My father was born in Molfetta, Puglia in the South. My Mom's mother and father came from Naples. Both spoke dialects of Italian. My mother often said that my father's dialect was so different from hers that she couldn't understand certain words. If you watch the Godfather, especially the scenes in GF II showing Vito Corleone as a young man, you can hear this sort of dialect... albeit Sicilian. The words in the South are often totally different. Lots of slang is used. Liaisons happen... Usually, the end of one word attaches to the beginning of the next word. Beginnings of words are often omitted. Even Italians consider these dialects like another language... for example, the announcements on the train from Bari to Rome are in English, Italian and "Dialetto". Dialect sounds nothing like regular Italian down South.
Now, add to all this the fact that Italian immigrants in American spoke a sort of second hand Italian dialect, much was lost to misunderstood pronunciations and the fact that many (like my parents) didn't want to speak Italian in the home. When I asked why my parents didn't teach us Italian, they said they wanted an "All-American" home for us. Even today in the South parents don't want their children to speak Dialect when they move to the big cities in Italy. They are looked down upon for speaking it by Northern Italians. What a shame... These dialects are what makes Italian so interesting. Here are a collection of words and phrases that I grew up with... spelled phonetically: Stoonod Idiot Mopeen Dish Cloth, Rag Agida/Agita Acid indigestion caused by someone aggravating you Googootz A fool Cabbadost Thick head/stubborn sfatcheem a Jerk Stroonz an Ass Stroonz-a-medz Half ass Strombolone Clumsy Chooch Jackass Briagone Drunk A-fa Nabalee Get out of Here/Go to Naples Facha-broot Ugly face Dees-Gradseeyad You disgrace! Stata-Geet Shut Up SkeeVo Disgusting Ashpette Wait! Jadrool Lazy bum (cucumber) Ooo-Fah I've had it/I'm fed up TooSay Batz You're crazy Bock-owz Bathroom/stink house Bazanigole Basil Boombotz Idiot/Crazy Brazjole Brasciole/Penis Kay-Gotz What the F*ck Gotzo What Balls Coh-Yonees Balls Ah-Va-Fan-gool Go f*ck yourself Pasta-vazool Pasta fagioli (bean soup) Gobba-ghool Capicola (a type of cold cut meat) Gabeesh? Understand? Gavone Pig/Slob/Overeater Jamoke Idiot Goombah Pal/Comrade/Friend GooMahd Girlfriend ComoseeCyam? What do you call it? Keh -sa-deech? How are you? Mal-yOke Evil eye Mamaluke Idiot/stupid/screw-up Manageya Damn it/Curse it Managutt Manicotti (pasta) Madone! Madonna! (exclamation) Medz-a-medz So-so/half and half/not so much Mutzarelle Mozzarella cheese Naboleedahn Neapolitan/someone from Naples piezahn Friend/countryman/brother Pitza-gaina Egg-meat pie Boochach Bitch Rigutt Ricotta cheese Scarole Escarole/Cash money Skutch Pest StuGotz Screw it/F*ck it Vena Ka Come here --Jerry Finzi If you found this post useful, please LIKE it and tell your friends about Grand Voyage Italy. Ciao! Copyright, Jerry Finzi, Grand Voyage Italy, All rights reserved
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Sure, we all think we "must go" to Pisa and see the leaning tower, but thousands of others have the same idea. Pisa is very crowded, especially in the Piazza dei Miracoli where the the Leaning Tower is located. Many don't even find the time (or money) to climb the tower itself. If driving, Pisa is also clogged with traffic and expensive to park close to the Tower. Aside from the Piazza dei Miracoli which encompasses to Tower, Basilica and the Baptistry, most visitors spend only an hour or two at the Piazza and then leave the city, not seeing anything else of Pisa (even though it is a beautiful city, especially along the river). So... Instead of visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa, visit the Leaning Towers of Bologna instead... The Leaning Towers of Bologna (yes, there's two) are in the middle of a wonderful city with a well-preserved historical center (one of the largest in Italy) thanks to a careful restoration and conservation policy which began at the end of the 1970s. Bologna is the largest city (and the capital) of the Emilia-Romagna Region. The highlight of Bologna is it's twin leaning towers, but trust me, Bologna is a city where you can stay for a while... there much more than the Towers to see here. But first, a little info about its leaning towers... The taller of the leaning towers in Bologna is called the Asinelli while the smaller but more leaning tower is called the Garisenda. Asinelli Tower measures 318 feet tall and the Garisenda Tower stands at 158 feet. For 3 Euros you can climb to the top of the Asinelli Tower but be advised, this climb is not for those who are afraid of height (the old wooden stairs are open in the middle looking all the way to the top and bottom) or are out of shape. There are almost 500 steps to the top. Also be aware that the stairway is very narrow with worn, uneven steps... and you have to squeeze past people on the way up and the way down. It will take about 10 minutes to reach the top (resting every few levels) but the views are amazing. Bologna has been settled from 1000 BC onwards. The Celts, the Romans, the Gauls, the Lombards and even Byzantium all had a part in its history. In the 12th century, the expanding city needed a new line of walls, and at the end of the 13th century had one of largest textile industries in Italy. The complex system of canals in Bologna was one of the most advanced waterway systems in Europe. Hydraulic energy derived from the canal system ran the numerous textile mills and helped transport goods. Bologna is also a university town... in fact, founded in 1088, the University of Bologna is widely considered to be the world's first university. Feminists owe a great deal to Bologna as well. During the Renaissance, Bologna was the only Italian city that allowed women to excel in any profession. Women had much more freedom than in other Italian cities; some even had the opportunity to earn a degree at the university. The School of Bologna for art flourished in Bologna between the 16th and 17th centuries, and rivaled Florence and Rome as a center of painting. But remember, this is a modern, living, breathing city. It's as beautiful as Lucca but larger. The reddish brown color of the buildings and covered porticoes invite you to walk and explore--in total, there are 24 miles of porticoes in the city's historical center allowing visitors to stroll throughout the historic center protected from inclement weather. In addition to its two famous leaning towers, there are about 18 more still remaining that stand relatively straight. There is an antiques market at Piazza Santo Stefano. Imagine that at one time there were about 180 towers in the 1200s. Most either fell down, were torn down or shortened and re-purposed. Sadly, during a new urban development plan at the beginning of the 20th century, the last remaining towers were torn down. The modern attitude is to preserve the towers that remain. Lucky for the people who live and visit Bologna! Now, as to what else Bologna has to offer... The International museum and library of music displays ancient musical instruments and unique musical scores from the 16th to the 20th centuries. The Basilica of San Domenico is worth seeing, with its Romanesque facade and Baroque interior decorations and frescoes. And for a vista overlooking the city, take a trip up to San Michele in Bosco perched on a forested hilltop overlooking Bologna. You can also visit a Parmigiano Reggiano factory or a Ducati motorcycle factory--take your pick. As for food, there is always the sauce Bolognese to feed the hungry traveler. So perhaps you would still want to visit Pisa to see its Leaning Tower, but after a short two hour visit, jump on a train for a couple of hours and visit Bologna for a few days. One great itinerary would be to fly into Pisa, see their tower, then get on a train to spend a couple of days at Lucca to relax and perhaps rent a bicycle and ride on top of their walls, then move on to Vinci to get a taste of Leonardo's genius in the Da Vinci Museum (an over-nighter), then move on for a few day stay in Bologna for a taste of a vibrant, wonderful Italian city. You could finish off your trip in Venice and fly home from there. Have some tagliatelle alla Bolognese for me! --Jerry Finzi Copyright, Jerry Finzi, Grand Voyage Italy, All rights reserved
--Jerry Finzi
If you enjoyed this post please LIKE it... and tell your friends about Grand Voyage Italy. Ciao! The Colosseum in Rome is used for one thing and one thing only--tourism. The Colosseum in Rome wasn't the first time I saw a Roman arena--or more properly, amphitheater. When I traveled throughout France years ago I first saw the Arena de Nimes and then the Arènes d'Arles. The one in Nime was hosting--of all things in the heat of August--Carnival on Ice... yes, ice skating in a Roman Arena. Who would have even thought of such a thing. In Arles they were having a bullfight the night I was there--a type of Provençal bull fight where the bulls aren't killed. Perhaps this is why my visit to the Colosseum felt strange, although seeing it was the highpoint of my visit to Rome. It wasn't being loved and used by the people of Rome. It was only a method of cashing in on tourist dollars. The other Roman arenas I had seen in France were still being used and loved by the locals and visitors alike... So, instead of visiting the Colosseum, when all the other tourists flock and crowd into each other making it a task to look out into the vastness of the amphitheater, how about visiting an ancient amphitheater that you can actually be an audience member in... watching a concert or other special event? I've got one for you--the Arena di Verona, in Northern Italy's Veneto region. Yes, the same Verona where tourists flock to see the "real" balcony that the fictitious Juliet so poetically entranced her love Romeo--also not real. But Verona is real. And so is its Arena. Julius Cesar actually did sleep here. Shakespeare never slept here... or anywhere else in Italy, for that matter. But you can... and enjoy modern concerts held in it's famous arena... The arena was built in 30AD on a site which at that time was beyond the town walls. The ludi (shows and games) that were staged there became so well-known that spectators came from far off places just to see them. More than 30,000 spectators at a time could partake in the events in the Arena di Verona. Originally, there were white and pink limestone but an earthquake in 1117 nearly destroyed all of this, and the rest was re-used in other public buildings. During the Renaissance the Arena was first used for musical performances and by the 1850s operas were performed there because of the better than average acoustics. In 1913, opera really took over with performances by the Italian opera tenor Giovanni Zenatello, the impresario Ottone Rovato and a staging of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida. Nowadays, four to six opera productions are staged in the arena each year between June and August, but during winter, the local opera and ballet companies perform at the L'Accademia Filarmonica. Be advised that tickets to sit on the arena's stone steps are much cheaper to buy than tickets for the padded chairs on the lower levels. I don't know about you, but sitting on the stones that ancient Romans sat on 2000 years ago appeals to me more than parking my butt on a modern chair. Candles are given out to audience members and lit after sunset around the arena. I'm not an opera fan myself, but it must be an amazing experience to see performances in such a setting. But if opera isn't your thing either, you might be able to catch a concert by the likes of pop and rock stars like Paul McCartney, the Who, Rod Stewart, Stink or Radiohead. So, if you want to sit where Romans sat two millennium ago while enjoying an opera or concert, think about coordinating your travels to Italy with a stay in Verona along with one of these fantastic events at their Arena. You might be watching Foo Fighters instead of gladiators fighting, and the blood and gore might be overacted to music and song by some fat people in costumes and face paint, but you'll still have the night of a lifetime! Now, if they'll just install 30,000 seats in the Colosseum and start booking the Kinks, Billy Joel or James Taylor, I'll book a flight back to Rome... Check here for upcoming events in the Arena di Verona. --Jerry Finzi If you enjoyed this post, please SHARE and LIKE it... grazie!
