Italy Beyond the Obvious

Five spectacular once-a-year Italy events

 

If someone asked, "I can go to any place in Italy, any time of year. When and where should I go?", I'd suggest planning a trip to coincide with one of the five amazing events below. Culturally significant and unique to Italy, each happens only at a specific time and place each year. Any of them will give you memories to last a lifetime. 

 

In order of easiest to plan:

 

The Verona Opera Festival (June, July, August)

The Roman amphitheater in Verona seats 20,000 people and hosts operas six nights a week (not Mondays) between June and early September every year. The operas are long, so plan to stay overnight in Verona - you won't be able to get a train to anywhere after the performance. And trust me, it's worth splurging on the poltronissima seats, so you're sitting on a cushion (as opposed to a rock) during the 3-hour show. The reason this is pretty easy to plan is that there are many, many tickets, which you can buy online, the shows run practically the entire summer, and there is so much to see in the area (Venice, Lake Garda, Verona, Palladio's villas, the Veneto region, and more) so it's somewhere you'd want to visit anyway.

 

 The Infiorata (May or June)

Infiorata is simply flower petal art - or more eloquently, a flower tapestry - on the streets, as you can see from the photo above. Artists start with a chalk drawing and arrange flower petals on top to create absolutely stunning designs on streets and in front of churches and abbeys. The creations take about 2 days to prepare, and often a religious procession walks along the flower petal carpet after they're done. Infiorata are usually on the Sunday of Corpus Domini, 9 weeks after Easter and the most famous ones are probably in Noto Sicily or Spello Umbria, but they are found all over the country. 

 

 Carnival in Venice or Acireale, Sicily (Jan, Feb, or Mar)

The final party before Ash Wednesday and Lent, Carnevale is held around February every year, though exact dates vary (in 2012 it's February 21st). The celebrations start about 3 weeks beforehand, when people hit the streets to celebrate dressed in opulent costumes and masks. In Venice, carnival means more crowds, lots of tourists, (more) expensive hotel rooms, and packed-to-the-gills trains. I've had a fabulous time at Venice's carnival both times I've been. But for a more cultural experience with fewer tourists, consider spending carnival in Acireale, Sicily - the town is known for having the best carnival on the island. 

 

The Palio in Siena (July and Aug)

This incredible horse race attracts huge crowds, and must be booked well in advance. Siena's main square or campo is covered in dirt to become a racetrack just twice a year. The race is highly competitive as each horse represents one of Siena's 10 neighborhoods or contrade. And even though the actual race lasts less than 2 minutes, the preparation and competitive energy last all year. The Palio happens twice each summer, on July 2nd and August 16th, but if you're in Siena another time of year, you can take a guided tour of the Contrade or neighborhoods to understand some of the history and culture. 

 

 

 The London-Venice-Rome or Rome-Venice Orient Express (Sept 29 & Oct 2, 2011)

Make no mistake about it: you can take the train between Rome and Venice for a tenth of the price of a ticket on the Orient Express. But that's not really the point. On September 29th, 2011, the Orient Express departs London for Venice, and 2 days later leaves Venice for Rome. Tickets are $3,830, not including Venice accommodation. Or, you can just buy a ticket for the Venice-Rome leg departing October 2nd, 2011 at 9.35 am, arriving Rome at 5.22 pm. A one-way ticket is $950. Rome-Venice departs at 7.45 pm and arrives Venice the next morning.

 

I was a guest on the Bella Vita radio show recently to talk about these events, in addition to other Italy travel advice. Click here to listen to the 1-hour August 11th show. Our Italy chat starts about minute 26.

 

 

Palio photo by the bbp; Orient Express photo by Annie Mole; infiorata photo from istockphoto.com; Venice carnival photo and Verona Opera photos by Sanjay Jhawar.

 

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On my Italy Radar

 

Below are a few things to see and do in Italy that have come across my must-bookmark radar recently. I also share these kinds of specific links and tips frequently on Facebook.

Dolomites ski resort gets gold star  Although Cortina D'Ampezzo is probably the most famous ski area in the Dolomites, and the favorite of many Italians, 220 experts from "Ski Area Test" reviewed 26 ski areas across Austria, Italy, France, Slovenia and Switzerland, and gave Italy's Obereggen the Gold Quality award. (Now where do I sign up to be a part of the Ski Area Test Team?!)

