Santa Maria Novella Area in Florence, Italy as Home Base

I'm blushing and excited right now - I won one of the categories of a travel article-writing contest on ArtTrav.com. The article is called Santa Maria Novella Area in Florence as Home Base.

It appears that my choice of angles for this article was a bit of a surprise for the folks at ArtTrav, since the area of Florence, Italy that I wrote about is not one of the more popular or glamorous areas. But, if you are able to appreciate strategic placement for a traveler among the jewel-box treasures that make up Florence, you might be inclined to consider the path that I mention in this article.

If you read the article, I hope you'll leave your comments. Also, I can highly recommend the entire ArtTrav website - they have an entertaining and refreshing perspective on Italy, and the way art is a way of life there.

Thanks!

Florence's Piazza Duomo is Now Pedestrian-Only

This is interesting news coming from the folks at Arttrav - Piazza Duomo in Florence is now pedestrian-only. No more cars. No more Vespas. No more wondering if your travel insurance will cover that sprained ankle from dodging a taxi on the cobblestone streets in front of the baptistry.
It may affect tourists' ability to be dropped off with their luggage right in front of their hotel in this piazza. But once those tourists are checked-in, they will have a much more serene sight-seeing experience.

For more info on the closing of Florence's Piazza Duomo to vehicle traffic, as well as great photos (arttrav is a great resource for current photos of Italy), check out the entire article.

Please Help the Expats in Italy Website and Forum!

Everyone,

If you are thinking of living in Italy one day, or are lucky enough to have already moved or lived there from anywhere else in the world, you may be familiar with the spectacularly helpful website and forum, Expats in Italy.

As a passionate Italophile still trying to find a way to move my family's life over there, I have found this website to be extraordinarily valuable. By the number of people who participate in the forum, I have a lot of company.

However, a forum this huge and useful requires a tremendous amount of resources to maintain. If you're a fan like I am, and have used (or plan to use) their vast storehouse of information on moving to and living in Italy, I urge you to support this website.

The support that is needed is not only donations and memberships, but also your respectful and enthusiastic participation. Become part of the passionate and fun community at Expats in Italy. Please reach out and pledge your support today.

Italian Language Study Recommendation: Acquerello Italiano

I received my latest packet from Acquerello Italiano - Audio CDs last Friday. This is, by far, my favorite way to study Italian.

Each time Acquerello Italiano creates an edition of this innovative subscription, they use native Italian speakers doing audio news stories about current events and cultural information. I opted in to get all of the bells and whistles - the audio CD, the word-for-word written transcript booklet of the CD (which includes definitions of current phrases that Italians use), the pre-listening exercises, and the audio flash cards CD that brings together the Italian and English versions of all of the current phrases and slang from the main CD in one easy-to-study tool.

I can listen to the CDs over and over in my car, using my commute time in a constructive way. I can play the CDs on my lunch hour and follow along with the word-for-word guide so that I can see the words - I personally retain the new information better when I can see it as well as hear it. Using the Acquerello Italiano CDs and guides, I almost feel like I am listening to the news in Milano. Also, it is a much better way to listen to real Italians talking about subjects that they are talking about right now, without trying to stream video or audio through an internet connection, which can be slow and take up lots of bandwidth for anyone else trying to use my network at the same time.

The packet I received last Friday is the last one from my original subscription, but I can't let this one lapse - it is far too entertaining and educational. Acquerello Italiano has moved my Italian Language study ahead faster than anything else I have tried. It is information that I can use now to help me read other Italian texts like the Corriere della Sera newspaper, since the new phrases I am learning are being used in news stories that are happening now.

Learn by listening - learn by doing.
Treat yourself to the gift of audio immersion from the comfort of home.
Subscribe to Acquerello Italiano at your first opportunity.

Prosciutto, Parmiggiano, Balsamico – Italian Gourmet Treasures from Emilia–Romangna, Italy

A non-Italian person aspiring to be an Italian Gourmet spends a significant amount of time learning about the foods, flavors and cooking techniques of particular regions of Italy. As you study this appetizing topic, you might be surprised at the regional groupings of famous foods.

These days, most Americans have at least heard of prosciutto, Parmiggiano-Reggiano (or it’s domestic nickname, “parmesan” cheese), and balsamic vinegar. But, did you know that that the most famous renditions of these traditional foods all come from the same region?

That region is Emilia-Romangna. You may not have heard of the region by its proper name, but Emilia-Romangna is famous for the university town of Bologna and for its food capitals of Parma and Modena.

Like so many European foods, products that are made from local ingredients and prepared in a particular style tend to have names that reflect where they are from.

For instance:

Parmiggiano-Reggiano – the king of cheeses. Parmiggiano-Reggiano is made in Parma from local cow’s milk, using a traditional method. Wheels of authentic Parmiggiano-Reggiano are stamped with an identifiable brand on the outside of the rind. Only authentic Parmiggiano-Reggiano is allowed to call itself by that name – everything else is “parmesan”. The most accessible Parmiggiano-Reggiano available in the states is aged just over a year. But if you can find some that is aged two to three years or more, you should be prepared to focus on this treasured cheese while you eat it and allow time for savoring.