Copyright, Jerry Finzi, Grand Voyage Italy, All rights reserved Alfredo Di Lelio, was the creator of Fettuccine all’Alfredo in 1908 in a small family restaurant run by his mother Angelina in Rome, Piazza Rosa (this piazza no longer exists). The story goes that his after his wife gave birth to their firstborn son, Armando, her health declined. Alfredo, concerned for her wellbeing, tried all sorts of healthy and nutritious recipes to nurse her back to health. One of these dishes was flat noodles mixed with butter and fresh Parmesan. As a good Catholic, to be sure he covered all bases, he also prayed to St. Anna, the patron saint of pregnant women. His wife Ines ate the dish with gusto and recovered, then suggested he add the dish to the family restaurant's menu. Afterwards, di Lelio opened the restaurant Alfredo in 1914 in Rome, after leaving the restaurant of his mother Angelina (after all, as most Italian men do, they only leave Mama after they are married and starting a family of their own). The fame of fettuccine all’Alfredo spread first locally and then to the rest of the gastronomical world. With his wild mustache he himself became a celebrity, as famous as the movie stars he posed with for photos, always holding a handful of fettuccine trying to stuff the face of his famous victims. In 1943, during the war, Di Lelio sold Ristorante Alfredo to others outside his family. In 1950 Di Lelio decided to reopen a restaurant with his son Armando on the Piazza Augusto Imperatore across from the tomb of Augustus. Il Vero Alfredo (the REAL Alfredo), which is now managed by his nephews Alfredo and Ines, with the famous logo of the gold cutlery (fork and spoon) donated in 1927 by two well-known, old school American actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks (in gratitude for his hospitality). In Rome there are many other restaurants called "Alfredo" that have nothing to do with the Di Lelio family lineage. In a way, this reminds me of the story of "Ray's Pizza" in Manhattan. There are many... "Ray's Original Pizza", "Famous Ray's Pizza" and "World-Famous Original Ray's Pizza"and even a "Not Ray's Pizza"... recently there were 49 variations of "Ray's" pizza shops in New York City. Il Vero Alfredo is in the registered in Rome's Historic Shops of Excellence and has been visited by just about every famous person you can imagine--presidents, movie stars, musicians, artists--you name them, and more than likely, they've eaten there--at least, back in the 1950s and 60s. Today you never see Italians or celebrities eating there. The atmosphere is old world, a bit stuffy, the ancient waiters wearing white jackets with yellow tablecloths to match the intense color of the fettuccine Alfredo being served.
The bottom line is, the fame of fettucine all' Alfredo mostly spread to places other than Italy itself. Most Italians don't eat it or haven't heard of it. It's an old import from the days of Sinatra, shark skin suits and men wearing hats. Italians think of it as an American dish. Perhaps this is because Italians don't typically have butter on their pasta (or their bread, for that matter). However, if you want to search out the "birthplace" of fettucine alfredo, while discovering the roots of the Olive Garden, book a reservation and follow the tourists into the dining room of Il Vero Alfredo. You'll have a fairly good meal, be taken care of properly by lack luster waiters and be serenaded by someone playing accordion... over and over and over again during your meal. You might even see Alfredo's grandson (Alfredo III) sporting the same outlandish 'stach as his father (Armando, aka Alfredo II) and grandfather did, wandering around trying to stuff mouths with fist-fulls of fettuccine. Buon appetito! Il Vero Alfredo Piazza Augusto Imperatore 30 00186 Rome Italy Phone number +39 06 6878734 --Jerry Finzi If you enjoyed this post, please LIKE and SHARE it. Grazie! Copyright, Jerry Finzi, Grand Voyage Italy, All rights reserved . Instead of visiting the overly crowded, very touristy sites or events in Italy, try something comparable but more relaxed and less filled with tourists. Travel against the grain... travel the less beaten path... Trey to live the Italian life along with the locals. Avoid tourists at all costs. Throw away your "must see" lists! This will be a new feature here in Grand Voyage Italy. Here is the first installment of INSTEAD OF VISITING THERE, GO HERE... Instead of visiting the Palio races in Siena... Visit the Palio di Asti horse races instead. --Jerry Finzi If you liked this post, please SHARE it with your friends and LIKE it... grazie! Siena’s palio horse races are held in July and August in the height of the tourist season, and are the most famous festival in Italy. Google "palio" and it only finds articles about the one in Siena in southern Tuscany. But if you wait until September, you can avoid the tourist high season and enjoy the palio in Asti instead. Asti is a beautiful town in the northwest part of Italy in the Piedmonte, within the triangle formed by Milan, Genoa and Turin. Asti has more races, more horses, and a dramatic and colorful procession of 1,000 flag-throwers and characters in medieval dress. It’s a more sumptuous and full day for spectators. Many think palio means horse race in Italian, but it literally means grabs. It refers to the winning cloth that a competition offers as first prize to the winner of such races... not just horse races, either. So, in this horse race the cloth, or colors of the winner is what's up for grabs. The Palio is a traditional Italian festival of medieval origin that culminates with a bareback horse race. The race has been run each year in Asti since the year 1275. The earliest recorded race dates from the third quarter of the 13th century. Since 1988, the race has taken place in a triangular piazza in the center of Asti, the Piazza Alfieri, on every third Sunday in September. The Asti Palio is equally as beautiful and exciting but not as well known as the Palio in Siena. You can stand to watch the race for free in Asti... 5,000 spaces are set aside for this. If you want to watch the race in more comfort, you can reserve numbered stall seats for a decent price up to a year in advance of the race. Race day is much busier than in Siena, with more racing and more pageantry. And as night falls, the party really begins with festive street parties and special events held in local trattorias. Try some of the local wines... Barbera d’Asti (an amazing red) or some of the famous sparkling Asti DOC (forget the "Spumonte"... many are bogus). --Jerry Finzi If you enjoyed this post, please LIKE it and tell your friends to stop by! Ciao! Copyright, Jerry Finzi, Grand Voyage Italy, All rights reserved . We have learned that long before the Roman Empire, Italy was settled by the Greeks. Surnames were unknown in ancient Greece. The Greeks identified individuals they knew by first name, the name of the father, and the town of origin. So a name might be Alexus Nicolaus Pirgos (Alexus, son of Nicolaus from the town of Pirgos). Similarly, in Rome individuals were named in three parts. These parts included a basic first name, a name in which a person's family was identified, and also a unique name that described that individual. This three part name was common throughout Italian history until medieval times, when the latter two names were dropped and people were known only by one name. This tradition of only giving one name began to cause confusion among citizens, and slowly Italians began adding a second distinguishing label to their names to identify one person from another. Some of these surnames can give a lot of information about a family's history. Officials say that there are over 350,000 surnames (family names) in Italy and around the world. There are some that are intact and authentic--the same name having been in continuous use, with the same spelling for almost 1000 years. With other names, their meanings cannot be interpreted because of changes in the spelling, their meanings being lost to time, their root word being lost in an obscure dialect, or simply because the name was changed during emigration to another country. Categories of Surnames There are different types of surnames and depending on the type, one can try to interpret their meaning. Some are much more informative, others not so much, and still other types are downright entertaining: Patronymic surnames usually have the preposition di ("from", expressing possession) to say that one was the child of a certain individual. These surnames are very common throughout Italy, although some also use the preposition de, and some join the two words into one and others keep them separate (ie: Mario DeFelice, Giacomo Di Giovanni). They tell you who the founding member of the family was... In the case of Di Giovanni, the originator of the family had the first name Giovanni. Occupational surnames describe the profession that the forbearer held. Of course, while the family’s original forefather held that particular job it doesn’t mean that his descendants did.... at least, not in modern times. In the past, it was very possible that successive generations were indeed in the same profession, being trained in the family business. An example of this would be the last name Contadino, which means farmer--you can imagine generations of this family all being farmers, but you can also wonder if the surname was changed when a son of the farmer began to be known more for his baking or milling skills more than his farming. We see this same tradition in surnames from other cultures as well... Miller, Shepherd, Cook, Clark, Skinner, Baker, Smith, etc. The following surnames describe what the ancestors did for a living:
Geographical surnames indicated the geographical origins of a family and the adjective used for the inhabitant of a place became the surname of a person, like Napoletano meaning Neapolitan, from Naples... Romano from Rome... Fiorentino from Florence... Genovese from Genoa. Animal surnames are based on animals and some others also represent the evolution from a main surname referring to an animal. Animals were used as the symbol of some features families had. Surnames like Gatto (cat), Tortora (turtledove), Colombo (pigeon), Gallo (chicken) and Cavallo (horse) find their origins in animals because of the personality their ancestors used to have. Orphan surnames are a strange case.... These sad descriptives were given to trovatelli (orphans) and were often a bit cruel, sometimes hopeful, or horribly descriptive of the poor child's sad family history. Some orphanages actually had a little revolving door where people could leave babies--no questions asked. Other's would leave babies on a hillside to be noticed by a local farmer needing a child for labor. I find it odd that you needed to label an orphan in such a way--to mark them for life. However, if the child was adopted, his or her name would change. Chances are, anyone walking around with one of these orphan surnames has a forbearer who grew to maturity without ever being adopted.
