Susan in Italy

[susaninitaly]

Television licensing in Italy

If you own a television or any equipment on which you can watch television you have to pay an annual licence fee automatically charged to your electric bill and costing over EUR100 a year. 

This fee is paid to the Italian public service broadcaster (RAI). RAI is not like PBS but just like a normal television station and this license is obligatory. 

The licensing fee is automatically charged to everyone. To avoid the fee, you can pay your accountant to contest the charge or fill out an annual form and send it to the government via registered mail. 

If you forget, you will pay the annual fee.

The law was introduced in 1923 and so it is unclear if owning a smart phone on which you could potentially watch television would make you subject to this fee. 

The television fee is just an example of the many additional taxes imposed in Italy.

[susaninitaly]

Everything is coming up apricot

Apricot is go-to flavor for Italians. While in the US, most fruit flavored medicine is cherry, Italian fruit flavored medicine is almost always apricot. If you get your morning croissant filled with jam, it will inevitably be apricot jam. There are many different brands of apricot candies.

I’ve never been able to figure out where this preference comes from. Are apricots in Italy so good that Italians want to taste apricot all year long? Americans definitely have a preference for red fruits- strawberry, cherry and grape are all common flavors. There are studies about why people prefer red fruits because the red means ripeness. But in Italy you can enjoy apricot everywhere you go.

[susaninitaly]

Drinking from the fountains of Rome

Rome has over 3000 fountains, more than any other city in the world. While many of the fountains are just for decoration- the majority of the fountains in the city bring drinking water to the people. One of the reasons for the success of Rome were the acquaducts which brought water to people throughout the city and allowed the city to grow beyond the banks of the Tiber river. 

Rome tradtionally had 9 acquducts. The acquaducts fell into disrepair after the fall of Rome but in 1453 Pope Nicholas began to rebuild the Acqua Vergine. 

Since the water drops only 7 meters over 13 kilometers, this provided enough pressure for the water to trickle consistently from the fountains. To change this effect, the Trevi Fountain was sun into the ground so that the cascade of water churns and tumbles to add drama to the statues of the fountain. 

There are still over 2,500 drinking fountains in the city made of cast iron and called “nasone” or big nose. The water is fresh spring water, cold and safe for drinking. 

[susaninitaly]

Visiting Sicily

Here are my suggestions for visiting Catania, Taormina, the cyclops riviera and Stromboli

Fly into Catania (Catania is a beautiful baroque city and definitely worth visiting)

You can rent a car from the Catania airport- tends to be very inexpensive

Catania is very close to the volcano Etna, the area around Etna is very famous for wines with a very high mineral content. I recommend Tenuta San Michele- a lot of fun and they serve a wonderful lunch. Must reserve in advance

Acti Castello and Aci Trezza- small fishing villages 30 min from Catania that are lovely to visit. These towns are part of the cyclops Riviera because legend has it that this is where the cyclops threw rocks at Ulysses http://www.touring-italy.net/tours/tour-details.php?recordid=18

Taormina- I would recommend making this home base for then visiting Catania, Etna, Aci Trezza, ecc- you can either stay in the hilltop town or down below the town near Isola Bella (a beautiful little beach just below the town). Taormina has a Greek amphitheater overlooking the sea (check their website for potential concerts http://www.teatrogrecotaormina.com/concerts/events.html or you can just visit the theatre itself during the day). Make sure to get a drink at the very chic hotel Grand Hotel Timeo, on their terrace overlooking the sea. Also make sure to get a daily granita from bam bar.

Visiting the Aeolian Islands. From Taormina you will drive north about 1 hour to Milazzo which is the port that has many daily departures for the islands. You can choose which island you would like to visit but I highly recommend Stromboli- very small with no cars and the most active volcano in the world. You can hike up the volcano with a tour guide.

The boats from Milazzo to the islands are notorious for changing times published online or based on the weather. Here is the website for tickets http://www.ferriesonline.com/?_ga=2.99046302.1258665796.1499163797-230175527.1499163797

If you have time on your trip I recommend that you visit   Villa Romana del Casale in the town Piazza Armerina. It is 80 min inland from Catania but features the best Roman mosaics I have ever seen (and I lived in Rome for 7 years). It is a UNESCO world heritage site. My favorite mosaic there? The women in bikinis doing different type of sports in the gym. http://www.villaromanadelcasale.it/

[susaninitaly]

Pantalica

Pantalica is the ancient burial site carved out of limestone from the people who lived in Sicily before the Greeks arrived. Most of the gravesites were pillaged over the years leaving holes in the mountainside that some people turned into homes in medieval times. 

Pantalica is a UNESCO world heritage site and about half way between Catania and Syracuse. It is open to the public but you can get a guide to explain everything you need to know about this old necropolis. 