Prosciutto di Parma – the legendary dry-cured ham that is only made in Parma. Prosciutto di Parma is referred to as a “prosciutto crudo”, meaning “ham un-cooked”. “Prosciutto cotto” is cooked ham. There are other regions in Italy that make prosciutto crudo. For instance, Prosciutto di San Daniele is made in an Italian region farther north and Prosciutto Toscano is made in Tuscany. Each prosciutto crudo tastes different because local pigs are used, the local pigs only eat local feed, and only local, traditional seasonings are used.

Balsamic Vinegar – the thick, sweet/tangy Italian condiment that Italians use in so much more than salads. True balsamic vinegar – Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena – is made from the syrup of sweet wine grapes and aged a minimum of 12 years. You may at first be amused by the tiny bottles that traditional balsamic vinegar comes in, until you realize how long it takes to make and how precious and mind-blowing the end result really is.

If you are trying to create an authentic Italian gourmet experience for an Italy-lover in your life, and they say they love “prosciutto and Parmiggiano”, look for the products that are made in Emilia-Romangna:
Prosciutto di Parma, Parmiggiano-Reggiano, and Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena. Add some rustic bread and a glass of wine, if you like, and you can almost feel the lush Italian breeze.

Italian Gourmet: Learn to Make Italian Meals or Send the Right Italian Gift Basket to the Italy Fan in Your Life

In the United States, with its rich Italian-American culture, it can be difficult to distinguish between Italian-style meals, Italian-style food products, and Italian-American traditions that you might see on television and movies, and real Italian gourmet foods that are used in real Italian meal traditions.

The origins of Italian gourmet flavors, foods, and traditions are rooted in simplicity and natural availability. Italian cooks have always used the plants that grew where they lived and the animal products from the animals that thrived where they lived. Food has been – and still is – made by hand from local ingredients that are in season. Nowadays in the land of pre-processed foods that are available year-round, that can be considered “gourmet”. In fact, it is just the real Italian way.

If there is a person in your life that is a fan of Italy and pines for a taste of traditional Italian flavors in an Italian meal, there are ways to impress even if you have never set foot in Italy yourself.

The first consideration to please your fan of Italian cuisine is to determine what part of Italy they like best. Italy is made up of several regions, each with its own agriculture and traditions, that have only been unified as a country since the 1800s. Each region – such as Tuscany (the region that includes Florence and Siena), Lombardy (the region that includes Milan), Lazio (the region that includes Rome), or the Veneto (the region that includes Venice) – has its own food traditions based on the plants and animals that have been nurtured there in the past.

In the north, corn and rice are more plentiful than wheat. Therefore, they were more likely to use polenta or Arborio rice (risotto) than pasta in their meals. Beef is more plentiful in the regions in the center of Italy, such as Tuscany and Umbria. Garlic is used more in the foods from the regions of central and southern Italy (such as Rome and Naples) than in the north. Seafood is used primarily in the cuisines of seaside (and lakeside) towns, such as Venice, Como, Rimini, Cinque Terre, Sorrento, and Rome.

Learning which food types are typical of the city that your Italy fan loves, is a big step toward making a memorable Italian meal experience.

If your Italy fan is far away, or if she or he has more fun making their own Italian meals, an Italian gift basket is a very thoughtful gift. A basket that includes products made in Italy, or a gift of an aged balsamic vinegar or cheese imported from the region of their favorite Italy city would be cherished and well-used.

A little bit of research to find out the part of Italy that your loved one is missing is the ticket to re-creating the magic that they crave. Bravo and brava to all of you who wish to create the authentic Italian experience for the Italy fans in your life.

Cortona, Italy - Tuscan Sun Festival

Like so many Americani e Ingelsi, Cortona, Italy is idyllic to me.

It's romatic hilltop location, dreamy olive groves and vineyards, ristoranti incantevoli (charming restaurants), and ancient stone architecture lend themselves to fantasies of days that could be spent in the leisurely pursuit of nothing in particular.

I came across this article today from the intoscana.it website about the Tuscan Sun Festival in Cortona that is scheduled to happen tomorrow, August 7th. When I found it, I had to try to read it. My Italian is not yet up to the task to get every morsel out of the article, but my imagination could fill in the blanks. Besides, how interesting that famed actor Anthony Hopkins should be participating this year.

I hope you enjoy the article.
And, if you should be one of the obscenely lucky ones to be there, I hope you'll come back to this blog to tell me how wonderful the day was.

The Wines of the Province of Florence

I was having a nice chat at the 2009 Italian Style Expo at Navy Pier a couple weeks ago with a representative from the Camera di Commercio Firenze (Florence Chamber of Commerce). She had so many lovely features to show me about the offerings of the area, and I hope to show you each and every one. Of course, if I had my preference, I'd be showing you pictures and writing blog posts directly from Firenze on each tour and in each splendid accommodation, but you can't have everything, I guess.

One of things she gave to me at the end of our talk was a brochure called Wine in Florence: Discovering an "Ancient" Food. Upon reading it, it turns out that I didn't know as much about the wine of the province of Florence as I thought I did.

