Italy Beyond the Obvious

How to plan a dream trip to Italy

I've arrived at many a church, museum, and store to find it closed. I've tried to catch Sunday trains forgetting that they run differently or not at all on Sundays. I've shown up at markets at noon, just as they were being taken down. I've arrived at restaurants and art exhibits assuming I could get in, and discovered there were no available reservations.

It's important not to be over-scheduled on vacation, but it's equally important to spend time planning the things you definitely want to do. The way to accomplish this, for your dream trip to Italy, is to put on a project manager hat and spend time on the three areas described below. I'm convinced that travelers on a well-planned trip to Italy not only have a more relaxing and interesting vacation, but also enjoy 20% more vacation time - time not spent problem-solving on the spot.

ONE Research itinerary activities that match your interests 

Guidebook Top 10 lists are a great starting point but it's basically someone else's list. Spend the time to create your own list.

• Brainstorm a list of activities, sights, food, and anything else that would be included in your dream vacation to Italy. Are you interested in any of the following (Italy has them all): castles, churches, walled hill towns, ancient ruins, great food, great wine, cooking classes, vineyard tours, hiking, biking, skiing, scuba diving, soccer, beaches, mountains, hot springs, volcanoes, paintings, sculpture, history museums, aquariums, theme parks, mosaics, trains, boats, ceramics, glass, opera, pubs, views, outdoor markets, fairs, festivals, people-watching, shopping... off the top of my head. 
• Research the activities you're really excited about, including details such as opening and closing days and times.
• Prioritize your list.

TWO Rearrange the puzzle pieces until they fit

Look at your list, look at the calendar, and start putting the pieces in place. You'll have a limited amount of time. You'll have a longer list of things to do than time to do them, so it's decision time. 

• You must include: transfer time, leeway, downtime, hotel transfer time (allow 2-3 extra hours on hotel transfer days). I also recommend unscheduled time for wandering. (A note on leeway: something is likely to go wrong no matter how well you've planned, so allow as much leeway as you can.)
• Accommodate limitations you discovered during research, such as the fact that stores close for a few hours in the middle of the day; you're in Florence on a national holiday; or there was only 1 available tour of Venice's Doge Palace (which you, of course, booked). This is where you'll see the value of your planning.
• Check and double-check train schedules, boat schedules, airport transfer times and means, and driving or walking times. Slot everything into place and come up with a tentative itinerary.

THREE Visualize the flow

Before you book, but after you've arranged the pieces of your trip into something that you're really excited about, sit back and visualize the flow of each day. Remember your personal travel pace and that you're on vacation. Some tips:

• Do remember that you'll probably arrive in Italy tired. If possible, hang out where you are for a couple days (as opposed to, say, getting off an 8 hour flight to Rome and heading straight for the train station with your luggage for the 90-minute trip to Naples).
• Don't disregard your attention span (for example inadvertently putting two significant museums back-to-back).
• Do think about meals. This means both pacing yourself (no long lunches and fancy dinners on the same day) and making sure there's food when you'll need it (restaurants close between lunch and dinner so pack snacks).
• Don't forget about jet-lag if relevant. You may run on adrenaline day 1, but day 2 will be rough, so take it a little easier. Don't put a museum on your itinerary when your brain thinks it's 2 am. 

Book it

You're excited about the dream trip to Italy you've created: book it! Start with hotels, then work down your priority list, but book only what you need to book, so that you have some flexibility. If you're going in high season or if you're departing soon, you may need to reorganize details a couple more times due to availability.

How long does this take, anyway?

If you need to make time in your schedule for this project and want to create something as detailed and smooth as this sample itinerary, plan on spending about 6-8 hours per vacation day. If you speak Italian, you'll save time in online research and booking, so knock off an hour or two.

And lastly, I'd love to hear how it goes! (really, I would. Please let me know.)