 

 

 

Scrovegni Chapel online If you want to see what all the fuss is about over Giotto's frescoes in Padua's Scrovegni Chapel, go to www.Haltadefinizione.com to see them up close. Click on the icons to move the view up and down and zoom in and out for detail in the whole chapel. Getting the frescoes online involved 14,000 digital images and took a year of processing. 

 

America officially appreciates Palladio Concurrent Resolution 259, essentially an official acknowledgment of Italian architect Andrea Palladio's influence on the USA, was passed by the House on November 17, 2010, and by the Senate on December 6, 2010. The resolution "(1) recognizes the 500th anniversary of Andrea Palladio's birth year; (2) recognizes his tremendous influence on architecture in the United States; and (3) expresses its gratitude for the enhancement his life and career has bestowed upon the Nation's built environment." See the detail of Concurrent Resolution 259 here. The architect left his mark in Italy with buildings in Venice (photo of the Redentore Church, below) and around the Veneto region, probably most notably several Palladian Villas.

 

 

Camping, I mean, Glamping Want to go camping in Italy but don't want to bring the gear, or just like the idea of four-poster beds and fully-equipped kitchens (a la high-end African safari)? Consider glamping in Tuscany, Lake Garda, or Venice.  

 

Dog sledding in southern Italy When I saw the photos of dog sledding on this website, they definitely reminded me of the time I went dog sledding. In Sweden. Above the Arctic Circle. But you really can go dog sledding in Calabria.

 

Redentore church by Dalbera, skiers photo by Fran Tapia

 

 

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Five favorite books for travelers to Italy or Italophiles

 

The five recommendations below are all on my bookshelf. They are the ones I pick up frequently: the ones bookmarked with color-coded sticky flags, and the ones that I buy again and again as gifts for people.

 

For Kids

For any kid about to travel to Italy or interested in the country, the story about Calabrian Strega Nona and her magic pasta pot is a sure hit as a story, and a good way to start chatting with the kids about this boot-shaped country called Italy. 

 

 

For Foodies

As odd as it may seem, I actually like to curl up on the couch with Fred Plotkin's Italy for the Gourmet Traveler. It's not like reading a list of where to eat in Italy. It's like a friend taking you on a foodie tour of Italy, telling you which towns to visit, and where (and what) to eat there. Note: this is a significant book, with 724 pages (yes, that's seven hundred and twenty four) and the weight to match, so not something you want in your luggage. Buy the book but pack only your notes.

 

 

 

For the Traveler to Rome

I've planned quite a few trips for families going to Rome, so my copy of Rome with Kids is heavily bookmarked, and I tell anyone going to Rome to pick up a copy. Note that I said anyone - not just anyone with kids. If you read the reviews of this book, you'll hear people comment again and again that adults get just as much out of the interesting historical tidbits as kids. I was lucky to spend a couple hours over coffee with the author, JM Pasquesi, and thoroughly enjoyed talking to her and hearing about the care she puts into updating each edition of the book (and the mapmaker she hired so the maps would be accurate!) 

 

For the Shopper

Made in Italy is not for the person looking to buy designer fashions, but is for someone who wants to know where to buy ceramics in Faenza or Deruta, or which Parmesan cheese factory to visit, or just what to buy in a specific region. I've also found that many places listed in the book are difficult to find online, so the addresses and telephone numbers provided by the author have been invaluable.

 

 

For the well traveled Italophile

Even your Italophile friend who has been to Italy exploring every year for 35 years hasn't seen every place featured in the magazine Bell'Italia. This magazine is the National Geographic equivalent for Italy, and I know it's technically not a book, but it makes this list because every issue is a great read with incredible photos. It's not easy to find in newsstands in North America, but you can buy a subscription. Note that the magazine is only in Italian.

 

And I haven't even gotten to novels or cookbooks! If you love to read mostly fiction about Italy, you may be interested in joining the Italy in Books 2011 Challenge.

Note: clicking on the links will take you to Amazon (with the exception of Rome for Kids - buy it from JM's site) where you can buy these books but I don't get any commission or benefit from a purchase.

 

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Family amusement in Italy: 15 excellent parks

Whether you love roller coasters or are just looking for something to balance a few days of museums and churches, you'll find what you're looking for at one of the outdoor parks below. Note that these parks are excellent for kids, but most of them are fun for any age. All the parks are included on the map at the end of this post. Let me know if I've missed any of your favorites!