I turns out that there are only two DOCG (controlled and guaranteed designation of origin) wines from the province:

1. Chianti
2. Chianti Classico

There are five (5) DOC (controlled designation of origin) wines:

1. Bianco dell'empolese
2. Colli dell'Etruria centrale
3. Pomino
4. Vinsanto del Chianti
5. Vinsanto del Chianti Classico

And, three (3) IGT (typical geographical indication) wines:

1. Alta valle della Greve
2. Colli della Toscana centrale
3. Toscano o Toscana

I was under the impression that there were more from this region, but I must have been blending in some wines from the neighboring provinces. And, I must admit, I am not yet familiar with some of the DOC wines. I think getting to know these wines better sounds like a fun project for the last few weeks of summer.

In the meantime, if you are interested in more about the wines of the province of Florence (Firenze), or are interested in the most recent offerings of this glorious region, please visit the website of the Camera di Commercio Firenze . In the upper left of the home page you can select to view the site in English. I don't think the whole site is viewable in English yet, but you can certainly take advantage of what is available already. The rest will only help me improve my Italian language studies.

Enjoy!

Can I Ship Things to Italy for My Vacation?

When staring at the bulging suitcase to prepare for a trip to Italy – or even just staring at the huge packing list – it might cross your mind to ship some things to Italy so that you don’t need to schlep them on the plane with you.

It sounds easy enough, but it isn’t.
Depending on what is written on the customs form that you fill out when you mail your box to your Italian hotel or apartment, the Dogana (customs) will likely charge duty and customs fees.

One of the amusing idiosyncrasies of Italy is that it can be difficult to find a finite list of rules that can be followed or relied-upon for any part of the Italian Government bureaucracy. So, instead of hard-and-fast rules, I have a few observations about what usually happens when shipping items from the US to Italy:

* Items in boxes will usually get charged customs fees (typically equivalent to $20 - $30 per box). Items arriving in padded envelopes do not seem to incur fees as often.

* Items shipped via US Post Office incur fewer fees upon delivery in Italy than items shipped via Fedex, UPS, or other carriers.

* Packages shipped with a significant claimed value ($50 or more) will usually arrive with a duty tax that needs to be paid – sometimes upwards of 50% of the claimed value.

* All of these fees that I mentioned would need to be paid directly to the delivery person who brings your package to your door, and there is no negotiation about the amount of the fees.

* The classifications” on customs forms that seem least likely to incur these customs charges are Used Personal Items or Used Clothing. Since you are sending a box of items to Italy for your vacation, the contents of that box could quite likely be used personal items and/or clothing, so if the box gets opened, it should pass inspection.

* Always register and insure anything you send to Italy. Do not ship anything that is irreplaceable, if it can be avoided.

* When packages are shipped to Italy, the shipping containers may be “gassed” to kill any bugs. Make sure any food or medicine items you ship are well-protected in food storage bags or other lightweight storage containers.

Shipping can be slow. It can take 7 – 10 days for a small box to arrive and clear customs before it is delivered. If you have friends in Italy that can receive the package for you and cover any costs, that is a good plan to put in place. Alternately, services like American Express can sometimes receive packages for you if you are a member, and costs can easily be settled on your account with them.

The decision to ship items to Italy for vacation should not be made lightly, or at the last minute, if it can be avoided. But these days, with new baggage fees on the airlines and the hassle of carrying extra bags on planes and trains to get to your destination, the option of shipping things to Italy for vacation can be very attractive.

It's Not "Car-Pah-CHEE-oh", It's "Car-Pah-CHO"

When I travel to places other than Italy, I still like to occasionally try Italian-themed restaurants. However, I'm getting more and more resistant to the idea. Mostly because the people who work in Italian-themed restaurants tend not to know anything about the language, the cultures, or the cuisines of Italy - which together make the real magic. In fact, the mis-pronounced words and misunderstandings of what they are serving actually pinch harder, since I'm usually looking for a "feeling of Italy" when I go into an Italian restaurant.

I was in a restaurant today at a gorgeous resort in Las Vegas. The folks that worked there were wonderful as far as service, and the food was pretty close to authentic. They even had a little room lit with red light with hanging prosciutto di Parma and giant, beckoning wheels of Parmiggiano Reggiano. The menu boasted that the recipes were from some relative's personal collection. The menu did look like a cross between an authentic Emilia Romagna or Lombardia menu, and the kitchen is clearly trying to duplicate the experience, albight with US domestic ingredients.

I was hopeful. However, when I asked for Carpaccio "Car-PAH-cho", my very kind server had to verify what I had asked for with a mis-pronounced "Car-PAH-chee-oh?" Aargh. Sure - "car-pah-chee-oh". The carpaccio itself was quite good and near authentic, but I could not shut out the background requests from other guests for "min-eh-strohn" and "bru-sheh-tuh". Seriously - the little daggers of the corruption of a beautiful language in an environment where it should be protected from harm almost spoiled my dinner.

Then, at the end of my meal, ordering a shot of espresso, and being asked if I would rather have a cappucino. No, I really do just want a shot of espresso. I resisted the compulsion to explain to him why a person looking for a semi-authentic Italian restaurant experience would turn down a cappucino at 7:30 pm. He did a good job working the espresso machine, though. It was a soothing end to a truly delicious meal.

It's not the fault of the patrons, who had the good taste to wander in to the restaurant in the first place. But I can't let the operators of the establishment off the hook - if they are building a reputation on "Nonna's Recipes", then they should coach their staff a little more thoroughly - don't you think?

What Everyday Items Should I Bring on My Vacation in an Italian Apartment?

