What I Miss About Italy

We’ve now been back in the US for 2 1/2 years.

In some respects, these 2 years have felt like forever. In other ways, it still feels like we just got here.

Much joy has been had, along with many trials. From new babies to hard-to-swallow health diagnoses, new jobs, new adjustments, new living spaces. Enjoying family, enjoying seasons.

Most of my time is very busy, taking care of three young children. In the quiet moments (that’s called nap time!), sometimes I take time to reflect. I’m grateful for where I am, and I’m also grateful for the time I spent in Italy.

To be honest, there are a lot of things I don’t miss about Italy, but no country is perfect, and what follows are some of the little things, and bigger things, that I miss about living in Italy. The things that make my heart happy when I think back on them.

---

What I Miss About Italy

Walking Everywhere

I love walking. I don’t love driving. I love the exercise, I like the ease of being able to walk out the door and not have to worry about car keys, I love being able to go anywhere just with my own two feet. I love not having to worry about parking, or gas. I loved being able to walk out my door and go get a morning pastry and cappuccino in a matter of minutes. I like being able to step out my door and just…walk, as far as I want. I liked the slowness of it, having time to observe the Italian scenes, the intricate and interesting buildings, the Christmas lights, everything.

I never owned a car in Italy, only rode a bike a couple times, but solely relied on my own two feet, buses, and trains. I know, buses and trains and transportation in Italy in general is unreliable, but it was there and affordable when my two feet couldn’t take me where I needed to be. I loved that I could get most places, even a vacation, without ever having to use a car. No worries about where to park or how much you’d be paying, car insurance, and all those fun things.

I miss the freedom of walking!

me, walking

Pastries for breakfast e’er day!

I love sweets, and starting my day out with a sweet pastry and coffee was really my er, cup of tea. In a weird sort of way, sweets first thing seemed to satisfy my sweet tooth, so I found myself actually eating less and desiring sugar less throughout the day.

Panettone Season

I loovveeee panettone. See point above about sweets. Sweet, tall bread with various fruits and add-ins. Chantilly cream. Chocolate cream. Chocolate chips. Candied fruits. And for as cheap as €3 or €4 for 1kg loaves! I loved when October would come around and I would start seeing the first panettone in the stores. I would often eat panettone for breakfast at home in November and December. So festive!

Have you had panettone? You can find them on Amazon for decent prices, like this classic one!

A classic panettone

The Christmas Lights

Christmas is my favorite time of the year, not matter where I am. Christmas trees and Christmas lights bring out the inner child/Elf in me. I feel gleeful when I see them. Florence, and most other Italian cities, have fabulous Christmas lights. They hang them up in many streets, they have small Christmas trees, they have large Christmas trees, and they love to load them with Christmas lights. It’s one of my favorite things, walking down all the streets under the lights, walking by the piazzas with the sparkling trees. It’s Christmas magic. Via Tornabuoni is always a show-stopper, and always a favorite. Every year it’s a little different, a little bit better.

Good Gelato

Sure, you can find gelato here and there in America, but it doesn’t count if it’s in the freezer section in a store. Yes, I like Talenti, but it’s not the same. I once had good gelato in Washington D.C., and my hometown briefly had a really decent little gelato store, but it was only open for a few seasons. Sad.

In Italy, and especially Florence which is considered the “birthplace” of gelato, good gelato is quite easy to find. Don’t be fooled, there is a ton of bad gelato too, but you just have to have a bit of discernment and it’s hard to go wrong. The servings aren’t overly large, unless you get a “grande”, but a generic small 2euro cone I always thought was the perfect amount without being overly indulgent. It becomes much more justifiable to eat not-huge cones of gelato a couple times a week than it is huge American cones…right? :)

If you’re visiting Florence, Italy, and want to find some authentic, house-made, GOOD gelato, check out my guide here!

gelato from Gelateria dei neri

The Shopping

I come from a smaller town that does not have fabulous shopping. Our options tend to be big box stores like Target, expensive boutiques downtown, or shopping online.