Descriptive surnames are those expressing the habits, qualities or faults typifying a family and they were often born from nicknames. The name Mezzanotte (Midnight) might refer to a man who had a habit of walking the streets of the village late at night. In the case of a name like Fumagalli, it literally means “smoke the roosters”--a method thieves would use to stun the chickens and keep them quiet as they stole them. Barba congelato means frozen beard, from this you get the name Barbagelata--perhaps describing someone's snow white whiskers? There are more... Pelagatti – skin, cats... Cantalupi – sing to wolves? There was even a famous Cardinal once with the name Bellagamba--beautiful leg. He might have wanted to have his name changed legally, but alas, in Italy this is only allowed in extreme cases. Nicknames are without doubt the most entertaining and unusual of Italian surnames. These could virtually describe any detail about an individual, from messy hair, to their missing teeth, to their great height, or lack thereof, like the name Basso, meaning short. Some described a person's eating habits, their infidelities, their sexual prowess or physical disabilities. In fact, even today there villages in Italy (especially in the south) that use family nicknames exclusively, although they might still have more proper surnames. Most people will know the nickname (an unofficial one) but have no idea of the person's real surname. These nicknames can be passed on from generation to generation, so the descendant is called by the same descriptive as his great, great grandfather... in one case I read about, (believe it or not) the name was Penenero, or Black Penis. One only has to guess at why one of his forefathers got this unfortunate moniker and the embarrassment of the person being called it today. The name Finocchio means Fennel, but it’s also a pejorative for being gay. So a straight man or woman may have this surname because one of their ancestors was perceived as being gay. Here's a few more I found:
So, there you are.... a little history on Italian names. As for our name, Finzi... all I can find out is that it's most likely a very old Italian Jewish name (although we grew up Roman Catholic, and my great-great grandfather was Catholic too). You might remember the 70s film, The Garden of the Finzi-Contini about a Jewish-Italian family during WWII, and I discovered a bunch of paver tiles on a street in Rome bearing the names of an entire family of Finzis who were all killed in the concentration camps. (That shook me up when I saw the photo). I've tried variations of Finzi in Google Translate and only sensible phrases I came up with was "since the z" or "end z"... the last letter in the alphabet. As far back as the 1400s there were bankers with the Finzi name in northern Italy. The most famous Finzi was Gerald Finzi, a London born classical composer, born from Italian-Jewish stock. I do have a cousin who is very famous--Giuseppe Finzi, director of the San Francisco Opera, also from Molfetta. There are only 209 Finzis in all of Italy. That's not so much, but then again, that's a lot of cousins! Maybe on our next trip we should go knocking on doors... --Jerry Finzi If you enjoyed this post, please share it, like it and tell your friends to stop by! Grazie. . Copyright, Jerry Finzi, Grand Voyage Italy, All rights reserved .
Villa d'Este Cascades and Fountains The Italians were so enamored by waterfalls that they imitated them. The Villa d'Este is a great example. The Villa d'Este was commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este, son of Alfonso I d'Este and Lucrezia Borgia and grandson of Pope Alexander VI. He had been appointed Governor of Tivoli by Pope Julius III, with the gift of the existing palace,which he had entirely reconstructed to plans of Pirro Ligorio carried out under the direction of the Ferrarese architect-engineer Alberto Galvani, court architect of the Este. The chief painter of the ambitious internal decoration was Livio Agresti from Forlì. From 1550 until his death in 1572, when the villa was nearing completion, Cardinal d'Este created a palatial setting surrounded by a spectacular terraced garden in the late-Renaissance mannerist style, which took advantage of the dramatic slope but required innovations in bringing a sufficient water supply, which was employed in cascades, water tanks, troughs and pools, water jets and fountains, giochi d'acqua (water games). The result is one of the series of great 17th century villas with water-play structures in the hills surrounding the Roman Campagna, such as the Villa Lante, the Villa Farnese at Caprarola and the Villas Aldobrandini and Torlonia in Frascati. Their garden planning and their water features were imitated in the next two centuries from Portugal to Poland. Cascata del Sasso Cascata del Sasso is located in the Marche region in the province of Pesaro-Urbino . With a length of two hundred feet, Cascata del Sasso, a few steps from Sant'Angelo in Vado, is a wonderful find. From a height of 45 feet, the waters of Metauro are thrown down the stepped limestone, giving rise to a cascade considered among the ten largest in Italy. On the left bank, an old mill--no longer in operation--helps to enhance the charm of the landscape. The lake is surrounded by lush vegetation of willows and poplars. It is also possible to find rare species of birds, such as the kingfisher. Cascate del Serio The Serio Waterfalls are located in the town of Valbondione , in the upper valley Seriana , in the Province of Bergamo . It consists of three stepped falls: one at 545' high and two at 250' each, for a total height of over 1000 feet. It ranks it among the highest waterfalls in both Italy and Europe. When the dam opened, the man made reservoir that filled up behind it called Lago di Barbellino was partially drained only four or five days a year, thus determining when the stunning Cascate del Serio would flow. Tourists can see Italy’s tallest waterfall in all its glory between June and October, on a specific day of each month for a period of only thirty minutes so be sure to book you place to watch it well in advance! A fascinating legend associated with Cascate del Serio tells the story of a woman who fell in love with a Shepard who was betrothed to another. In her jealousy, the woman captured his fiancé and imprisoned her in a castle situated above the waterfall. The fiancé was so broken hearted at this tragic turn of events that her tears became what is now Cascate del Serio!
Stroppia Cascata In the Italian Alps there is the little known, Stroppia Cascata--perhaps the highest waterfall in Italy. An impressive jump of over 1600 feet, from the valley called Vallonasso, until the central valley Maira. The falls are visible beyond the town of Chiappera (Val Maira), in the province of Cuneo, reached just after the village of Saretto, both hamlets of Acceglio . Hiking up a trail from Icardi you can pass near the falls, and admire them in all their beauty. They are also visible on on excursions or climbing the nearby Rocca Provencal . Novalesa
Cascate Fraggia Cascate Fraggia are located in the municipality of Piuro and are formed from the stream that comes from altitude of 10,000 feet from Pizzo Lake. The creek about a 3000 feet downstream form the Lago Fraggia. From there originate a sequence of drops of water, of which the lower falls drops 500 feet into a double cascade. The river continues downstream, frequently interrupted by jumps, rapids and pools.
Pianazzo Cascata del Catino Near the border of Switzerland, these two waterfalls are fed by the waters of the Scalcoggia. Cascata del Cantino with a 330 feet drop and Pianazzo at 590 feet. Cantino is the more interesting because of its stone bridge at the bottom of the cascade, leading to a smaller cascade leading into a basic below. Both are reached easily by short walks. The walk heads off from Madesimo to Pianazzo along the old road which in the past was used by vehicles, but after the opening of a new tunnel (1974) became a thoroughfare reserved exclusively for pedestrians. It’s a gentle walk, suitable even for walkers with wheel chairs. It is illuminated at night. Pianazzo is the highest waterfall in the Valchiavenna area set in a wonderful alpine village.