Photo of relaxing in Italy by db*photography; photo of zen by vramak

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The Top 3 Ski Resorts Near Rome

Um, wait - ski resorts near Rome? You knew you could ski in the Alps or the Dolomites.. But yes, there are actually 26 ski resorts in the Appennine mountains not far from Rome, and they get plenty of snow as you can see from the photos below. Open from December through April, the resorts cater to all levels of downhill skier, snowboarders and cross-country skiers. And in the off season, lifts are open for hikers.  All 3 of the resorts below are about 2 hours from Rome and 1 hour from the Pescara airport.

1) Campo Imperatore, on the Gran Sasso mountain

Take the cable car up Gran Sasso (photo above), the area's highest mountain, to reach the ski resort of Campo Imperatore at 2,130 m (7,000 ft). This resort has over 20 km of runs and is ideal for intermediate skiers. It also has a ski park for snowboarders. 

Cost of an adult day pass is just €24. Kids under 11 years of age ski free.

Also Great For cross-country skiing and summer hiking. Cross-country skiers have a choice of trails starting near the base of the Fontari chairlift. In the summertime, hikers can take the cable car up to Campo Imperatore and then hike up to Gran Sasso's highest point, the Corno Grande, at 2912 m (over 9,000 ft). It's a 4-6 hour round trip and a strenuous hike.

2) Prati di Tivo

On the other side of the Gran Sasso mountain from Campo Imperatore, Prati di Tivo is a smaller resort with 6 lifts at an altitude of 1,450 m (4,700 ft). Here's a map of the runs and lifts, and here's the official website (in Italian only).

Cost of an adult day pass is just €22, though passes are also sold in 1, 2, and 3-hour increments.

Also great for cross-country skiing and hiking. Cross-country ski trails zig zag at the base of the lifts, and in the summer, hikers can enjoy the flowers, mountain scenery and birds on many trails.

3) Roccaraso

This huge resort has 110 km of ski runs, newer lifts, snow making machines, and is probably a better fit than the other two for skiers who prefer difficult runs. Here's a map of the runs and lifts.  Also a great spot for cross-country skiers.

Cost of a day pass at Roccaraso is €33 for adults and €28 for kids, but there's a family deal where the second child under age 10 is free.

View Ski Resorts Near Rome in a larger map

Photo of Gran Sasso by Gigi 62; Photo of Roccaraso by Bartolomeo Perrotta

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Do you know the name of this mountain? (and why you should know local names)

Is it:

a) Matterhorn

b) Mont Cervin

c) Monte Cervino

d) all of the above

The answer is D. Asking Italians about The Matterhorn - a Swiss mountain also visible from Italy and France - will produce blank stares. I speak from experience. But ask about Il Cervino and you'll be met with enthusiasm about its beauty. (To further confuse things, many people refer to it as Zermatt, which is actually the name of the town at the base of the mountain.)

Some place names are easy to figure out: you can infer that Roma is Rome, Napoli is Naples, and Milano is Milan. But many travelers are surprised to discover that there is no Florence or Venice in Italy. You're getting off the train or exiting the highway at Firenze or Venezia, respectively. And some translations of place names are downright puzzling. I almost missed a flight once from Milan to Munich, Germany, because I didn't know that in Italian, the word for Munich is Monaco.

Assume it's lost in translation, not ignorance

As a exchange student at an Italian high school, I was surprised that the Canadian school curriculum had completely neglected to teach me about a famous and significant ruler in the Middle Ages, Carlo Magno. I was wowed by his achievements, and my Italian classmates couldn't believe I had never heard of him. Pretty soon, the details started ringing a bell and I realized: it was Charlemagne! Giovanni Caboto was the explorer John Cabot! Yet for some reason I had learned about Marco Polo, and not Mark Pole. 

So whether or not you've learned the various ways of saying "hello" in Italian or perfected the rolling r's in arrivederci, make time before your trip to review the Italian names of the cities you're visiting. And once in Italy, while getting to know the locals remember that there are lots of Carlo Magnos out there. The Italians may have never heard of Charlemagne, but they may know more about Carlo Magno than you do. 

Photo by Dylan Marriott

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Wander, Eat, Admire: a day in Padua

Just 20 minutes by train from Venice, the city of Padua (Padova in Italian) is one of northern Italy's best-kept secrets. Like Bologna and Perugia, it's a nice-sized (a misura d'uomo, or walkable) university town with great energy, good food and impressive art. Spend a day: you'll leave satisfied.

