Italy was the lack of Christmas trees in every window like we have in the USA. #5 Roasted Chestnuts: Everywhere you walk you smell the amazing aroma of roasted chestnuts! Vendors are roasting and selling them on several street corners. There are roving musicians and Rome's main streets are decorated with lights! There is also a small Christmas market set up near Castel Sant'Angelo and an outdoor ice skating rink!

100 Nativity Scenes

November 25 - January 8 in Rome
A spectacular festive exhibition celebrating the scene of Christ's birth by incorporating more than 200 versions of the nativity scene, including cribs in a classical 17th-century Neapolitan style, Sicilian interpretations and contemporary creations. Expect to see cribs of coral, silver, glass, paper and more, and there is even a children's workshop where they make their own nativity figurines. The exhibition takes place in Rome's Sala del Bramante. For more information go to www.presepi.it

And the story continues...

I have not posted on my blog since we moved back to the states in December of 2006. The blog was a public diary telling about our daily life while we lived in Rome. I didn't really have any thing to add to the blog after moving home. But, now that I do group tours back to Italy and plan itineraries for travelers I thought I might start documenting these adventures again! I also plan on adding some of my favorite links that helps me stay connected to Italy when I am not there! So start checking out my blog again because there will be lots to report!
Ciao

My Days are Numbered...........

I don't know if all roads lead to Rome, but that's the road we took six months ago. Wait! Was it really that long ago that we came to live in Italy because of Stacey's job? To me, it seems only a few days ago. To Stacey it probably seems much longer. As one Italian told us, "American's live to work, but Italians work to LIVE!" To the Italians, work deadlines are just like traffic signs......only suggestions! So when Stacey mixed his "American deadlines" with the "Italian suggestions" it played out like a modern day gladiator game. Needless to say, our Italian experiences have been totally the opposite.
My daily schedule depended upon where Stacey was at any given moment. If he worked in Umbria, I spent my days wondering medieval hill-towns, taking pictures of churches, rows of cypress trees, vineyards, olive groves, villas, and farmhouses. If he worked in Naples, I would either take the ferry to the jet-setting island of Capri, or walk the dusty roads of Pompeii with Mt Vesuvius looming over my shoulder. Sometimes I would wait for him in Sorrento. This beautiful city, sometimes called the gateway to the Amalfi Coast, is wedged on a ledge under the mountains, and over the Mediterranean. It is spritzed by lemon and olive groves, and always seemed to whisper in my ear, "take another picture!" Sometimes I would follow him to Turin and we would spend the weekend touring some of the most famous vineyards in the world, and to the delight of my camera, sneak away to Stresa on Lake Maggiore. An area so beautiful, that Earnest Hemingway and Winston Churchill chose it for their honeymoon.
But most of my time was spent in Rome. Our main home was here, because of the central location for Stacey. I spent days trying to learn as much as I could about this magnificent and brutal city. I walked mile after mile, week after week, until all of the sudden, Rome felt comfortable to me. I became a different person. I woke up in Rome! I don't know if it was the combination of visual beauty, history, culture, or style, but the more I learned about Rome, the more I realized there was more I WANTED to learn. Each time I would peel back a layer, there would be more questions. I did research online in my hotel room, then I would grab my camera and set out to find the treasured spot. Never disappointed!
I understand why people come to Rome and write books about their experiences. The city changes you. It touches people on such a level, that you convince yourself, that your experience was different, and that you can somehow explain Rome in a new light. I will probably never write a book about my life in Rome, but it did change me.
I find myself talking with my hands more. Wanting to eat outside. Eating two hour lunches. Strolling, not powerwalking. I find myself being more conservative with my electricity, gasoline, and food intake. I don't watch T.V. I don't need ice in my drinks. There are no doggie bags, so you don't order tons of food. It is much better walking arm in arm with Stacey, rather then two feet in front of him. Although we never went to a movie over here, we will never again do "dinner AND a movie." We will take our time and do one or the other... and enjoy it.
The list could go on and on, but above all, the best discovery this past six months was my husband. Rome either makes you fall in love, or notice the one your in love with all over again! Italy and Rome, are all about people, and a way of life. I remembered why I wanted to come to Italy in the first place. It was to be with Stacey. Wanting me to take time away from work, to come with him was one of the most loving and unselfish things he could have done for me. Our Italian way of life has been good for us. In between our long dinners, talks, walks, and adventures, we have planned the next fourty five years of our lives. We only hope that we can get it all done by the time we are ninty five!
This is my last post on the blog. We are coming home on Friday. Thanks to everyone for sharing the adventure with us. Your comments were so much fun to read, and somehow made me feel closer to home. I hope everyone of you will somehow get a chance to do something like this someday. Don't be afraid to do it! Arrivederci!