Niagra Rio Verde The Niagara Rio Verde is located in the town of Borrello in the province of Chieti, in the Nature Reserve Niagara Verde. Rio Verde is one of the highest natural waterfalls of the Apennines, formed by a triple jump which together measure 700 feet. The falls are fed by the Rio Verde, with variable water flow during the year, which flows into the river Sangro. The rocks they fall over have a stepped appearance which adds to their effect. The area of the falls also has interesting microclimate with interesting mosses, lichen, ferns and fauna.
--Jerry Finzi
If you enjoyed this post, please LIKE it and share with your friends. Ciao! Copyright, Jerry Finzi, Grand Voyage Italy, All rights reserved . Congelato is the Italian word for frozen. Freddo means cold (sort of the way Don Michael Corleone felt toward his brother, Fredo). Freddo is the way Italians feel all the time, even in when it's warm out. It's a puzzle and a wonder that they have embraced something so cold and frozen as gelato. If you travel to Italy in summer--you--as an American, are going to want to do anything you can to keep cool. Not that Italians want this. They are always cold anyway. Italian air conditioning isn't really cold by American standards, either. Let's just say most Americans will get pretty heated on this subject. Even in the winter, temperatures can be mild to warm for American travelers, while Italians get out their scarves and puffy jackets in early September. But wait... I think I get it! Perhaps they are always wearing puffy jackets and scarves simply because they eat SO MUCH gelato each and every day, sometimes more than once a day. And, unlike in the States, where ice cream shops close down during winter, in Italy, the gelaterie are open all year long! Perhaos this lowers the core body temperature of Italians! Ah-HA! I think I've discovered something here. Maybe that's the difference--we can take the cold weather more, simply because we don't eat as much ice cream in the cold months as Italians do. Perhaps the reason gelateria suddenly offer cioccolato caldo in winter is so Italians can bring their core body temperature back up toward normal after having a winter gelato treat! (By the way... cioccolato caldo is amazing in Italy... made from real melted chocolate). So, what frozen treats await the traveler in Italy? I'll get into the types of frozen treats Italy has to offer, but first a little... History of Ice Cream Believe it or not, Americans have been eating ice cream since the 1740s, and flavored icy treats were in many cultures dating back over a thousand years. Many of the Italian immigrants arriving at Ellis Island were already well aware of the pleasures of ice cream... or gelato, as they called it. Perhaps knowing this, officials at Ellis Island started serving immigrants ice cream because they thought it was "an efficient method for making our future citizens more at home in their new environment.” Of course, to Italians, the cold treat was nothing new. Iced desserts actually date back over a thousand years (even in ancient Rome) and they are common in many cultures. The history of gelato dates back to frozen desserts in Sicily, ancient Rome and Egypt (part of the Roman Empire in 30 BC) made from snow and ice brought down from the volcanoes Etna and Vesuvius, and covered with honey or fruit juices. Some stories claim that Nero, the Roman Emperor, invented a type of sorbet in the first century AD by having runners along the Appian Way pass buckets of snow--relay race style--from the mountains to his palace, where it was flavored with honey and wine. During the Italian Renaissance, the great history of modern Italian gelato really began to take off. The Florentine Medici family held a contest for the best frozen dessert. A peasant named Ruggeri, a chicken farmer and amateur chef, took part in the competition, creating a dessert of fruit juice and ice--similar to sorbet. Ruggieri won the competition which immediately brought him fortune and fame after Caterina de Medici took him with her to France. Caterina was using him to shame the over-inflated egos of the French chefs serving the French court and prove that Florentines made the best desserts. In fact, Ruggieri, made his creation for Caterina on her wedding day when she married the future King Henry II of France. Later in the 1500s, the Medici commissioned artist and architect Bernardo Buontalenti to create a culinary event for the King of Spain. Buontalenti came up with a creamy frozen dessert that we now call gelato. Because of this, many consider Buontalenti as the inventor of the gelato we enjoy today. (Another great Italian innovator!) In 1686 the Sicilian fisherman Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli perfected the world's first first ice cream making machine--and no, it didn't plug in. (Italians invented a lot!) Coltelli's fame made him a rich man and he soon opened an incredibly successful cafe in Paris where his creamy gelato gained a wide-spread reputation. However, it wasn't until the 1920s and 1930s, when the first gelato cart was developed in the northern Italian city of Varese (take that, Good Humor), that gelato started to become popular with more and more people in Italy itself. In 1770, just before the American Revolution, Giovanni Basiolo brought gelato to New York. He brought two kinds of of gelato-- one made by blending milk with coffee, chocolate, or pistachio, and another made with water and fruits. In 1846, the hand cranked ice cream machine was perfected and made the velvety and creamy dessert simple, yet fatiguing to produce. Types of Frozen Delights During the 1900s, the advance of technology helped ice cream become even more widespread--and in all seasons of the year. The introduction of ice houses, faster shipping, and horse-drawn ice cutters led to a drop in the price of ice. This led to a huge market for ice production and distribution. In America, the ice storage houses shut down and people no longer harvested ice from frozen ponds in the winter months. Many people could finally afford iced treats during the hot summer months and by the 1840s, ice cream was being sold on the streets of both Europe and America. Italians immigrants are credited with creation of ice cream and they became strongly associated with the production and selling of ice cream in both Europe and America. In England, where Italians emigrated in large numbers after 1860, the selling of ice cream was seen as a predominantly Italian occupation, with immigrants from Rome and Naples owning most of the ice cream carts. In fact, the Italians were responsible in exporting ice cream vendors in many European counties and to America. So, Italians not only brought us pizza and pasta, but ice cream as well! Semifreddo Semifreddo translates as semi-cold. You will find this light and mousse-like ice cream in the gelateria also. Even though it's lighter and softer it's actually colder. Although fine in a cup, if you order semifreddo in a cone it will melt a lot faster than gelato. You'll know it's semifreddo because it is usually mounded very high in the tub... much more so than gelato. Gelato This is what everyone thinks of when they think of Italian ice cream. Gelato (plural, gelati) is the Italian word for ice cream, coming from the Latin word for frozen, gelatus. Gelato can be made with milk, cream, various sugars, and flavoring such as fresh fruit and nut purees. It is often made with skim milk and is generally lower in calories, fat and sugar than American style ice cream. Typically, gelato—like any other ice cream—needs a stabilizing base. Egg yolks are used in yellow custard-based gelato flavors, including zabaione (also, zabaglione) and crema al caramello (creme caramel). Over 55% of the gelato made in Italy is hand-mixed. There is an enormous variety of flavors. You will often find a gelato shop open during lunchtime, when other shops and even restaurants are closed. So, if you're hungry and need fuel, your choices are going to a bar (more like a breakfast/lunch bar) where many also have gelato, or go to a gelateria! The same goes for the end of the day. Most restaurants don't open until 7:30 - 8:00 pm at night, so feel free to let the kids have a gelato to hold them over at around 5 o'clock. The servings are usually smaller than Americans are used to and your kids won't get too filled up before dinner. You can order gelato in a small cone or in a cup... but there's a bit more to know. First, you tell the cassiere (cashier) what you want (how many cones or cups, how many flavors) then you pay for it. The cassiere will give you a receipt. Then you take your receipt over to the person scooping the gelato (they are usually, but not always, two different people). Now you can ask for either a cup (coppa, coppe for plural) or cone (cono, coni for plural). You can also tell them "piccolo" for small "grande" for large. For mixing flavors try, "mezzo _____ e mezzo ____" for "half chocolate and half vanilla" or whatever flavors you want to try. It's normal to ask for two flavors in a single cup. So, it might go like this... "Una piccolo cuppa... mezzo cioccolato, mezzo coco.... e due coni con crema". (One small cup, half chocolate, half coconut... and two cones with custard cream). I'll go over some flavor names: Chocolates
Miscellaneous
Granita Granita (or granita Siciliana) is a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water and various flavorings. Originally from Sicily, it is available all over Italy in somewhat different forms. It is related to sorbet and Italian ice; however, in most of Sicily, it has a coarser, more crystalline texture. The texture can vary from town to town, even across the island of Sicily. This is largely the result of different freezing techniques: the smoother types are produced in a gelato machine, while the coarser varieties are frozen with only occasional agitation, then scraped or shaved to produce separated crystals. Although its texture varies from coarse to smooth, it is always different from the one of an ice cream which is creamier, and from the one of a sorbet, which is more compact; this makes granita distinct and unique. Shakerato It makes sense that the Italians would invent a most exquisite coffee drink for the summer. It's a shaken-over-ice, slightly sweetened espresso called shakerato, served in a stemmed glass, prepared in bars all over the county. The shaking process yields a thick crema that floats on the espresso. In Italy, ice is viewed with suspicion, and you'd never be served a tall glass of coffee over lots of ice, the way iced coffee is in the U.S. Italians think that would cause a serious stomach ache. Make your own:
Shake the hot espresso, ice, and sugar syrup energetically until ice is almost completely melted--you'll know by the sound of the cubes. Strain into a stemmed glass. Don't try to make more than two or three at a time. Biscuit Tortoni Biscuit Tortoni is an ice cream made with eggs and egg whites, along with heavy cream, often containing chopped cherries or topped with minced almonds or crumbled macaroons. It is believed to be named after an Italian café owner in Paris in the 18th century. I remember this cold treat from my childhood--every really good Italian restaurant offered either spumoni or tortoni for dessert, and tortoni was my personal favorite. The almond flavor in tortoni is the star. Sorbetto Sorbetto (sorbet in English) is a frozen dessert made from a simple syrup for sweetening, water and flavored with fruit juice, fruit purée, fruit nectar, wine, or liqueur. Unlike gelato or ice cream, it never contains milk or cream. Although considered a low fat alternative to gelato, the additional sweetness can itself add calories. Some think that sorbetto is exactly like sherbet as Americans know it. It isn't... sherbet contains dairy products. Spumone Spumoni is an Italian dessert made of layers of gelato, whipped cream, candied fruit, and nuts. In America it's spelled spumoni. It contains different layers of flavors and ingredients. In traditional style, it is made in three layers: chocolate, pistachio, and cherry. The chocolate layer would contain bits of chocolate shavings or crushed hazelnuts. The pistachio layer always includes crushed pistachios. The cherry layer has candied cherries in it. It is also made with other fruit layers. Grattachecca Grattachecca literally translates as scratchy. It is a frozen street treat popular in Rome. It's not ice cream.... it's ice--shaved ice. The vendor stands in front of a large block of ice and scrapes the block with a metal shaving tool. Once the shaved ice is in the plastic cup, a flavored syrup and fruit are added. Flavor choices are usually black cherry, tamarind, mint, barley water, coconut or lemon. In the early 1900s, large blocks of ice called checca were used to cool food and drink. An innovative vendor came up with the idea to grate, or grattare, the ice and make a drink. This is where the name grattachecca came from. Tartufo Tartufo translates as "truffle" and is hand sculpted to look like a very large one. It is made with two flavors of ice cream and typically has either fruit syrup or frozen fruit—typically raspberry, strawberry or cherry--in the middle. This frozen dessert originates from Pizzo, Calabria. Chocolate is melted poured over the ice cream ball after being cooled. The outer coating may also be cinnamon or cocoa--giving a more realistic truffle look--with the bomba shape rolled in cinnamon or cocoa before freezing. There are usually chopped or crushed nuts on top. Affogato If you're an espresso lover, try an affogato (Italian, drowned). Basically, it's a scoop of vanilla gelato drowned with a shot of hot espresso. Some variations also include a shot of amaretto or other liqueur. Zuccotto Zuccotto is an Italian dessert with origins in Florence. Zuccotto is a semi-frozen, chilled dessert made with semifreddo, brandy, and spongecake and often flavored with espresso--essentially, it's an ice cream bombe. The word Zuccotto is a joining of two words.... zucca (pumpkin) and cotto (cooked). Some think it's a corruption of zucetto (skullcap), which happens to the the shape of this cold treat. It can be frozen, then thawed before serving. This dessert is traditionally made in a special pumpkin-shaped mold. In the end, there are always alimentari, bar-tabacchi and gelato trucks that will have basic flavors of gelati and an offering of Cornetto cones and other ice cream pops in their freezer display case. There are more than enough ways to cool down when you visit la Bella Italia. But just remember, if you get brain freeze and get too chilly, there's always a puffy jacket with your name on it.... That's when you really know that you've become a local. --Jerry Finzi If you enjoyed this article, please SHARE it and LIKE it on your favorite social media site. Ciao! We also have pages on: Google+ Copyright, 2015-2019, Jerry Finzi/GrandVoyageItaly.com - All rights reserved The Department of State has developed a Passport Card as a more portable and less expensive alternative to the traditional passport book. The passport card is a basic component of the PASS (People Access Security Service) system announced in January 2006, and meets the specific requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) to secure and expedite travel, a provision of the Intelligence Reform Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, which requires citizens of the United States, Canada, and Bermuda to have a passport or other designated document that establishes the bearer's identity and nationality to enter or re-enter the United States from Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. The passport card is the credit card-sized travel document that can only be used to re-enter the United States at land border-crossings and sea ports-of-entry from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. The card provides a less expensive, smaller, and convenient alternative to the passport book for those who travel frequently to these destinations by land or by sea. The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air, however it can be used as proof of identity in Europe. Valid for international travel by air, sea, or land. The passport card has a vicinity-read radio frequency identification (RFID) chip. Laser engraving and state-of-the-art security features minimize the possibility of counterfeiting and forgery. The card is issued with a protective sleeve that prevents the card from being read when not in use. The RFID technology used in the passport card will enable the card to be read at a distance by an authorized CBP reader mounted alongside the traffic lane (for instance, Canadian border crossing). The chip contains no biographic data as is the case with the e-passport. The chip will have a unique number linking the card to a secure database maintained by DHS and State. However, to address concerns that passport card bearers can be tracked by this technology, the card comes with a RFID shield sleeve that will prevent the card from being read while inside it. There are travel wallets that also contain such shields. Should I Carry a Passport Card to Italy or other European Countries? Even though it's is only recognized at border crossings for Mexico, Canada, Bermuda and the Carribean, I think it would still be a useful addition to your travel wallet. You should always keep your regular passport in a secure place--some keep it in hotel safes, but I suggest using a money belt, leg wallet or other secure method of carrying it. I would use the Passport Card as a backup in case your Passport is lost or stolen. One person can carry the passports, the other can be responsible for the Passport Cards. Keep it in a separate place away from your normal passport. I might even keep it in my money clip wallet with my daily cash, main cash card and driver's license. It would function as a second method of identification, such as when renting a car or with local officials, such as the police. I would NOT leave the Passport card with anyone as it has your passport number on it. Think if it as merely a backup to your regular passport. Even then, I would still keep a scanned image of your normal passport in a secure file on your smart phone (preferably via an online storage service like DropBox.) Keep in mind, the Passport Card doesn't show your visa and/or entry stamp so they can't determine if you are in the country legally or not. So, it may be accepted as proof of WHO you are but not WHY you are in the country. So, for I.D. and backup use, and to help in case you lose your regular passport, yes. For international travel documentation in Europe, no. How do I get a Passport Card? To apply for a card, you use the same form that you would use to apply for a passport book (DS-11 or DS-82). There is a checkbox on the form for you to indicate that you are applying for a passport card. If you already have a passport book and you are eligible to use Form DS-82 (renewal by mail), you may apply for a passport card using DS-82 even if this is your first passport card. Otherwise you will need to use form DS-11 to apply for a passport card. The same one photo requirement for the passport book is true for the passport card. Valid when entering the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry. Not valid for international travel by air.
Cost for first time applicants when buying regular passport and card: Adults: $165 Minors: $120 --Jerry Finzi
If you found this post useful, please use the buttons below to LIKE and share it with your friends. When you are traveling in Italy you will see strings hanging down the wall over tubs and shower stalls. This is actually an alarm system required by building code, especially for hotels and other places renting out rooms or apartments to travelers. If you've fallen and can't get up, all you need to do is reach way up there to where the end of the string is (I've seen some that are fairly high, or with short strings, if they have strings at all) and give a good pull.
Then wait. And wait. And wait. You see, no one really ever responds to these, except perhaps police outside of public rest rooms. Hotels have stopped responding because tourists always think "gee, what's this" and pull it to see what will happen. Nothing. To make matters worse, there is no defined way of hooking the thing up to a bell or buzzer... or where to put it. Some hotels have it ring a little "ding" at the front desk. Many B&Bs and apartments have it ringing someone's office that isn't always occupied. And get this... some have it hooked to the front doorbell. I suppose that's to notify YOU that you've fallen and can't get up. Whatever you do, don't get creative and hang wet laundry from the string. You'll definitely get a response--perhaps in the middle of the night--that way! --Jerry Finzi If you like this post, don't pull the string, just SHARE and LIKE it! Grazie. This off the beaten path museum in Mantova (or Mantua) is a great stop for children. They'll see the reddest, shiniest, vintage firetrucks, pumps, motorcycles, fire helmets and fire extinguishers of all types. This museum is especially fun for American children because the firetrucks are--well, Italian. In 1991 the museum was installed in a beautifully restored horse stable and run by a brigade of volunteers who are all retired firemen. They must be taking great care with this collection because people who have visited say there's not even dust on the exhibits. There are over 50 historical vehicles, restored and in remarkable shape. You'll also find a collection of miniature firetrucks and manikins wearing very beautiful vintage firefighting uniforms. The helicopter and amphibious vehicle only add to the kid-appeal of the place. This is one of those non-touristy things to do with your kids that will separate you from the rest of the tourists and give your children unique memories of their travels in Italy. About 20 miles from Verona, the best thing about this museum is the cost...it's free. As a bonus, the town of Mantova is gorgeous. (The town is called either Mantua or Mantova). Museo die Vigili del Fuoco
Address: Largo Fire Department - MANTUA (Mantova) Phone: 0039 0376 22771 - Fax: 0039 0376 227746 E-mail: comando.mantova@vigilifuoco.it Hours: Opening times: Saturday: 14:30 to 18:30. Sunday and holidays: 10:00 to 12:00 and 14:30 to 6:00 p.m.. Open on different days upon reservation. Closed from 6th January to 15th February; from 1st to 31st August; On Christmas Day, New Year`s Day and Easter Sunday. --Jerry Finzi If you find this post interesting, please SHARE it with your friends. I don't know about other parents, but in our little famiglia we are inseparable--we love being together. That's a big plus when you commit to being stuck on planes, trains, automobiles and in small apartments or hotel rooms together. But we planned well, we have a great kid in Lucas, and he helped us know what his needs were as we went along. So, here's some lessons learned--mostly Lucas teaching us--that might help with your family's trip to la Bella Italia. Food: Thankfully, if you have a child who wasn't raised on McDonalds, take-out or Chuck-e-Cheese pizza, Lunchables and Pop Tarts, you are ahead of the game, as we were with Lucas. So far, the only food he balked at was a whole lobster staring him in the eye up in Mystic, Connecticut. We were right in thinking Italian cuisine would not be a concern for Lucas. So, what will keep your kiddie well fed?