You’re looking at your packing list, and then over at your suitcase, and wondering if you should just plan to buy some of your everyday items when you get there. That plan certainly makes the Italian vacation experience more authentic, as long as you’re comfortable reading labels in Italian. Imagine pointing to what you need in an Italian phrase book while you look pleadingly at the grocery clerk in the store around the corner from your apartment. It’s a dicey plan, but it can be done.

Here are a few nuggets of advice about what you’ll want to make room for in that suitcase:

OTC medicine and vitamin supplements
You’ll find aspirin over there, but not Tylenol or Advil or any of the other popular pain reliever types that we can so easily find in the US. If you rely on Tylenol or Advil – this goes for the baby versions, too – pack enough for the trip, just in case. Cold medicines can also be rare, so if you catch colds easily when you travel, pack your favorite American kind.
If you suffer from allergies, you can get Claritin, but the Claritin with decongestant hasn’t made it over there yet.
If you want to take your chances and make do with whatever OTC medicine and supplements you can find over there, also be aware that you’ll pay a significant percentage more for those items in Italy.

Cosmetics and Toiletries
Of course you can find a vast world of cosmetics and toiletries in Italy – and the prestige of buying them in Europe is fabulous. However, you can expect to pay 20% or more above the price you would pay for the exact same items in the US. I understand why this would be confusing – why is Italian make-up more expensive in Italy than in the US? I don’t have an answer for that one. I also cannot confirm that the formulas used in the US vs. Italian versions of the same products are identical. But, if you already like using a European product that you can buy in the US, you should probably just bring that product with you to Italy, unless you really want the packaging in Italian. That is kind of cool, actually.

Children’s Clothes, Toys, Diapers, and Formula
The advice here is to bring what you need. What you find in the stores will not be the same type of products you’re used to and they will be more expensive overall. Sure, that can of formula and mega-pack of diapers take up a lot of space in the suitcase, but they make great placeholders for souvenirs on the way home.

If Taller Than 5’6”, or wear Larger Than Men’s Size M or Misses Size 10, Bring All of the Clothes You’ll Need for the Trip
The clothing sizes available in Italy are not as broad a range as in the US. “Tall” is about 5’8”, and the highest Plus Size will go in the stores is roughly misses size 14. If you fall outside of those measurements, it will be difficult to find clothing to supplement your wardrobe. As a tall (over 6 feet), plus-sized woman, I have actually found some pieces in outdoor markets, coming in from Asia but with distinctly European style. You never know what surprises you’ll find while you’re there, but don’t count on being able to find longer and larger sizes in clothes.

Bring Appliances that Can Handle Dual-voltage
If your everyday appliances were manufactured to switch between the world’s most common voltages, then all you’ll need to bring is an adapter. The converter that works with an adapter to power your single voltage American appliances can be really heavy. Bring the curling iron that can switch from 110 to 220, and just use the adapter (make sure you switch the voltage before you plug it in, though!).
If you think you’ll need computer or printer power, though, bring the power converter. You might even want to invest in a laptop power cord when you arrive in Italy, if you’ll be staying long enough or if you think you’ll return.

Between the Euro exchange rate that is not in our favor and the cultural differences in products that are available to buy, travelers to Italy might find themselves packing more that they thought they’d have to just to be comfortable on vacation. But, spending your hard-earned money on fun things instead of necessities, and a little comfort from home go a long way toward being able to relax and fully enjoy your time in Italy.

What Should I Bring on My Vacation in an Italian Apartment?

You’re really looking forward to your vacation in an Italian apartment, and you’re making your packing list so that you don’t forget anything. You’re dreaming of being able to shop at the outdoor markets and finally having a kitchen so you can cook. The freedom of being able to buy your own fresh Italian ingredients and cook them in a way that you like, and serve them at your own table at your convenience is an experience not to be missed – I’m sure you agree.

But, if this is your first time embarking on the Italian apartment experience, there are a few items that you may be used to having around your apartment kitchen that you won’t find over there.

Since you have your packing list handy, check out this list of items just in case there is anything you can’t live without:

Resealable food storage bags and plastic storage containers
Plastic baggies are starting to become more widely available, but they are usually the type that require a twist-tie at the top. Plastic storage containers are still really hard to come by. If you’re wondering why food storage containers are hard to find, one reason might be that Italy is really not a “left-over” nation. If they cook dinner in a pot, they might put the pot with leftovers into the refrigerator and eat them the next day. Or, leftovers might be put into a bowl or onto a plate, covered with foil, and put into the refrigerator. You certainly won’t have leftovers from restaurants – they don’t do doggie bags over there, and you will get an odd look from your cameriere (waiter) if you ask.
So, when I go to Italy, I usually pack a few different sizes of resealable storage bags and put some of my food items in plastic containers, so I’ll have them to use in the kitchen while I’m there.

Candy and Snacks for Travelers with Allergies
After reading hundreds of labels on candy and chocolate packages in Italy and imported from Italy, I have noted a trend: almost all Italian snack foods have been manufactured in the same facility and usually on the same equipment as some of our most prevalent allergens. Nuts, in particular, seem to pop up on most labels. If you need to be vigilant about allergens such as nuts, wheat, and dairy, bringing your own snack food is the easiest way to be safe.