There is a little pond with fresh spring water if you want to go for a swim as well as natural herbs, almond trees, olive trees and other local flora. 

[susaninitaly]

Warnings in Italy

Warning signs in Italy are often translated from Italian to English and yet there is something often lost in translation…

If I don’t keep my valuables and documents in my purse where am I supposed to keep them?

Vendetta italiana: If you try to get off when the doors closed, your privates will be squished. 

Am I being warned that there are prostitutes in the area or is this a prostitute crossing sign?

My mom thought this sign on the train was of the train conductor and a passenger but wondered why the conductor had his hand in the passenger’s bag. 

[susaninitaly]

Liguria- Volastra to Vernazza

The Cinque Terre have beautiful paths. My new favorite is walking from the top of the hill above Manarola from the little town of Volastra to Vernazza. 

You can get to Volastra by taking a bus from Manarola up the hill. While the Cinque Terre paths can get very crowded, the path from Volastra is relatively empty and walks through vineyards with beautiful views of the towns and coast below.

The trail from Volastra will take you to Corniglia by an easy path that has a gentle slope down to Corniglia. If you are looking for an easy walk you can stop in Corniglia. Otherwise, you can continue on from Corniglia to Vernazza. 

[susaninitaly]

Food in Liguria

Each region in Italy still has its own recipes using foods typically located in that area. Ligurian food features a lot of fresh fish and basil. 

Liguria created pesto made from fresh genovese basil, pine nuts, parmeggiano, and olive oil. You will never have anything like it anywhere else in the world. 

Liguria also uses a lot of anchovies, served either fresh with olive oil and lemon, or served after they have been preserved under salt. 

Liguria does not use a lot of spices or cheese in the food to allow you to taste the flavor of the fresh fish. Cod fish pureed with potatoes and olive oil is heavenly as well as whole fish cooked under rock salt. 

[susaninitaly]

Syracuse

The ancient city of Syracuse is the first place the Greeks landed in Italy. This Siclian city is a UNESCO world heritage site recognized for its ancient ruins, some predating the Greeks. Greek and Roman theaters are throughout the city. And the historic city center is full of beautiful Baroque architecture, typical of the area due to the rebuilding after a ruinous earthquake in 1693.

The Greek temple dedicated to Venus is now the main duomo in Syracuse. 

Ortigia is the small island that is part of the city of Syracuse and hosts the most concentrated history of the city. It is not only where the Greeks first arrived but where the allied troops arrived in Italy in 1943. 

Within 20 minutes of Syracuse there is the Plemmerio nature reserve with cliffs, bird watching and rocky seaside. Just a few minutes beyond the Plemmerio are the white beaches and blue sea of Fontane Bianche

[susaninitaly]

Ferie (Italian summer holiday)

Italians all go on holiday in August- for most of August if not all of August. It is the time for summer holiday. Since this was traditionally the hottest month of the year it was when companies closed down and Italians fled to the the mountains or sea side in seek of cooler temperatures. 

This tradition remains strong as Italians use August to be with family or take a long holiday abroad. Families with small children will stay close to home (in case of an emergency) and go to resorts at the seaside dedicated to their needs. 

In the cities most companies close- including restaurants, pharmacies, gyms and grocery stores. If you weren’t planning on taking a holiday you had been plan how to get around the city during this slow time. I was in Milan on August 15 last year and the city reminded me of those zombie movies- abondoned. 

August 15 is the only bank holiday in August- called Ferroagosto and loosely translating to the strength of August. Friends and familes get together for dinner and wine in the middle of their holidays. This holiday is the traditional celebration of summer. 

If you plan to visit Italy in August you will find the mountains and beaches very full at peak season. It the cities it may be hard to find places to eat although most museums and hotels will remain open. 

[susaninitaly]

Summer in Rome

In Rome, all of the city moves outside. All of the live music and discotecs move to parks and outdoor locations where the Italians can enjoy the summer. Families often move to the seaside for the summer leaving Rome a bit less chaotic. Rome can be quite hot so the Italians prefer to take a nap during the day if possibile and really come out to enjoy the city at night. 

Almost all of the restaurants offer outdoor seating to enjoy the weather. Make sure to try a traditional Roman dish like cacio & pepe or oxtail.

Shops and markets will often close down in August so find out what is open before you go. 

Once the sun goes down the city comes alive. Along the Tiber river, bars offer drinks, cushions and foosball. Even the forum offers outdoor tours of ancient Rome where Agustus’ forum and Ceasar’s forum are re-created with lights. 

Before you go, don’t forget to throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain. It is said that it will bring you luck to come back to Rome someday. 

[susaninitaly]

Biking in Liguria (Levanto- Framura)

Liguria has paved over the old train track between Levanto and Framura to let people walk and bike along the coast enjoying both the amazing views of the sea as well as the shade from the tunnels. 