Entertainment: Electronics. By all means, this is no time to limit their iPod or smart phone use. Before you leave home, let them shop for and install some new games. Lucas kept one of our Kindles in the back seat of our car with Minecraft to keep him from getting bored. And he still put it down when passing by beautiful vistas, castles, and through crazy, windy roads like in Amalfi. Here's what tech things helped him from getting bored:
Education (disguised as FUN): This is tricky. If you make them think you are going someplace just for their education, they'll shut down and act bored. We let Lucas choose some of his "must see" places while we were planning the trip. The Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Da Vinci Museum in Vinci were his top ones. Here are some other ideas from our trip:
Resting: Basically, we had a talk to Lucas before the trip and told him that when he felt tired, not to fight it and have a catnap. This helped prepare him, so when in the car, he would nap for a short while then feel refreshed. Once in a railway station he was so exhausted, he gave in to my pleading just to lay his head down on his rolled up jacket right at our cafe table. He was out like a light for about 1/2 an hour which really helped him. More ideas:
ACCOMMODATIONS:
TRANSPORTATION:
I hope this helps you plan for a trip with your kids. Kids are flexible when they fall, and very flexible when they travel. Besides, give your kids a trip to Italy and it will change their lives forever.
--Jerry If you like this post, please COMMENT and SHARE it with your friends! And please, stop by our SURVEY and spend 60 seconds telling us how we could make our blog better! Grazie! Best Cheese Monger: Marusco e Maria Enoteca, Pienza Marusco showed us many types of pecorino cheese and let us taste several gems. You see, his shop specializes in sheep's milk cheeses. The word percorino is derived from pecora (meaning sheep). He also drizzled a bit of amazing balsamic vinegar on some cheese... thick like molasses. (We brought some home). Amazing flavors and smells in this shop, and the best part was Marusco, an older country looking gent that made us (and young foodie, Lucas) feel right at home. Corso il Rossellino, 19, Pienza, Italy We decided we needed to award the Finzi Family Best of Italy Awards! The voting was tough and competitive. There may have been some improper influencing. Under the table and back room deals were struck, but... here they are: Best Hot Air Balloonist: Stefano Travaglia, Idea Balloon I'm so glad I picked Stefano for our hot air balloon ride in Tuscany. What sold me was, unlike other balloon "adventures" that pop up a folding table where you land and pull out the cheap Champagne, plastic cups and cheese, Stefano and his wife and partner balloonist Gianna take you back to their wonderful country home to feast on local breads, cheeses, salamis, honey, local Prosecco and more. We shared conversation, met their many dogs, and were welcomed in their 400 year old house (what a unique kitchen). They are genuinely sweet people with a master level of professionalism on their flights. Stefano has actually taught many of his competitors to be balloonists, speaks excellent English and loves life. http://www.chiantiballooning.com/ballooning_in_florence.html Best Cheese: Cacciacavalo Cacciacavalo literally translated means "hunter horse". These cheeses are an unusual cu-pie doll shape. Horse or donkey riders would tie a rope around the cheese's "neck" and hang them from their horse. Easy way to carry around a snack. You might find it softer or harder--more aged. Great with fruit, pasta or even with a little honey on top. We liked it best with a crust of bread and some wine. Look around for it. You can find it in the States in specialty shops. Best Wine: Primitivo Primitivo is the most common wine in Puglia, an area which produces most of Italy's wine. (Who knew?) It's robust, spicy, bold like a Chianti and more important to us, affordable. A nice thing about Primativo... it's available here at home for well under $20 a bottle and always tastes great. Best Apartment: Gensola in Trastevere This had the coldest air conditioning, the friendliest maid/caretaker, the cleanest bathrooms, the comfiest beds, the most TV stations (even a few in English), the fastest, most reliable Internet/Wifi, and a great location to explore from. If I were rich and wanted a little pied-a-terre apartment in Roma, I'd buy our little Gensola apartment. It was that perfect. BOOKING.COM Best Hotel Host: Hugo, Trulli owner, Trulli Gallo Rosso, Puglia When we first met Hugo, we thought we were entering his home--because this is his home--he treats you as true house guests. First he gave us many brochures and maps of the area, being sure to point out things he thought WE would like. His breakfasts are amazing--all prepared by him in his kitchen. He even shared with us some specialties that were not on his buffet table... some sweet marinated orange figs and cheese, and some of the strong tasting--and smelling--ricotta forte. He made special hot chocolate for Lucas. He brought out some wine for us. His smile shows that he loves taking care of his guests. Bravo, Hugo! BOOKING.COM Best Interaction with a Local: Georgio, tobacconist/Hotel Desk, Al Duomo Molfetta This was a quick meeting. I met Georgio when checking out of our Molfetta apartment. When he learned that my Dad was born there, he started talking about Hoboken, NJ (where many from Molfetta immigrated) and talked about the time he went to the U.S. to live for a while. He spoke English well and seemed to be a man of heart. When I talked about going down to the sea with Lucas to bless ourselves in honor of my Dad he put his hand to his heart, looked at Lucas and said, "Our fathers are always still inside us... part of us. They become part of who we are." His tall frame, balding head and dark skin reminded me of one of my uncles. You wouldn't expect such a huge brutish looking man to be that philosophical and tender. I'll always remember his face and his heart. Best Restaurant/Best Meal: Vinandro, Piazza Mino, Fiesole This is a small place with a few tables outside and space for perhaps 10 people inside. We had the best meal in Italy here. Very authentic. Wild boar stew, mozzarella balls, gnocchi, vegetable risotto, and more. Great food. Authentic and rich. The staff and owner were very friendly and the location couldn't be better. Just up the hill from Florence, Fiesole is a great respite away from the crowds. Best pizza in Italy: La Terazza, Polignano a Mare, Puglia We weren't expecting such fantastic pizzas here... we'd been underwhelmed so far by pizzas in Italy. But this place was amazing. They make artisan pizzas with various authentic toppings. We had individual pizzas that filled our plates and our bellies. Lucas had one with hot sausage on it, Lisa's had eggplant and grana padano cheese, mine had sweet sausage, pesto and pignoli nuts. They also have incredible fresh seafood, pastas and amazing local pastries. Via San Vito, right across from the beach cove in Polignano a Mare, Puglia. On FACEBOOK Best View: Amalfi Coast (almost anywhere, but especially Ravello) This was a hard one to decide on. We all had sort of a love/hate relationship with the Amalfi Coast, but then agreed that by far it gave us the most amazing views--not just view but viewS. Sure, we sacrificed near collisions just to be there, but we did it and those views are glued into our memories. Just about everywhere on the Amalfi Coast has dreamlike, mystical views. You'll start seeing them even as you start descending from the mountains above. Each town is unique but has something to see from every direction. The high vantage points look down toward the sea and the cliff towns. The low vantage points make you dizzy looking up at the cliff towns. It's a dream come true. If you drive the Amalfi Coast, stop as often as you can and look both east and west so you don't miss any of the incredible views (Lucas said, if you don't get run over by a bus, that is.) And if you are on one of those buses, relax and pity the poor car drivers... Amalfi Coast on LONELY PLANET Best Village: Pienza, Tuscany By far, Pienza was the prettiest, most charming, beautiful village we visited in Italy. We think it would be a great place to live. It's a hill town, but in the old part of the village there really aren't any extreme hills like in other hill towns, so walking is easy. The food is great, it's a center for sheep's cheese and bread, and the views from the promenade along the south side are amazing. Exactly the kind of undulating hills you'd expect to see in Tuscany. It's also centrally located for a longer stay as a hub. Pienza was also a close second for Best Views. Pienza, SI (Siena/Southern Tuscany), Italy MORE about Pienza Best Museum: Da Vinci Museum, Vinci No, it's not the Vatican Museum. We chose the people and kid friend Da Vinci Museum. Museums should be a place to learn, be inspired and should display their exhibits well. This had it all and was very educational to boot. Lucas loved it. Lisa was surprisingly impressed with Da Vinci's inventions and me, well I was always a fan of his. Want to touch greatness? Go to Vinci. http://www.museoleonardiano.it/eng Best Gelato: Gelateria Dell'Olmo, San Gimignano This place was the most creative we found in all Italy. Kiwi, mixed berries, mango, melon, fondant chocolate, coconut--you name it. All made in-house by artisan gelati makers. There is a restaurant too (next door), so if you are there for lunch or dinner, don't forget to have the gelato afterwards. If not, just get a cup or cone and sit on the cisterna steps in the middle of the piazza. Piazza Della Cisterna 34, 53037 San Gimignano, Siena, Italy Best Bread & Baker: Altamura Bread, Forna Antica Sancta Clara We did not like Tuscan bread. There is no salt in it which makes the crust and crumb very dry and tasteless. However, one taste of Altamura bread and we were hooked. It's huge, ugly and looks like a floppy chef's hat. It can only be called Altamura if it's made in Altamura. To tell you the truth, there are other breads in Puglia very similar in taste and texture, but they will correct you if you dare call them Altamura bread. The unique thing about this bread is it can stay fresh for weeks. Although I can't attest to that claim, one loaf we bought lasted from Puglia until Rome, about four days. We recommend getting yours at Forna Antica in Altamura. Ask for Vito. He makes the BEST Altamura bread. No lie. Forna Antica Via L. Martucci 10, Altamura, Italy on FACEBOOK Best Soup: Panecotto, Matera In Matera we found a modern, casual restaurant in a sassi (cave) called Pannacotto. This was a pleasant surprise... great bruschetta, antipasto, but the amazing dish was the soup. A thick, stew-like mix of beans, sausage, ham, crusty bread and extra virgin olive oil. I've already made my version at home. http://www.panecotto.it/menu/zuppe/zuppa-di-fagioli-e-salsiccia/ So, there you have it. What we consider to be the best of our experiences in Italy. Of course, to find out what are really the best things about Italy, we'd have to go back again, and again, and ancora, e ancora, a ancora...