Spices that are Not Typically Italian
Only recently have flavors and spices from non-Italian countries started making their way onto grocery store shelves in Italy. So, if you can’t live without certain flavors from home – or if you’re planning to cook for some Italian friends while you’re there – you may need to bring a few supplies for the spice cabinet.
Chili powder is one thing I can’t find. Brown sugar, as we know it, does not exist in Italy. When I decided to make ribs for my Italian friends in my rental apartment, I had an Italian friend research the different ingredients in the dry rub for me, and I found that very few items were available there. So, I had to make the rub mix at home and bring it to Italy in bags in my suitcase. Of course, the suitcase got delayed a day back in the US (not sure if it was the storage bags full of aromatic spices or not), so carry open spices only if you really need them. Taco seasoning and guacamole mix, if you have favorites, are easy to bring over in packets.

Other items that You Can’t Find in Italy (or Don’t Taste the Same at ALL)
- Cake mixes, cookie mixes, instant pudding mixesSplenda
- Regular baking powder (you can typically find vanilla flavored baking powder, but it isn’t exactly the same)
- Vanilla extract
- Peanut butter (they have peanut butter now, but the taste will not remind you of home)

Having a kitchen at your disposal on your Italian vacation will be exciting and enjoyable. Bringing a few extra kitchen comfort items will make it even more relaxing and satisfying.
Enjoy tweaking that Italy trip packing list, and HAVE FUN!

What Websites Should I Use to Find an Apartment in Italy?

Shopping for a vacation rental apartment in Italy has never been so easy. The selection ranges from “I know a guy” websites that offer direct contact with property owners, all the way through management companies that offer reliably comfortable properties for the luxury traveler. To make the most of your time spent shopping for Italian short-term rental apartments, you really need to know your priorities.

I am an independent international traveler; comfortable interacting with people who do not speak fluent English and would like to live like the Italians: Homelidays.com.
Homelidays.com is a website that offers renters the ability to shop for various rental accommodations by location, by price range, and many other parameters. The Homelidays website has a distinctly European feel, but the descriptions and terminology they use translates easily into English. You will find that most of the reviews written about the properties on the site are from non-English speaking customers. As far as pricing and availability, this is a really good thing. The mostly European clientele keeps the prices down and keeps standards very European (meaning unique and culturally authentic). The information provided on each rental property is written by the owners, and reservations are made directly with owners through an internet message system on the Homelidays site. Don’t worry during the apartment-finding process if you don’t speak Italian – the Homelidays messaging system translates messages between languages.

However, you will need to be able to communicate once you arrive at your apartment. So, you might want to prepare a list of questions to ask through the Homelidays messaging ahead of time. You could also use a free translation website to generate a list of specific questions (such as: Where is the closest tram stop? Is there a grocery store nearby that is open on Sundays? Where can I find baby formula nearby?). Chances are very good that your apartment landlord will have information in a binder ready for guests with all of this information handy when you arrive. The list of specific questions in Italian will assure that the landlord can point you in the right direction for your particular needs as soon as you get there.

One other tip, when using self-catering apartments in Italy (and probably everywhere else, too): Since you are renting directly from property owners, and not a property management company that employs people who can be available whenever you arrive, you will want to be careful to arrive and depart when the landlord has specified. Make sure that you know what the landlord’s timing is for being available to greet you and show you around. If you know when your flight or your train is expected to arrive, mention that to your potential landlord. Please don’t treat your Italian landlord like the cable company treats you – don’t make her wait between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm for you to arrive with no idea when you expect to be there.


I prefer to rent an apartment that has been reviewed and approved by an American travel expert, who knows what comforts and amenities an American traveler usually expects: InItaly.com
InItaly.com is one of my favorite sources of information about places to stay in Italy. I could devote an entire article to their website, and still not come close to explaining the valuable information you can find there about Italy travel accommodations.
It is a site run by a group of people that are certified travel agents, and they make special arrangements with properties in Italy that they pass along to their guests. Each property that is available on their site has been stayed-in by their staff. That staff then writes a tremendous amount of information about each place so you know exactly what to expect when you arrive.

Renting an apartment through InItaly.com is simple, friendly, and professional. Overall, the cost for a rental will be a bit more than from Homelidays.com because it is like using a travel agent. Of course, if you indulge in the rich tapestry of information they provide before you ever even begin to rent an Italian apartment, you’ll probably be delighted to pay a bit more just for all of the value that they provide.

Take some time to read through the reviews of each property – they can be insightful about the times of year that you are thinking of traveling to each place. InItaly.com also has great pages about what to do and what to see while you’re there. You’ll want to set aside lots of time to peruse their site for all of the features that they have added over the many years that they have provided this service.


I prefer to stay in a luxury apartment that has hotel-like cleaning service, so that I can relax and be better rested during my stay: Halldis.com.
Halldis.com is an apartment rental agency specializing in some major European business centers, including the major cities of Italy. They offer serviced apartments, which have all of the furnishings of a well-appointed apartment, but also the cleaning and linen services of a hotel.

Their selection of apartments is quite broad, and the pictures demonstrate the high standards of decoration and comfort that you can expect from every property. Unlike self-catering apartment rental pricing (renting direct from owners at whatever price they choose), the pricing at a site like Halldis.com is more standardized. They do offer specials, but customers can expect prices to remain in the luxury business travel range.