 
  

 Sculpture parks (blue on the map). Explore outdoor sculpture while walking through the trees. Let the kids run around or even climb on the sculptures.

• Monster's Park. Stone sculptures in the wooded area around a Duke's house, this is one of my favorites.  http://www.parcodeimostri.com/ (website in Italian)

• Tarot Garden. Giant whimsical mosaic sculptures sparkle in the sunlight as you explore French artists Niki de Saint Phalle's creations in this garden. We have some incredible photos of the kids with Niki's sculptures.  http://www.nikidesaintphalle.com/  

• Chianti Sculpture park. Located just 12 km from Siena, visitors can walk through this park and admire the big sculptures by various artists, or let the kids run through the glass labyrinth, pictured below.  http://www.chiantisculpturepark.it/en-index.htm. Or visit the contemporary art gallery: http://www.solartgallery.it/. You can even stay in one of the on-site apartments if you wish: http://www.aiolina.it/eng/home.html. The park also has an amphitheater with concerts between June and August.

 

 

• Pinocchio Park. Follow the Pinocchio path and you'll come upon sculptures and exhibits from the story. Make a puppet, or visit the butterfly house. http://www.pinocchio.it/uk/homeuk.htm

• Italia in Miniatura. Visit a park dedicated to the main sights of Italy, in miniature. Combined passes to the amusement park Mirabilandia are also available.  http://www.italiainminiatura.com/index2.html?ID_lingua=en 

 
 

 Amusement parks (pink on the map) with roller coasters and rides a la Disneyland. 

• Cavallino Matto. This is a pretty traditional amusement park with rides. http://www.cavallinomatto.it/english/

• Gardaland. Probably Italy's most famous amusement park, and some would argue that it compares to Disney.  http://www.gardaland.it/en/home.php

• Mirabilandia. People who have been to both Gardaland and Mirabilandia often say Mirabilandia is better. Go to both and form your own opinion!  http://www.mirabilandia.it/

• Minitalia. This park has fewer rides than Gardaland or Mirabilandia, and has more animals, including a small aquarium and even a Leonardo Da Vinci museum.  http://www.minitalia.com/en/home/

 Animal parks (yellow on the map) One of Italy's most visited animal parks is the Bioparco in the center of Rome, but there are many other places to see animals in the country. Have a look at the yellow markers on the map to see whether you'll be anywhere near them.

• Parco zoo della fauna Europea.  http://www.parcozoopoppi.it/ (website in Italian)

• Citta' della Domenica. This park is geared towards smaller children, with a section on Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, and Little Red Riding Hood. A little train takes visitors around the park to see the animals. There's even a reptiles tower.  http://www.cittadelladomenica.it/home.php (website in Italian)

• Bioparco (zoo in Rome). This zoo is in the center of Rome and is one of Italy's most visited museums.  http://www.bioparco.it/en/bioparco-in-rome.html 

• Zoosafari. http://www.zoosafari.it/index.php?art=news1 (website in Italian)

• Parco Natura Viva. This is right next to Gardaland.  http://parconaturaviva.it/

 

 Water parks (light blue on the map) On a hot Italian summer day, nothing beats a good water park! There are actually quite a few smaller water parks in Italy, and many of the parks above have a water component, but I wanted to include only the best of the best in this list.

• Acqua Village in Maremma. There are 2 locations, one in Grosseto and one in Cecina, just to the north.  http://www.acquavillage.it/index_eng.php

View Italy Parks for kids in a larger map

Tarot Garden photo by Taslair, Monster's Park photo by Andrea Marutti, Gardaland photo by Simone Ramella, labyrinth photo property of Chianti sculpture park, used with permission.

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Italian Notebook: Look Down

Welcome, Italian Notebook readers!

 

Not tripping over cobblestones is a good reason to look down when in Italy, but that's not the main reason I suggest keeping your eyes on the ground every now and then. Check out the short piece I wrote for Italian Notebook for more.

Photo by Degia

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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

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3 Reasons to take food photos on vacation

Unless you're a foodie or a food photographer, you're probably like me (and most tourists), and put away the camera when food arrives on the table. Here are 3 reasons to document your gastronomic experience in Italy.

1) Recipes you can replicate at home are the best souvenir.

A lot of Italian food is really simple to make. Just by taking a photo of it, you can relive a part of your trip much later, and become a little bit more Italian. The salad below is a Sicilian salad of onions, oranges and olives, and you can literally see all the ingredients. Mix together a couple cut up oranges, some chunks of red onion, some olives, and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Done. (I had intended post this recipe during the month of September, during the O Foods Contest for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, but alas.)