Admire

• Absolutely don't miss Giotto's incredible frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel (aka the Arena Chapel) which detail the life of the Virgin Mary (photo below). Book ahead, and if possible get the 40 minute ticket instead of the standard 15 minute one, which is not really enough time to see all 42 panels. 

• I highly recommend going on a tour of the University. Contact them about scheduling one, or download one of their self-guided visits to visit the Palazzo Bo. 
• Visit the gorgeous Basilica of Sant Antonio, or "Il Santo" (photo above).
  

Eat

• Sit with a coffee at the historic Cafe Pedrocchi which has been open 200 years, famous both as the hangout of important artists and the venue of the 1848 riots. 
• Have lunch or dinner the Vecchia Padova restaurant, for excellent local food and service.

Wander

• Stroll along Prato della Valle (photo above, but much easier to picture by looking at an aerial photo), a gigantic grassy elliptical space, surrounded by a water-filled ditch and statues. 
• Shop at the permanent market stalls under the Palazzo delle Regione (after you've visited its frescoes, of course). 
• Search out an outdoor market in Piazza delle Erbe, or near the Duomo, or in Piazza dei Signori.
• Don't miss the astrological clock (photo above) in the Piazza dei Signori, one of the first of its kind in Europe.

View A Day in Padova in a larger map

Photos of the Basilica and Prato della Valle by Torroloco; photo of the Scrovegni Chapel by Sergej Zarf; photo of the astrological clock by Sebastia' Giralt

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Why are there holes in Italian buildings and towers?

As a tour guide in Italy, I got this question pretty frequently from travelers who paid attention to architecture. The photo below is of the clock tower in Verona. If you look closely, you'll see that the tower is full of little black squares. They're sort of holes, but they don't go all the way through. They're in most towers, and in the unfinished parts of many churches. Do you know why they are there? Post in the comments, and I'll update this post in a couple days with the answer if it hasn't been posted.

Here's another photo where you can see the holes, in the Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna.

See more photos at Delicious Baby's Photo Friday

Update, October 17th:

Thanks so much for all the thoughtful and imaginative comments! Let's take the towers first....

Dominique is correct in saying that the holes were slots for some sort of insert. In fact the holes were used for the scaffolding during construction. When the tower was completed, the scaffolding was removed, leaving behind the holes. Medieval towers were built as lookout posts, and their height reflected the power of the family or clan who built them (who would also want to reattach scaffolding and build the tower higher whenever they could afford it).  Most were not designed to be decorated with prettier stone, unlike church facades. 

Here's another photo, of two of the many towers in Bologna.

As for the church façades, I had to go do a little research! 

I had always assumed that the holes in churches and the holes in towers were both due to scaffolding, but after reading the comments below, it seemed logical that holes may have been for attaching the façade to a church. Rene is correct that most brick church façades were intended to be covered with prettier stones at some point. And it is true that marble and iron (and more) were pillaged from buildings. But after some internet research, I found nothing about the method of attaching church façades, and nothing about the reason behind the holes or indentations in unfinished church façades. 

So I can't say for certain what the holes in unfinished church façades were for. Since they are the same size, shape, and have more or less the same spacing as those in the towers, it makes sense they would have been for scaffolding too. (And on the unfinished façade of San Mercuola in Venice, the holes start at about 8 feet high, a logical place for scaffolding to start.) But I am now very curious, so please post if you find a good link on this!

Photo of Verona clock tower by Sanjay, photo of San Petronio by Il Cama (crop by me); photo of Bologna towers by Sanjay

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The Best Hotels in Italy

Travel & Leisure Magazine recently published a list of Best Hotels in the World, based on a reader survey. I pulled the Italy ones from the bunch because it's an interesting list, and because the T&L website doesn't allow you to. Lists of Best Hotels in Italy abound if you do a Google search, but I do like this one (even if it doesn't include my favorite hotel in Italy - probably just as well). 