The service at Halldis is prompt, professional, and very accommodating to guests – both while shopping for an apartment and during the stay. Because they are a company that manages the properties, their availability by phone and e-mail is reliable during business hours. Reservations have clear, fully-disclosed and standardized rules, which can be a comfort to travelers who are uneasy with cultural differences in Italian business transactions. There is also almost no language barrier for travelers that only speak English (or, at least, do not speak Italian).

All three of these sites offer calendars of availability, but reservations must be made via internet messaging forms that are part of the websites. As of yet, apartment reservations cannot be made through these sites just by entering dates and clicking on a room type like booking a hotel room.

Depending on what type of Italian vacation apartment experience you want, and how much you have budgeted to spend for lodging, there are many sites across the spectrum of Italy apartment rental sites that might work for you. These three have worked for me, personally, and I am happy to recommend them for your Italy travels, too.

Renting Apartments in Italy – Points to Consider: Appliances

When considering rental apartments in Italy, there is one thing that you may not think to find out ahead of time: how many appliances can I run at the same time?

Here in the US, this question seldom comes up. We run the clothes washer, clothes dryer, the iron, all five TVs, and the air conditioning, while we style our hair with a hair dryer and let the curling iron heat up at the same time as a way of life. In Italy, though, even most high-end apartments cannot have more than two or three major electrical appliances working at a time without blowing a fuse.

You’ll need to do a little planning to make sure you keep your electricity on and keep your landlord happy. Electrical multitasking has to be limited in Italy. Don’t let it frustrate you – plan ahead and go Italian.

If there is a fan over your Italian stove, but you also have a window in the kitchen – open the window when you can so you can also listen to the TV while you cook. You may want to finish drying your hair before starting the washing machine, to make sure your clothes don’t get trapped inside because a fuse blew due to too much demand on the electricity.

Keep in mind, also, that most appliances in Italy run on electricity. Imagine how difficult it would be to run gas lines underground through all of those ancient ruins. There is no way Italy would allow their history and precious landscape to be torn up to lay endless gas pipes like we have done in the US. Many of the appliances that could use gas (clothes dryer, stove, etc.) probably will not use gas in your Italian rental apartment. Any appliances designed to use gas – like stoves - might use small gas containers called “bombole” (see the photo to the left for one way bombole might be installed in a home). One gas container is a “bombola”. The principle behind using a bombola is similar to using a propane tank on a gas barbeque grill. Be careful with bombole if you must use them in your Italian apartment – they are known to leak. So listen to the directions and advice of your landlord to make sure you know how to use it properly.

This limited access to cooking and heating gas also explains (partially) why clothes dryers are so rare. If you do have the luxury of a clothes dryer, it will probably be electric and it will probably be the same machine as the clothes washer (yes, it washes then dries the clothes in one machine, but it takes forever). Electricity is expensive, so most Italians would rather hang their clothes to dry than “waste” money on an electric drying appliance. The other part of the reason for air-drying clothes is cultural, and more appropriate for a different article.

With the right mindset (an Italian vacation mindset) and a little planning in each day of your stay, you’ll have the power and the access to the appliances that you need. Feel free to ask the apartment owners ahead of time how many appliances can be run at a time. You will be glad you did.

Renting Apartments in Italy – Points to Consider: Layout

Just as important as the location of a rental apartment, is the layout of the apartment – especially if you’re traveling with children.

The entrance: Historic buildings have a tendency to have old doors with antiquated locking mechanisms. These historic door handles and locks are just as fascinating to the little ones as they are to grown-ups – except that they can also be an irresistible challenge to those little hands.

When considering floor plans of potential apartments, I prefer to select an apartment with my child’s bedroom (or the space in which he will likely sleep – bedroom or not) in the back of the apartment for a few reasons:
- If he wakes up in the middle of the night and decides to try to open the fancy door, he will have to get past my husband and me on the way to that door. Extra steps and adults on the way to the door can be a deterrent.
- There tends to be less noise in the back of the apartment – not always, but usually. So, if the adults would like to stay up to discuss the day’s events, do a little laundry, and plan for the next day, the child can be safely tucked away in the back of the apartment (hopefully) getting some sleep.
- If you have any company over, guests can come and go through the front door, and not have to walk and talk past the room of the sleeping child. A tangent to this is that the child’s toys can be stowed in the back room, out of view (Bonus!).

When considering floor plans of potential apartments, pay close attention to the photographs – is there enough furniture for your group?
It can seem like an odd question, but rental apartments in Italy that are owned by everyday people with everyday budgets tend not to be generously furnished. It is common to find one open living area with a loveseat (two-person small couch) and maybe one wooden chair pointed toward a television. You will also see three-person sofas which are usually IKEA-style hide-a-beds – beautiful to look at, but with thin cushions and sometimes fragile framework. Look carefully at the pictures and count the number of spots for people to sit during waking hours. Everyone in your group will want to have a soft place to land and chat after a fun day of sight-seeing.

While you’re at it, check the number of chairs at the kitchen table or dining table – is there room for everyone? What fun is it to be able to shop at the markets and come back to the apartment to cook, if everyone can’t sit at the table?