2) Food photos will help you remember other parts of your holiday.

When your vacation is long over, you'll look at the photo of the food and remember the restaurant, who you were with, the rest of the meal, and maybe even what you did that day. The Sicilian salad is from our honeymoon, and whenever I make it, I'm reminded of Syracuse, the view from our table, and of course the time we spent in Sicily.

I've probably been to hundreds of pizzerias in Italy, but when I look at the photo of the pizza below, I remember the specific pizzeria I was at in Turin, the girlfriends I was with, and the strange movie we saw afterwards.

 

3) It's a great way to get to know the locals.

Italians love talking about food. In fact, if you meet an Italian you'd like to get to know better, male or female, young or old, food is pretty much a slam-dunk subject of conversation. The photo below reminds me of a long conversation I had with the fishmonger at a local market. I was daunted by all the different types of fish, didn't know what they were (and my dictionary was no help), and least of all how to cook them. The fishmonger gave me a few ideas, recipes I still use today. 

Trout: buy the whole fish as shown below, already cleaned & de-boned. Open, add some olive oil, some lemon juice, fresh herbs like oregano or thyme, close. Wrap each fish in foil, and bake 13 minutes at about 350 degrees.

And once, a friend's mother made a delicious chocolate cake, so I asked her for the recipe. "I could give it to you", she said, "but it wouldn't help. Your oven is different, your cake pans are different. It took me 7 years to experiment with this cake and get it the way my mother used to make it."  I wish I had a photo of that cake but it was gone by the time I remembered my camera. But the photo that got away led to such an interesting - and typically Italian - conversation.

All photos by Madeline

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The 5 Best Things to Do in Italy, Regardless of your Itinerary

It doesn't matter whether you're visiting Rome, Florence, and Venice or whether you're spending 2 weeks in the countryside; whether you're going to Italy in the height of summer or the middle of January; or whether you're museum-hopping or spending your entire visit on a bicycle. Use the checklist below on any trip to Italy for a more memorable experience. And if you've already been to Italy, how many of the items below can you check off?

1) Make time for the locals. When the taxi driver, barista, or other native Italian you meet strikes up a conversation, make time to chat. If they offer you a limoncello and ask how you're enjoying Italy, accept the drink, and tell them all the things you love about their country. A language barrier isn't an excuse - many Italians speak English and look for opportunties to practice. Of course, use your common sense: I wouldn't strike up a conversation on the street with someone who whistled or yelled "ciao, bella" at me.

2) Sit and observe.  Find a square, or piazza, the less touristy the better, and look around. What are people wearing? What shopping bags are they carrying? If you see families, how many kids are there on average, and who are their caregivers? What are the differences between people-watching in your hometown and here (fewer tattoos, fewer flip-flops, more crackberries?). If it's Sunday afternoon, why are people walking around with radios attached to their ears? (hint: soccer game). This is also a great place to pay attention to details around you, like the pattern of the cobblestones, the roofs of buildings, the lamp posts. 

Tip: If you can get a piece of paper and a pencil from the hotel, try to draw the scene. It doesn't matter if you think you can draw, and anyway you can throw it out when you're done. But the act of trying to draw it will make you observe the detail of what's in front of you more closely.

3) Focus on hand gestures and corresponding facial expressions. How many unique hand gestures can you count? If you want to study up before you go, have a look at this video.

4) Notice which foods are in season during your trip, and how they change from region to region if you're traveling around Italy. To accomplish this, go to a few outdoor markets or the produce section of a grocery store, read restaurant specials, or ask servers. If you order foods in season or see foods you're not used to at the market (like the persimmon in the photo above, perhaps) don't forget to take a photo.

5) Watch people driving cars and scooters (while you're walking, looking out your hotel window, in a car, or on the train). How many of these 10 Italian driving habits can you spot? Drivers also communicate with each other using hand gestures, so this is a good way to do #3, above.

Why This is Worth Your Time

Italy is one of the world's hottest tourist destinations, and you may feel at times that you're being herded through famous places like cattle. But pay attention to the items above, and you'll notice things that most tourists miss when their nose is in a guidebook or because they're rushing to the next itinerary stop. Plus it will enhance those "cattle" activities, put things into context, and give you many opportunities to connect with Italy in a meaningful way.