Florence has good shopping. They have a nice range of small, local boutiques, affordable “fast-fashion” like Mango, Zara, H&M, and higher end luxury shopping, with lots in between.

the old top floor of la rinascente before they remodeled

Twice-a-Year Sales

Speaking of shopping, I love the simplicity of Italian sales. The big ones happen twice year, starting in January and July. It’s almost across the board with all stores, all merchandise from the current season making way for the incoming season. The first week some stores may start off at 30% off, but usually by the second week everything on sale is 50%. I learned to only buy clothes, when I could, during the sales. Why pay full price for something in December that will soon be 50% off in January? The sales usually last for about 2 months, but if you want the good stuff, go in the first week or two. By the end of the sales, merchandise can go up to 70% off, sometimes with additional discounts on top of that.

A few years ago some stores in Italy started to catch on to the big “Black Friday” that happens in the USA, which can also get you some good sales, but usually not quite as big as in the US. I prefer to wait for the two big sales of the year.

Personal Pizza

I’m not here to bash American pizza and say Italian pizza is best, because honestly, I view them in separate categories. They can be so different, I don’t always see it as fair to compare them. They are each delicious in their own right, if made well. I’ve had bad, and great, pizza in both countries. But the “great” pizza in each country looked quite different.

I do miss Italian pizza. There are very, very few pizzas, if any? anywhere near where I live that compare to a good Neapolitan-style, fluffy crust pizza. So yes, I miss that chewy, steamy crust, simple and high-quality minimalist ingredients.

Do you know what else I miss? That in Italy it’s customary to order your own pizza. Pizzas are smaller, 12 inches maybe? So it can still be challenging to eat your whole pizza if you’re not ravenous, but the glorious fun is you get to choose what kind of pizza you want every time, no sharing necessary.

My top pizza choices were usually:

• the classic Margherita (tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, sometimes mozzarella di bufala as an option!!, and fresh basil)

• Ortolana (tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, grilled zucchini, grilled eggplant, marinated bell peppers, sometimes I would add on smoked scamorza)

• Quattro Formaggi (four cheese pizza, usually a blend of mozzarella, parmigiano, fontina, and Gorgonzola, I like it when they use a tomato sauce, but this pizza often comes without)

• Caprese (fresh mozzarella, fresh cherry tomatoes, fresh basil)

  and sometimes:

• Marinara (very simple pizza, just tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, and a sprinkling of parmigiano and olive oil)

• Tonno e Cipolla (tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, tuna, onion - yes, am I letting my weird side show? haha)

If you haven’t been to Italy you might be thinking, don’t they ever put meat on their pizzas?? The answer is yes, they certainly do, but I really love their vegetarian pizzas, apparently! They use various kinds of cured meats, one of my favorites would be salame piccante, a spicy cured meat similar to pepperoni, featured on the “Diavola” pizza.

margerita pizza

Holiday Festivity

Human beings love holidays and excuses to celebrate (and days off), and Italians are no exceptions! In fact, it feels like every few days there is some holiday that has the post offices and stores closed, grocery stores closing early, and buses running on an (even more) irregular schedule.

One of the best things about walking everywhere is how much more a part of the city and culture I feel. On holidays, you see everyone out and about with good cheer, the pasticcerie extra full while people buy a caffè for a friend or pick up a special cake, and walking to get to their big midday festive meal. While the big holidays like Christmas and Easter are of course my favorites, I also appreciate the smaller holidays that are still observed with flair. I love Palm Sunday and all the people carrying their palm (actually olive) branches around, and International Women’s Day (March 8) with women being gifted small bouquets of mimosas, or picking up littles cakes decorated to look like a mimosa. I also love December 8th, The Immaculate Conception, which is also a big holiday in Italy. There is a parade through the city center, and the giant Christmas tree in Piazza Duomo is lit. Involving Christmas and Christmas lights, I of course, love it.

It’s the little things that bring spots of joy into the day!

If you’d like to read more about Italian Holidays, what they mean and how they might be celebrated, click here!

A mimosa tree

Parades All the Time

Going off of the holiday festivity above, I always loved going into the city center and stumbling upon crowds of people stopped to watch a procession or show. It felt like every time I went into the city there was some obscure holiday I had forgotten about, but that the Italians felt needed a parade, flags, and traditional Renaissance garb to celebrate. Seriously, so many parades, flag throwing, horses, drums and horns.