  

Best Hotels

1) Grand Hotel Baglioni, Bologna

2) Il San Pietro, Positano

3) Westin Palace, Milan

Best Resorts

1) Il San Pietro, Positano

2) Hotel Villa Sant'Andrea, Taormina

3) Grand Hotel Timeo, Taormina

4) Hotel Excelsior, Venice

5) Hotel Caruso Belvedere, Ravello

Best Small Hotels in a City

1) Grand Hotel Villa Cora, Florence

2) Hotel D'Inghilterra, Rome

3) J.K. Place, Florence

4) Boscolo Hotel Palace, Rome

Best Inns & Small Country Hotels

1) La Rosa dei Venti, Positano

2) La Posta Vecchia, Ladispoli (near Rome)

3) Villa Pisani, Vescovana (between Verona and Venice)

4) La Scalinatella, Capri

5) Grand Hotel A Villa Feltrinelli, Gargnano (on Lake Garda)

Top photo of La Posta Vecchia in Ladispoli; Second photo of Villa Sant'Andrea in Taormina; last photo of Villa Feltrinelli in Gargnano

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5 Reasons to visit the town of Monza

Only 10 minutes by train from Milan and on the way to Lake Como, Monza is a great escape from the big city and has a fantastic green space to boot. And it's completely walkable. Walk from the train station, through the historic center, to the park, and back to the train station. (Note: this circuit, with no stops, would be about 2 hours of walking). 

I've spent a lot of time in Monza. I lived there for a year in high school and went to the Liceo Classico Leone Dehon, and have been back many times since to visit friends. Here are the first places I visit whenever I go back:

• Monza's Romanesque-Gothic Duomo or main church has foundations dating to about 600. The museum inside houses the city's most famous treasure: the Iron Crown, allegedly made with one of the nails from the crucifixion.  

• Go for a stroll, a run, a bike ride or a picnic in Monza's huge park, which is twice the size of New York's Central Park. Sundays are perfect for people-watching, because the paths are full of Italian families going for a walk after church, looking their Sunday best.

• Admire the gardens and architecture of the Villa Reale (photo above), a summer palace built in the park in the 18th century by the Royal Hapsburg family of Austria. To visit the inside call (+39) 039 323 222 at least 10 days in advance. If you're there in June, (bring bug spray and expect crowds, but) the fireworks held around the first day of summer at the Villa Reale are some of the most spectacular I've ever seen.

• For a few days every September, Monza hosts the Formula One Italian Grand Prix where fast cars compete for first place at the Autodrome.

• Walk along the pedestrian streets in Monza's historic center to shop, window-shop, or people watch. It's worth the 2-block detour to walk over the pretty Bridge of Lions or Ponte dei Leoni, seen in the photo above with the church bell tower in the background. And don't miss the landmark Arengario (photo).

Photo of Villa Reale from www.istockphoto.com; Photo of bridge of lions by maxgiani

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Business Meetings in Italy: 5 Tips for Foreigners

When I moved to Italy for the third time, it was for an expatriate assignment at a company I'd been at for 4 years. It's not an overstatement to say that the first few months were traumatic: finalizing my work visa was a bureaucratic nightmare; I couldn't find an apartment; my boyfriend at the time (now husband) was living in Sweden; and even though I spoke Italian and knew how to do my job, there was a disconnect at work. This post is about the work part, and some things I learned the hard way.

It may be relevant to note my frame of reference: before my 2.5 year assignment in Milan, I'd worked in a corporate environment in the US and in a corporate environment in Stockholm. My customers were internal: I worked with business processes, IT, finance, and operations with colleagues in Italy, France, Spain and (yes) Israel. Here's what I learned about working with Italians.

1. Coffee break time is just as important as official meeting time

If you accomplish only one thing during your business trip, it should be to build relationships with your Italian contacts. If you've done that, the details you didn't get to can be sewn up by phone, email, or video conference when you get home. So make the time to chat in the hallway or by the water cooler. Ask them about themselves and their country, and accept offers to go for an espresso (which may literally be a 2-minute trip, if you're just going to the coffee machine in the hallway). 