--Jerry Finzi So, we actually used the Pimsleur CDs more than Rosetta--in the car. We made a deal with Lucas that on the way somewhere we'd play his music (he loves They Might Be Giants) but on the way back we'd listen to the Italian lessons. We all really got into it--replaying some lessons over and over until we got them right. Pimsleur is a very good option and uses a traditional approach--subject specific words and phrases. Useful stuff. I never really got far enough into Rosetta to learn as much as I did from Pimsleur. Also, Pimsleur uses both male and female characters--which was a good way to learn the differences in saying something to a woman rather than and man and vice versa. Here's a link to Pimsleur. There was also a third way we studied Italian: Google Translate. As long as you are signed into your Google account (Gmail) you're good to go, with a phrasebook to save all you're more important words and phrases. There is a small star that when pressed will save the translation to your very own custom phrasebook. I kept adding phrases that I thought I would need. For instance, I did sections on cursing and fending off potential crooks, health, food, and general conversational stuff. etc. Lisa and I would sit with our Kindles at night and test each other from the phrasebook lists. You can even have Translate speak to you so you can hear how the word or phase is pronounced. Learning Italian should be easy, after all, I'm full blooded Italian. Well, my parents never spoke Italian at home. I remember them telling me that when they got married back in the Thirties, they wanted an American household--English speaking. So I never learned my mother's tongue--Neapolitan--or my father's tongue, southern dialect from Molfetta. Sure, I learned a few words here and there... mostly slurred curse words. But I was determined I would learn some real Italian before I left for Italy. We all needed to learn some. We had two options. Lisa picked up the Italian Rosetta Stone software and we already had Pimsleur CDs. The Rosetta Stone is an odd way of learning a language. There are no translations... just photos and the spoken or written word. Their theory is to learn a language like babies do--by associating words with what you are looking at. We all tried it on the computer--Lucas too--but it was not really that convenient. You had to plug in a headset/microphone unit to use the software. Also, we found later on that their android app only covered a limited number of chapters and then they blackmailed you for more cash. More? Hey, Rosetta was expensive--$400! For that money I expected to do the whole course, whether on the computer or on my android device. And consider that the mobile version is often dumbed down. It really made it impossible to use the mobile version of Rosetta while I was taking my weekend baths. (A great place to practice a language). Another small annoyance was that Rosetta at times had trouble recognizing words as we spoke. I mean, I know that I'm saying something simple like "bambino" correctly, but sometimes it asked me to repeat 2-3 times until it understood what I was saying. I had a very good headset on a high end computer with decent sound card, so that wasn't the problem. You can get a translation either way... English to Italian or the other way around in case you've come across some Italian that you needed translated. In fact, often I would research Italian web sites that Google didn't list a "translate this page" link (a pretty handy thing by itself). So I'd copy the full text from an article, paste it into the Italian side of Translate and presto! English. Ok, so the translations for full bodies of text were not that great, but at least I got the gist of the article I was reading. The best thing about Google Translate is the price. Free. In the end we all learned some Italian. Lucas was a bit shy but spoke perfectly when he did speak Italian. Lisa remembered a lot but face to face had a hard time coming up with the right Italian words. I did better, perhaps because I had learned some French years ago and wasn't afraid to dive in and sound Italian (I think my accent is pretty decent. Pat Pat.) Of course there were times it was difficult to have in depth conversations but I still managed to talk to a lot of different kinds of people... young, old, shopkeepers, artisans, etc. Learning a language is a skill that I wish they would push a bit more in our schools. Many Europeans know some English, but very few Americans know any French, Italian or German. In fact, I was disappointed when I discovered that our school district doesn't even offer Italian or French--both were options when I went to high school. Too bad... Dommage... Peccato. --Jerry Finzi P.S. If you like what you've read, please LIKE us on Facebook and SHARE us with your friends who might also be interested. Gratzie!
My advice is to look for the blue P (Parking) signs and find parking just outside of the centers of villages or tourist sites. Even in Pisa there are decent (though expensive) parking lots one block from the Leaning Tower. It's the same for Pompeii. Most towns and larger cities like Florence or Siena have public lots. These are affordable and safe (some are indoors or underground) and all are decent walking distance to the sites you would want to see. Of course, as a rule, don't leave valuables in the car. Some (like in Siena, Cortona or San Gimignano) even have escalators nearby that take you up to the center of the raised town. And if you are just passing through a small raised village, most have a loop road that goes up and around and back down again (circling the village center), usually with several parking lots along the way fairly close to the centro storico (historic centers). Again, learn to recognize and respect the ZTL. When in doubt, don't go through. When in areas where you have to go through, like when your hotel is in the ZTL, don't panic. Just make sure your hotel contacts the local police to let them know your license plate number and type of car so you don't get a ticket. For example, in Matera it was impossible to get to our hotel in the heart of the old sassi section without driving through a ZTL. We gave our plate number to the hotel staff to call into the police. (Hopefully, that worked.) You can even get a special handicapped permit if you are staying inside Florence's historic center. And when you have return a car like I had to, in downtown Florence, use Bing Maps or Google Earth street view (before your trip) to take a look around at street level for the ZTL signs. Do a drive through at ground level in Earth. This is especially helpful for Florence. There is only one way IN to the car rental return garage and one way OUT. Any other streets will take you into a ZTL. Most of this is by design to raise revenues. Just educate yourself to get around the ZTLs safely. I should mention that the ZTL zone in Florence is really big--pretty much the entire tourist center. This is one of the reasons why we opted out of going into Florence itself. We would've had to park in a lot very far from the tourist sites and either take the confusing buses or walk it. With my poor legs, that would have been a real effort. In fact, Lisa and I recently discussed that if we ever do get back to Florence we would stay inside the center to make things easier. There is so much to see in Florence that I'm sure a nice way to see it all is throttle back, not go anywhere else BUT Florence for about a week. Perhaps that's another trip... Speeding and Speed Traps: Well, the good news is, driving on highways in Italy is actually a bit safer than here in the U.S. First of all, the fast lane (as we call it) is really a passing lane that most Italian drivers seem to respect. If you enter the passing lane, you are expected to pass the slower traffic in the other lanes, and then to move back out of the passing lane. Guess what? They actually do it. This means if you park yourself in the middle lane and someone comes up behind you, he won't ride your butt but zoom around you in the passing lane. Just make sure you don't go into the passing lane and NOT pass. If you coast along without passing, you WILL have someone hugging your rear. Also, be aware that once in a while you'll get a speed demon blasting by everyone--but at least they're in the passing lane. Expect to be shocked once in a while, or keep an eye in your rear view mirrors so you don't get spooked. In general, keep below or at the speed limit. There are so many ways for local and regional Italian governments to catch you. Why chance it? Now, as for the speed zones. There are basically two types of speed control technologies used in Italy. The first is cameras. They take a picture of your license plate and give you a ticket automatically. You'll never see a policeman and the ticket may take the better part of a year to get to you. There are fixed cameras--large gray boxes on the side of the road or hanging from a bridge or pole. The other type of camera is mobile and operated by a policeman sitting on the side of the highway.