If there wasn’t a parade, then there was always something else to watch, like street performers. Never a dull moment!

Parade in front of the duomo on Befana (january 6th), where the wisemen go to see baby jesus

Very Good Wine for Very Good Prices

Of course a list about the good things in Italy couldn’t go by without a mention of wine, right??

Some of my favorite wines are Italian, not sure if I’m just most familiar with Italian wines or Italian wines really truly are superior. Either way, it’s a definite perk living in a country with excellent wine for affordable prices. Who sells wine for €2 a bottle?? Of course, I’m not saying that wine is worth buying, but still. €2. And then some really really nice wines, some excellent chiantis or Montepulcianos, for around €15? A Brunello for €20? I’m not complaining.

a selection of wines, olive oils, and balsamic vinegars at the mercato centrale

The All-You-Can-Eat Sushi

I’m not entirely sure why, but all of the sushi restaurants around Florence (and there are a good number) are always an all-you-can-eat formula. And honestly, it was one of the best things. While it means you might be paying more per person than your average night out in Florence, it’s absolutely worth it! Do you know how giddy I felt sitting down in Aji Tei (my favorite sushi place in Florence) and being able to order anything and everything I want, all for €30?? Yes. Very giddy. And not just sushi, but sushi cones, soups, desserts…only drinks excluded. Especially now, post-Covid and post-inflation, that feels like a steal. Especially especially since even at that time in the States that’s about what you’d pay for two rolls of sushi! Of course, at the time, this was still very much a splurge for us, birthday or anniversary dinner, maybe. For perspective, eating out in Florence can be as cheap as a €7 margherita pizza per person, or maybe a more “average” expenditure would be a plate of pasta in a ristorante for €15 per person. When that’s more the normal, maybe you can see where suddenly 2x or 4x the expense per person becomes a splurge. But oh, what a great concept. Endless rounds of sushi. Take me back.

the first of many orders of all-you-can-eat sushi at Aji tei

The Blossoming Jasmine in the Spring

I’m pretty sure it’s jasmine, anyway? All over Florence, beginning in March, all of those green hedges everywhere suddenly get thousands of white buds that bloom into these glorious little white flowers. Not only are they pretty, but you can smell them long before you see them!

I was never much a fan of artificial jasmine scents and perfumes growing up, but I guess that’s because they pale in comparison to the fresh, real flower. OH MY do they smell good. Do you like peonies? Or a David Austen rose? Then you would love jasmine. It rivals these, if not more pungent and beautiful. I could never get enough of it walking around Florence in the spring time!

hedges of jasmine

Mercati Everywhere

It seems that every weekend in Florence there is a different market, in a different piazza. And this is true! I actually found the schedule after so many years in Florence, it wasn’t random, ha! Some would pop up every second Sunday of the month, some were annual, some are daily. I loved always stumbling upon a new one and discovering new treasures!

Don’t forget of course, the staple mercati for food, Mercato Centrale and Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio for your daily produce!

the annual christmas market in piazza santa croce

Living in Italy: Culture Shock?

Did you experience culture shock the first time you came to visit or live in Italy?

I wrote “culture shock” as a question in the title because this is something I occasionally chew on. Sometimes we tend to throw around words without thinking about what they actually mean, and after awhile some words start to lose their real meaning or their sharpness. I think one of those words, or phrases, is “culture shock.”

This phrase includes the word “shock.” Consider quickly the definition of shock which I just copy and pasted from the Merriam Webster Online Dictionary:

1a(1) : a sudden or violent mental or emotional disturbance. (2) : a disturbance in the equilibrium or permanence of something. b : something that causes such disturbance the loss came as a shock. c : a state of being so disturbed were in shock after they heard the news.

With this in mind, I think I can safely say that while we joke about culture shock, we use the term quite lightly. Of course, people differ with different mindsets, age, sensibilities, so different people may experience different levels of culture shock, but my goal with this blog wasn’t actually to dissect the term culture shock but more, what it’s like for an American in Italy. How different is life really? Is it shockingly different? Almost the same just a different language? Like one long vacation in Italy consisting of evening strolls and an overabundance of margherita pizza and Chianti Classico? I shall try to give you a little glimpse into what life in Italy is like.