The town of Levanto has several bike shops that will rent out cruising or mountain bikes. 

There are dedicated bike and walking paths. Most of the paths are shaded by tunnels that have little windows out onto the sea. This makes the path more adapted to biking than walking- one can bike from Levanto to Framura in about 30 min but to enjoy the path it is nice to stop half way at Bonassola to go for a swim or get a cool drink. 

[susaninitaly]

Bozzanino in casciana terme

Imagine a beautiful little farm house sitting on a hill in Tuscany. To get up to the house you drive up a white dirt road lined with cyprus trees with olive groves on either side. When you get to the house you find a bottle of the farm house’s own olive oil as well as home made honey waiting for you. This agriturismo, Bozzanino, rents out for a week at a time and is so beautiful that my Dutch friends came back  after our first visit a few years ago. 

Bozzanino is near the town of Casciana terme in the province of Pisa. We usually spent the day at the farm house playing in the pool or cooking Italian food. In the evening we went down to the little town of casciana terme for a drink or ice cream. But the nearby towns of Volterra and Lucca are easy options. 

Just outside the farm house are a number of “local” options including wine tastings, local cheese farms and organic olive oil to try and buy. 

But the best moments are together with friends playing games or sharing a wonderful meal!

[susaninitaly]

The air-conditioner made me sick

Italians live in fear of air conditioners that are responsible for making your tan fade and even worse making you sick. Although most of Italy has temperatures in the 90s for 4-5 months of the year most Italian homes don’t have air conditioning as Italians will proudly tell you that if they strategically open windows at certain times of the day that they can get a good cross breeze going. 

To witness their fear of air conditioning, one only needs to stand inside any store with AC. As soon as the Italians walk in, they will glare menacingly at the air conditioner blowing down on them- certain of the impending illness about to fall. 

Last night an Italian told me she fell asleep with the AC on and woke up sick. Most other Italians would nod knowingly. 

I just don’t believe it. While there are many articles in Italian that support this theory, in English there is very little or nothing. However, you can expect that this old wives tale is alive and well in the hearts of Italians.

[susaninitaly]

The air-conditioner made me sick

Italians live in fear of air conditioners that are responsible for making your tan fade and even worse making you sick. Although most of Italy has temperatures in the 90s for 4-5 months of the year most Italian homes don’t have air conditioning as Italians will proudly tell you that if they strategically open windows at certain times of the day that they can get a good cross breeze going. 

To witness their fear of air conditioning, one only needs to stand inside any store with AC. As soon as the Italians walk in, they will glare menacingly at the air conditioner blowing down on them- certain of the impending illness about to fall. 

Last night an Italian told me she fell asleep with the AC on and woke up sick. Most other Italians would nod knowingly. 

I just don’t believe it. While there are many articles in Italian that support this theory, in English there is very little or nothing. However, you can expect that this old wives tale is alive and well in the hearts of Italians.

[susaninitaly]

Turn the other cheek; how to “kiss kiss” in Italy

When I first moved to Italy I felt all that cheek kissing was so intimate to do with strangers. Then I got used to it and when I visit the USA, those full body hugs feel much more intimate than a couple of kisses on the cheek. Here is how to master the technique:

1. You only kiss the cheeks of people who you are friends with- new acquaintances and business contacts do not kiss on the cheek. 

2. Left check to left check and then right cheek to right cheek. If you go out of order the Italians may try and follow your lead after a bit of head bobbing. If you can’t figure out which cheek to go twoards, just remember to lean right first and you will figure it out. 

3. Just 2 kisses. The Dutch and Polish do 3. Italians always do 2. 

4. If you want to keep your distance, take the person’s hand first and use the arm leverage to control the distance the person gets to move in for the cheek kiss.

5. If you want to show more intimacy or thanks to the person, you can touch your lips to their cheeks instead of just touching cheek to cheek. 

6. If you are sick you can beg off the cheek kiss- so as to not get anyone else sick.

7. Gender doesn’t matter- the cheek kiss can happen between just men, just women or men and women. 

[susaninitaly]

Sales in Italy

Sales in Italy are regulated by the government to happen twice a year in January and July. This means that shops might be able to offer a special price on certain items during the year but they can only use the word “sale” twice a year for a month. Shops that have different merchandise in February than June have to hope that they sell all of the early spring things or have a large warehouse to store everything until they can finally put the merchandise on sale.

Italians will line up for the first day of sales when things are traditionally 20%-30% off. You can expect very full stores with long lines at the cash registers the first week of the sales. By the end of the sale period many stores will put everything at 50% but rarely any more than that. 

At the big chains any unsold merchandise will get sent to outlets. At the small mom and pop shops the merchandise will get recycled for the next sale period.