Keep a close eye on the configuration of the beds, too. Beds that are referred to as “double” are close to the American bed size referred to as “full”. Is that big enough for you and your significant other? Sometimes an ad for an apartment will say that there are two single beds that can be pushed together. That configuration can sometimes buy you a little extra sleeping surface, but the sheets can be a problem. Don’t plan on those “single” beds to be standard American “twin-size” beds, either. They will be shorter and narrower.
While you’re thinking about the beds in the apartment, though, some attitude adjustment will probably be necessary. As a woman who is over six-feet-tall, I can understand the dread of knowing that I won’t fit properly on an Italian mattress. But it’s all in how you look at it. I will be staying in an apartment in Italy; living like the Italians do (sort of). How great is that? It’s fine with me if my feet and elbows hang off the sides a little – at least I’m in Italy. Expect it, plan for it, and go in with a good attitude about it.

In somma (in summary), when shopping for a rental apartment in Italy, think about:
1) Ways to ensure the safety of the most vulnerable members of your traveling group
2) The comfort of your group during waking hours
3) The comfort of your group during sleeping hours

Pay close attention to the photos on the Italy apartment rental sites and to the specific terms used in the apartment descriptions – you’ll find more information than you think, and you’ll make a more informed choice. I’ll have more points to consider about Italian rental apartment layouts in the next installment of this series.

Renting Apartments in Italy - General Points to Consider

I am determined to get back to Italy this fall.
I'll get there somehow (personal finances and time off from work can all be worked out), but in the meantime, I'd rather think about shopping for just the right apartment rental for the trip.
There are the main considerations:

• In what city will we spend most of our time?
• Will we be renting a car? If so, what is the parking situation?
• How close is the apartment to local businesses and public transportation?
• Do we want to be in the middle of it all, or away from it all?

I have gone through the Italian apartment search enough times to have a good idea what our family's priorities are, but this trip will be a little different. I'm looking forward to going through the logic of the perfect Italian vacation apartment hunt in upcoming posts.

Pero, Ho Qualche Domande

Watched the RAInternational - or RAIUSA, as they now call it - broadcast again this morning. Basked in the beautiful Italian language with my Webster's New World Italian Dictionary at my side, as usual. Like so many others studying Italian, the strongest aspects of my skill at this point are nouns and adjectives. When trying to express myself in Italian, I mostly just utter nouns and point emphatically like a cavewoman, since my command of verb conjugation is miserable. Of course, like a typical American, I also have a varied library of expressions that sound like I know what's going on: Ottimo! (Great!) Davvero? (Really?) Certo. (Of course.) These just usually get me in trouble when Italians start off in a stream of regular conversation that I can not yet follow.
Still avoiding any meaningful focus on verbs that would allow my language skills to jump forward exponentially, I instead prefer to obsess over the sentence connectors (conjunctions, for the most part) that they use most often. The word "quindi", for instance. I hear it all the time. Turns out, it means, "therefore, so, or then".
The word "qualche" also pops up alot. Qualche means "a few".
With words like these that come up in my own speech patterns so often, it is amazing that I wasn't able to determine their definition in context (since I can, at least, figure out what they're talking about from the nouns).
Then there is my favorite: "pero". The o should have a small \ over it, but I can't get my blog to make that letter. "Pero", with the emphasis on the last syllable, means "yet, but, nevertheless, so". I can't seem to commit it to memory, and I look it up every single week.
As frustrated as I am with my inability to string whole sentences together in an appropriate tense, I still get a great deal of enjoyment out of sitting in front of my cable TV with my dictionary. Someday, when understanding Italian conversations is not so hard for me, I think I will still smile at the long and odd journey I took to get there.

Watching Movies for the Italian Scenery

I had the opportunity to watch the movie Angels and Demons this weekend. Of course, I read the book years ago, and am a big fan of the mental imagery Dan Brown conjured with his writing. The movie is a feast for the Italophile's eye, as well. Sure, I was drawn in by the suspense, by Tom Hanks' compelling performance, and by the thought of being in the presence of the treasures of the Vatican archive. But, the scenery is what made me sigh. I miss that country deeply. When I'm not in Italy, I'm thinking about Italy.
I'd watch that movie again for the story, but I'm just as likely to watch it on cable with the sound off, to wish and to dream.
I can't be the only one...

Missing Rosolio di Mandarino

Often, at the end of a particularly productive or difficult day, my husband and I indulge in a sip of some treasured Italian liquour. We were honored at my husband's last business trip overseas to receive a gift of Mirto di Sardegna, a strong berry liquour. Our best friends in Milano like to vacation in Sardegna (Sardinia) each summer, so Mirto is a favorite of theirs that brings back good memories of those precious weeks each year when they can relax. We adore the Mirto too, and the bottle that they gave to us this past March is the best brand (Bresca Dorada) that we have ever tasted.

What we continue to miss, though, is an orange liquour that we acquired back in 2004 when these same friends drove us up to a gloriously beautiful abbey north of Milano, near Lake Como. The abbey was Abbazia di Piona, and the monks that live there are able to support themselves entirely by selling what they make (food and art), and take no money from the Vatican. On that trip, we came away with a bottle of Rosolio di Mandarino - mandarin orange-flavored liquour - and a large print of a photo of the abbey and its inspiringly-beautiful grounds. We had that print framed and it hangs in our home, continuing to bestow its beauty on our everyday lives.