2. Don't expect the meeting to start on time

If you've set the meeting to start at 10 (which is by the way, the ideal time to start a business meeting in Italy), don't worry if people are still chatting outside the meeting room at 10.05. The first few times I called meetings in Italy, I'd arrive on time, and nobody else would be in the meeting room. I'd manage to corral a few people from the coffee machine, run out to get others on smoke break, and come back to find that the original ones had just popped out again (they saw their meeting colleagues at the coffee machine). If people don't wander in within the first 10 minutes, consider enlisting the managers' help in getting their teams into the meeting. Which brings us to...

3. Pay attention to hierarchy and titles

Know who the boss is, and treat them like the boss. In Italy this just means a level of respect: introduce yourself to them first (presuming you know who they are), make eye contact while discussing key points, and address important questions directly to that person.

4. Discussion is more important than making a decision

Americans, in general, like to make decisions and act on them as soon as possible after making them. Then if it turns out to be the wrong decision, Americans are very good at changing it, and acting right away on the new decision. (Italians are simultaneously annoyed by and in awe of this American skill, incidentally.) In general, Italians place a lot of value on thinking through an idea and discussing it thoroughly before, and maybe at the expense of, making a decision. So: decisions may not get made as quickly as you'd like. You may leave a meeting with no decision taken, and that's fine. If you've got the relationship, you can continue the conversation later. 

5. Have an agenda, but don't expect it to be followed

Having an agenda at an Italian business meeting is important because it will show that you've thought through the topic. But put items in order of priority in case you don't get through the whole agenda. During the meeting, it's important to let discussion flow (see #4 above). Expect to get off topic and run behind schedule. Take your cues from the Italian management at the meeting on when to get things back on topic. The rest of the agenda can be discussed over dinner, or by phone once you get home.

And most importantly, have fun if you can. Italians are proud of their country (as long as you don't talk about politics or the mafia) and want you to love it too. So ooh and ahh about as much as possible and be appreciative if they take you on any tourist outings. Enjoy the food, ask questions about the art and architecture, and don't worry about all the details you wanted to discuss. You can (say it with me) tie up the details after you get home. 

Coffee photo by Gret@Lorenz; Clock photo by Lepiaf.geo

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Unfinished Churches in Italy: Lessons in Project Management

Imagine leading a project involving hundreds of workers, no email, lots of big egos, and with a timeline of several hundred years. And yet many such art & architecture projects have been very (!) successfully completed in Italy over the last several thousand years (hence: appreciative tourists). But it does make sense that some projects wouldn't be as well executed as others: political errors, funding challenges, or a change in management could cause a building to remain half-finished. All of which means: you can't necessarily judge a church by its façade. The churches below are very impressive on the inside but with façades that took the hit from project management errors.

1. "What Was the Plan Again?" San Lorenzo in Florence

Begun in 1419, this church is attributed to the famous architect Brunelleschi, but due to a change in management and a lack of funds, the only part of his design that was actually implemented is the transept. Then, 100 years into the project, Michelangelo was commissioned by the Pope to design a façade out of white marble, which he did, but (as you can see) was never added. Michelangelo did however build an internal façade, and funds are currently being raised to complete the external façade according to his specification.

2. "Can't Come to Work, I've Got the Plague": San Fortunato in Todi, Umbria

Construction of this church started in 1292 but was stopped when the plague hit in 1348. The lower part of the façade was finished 100 years later. The art and wooden choir inside are worth a visit. Okay I guess when your whole team and your whole backup team are sick with the plague, it's more unlucky than bad planning. But they still didn't manage to finish the façade after everyone got healthy. 

3. "It Was Nobody's Fault" 

Neither English nor Italian Google could help me find out why the façades of these significant churches were never finished (if you know please share!):

• The church of Sant'Anastasia (photo) is Verona's largest church and is considered the city's best example of Gothic architecuture.

• The church of San Marcuola in Venice (photo above) has two incredible Tintoretto frescoes as well as sculpture worth seeing on the altar.