GVI Driving Tip: Before traveling to Italy, check out signs on Google Earth (street view) in areas you will be traveling in. If the signs are a bit wordy, pull up Google Translate to find out what the sign says. I found this enormously helpful for finding out restrictions on parking signs, signs posting the schedule of the local market day in the piazza, etc.
Safe driving! --Jerry Finzi So I thought I'd sit down and think about what we brought on our three week tour of Italy and share what was useful, what was a waste and what we didn't bring but should have. It turned out that our luggage was right on. The A. Saks soft luggage is lightweight, the fabric is tough as nails and the layout of pockets and compartments is very logical and useful. Lisa tended to use the larger rolling duffel (2nd from the right) but she now admits that she brought way too many clothes and could have gone with the smaller rolling pack (2nd from the left). I used that one for all of my stuff, aside from a pair of shoes that went into the top of the large duffel, wrapped by the fold-a-way, lightweight duffel (on the right side). The foldaway turned out to be good for in-country car travel for just throwing things (even groceries) in the bag to toss into the car. Of course, this became a check-in bag on the flight home to hold most of our clothes, making room in the carry-ons for fragile items and gifts. Lucas was proud of his backpack unit and it fit all his stuff, including some of his stuffed buddies. It fit the overhead when loaded, and for car or train travel would hold even more when expanded. About the only complaint I have is that the handles on the backpack and small trolley are wobbly and I don't care for the T Handles. The D-style handles on the larger duffel are more ergonomic and sturdier. All the wheels worked well, even on cobbles. The zippers are the best...all very heavy duty. All in all, we were all satisfied with A. Saks. Clothes: Lisa brought way too much for the informal way we were traveling. In general, we packed a 30/70 ratio of summer to autumn clothes. Even though I thought I did enough research on October weather, I failed... it was more like July or the end of August in the northeast U.S. Personally, I hated my one pair of so-called lightweight "travel" pants. The fabric is odd, a bit noisy and actually feels hotter because of the lack of cotton. I really missed my jeans. I felt the same about my Colombia travel shirts (1 short and 1 long sleeved). I think they actually made me feel hotter. Lisa thought she brought way too much black--mostly wrinkle-free business casual stuff. As it turned out, the evenings were at the end of long, tiring days. We were not inclined to go out to fancy places dressed up. We just wanted a good meal and a solid night's sleep. Lisa advises that unless you are planning on going out to finer restaurants and such, bringing more than a good pair of walking shoes or sneakers is overkill. Lucas was fine with his mix of cargo pants, shorts, t-shirts, one button down and some long sleeve tees. We brought a nice pair of Italian woven boat shoes for him that he never wore. It was comfy sneakers all the way across Italy for him. Jacket-wise, Lucas and I both brought a fleece jackets and shell jackets, which we pretty much never wore. Lisa had a rain shell with a hood that got carried around. Lucas was wearing his hoodie fleece the first day or two but that stopped with the heat. We all word shells on the hot air balloon but that's about it. In general, bringing clothes for layering just wasn't needed because of the summer-like temps. If anything, we might have brought a couple of pairs of extra socks. That would have lessened the time needed to dry socks that we rinsed out the night before (when we didn't have a washing machine). And forget about what the guidebooks say about not wearing shorts or sneakers so you don't look like a tourist. You will ALWAYS be spotted as a foreigner for many reasons, so dress for comfort! And if traveling in summer, think "Florida--without air conditioning or ice." --Jerry Finzi Don't forget to SHARE this post with your friends, and let us know what you think by leaving a COMMENT. Gratzie! Most vacations just become memories, both through photos and in our mind's eye. We remember them fondly, recalling snippets of the good stuff... many become part of who we are, becoming anecdotes to ramble on about for years to come or being absorbed into our accumulative life matrix. But for some reason this time I'm experiencing something different--the dreaded regrets. Things we planned wrong or didn't make time for or simply forgot about. For example, during the rushed haze of packing I forgot a very important element for visiting Molfetta and paying homage to my Dad. I have some of his hair in a locket that I cut on the day he passed. I always said to Dad that someday I'd take him back to Molfetta with me. My simple, sentimental plan was to take some of his hair and drop them into the sea in Molfetta harbor, perhaps with some flowers--bringing Saverio back home again. I realized I had forgotten the locket when I was flying over the Atlantic. This is why the plan changed for Lucas and I to bless ourselves in Molfetta sea water in his honor. Another romantic idea was quashed when I forgot to print out a copy of our marriage vows to take with us. I thought it would be nice to renew our vows in Italy--we had just passed our 15th anniversary. I even researched how much it would cost to have a little ceremony... little church, a priest, some flowers... apparently a big--and expensive--business in Italy. Instead, I thought of reading our vows while up in our hot air balloon. But I forgot to bring them along. I had all sorts of other scanned documents on our devices (Lucas birth certificate, handicapped card, passports, credit card copies, etc.) but the vows? Nope. Babbo forgot. So while up in the balloon all I could squeak out was asking Lisa if she would marry me all over again--along with an apology about forgetting the vows. She did say, "Yes"... again. The rest are more practical regrets. We should have gone to the Roman Forum instead of the Palatine Hill. It's more... er... monumental there. More research here would have helped... and a really good tourist map of the area. If we had just walked right instead of left the day we got trapped above the forum looking down on it all. We should have shortened our Rome visit down to 2 days and added them to our Molfetta stay. This would have given us time to go to the town hall and research family history and to find the Finzi ancestors in the town cemetery. This would have given us more time to explore Puglia... we fell in love with the place. Caves, dinosaurs, Trulli, the rocky sea coast... the bread, pizza and the people. I suppose we should have gone into Florence. The combination of heat, amazing crowds, conniving scammers and gypsies, the fear of ZTL tickets and our overworked legs got the best of us. We also regret not visiting a single market in all of Italy. The market days move from town to town each day and we just kept missing them. In hindsight, we should have made visiting one of them THE thing to do rather than hitting another tourist site. I know it was a matter of timing, but I really wanted to rent a boat in Amalfi and captain ourselves around that rocky, mountainous, grotto filled coastline. A similar rental would have been great along the coast near Molfetta, too. There are grottoes there aplenty and the clearest, cleanest water in all of Italy. I could have asked Vito if I could have made my own pizza in his Forno Antica (which means Antique Oven). That would have rounded out my pizza expertise. Both Lisa and I agree that we might have not done the Vatican Tour. Sure, in the end we got great photos of the art and magnificence from both the Museum and the Basilica, but we had more memorable times doing the simple things... like our picnic on the Isola in the river or walking through our Trastevere neighborhood. We are not well suited to waiting on long lines or doing the most popular things that tourists do. But even we fell a bit into the trap of that Must-Do Checklist that drives most tourists. I would have rather have taken a taxi down to the Appian Way to take a stroll and have another picnic along those 2000 year old cobbles and tombs. Besides, it's still free to walk there (tickets are needed for the catacombs, however). I am pretty certain that in their wisdom, Rome will fence this off too and start charging just to take a walk, as they did on Palatine and the Forum. In the end, Rome was not our most favorite place. It was far to dirty and graffiti-ed and crowded. The fear of being robbed was always in the back of our minds, whereas it never entered our minds while traveling the countryside or in Puglia. And perhaps we should have stopped by a vineyard or two, although the fake, tourist wine experience of Mormoraia turned us off. It seems that most of these places cater only the tourist trade and are not really in the business of producing the great wines. There are cookie cutter agriturismo vineyards like this all over, but especially in Tuscany. That book (and film) Under the Tuscan Sun created a real tourist boon mostly filling buses with divorced aging hopeful romantics and pseudo wine connoisseurs who giddily pay ten times what that tourist swill is worth. For us, paying under five Euros a bottle at local alimentari for excellent wine was a more authentic experience. The last thought is the timing of check-ins and check-outs. When check-in is at 3pm it really limits how you plan you days--especially when you have luggage in the trunk of the car to worry about. We had difficulty in finding locker storage in Italy. It might have been better for us to plan longer stays in less places so we could explore more. It's rough having to pack and unpack each time you move. And packing for a train travel day is even tougher... you don't have the car to just toss stuff into as you're leaving. And earlier morning checking out would have served us better, but try that when there are three to get fed and showered and out the door. Either our Trullo or the Molfetta apartment would have made great travel hubs for exploring all of Puglia. And one central Tuscany location might have been more time saving than having to move from Cosona to Mormoraia after only two days (although we loved the southern Tuscany area). I suppose many after returning from truly Grand Voyages think, "Coulda-Shoulda-Woulda" (in Italian, potrebbe avere, dovrebbe avere, avrebbe). Niente is perfect, but in the end our memories are perfetto. --Jerry Finzi Don't forget to SHARE this post with your friends, and let us know what you think by leaving a COMMENT. Gratzie! |
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