These days, years later, the empty bottle of Rosolio di Mandarino also has a place of honor in our home. I think we keep it around mostly so that we can continue to look for it, just in case we find someone here in the states that can help us get some. Anyone who is a fan of bottle art would enjoy its design, too. The label and cap are elaborately decorated in an old-world style. If the appearance of a bottle of liquor could be described as romantic and historically European, I think that would come close to how this bottle looks to me.

Because the taste was so amazing - sweet without being cloying, vibrant orange yet sophisticated - and its origin so rare, I have a feeling that we will just have to plan on our next trip to Milano to make the trek up the mountainside to L'Abbazia di Piona and purchase a case to be shipped back home. It would be worth it.

http://www.terraincielo.it/monasteri/3923.php - Abbazia di Piona

Why Does RAI Always Show Historical Movies?

It's Sunday. We call it "Italian Day" in our house, because our local Comcast cable provider broadcasts six straight hours of RAInternational programming direct from Italy. 7:00 am to 1:00 pm every Sunday I can immerse myself in Italian language, culture, cuisine, and whatever else they dig up to show us Italy-hungry Americans.
We discovered this broadcast in 2001, so we've been making Sunday morning Italian television a high priority in our household for a while, and I have observed several trends in what they choose to show to the American audience.
The trend that forces my analysis is that, when RAInternational includes a film in their programming, it is almost always historical, dark, and depressing. Sure, every once in a while they'll include a light-hearted soap like "Capri" or a cute mini-series like "Il Padre Quasi Perfetto". But, the rule is that they choose to show sad movies, often taking place around either the time of the unification of Italy or the time of WWII.
If RAInternational seeks to broaden its American audience (not sure that they are, but let's just assume that they as a company are capitalistic in nature), why all the sturm and drang?
Trying to be completely fair about it, I have to wonder if it is an attempt to keep the memory of Italy's hardship of the last 150 years fresh in the minds of Italy's expatriates and other interested parties. Is it possible that Italians and Italian-Americans are also hard-wired to appreciate hardship movies? I really don't know.
As a student of Italy, I have a working knowledge of the main events that the country has gone through to arrive at today. I'm not sure I need to watch actors recreate that horror and misery of it week after week to "appreciate it more". As a result, I typically use movie time to get other things done around the house.
Wish there was someone I could ask to find out what about this type movie is so important to broadcast, at the risk of depressing their viewers each week.

A Dose of Reality - ExpatTalk.com

My favorite Italy information forum is at http://www.expattalk.com/. It is the forum attached to an amazing website for Expats in Italy, in particular. There is nothing like reading the dialog between people who have already moved there, and who are slogging through Italy's particular challenges each day.
My husband and I have wanted to move our lives there since we were married. Most days, we still do. But each day and each time I lurk on the ExpatTalk.com forums, I seem to put new conditions on that wish. Many of those conditions fall under the heading of wanting to be insanely wealthy before we move, since even folks with great credentials, experience, and connections never seem to get truly "comfortable" (in the financial sense of the word). We're definitely not wealthy (by American standards), but we're still trying - both the earning it kind of trying and the winning it in the lottery kind of trying. The desire for that kind of wealth is really grounded in Italy's sky-high unemployment rate. If we move, we need to be able to support our family.
The other umbrella topic that is of great concern is the bureaucracy - we complain over here about, for instance, standing in line for one hour at the DMV and needing to provide identification (the forms of which have always been well-defined and are not negotiable) . Those of you who know what the Italian bureaucracy is like, understand that the American version of being "inconvenienced by government" is ridiculously laughable compared to what the Italians deal with every day. You have not jumped through hoops, been given random and changeable "rules", or really been inconvenienced until you've had to apply for anything over there. I'm not sure I have that kind of patience.
Clearly, I have a lot of attitude adjustment to do before I get anywhere close to moving.

Prassi = Normal Procedure

As rule-oriented as I am, it's kind of funny that it has taken me 9 years of (admittedly intermittent) Italian lanugage study to run across this word in my Webster's New World Italian English Dictionary: prassi. It apparently means "normal procedure".
It sums me up in a way that is both comfortably reassuring and mildly unsettling.
I battle each day in my job to be completely reliable and consistent, above reproach, but my outside-of-work commitments don't always get the same treatment. Such as my on-and-off dedication to learning the Italian language...or my workout routine so that I could actually shop in those Milanese and Fiorentino designer shops...or my sputtering drive to become an internet entreprenuer.
Prassi. I should apply it just as evenly to the things in my life that matter to me besides my regular paycheck.

Thinking Italy...and Finally Writing it All Down

After ten years of relentlessly pursuing any information I can find on current Italian life, I am finally live with the Thinking Italy website. We have recently returned from our 6th trip to Italy as a family, and things are really starting to click for me. Culturally and logistically, I’m trying to figure out how things work there so I can blend in better when we’re there. We have the extraordinary benefit of having some great friends who are native to Italy, and who still live in Milan and Rome. You would think that that lucky circumstance would make learning about Italy very simple. But Italy is far from simple, even when lifelong friends with fluent English skills are explaining it to you. As I figure things out, and then after I am corrected by my Italian friends after I think I have things figured out, I will record as much as I can here.