• Santa Maria delle Carceri in Prato (photo), Tuscany was built in the late 15th century after a painting of the Virgin Mary on one of the walls of the local prison became animated. The inside has stained glass by Ghirlandaio and glazed ceramics by Andrea della Robbia.

• The Basilica di San Clemente in Santa Maria dei Servi (photo), Siena was begun in the 13th century and altered in the 15th and 16th centuries. Inside it has frescoes, a 13th century holy water stoup, and a 14th century crucifix.

4. "Oops I Ticked Off the Pope": Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna

 

Construction of this Basilica began in the 14th century and lasted several hundred years. Then 120 years into the project, the city of Bologna decided the Basilica could rival St. Peter's in Rome, in size, footprint, and ornamentation. The building project immediately lost the support of the Pope, and the proposed Latin cross design was never finished, so the church is in the shape of a T. And none of the many proposals for finishing the façade were accepted. 

However the church has still had a long and important history. And when you visit the inside, you'll see that it had a big (just not big enough) budget: there are incredible stained glass windows, marble walls and ornamentation, two organs, frescoes, an amazing altar, the longest sundial in the world. All this, and a capacity of 28,000 people.

Photo of San Petronio by Il Cama; Photo of San Lorenzo by Rogilde; Photo of San Fortunato by Gaspa; Photo of San Marcuola by Steve Knight

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The Best Things About Autumn in Italy

It's October, and so I'm reminded of a conversation I had with a client this summer: he and his wife were planning a trip to Italy and were debating between October and next May. Anyone considering spring vs. autumn should take into account the sunset: it's about a three hour difference. But if they could live with an earlier sunset, I told them my vote was for October, partly because May is high season, but partly because of a few things I love about autumn in Italy:

• White truffles are in season, and are on many restaurant menus, though are not cheap. Eat them on pasta, with eggs, or in any number of creative ways you'll see. Yes, they're fancy, but there's no need for large quantities: a few shavings on a dish is enough.    

  

• It's the grape harvest, so go visit a vineyard or two in the countryside. Keep your eye out for tractors pulling large crates on wheels full to the brim with grapes that were just picked. The tractors move very slowly, so if you end up stuck behind one on a narrow road, just be patient, and think of the wine.
  

  

• The weather isn't predictable at any time of year but the intense summer heat is gone in most of Italy by October, making it pleasant to walk around outside and ideal for hiking, biking, or scuba diving, since the water is still warm from the summer. 

• Chestnut vendors are out with their carts in the street, filling the air with a distinctive smell. Go on a Sunday stroll and taste this typical Italian autumn & winter snack. I'd suggest this to anyone, but full disclosure: I can't eat roasted chestnuts. The first time I bought a paper cone full, I ate a rotten one and felt sick. For some reason the smell of them doesn't bother me, and I love seeing the vendors in the streets. Everyone else I know enjoys them. 
  

• Feel the fog descend. And you will: you'll breathe it, feel it on your skin in the morning or evening, and listen to Italians talk about barometric pressure and how it affects their health, their sleep, and their daily routines. Of course, fog isn't appreciated when you're hoping to see the Alps from the top of Milan's Duomo, or when you're on a bike in the countryside, but it does create a magical atmosphere. And don't worry if you wake up in the morning to a fog so thick you can't see across the street: it usually burns off once the sun is up.
  

• Make sure to taste Italian hot chocolate. It's nothing like milk mixed with cocoa and sugar; cioccolata calda is pretty much pure molten chocolate. 

 

• One of the best things about the autumn is that things are back to normal. People are back from vacation. Stores are open during regular business hours. Streets are buzzing with commuters and Italians going about their daily business. You can book concert tickets. There are so many markets, festivals, and sagre that I'm not even going to try to summarize them. It's real life, happening in front of you.

P.S. One thing you won't see in Italy in the autumn are the brilliantly colored leaves seen in the eastern part of the US and Canada, and here's why. 

Photo of truffles on eggs by Monica Arellano-Ongpin; Photo of chestnuts by stebox78; Photo of fog by jjjohn; Photo of hot chocolate by heliosphan

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