So, IS it a shocker? Long answer short: No. I don’t think Italy, at least for me, was a culture shock. Especially for a tourist, student, it’s different and charming, but shocking? Nah. We’ve grown up hearing too much about Italy, Italian food, Italian people, that setting foot here on vacation or short term is more the realization of a dream than an unexpected shock. Actually digging your heels in, learning the language, and going through the motions it takes to live is when things become more…shocking. The “bella figura” peels away to reveal bitterness, disorganization, and corruption, unless you have enough money or power to avoid some of it, as human nature caters to the wealthy and powerful. Even myself as an American, though by no means rich, has a certain affluence that is catered to. That might sound awful, but it’s true. You’ll probably find these things out over a period of years instead of one day, so it still isn’t quite culture shock. You just…slowly come to terms with it.

I have experienced culture shock. Oh yes. If I wavered on whether Italy truly was shocking as some people think it is, I knew for sure it wasn’t for me after visiting Tunisia. I think I could also say Honduras, but I was only in Honduras for a couple weeks touring with my ballet company, and thus we had hosts who brought us in and took wonderful care of us. Lodging, food, transit, and translators were all provided, so the experience, while it remains treasured in my heart, is a far cry from real life in Honduras.

While I can say the same is almost true for my time in Tunisia, it still was a very different experience. My husband is from Tunisia and I went to visit/meet his family for the first time in 2018. I think anywhere in Africa or Asia would be shocking for me, honestly! No amount of pictures or stories or articles can prepare someone for such a different way of life. I cried more times in front of people than I cared to. It’s easy looking back and chiding myself for my reactions, but I was doing the best I could in a new culture, country, people, and language. And no, hardly anyone speaks English. While my in-laws took wonderful care of me, maybe too good care of me, everything was still veryyyy different and not understanding what is going on around you can be stressful. Add on being sick while I was there…well, that, for me, was a culture shock experience.

So now we come back to Italy and I say, no, this country is similar enough (or tries to be) to the way America and other first world countries operate that you can get by pretty well. Until you enter the web of bureaucracy. Then I suggest you get a panic bunker for your many meltdowns. I’m kidding. Kind of.

Some differences between life in America and Italy

Keep in mind these reflect my observances as someone who grew up in a smallish town in Michigan and who now lives in Florence. I have lived in the city center of Florence, in the city surroundings, and now live in a very small town outside of Florence.

Usually the best way I can think to summarize life in Italy is by saying it’s similar to life in the US, everything’s just a little bit harder and takes longer. For example:

Driving

While driving is driving, keep in mind that most cars in Italy are manual. Then getting from point A to point B generally takes longer than you would think, because it’s not a straight shot, especially when there are historic city centers nearby. This usually means driving in a wide arc around the city center to get where you need to be. Many roads in or around city centers are prohibited to say, non-residents or during the day. So your route could be different based on your status and time of day. Then, because that’s not enough, make sure you can drive legally! If you live here you probably will at some point become a resident. I know for sure for Americans and Canadians, that your driver’s license is valid for one year after you become a resident. After that you must attend driving school (which last I heard will run you around 1000euro) to get your Italian driver’s license. Unfortunately there is no international driving agreement between the US/Canada and Italy.

Parking

While we’re on the subject of cars here, parking can be a nightmare. It’s hard to understand where you can and can’t park, during what hours, and between what color lines. This is tight city living, not sprawling America. It’s often parallel parking, too, oh joy. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen parallel parked cars hit the cars around them multiple times before squeezing in, or bumpers literally touching while parked. Then there are those who park in the middle of the road, or around a round-about for lack of better options. You’d think they’d get a ticket. But if you try it, you will. Because that’s the Italian Murphy’s Law. Parking to grocery shop, while probably guaranteed, will often be a parking garage under the store where you may have to pay.

Grocery Shopping

If you’re not fortunate enough or crazy enough to have a car, grocery shopping means only being able to buy what you can physically carry (or put on a bike) home. This often means grocery shopping more often, but that’s more the Italian way of life anyway. And it’s easier to stay on top of the fresh produce before it goes bad, only getting enough for a few days instead of a week or two. You can read more about grocery shopping in Italy by clicking here.

