Italy Beyond the Obvious

Access My Little Black Book of Italy Tourism

I don't usually write about hotels or restaurants in Italy (with a couple exceptions), but it's not because I'm trying to keep secrets. If I were, I wouldn't be writing this blog. But over the years I've built up a 'little black book' full of (I daresay) fabulous Italian hotels, restaurants, local guides, activities, drivers, and more. 

But if the key word is "fabulous", the question becomes: fabulous for whom? I love the antiques market in Lucca, but would you?

 

Take today, for example. I'm working on three different itineraries for three different groups of travelers. Some of the places they're going overlap, but I recommended none of the same hotels or activities for these groups. A hotel that's ideal for families with kids may not be great for honeymooners. And so on.

So I'm more than happy to share my little black book, but I need to understand which parts to share. What are your interests, your priorities, what is your travel pace? If I know the answers to these questions, I can give specific recommendations to help you plan your vacation. This takes time, so I charge $200/week, during which time you tell me about you, and I'll give you as many specific suggestions as I can. Interested? Read more here.

Photo taken at Lucca antiques market by Sanjay

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Guest post on expat+HAREM about my expat experiences

I was honored when the expat+HAREM editor asked me to do a guest post for their site, which is dedicated to aspects of the expatriate experience. My post is up today, and you can read it here.

If you've ever lived abroad or have an expatriate in the family, take some time to explore the posts and conversations on the site, which does a great job giving the reader bite-sized (300 words or less!) food for thought. And the comments are just as interesting as the posts!

Vatican free Sundays: stay far, far away

 

Most of the time, my clients take my advice. And one of my standing pieces of advice is to never visit the Vatican on free Sundays. But on one recent occasion, I was designing an itinerary for a family with only one specific day to see the Vatican, which just happened to fall on the last Sunday of the month. Because they had no other option, I tried very (!) hard to make it work for them, and in the process realized there was no way I could in good conscience send them to the Vatican on a free Sunday. So I gave advice I have never previously given: I told them to skip the Vatican and save it for their next trip to Italy. Here's why:

• Expect to wait in line at least an hour and realistically, two or longer. And remember, entry is only between 9 am and 12.30 pm, so it's risky to get in line after about 10 am.

• Once inside, expect shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. These are not your holiday shopping crowds. People have said they have not actually been able to see the art properly because of the crowds.  

• It's noisy inside. Yes it's the Vatican, home of the Pope and pious art all around. But it's not a peaceful, contemplative atmosphere, even in the Sistine chapel. As you'd expect with crowds in any other space, it's loud.

• Listen to the experts: Rome tour guides will not touch free Sundays with a 10-foot pole. Nobody can get a reservation on free Sundays, so there's no way to avoid the gigantic line, and the reputable tour companies won't actually take your money. (And I had never, ever heard this in Italy before. This is actually what convinced me that it was better not to go at all.)

• Once you're in, you can't get out. You'll be shuffling along with the crowd, so forget about needing to be somewhere. Don't assume you'll make it back to St. Peter's square for the noon hour Pope's blessing. You can make it if you're out by 11.15 or 11.30 at the absolute latest.

Still think you can make it work? Read this tripadvisor post, in which people who have visited the Vatican museums on free Sundays explain why they'd never do it again. And if, after reading all of this, you're thinking "well I'll just get in line at 6 am and bring my Bose noise-canceling headphones", then good luck, have fun, and at least you know what you're in for. 

Photo of Sistine Chapel detail by Michelangelo taken by freeparking 

 

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Four reasons to take photos of Italian signs

 
 

Signs are one of those things we rely on and use constantly, but as tourists we often don't see them as a photo opportunity. Here's why I think you should snap a few photos of signs on your trip to Italy:

• you'll be hearing Italian all around you from the minute you get off the plane until the minute you get back on, and it can be tiring navigating a foreign language 24/7 - but when you get home I can almost guarantee you'll miss hearing it. Taking photos of Italian signs is a great way to infuse your photos with the Italian language.

• It's a great way to record cultural differences. For example, take a photo of the sign that said "chiuso" (closed) on the day you didn't know what to do when it seemed like everything was closed. Or just take photos of "pizzeria" or "bar" signs. I found this sign so culturally interesting that I wrote a blog post about it.

• If you're driving in Italy, of course you'll need to show your friends back home some of the different road signs you had to deal with, and the useful way they are color-coded.

• There are lots of pretty signs worth a photo. Made of marble, carved in wrought iron, or made of mosaics.

If you're on Facebook and you understand Italian, you'll be rolling on the floor laughing at this collection of hilarious and odd Sicilian signs!

This post is part of Delicious Baby's Photo Friday - go check out the other photos!

Photo of Attenti al Cane (Beware of dog) by Sanjay

Need help planning a trip to Italy? Italy Beyond the Obvious does custom trip planning. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.

Three reasons not to miss the town of Orvieto

 

Just try to drive by it

My first visit to Orvieto happened when I was driving through Umbria on my way to somewhere else and saw an incredible hill town out the window. Detour! We ended up spending the afternoon.

 

The Duomo or Cathedral

Orvieto's cathedral is spectacular, and its façade does its job in the true sense of the word, giving the viewer the impression that the church behind it is much larger. Inlaid with marble and precious stones, it will also remind you of the Duomo of Siena. Don't miss the frescoes inside by Luca Signorelli.

Local Wine

The volcanic soil or tuffa in the area (and the material the town's sheer cliffs are made of), is the secret behind Orvieto's fabulous white wine. A lot of the local wine is exported, but it's always good to do a taste test and compare local and exported versions, because they're not the same.

There's also an interesting well, a papal palace, and an underground labyrinth of tunnels you may want to see, but the best part will be just wandering the town's streets, enjoying the views and soaking up the small medieval Italian hilltown atmosphere.

Photo of Orvieto from afar by Pizzodisevo, photo of Orvieto Duomo from www.istockphoto.com

 

Need help planning a trip to Italy? Italy Beyond the Obvious does custom trip planning. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.