Photo of man by torremountain

Photo of plump persimmons by Kanko

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The Fragolino Controversy

I remember when I was first introduced to Fragolino. It was in Milan in 2002, at an Irish bar near our apartment. My husband and I ordered a bottle of the house-made Fragolino wine on a friend's recommendation, and it was one of the yummiest wines I have ever tasted. 

A perfect summer wine, it was light, not too sweet, and as you would expect, tasted of strawberries. The wine isn't actually made with any strawberries, but entirely from grapes - and that seems to be the problem (more on that later).

I kept my eye out for it for years after that, and discovered, as anticipation became disappointment, that there are a few different wines that call themselves Fragolino. There's a sweet, syrupy Fragolino liqueur that is easy to find but is nowhere close to what I had tasted. There's a sparkling, sweet, chemically flavored Fragolino that probably works fine as a dessert wine, or maybe an aperitivo, but again: not even close to what I was looking for. 

On the internet, I found evidence of people who had had a similar experience to mine. They had tasted the wine, wanted more, and were actively searching for it: people posted their email addresses and contact information in discussion forums, describing their experience and asking for any information about where to find this elusive wine - with no luck.

All this super-sleuthing is necessary because it is actually illegal to sell this wine in the EU. It's not illegal to make it, so if you find a kind farmer who lets you sample some, feel free. But first, be aware of why it's banned:

The Official Story

The Italian government says that the grape used to make Fragolino, the Uva Americana (also known as the Isabella grape), is banned because it's difficult to control methanol levels during wine production. Given that methanol can make you go blind, that sounds like a pretty good reason to me. But some people suggest this is not the real reason behind the ban.

What the Wine Blogs Say

A few winemakers say that the methanol excuse is urban legend. They speculate that since the grape is an American grape and not authentically Italian, the Italian authorities don't want it contaminating their precious, authentically Italian soil. That seems to me like an unlikely reason for not only Italy, but the whole EU, to ban the grape - but it's not that far off another explanation.

What the Scientists Say

The author of this blog post points out that the Isabella grape is thought to have been responsible for bringing the phylloxera plague to Europe in the late 19th century. The tiny Phylloxera insects feast on grape vines, cutting off the flow of nutrients and water to the plants. They were first noticed in France but spread quickly, and devastated most of the wine growing industry in Europe in the late 1800's. 

Still Interested in Tasting it?

Well sale of this wine is banned in the EU but Switzerland is conveniently not in the EU and is easy to get to from Italy. So in theory you should be able to nip up to Switzerland's Canton Ticino and try this fabulous wine yourself. Or you may meet a nice Italian farmer (historically, in the Veneto or outside of Naples) who might let you have a taste.

Since the grape is not banned in the US, I went to talk to the experts at Sam's Wine here in Chicago. I asked one of the buyers about the Isabella grape. "Definitely not produced in any of the major wine regions of the US, unless by some small local farmer", he said. He happened to be talking to some Napa Valley, CA winemakers, who overheard my question. "Never heard of it", they said. When I told them about the phylloxera plague, their eyes widened. "You'll never see anyone take that grape on. Winemakers wouldn't touch that one with a 10-foot pole".

Sigh. I guess I'll have to find a friendly farmer next time I'm in the Veneto. But I'll let him take the first sip.

Corkscrew photo by Kyle May

Strawberries photo by *clairity*

Make Time for the Locals

One of the best ways to get to know Italy is to get to know Italians, so if your waiter or barista or hotelier strikes up a conversation, I highly recommend making time for them. They are most likely not chatting with you in the name of Good Customer Service or because they want something from you (it took me quite a while to believe this but it's usually true). They really do just want to get to know you a little better.

The snap above is of the owner of La Vache Qui Rit restaurant in Torino. A friend and I had a fabulous dinner there and as we were leaving (at about 11 pm), the owner came over to say hello. We stood in the doorway for over an hour talking: about our meal, the recipes, beef in general, how his restaurant got started and how business was going, and (somehow) young people in Torino. Every 15 minutes or so, he would ask whether we wanted a limoncello or digestivo, and we kept declining, saying we really did need to get home. 

I don't really remember what else we did that day, or even what I ate at the restaurant, except that it was excellent. But I'm glad I made time during my visit to have that conversation. And of course whenever someone mentions they are going to Torino (Turin), I always recommend visiting La Vache Qui Rit.

Photo by Madeline