Bills

You have to pay bills in Italy, too, unfortunately. While you can pay online and even set up automatic bill pay, I personally don’t trust the companies enough to just say, “here, take my money every month!” As I note below, once an Italian company has your money, you’re unlikely to ever see any type of refund. So if there is ever anything you want to contest, it’s much easier to do so BEFORE you pay than after.

Any kind of rules/regulations

You hear one thing, you read another, you’re left confused. You ask someone who has authority on the matter, and they tell you what to do. Great. You do what they tell you, and you get told, no, that’s not how it works. “But I was told…” nope. Doesn’t matter. New person, new day, and they get to tell you what they want. It can be extremely frustrating, or entertaining. Depending on your mood and what it is. Viva l’Italia!

Hospitals/Healthcare

While the healthcare I was fortunate enough to have access to growing up was nothing short of great, I can’t say the same for what I’ve seen first hand and heard of in Italy. The public healthcare in Italy is cheap and accessible to all, even if you don’t have the correct documents to live here, they’re not going to turn you away. I’m currently pregnant as I write this, and haven’t and won’t pay a cent for the whole care I’ve received so far, except for supplements and vitamins recommended by my midwife. While this is great, I’ve also left some family and friends aghast in the States when I tell them all about my appointments and pregnancy care here. And my pregnancy experience compared to other scenarios I’ve seen is positively solid. I have too many stories to recount in this post about hospitals and the care here, but I will say this. If the care in America is excellent overall, but not accessible to everyone, and the care in Italy is accessible to everyone but if they don’t do anything for you, what good is it? There has to be some way to better these systems because it feels like I’ve lived in the two opposite lands of healthcare. Governments and politics, I tell you.

Size

Everything in Italy is smaller. The people, apartments, shops, restaurants, ovens, portion sizes, cars, bathrooms, fitting rooms….Some of these things are good, some just take getting used to.

I grew up with four brothers in a 5 bedroom house. By American standards in our area our house is probably average, maybe even small considering 7 people lived there. By Italian standards? It’s huge! I don’t think I know anyone who has more than a 3 bedroom apartment. Even then, 3 bedrooms? Wow, that’s luxury! What space! The biggest apartment I’ve lived in was with 2 roommates, 2 bedrooms, and it was about 90 sq meters, so about 900 square feet? That was a big apartment, and we enjoyed hosting because of all our space.

Visiting public restrooms is always fun. They’re hard to find, and often you have to hunt down a bar or someplace where you can buy a coffee or quick drink just so you can use the bathroom. The tiny bathroom. Then good luck figuring out how to flush the toilet. Hint, it could be a handle, a button, on the toilet, on the wall, a pull string from the ceiling, or even a peddle. No, it’s probably not automatic. And make sure you figure it out before the light, which may be automatic, goes out on you and doesn’t want to turn on again. My favorite was the bathroom that used to be upstairs at La Rinascente. Now, Rinascente is an upscale department store, so you’d think their bathrooms would be nice? Better than most, but clearly their architects were at a loss with what to do with the space. One of the two rooms had the toilet in such a tight corner that it was not possible to sit down forward facing with the wall right there. There were just a few inches between the front of the toilet and the wall. Unless you would like to swing one leg over the toilet and do a semi-split, the only option was side-straddle. Fun.

Fitting rooms are also entertaining. I highly suggest trying on a larger size rather than smaller first so you don’t have any problems trying to remove the article of clothing. Even removing something that fit perfectly usually leaves me hitting at least 3 walls of the fitting room before getting back in my own clothes. To anyone nearby, they would probably think I’m being mauled by a tiger in there with all the thunks, bangs, and curtain rustling. Extra fun when you’re 8 months pregnant and belly practically spans the width of the room just standing still.

Punctuality

As an American you probably are punctual and consider it rude if you show up late. I know a lot of Americans who do run late, but it’s usually a matter of minutes and often there is the “I’m on my way, I’m so sorry!” text. In Italy it is all but expected to show up late to things, at least casual encounters.

My church states that it starts at 11:00am. It usually starts closer to 11:15-11:30 because they know everyone shows up late anyway.

If a store has its hours as opening at 10am, don’t bother arriving before 10:10. The person opening the gate and unlocking the door will probably be there around 10:08 and if they see you waiting there, to deflect their tardiness, will make some statement about “you know we don’t open until 10” or be a bit abrupt with you because you stressed them out by arriving “early.” Ha.

Store hours

Speaking of store hours, Americans come from a 24/7 culture. Grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, hospitals, are all open, just waiting for your midnight run. In Italy you have to plan ahead. Many shops are closed during the afternoon between 1pm and 4pmish, close around 8pm in the evening, are only open for the evening hours on Mondays, and only the morning hours on Saturday. Many restaurants aren’t open at all on Mondays. Almost everything is closed on Sunday. Even the big grocery stores close between 8 and 9 pm and some close on Sundays around 1pm. Any holidays often mean stores close, even grocery stores, or at the very least modify their store hours. So make sure you dinner planned in advance! I once was at an emergency room where their reception closed at 4pm. Haha.

Then there are all the government offices that usually are open for a only few hours a day Mon-Fri. Which makes any bureaucratic process a pain.

Add on top of this that the hours on Google maps and official websites are usually not updated or can’t keep up with how often the hours are adjusted on a whim. If they even have hours listed. This has only worsened with the constant changing of Covid-19 hours and openings to where I have all but given up trying to look up hours anywhere but on the building itself.

Illness

This one gets talked about a lot by Americans, because we find it so entertaining. Italians tend to believe a lot more in what I’ll call circumstantial illness rather than illness being transmitted by bacteria/germs. Maybe this is also the wider European/Mediterranean culture, because my husband also tends to believe some of these, while I laugh. Or maybe he’s just lived in Italy too long and is part Italian. Reasons you get sick in Italy:

• Going outside with wet hair, especially when it’s NOT summer.

• Sleeping with wet hair.

• There was a draft.

• Air conditioning.

• A fan blowing on you.

• Sudden changes in temperature.

• Not covering your neck/wearing a scarf if it’s below 70°F / 21°C.

• Eating something out of date.

• Not washing vegetables six times if you’re pregnant.

While I may not start believing these reasons whole heartedly, the level of concern/judgment shown me in public from strangers has caused me to change some of my habits. Mainly going outside with wet hair, as most of the other ones are more easily avoidable or done in the privacy of my own home. I have never owned a hair dryer but I started using one religiously at the gym, as does every other Italian. Men, too, according to my husband. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my dad or brothers use a hair dryer, but hey, sometimes Italian men have really fabulous hair so who am I to judge?

Customer Service

The ol’ “the customer is always right” does NOT rule in Italy. There is often fine print you should make sure to read or policies and rules that you should pore over before ever attempting to have any interaction with any store or service beyond handing over money. Returns, exchanges, refunds, complaints, or basically anything that involves the business handing you back money, will probably not go down well. Either Italian customer service hasn’t learned or doesn’t care that a happy customer is one who will bring many more customers to you. Maybe it doesn’t affect them because so many operate in this way. I might as well keep going back to the place with indifferent customer service and pay less than go somewhere else and get indifferent customer service and pay more, no?

I’m not implying that there are a bunch of awful people working in customer service. Unfortunately there is a common theme of disorganization that leaves everyone involved dissatisfied and ornery. If a company treats a customer unfairly, the customer is going to be understandably upset. If the then unhappy customer goes to rant and complain to employees of the company, when it isn’t the employee’s fault, this upsets the employee. The employees that are now dealing with numerous angry customers then become jaded and treat customers poorly. Do you see a bit of the vicious cycle? This is my attempt to explain what I observe on a daily basis in this beautiful, but unfortunately unorganized country. I can tell you, when there is some interaction with a smiling and helpful person, it is always so refreshing and I often leave wishing I could offer that person a coffee or gelato or maybe be my new best friend? A few anecdotes below before I move on in case you want some of my real life examples:

• On phone companies: I used to have phone service through the company TIM. In Italy, most people have a phone plan which is debited monthly from your phone’s credit. One day I received a text message, something about some game that had been activated on my phone for 5euro a week. Weird? I haven’t activated anything on my phone! I followed the link to deactivate this service, except that there wasn’t anything for deactivation. I waited a week, kept an eye on my phone credit, didn’t notice any unusual money being deducted. I waited another week, nothing. I figured it must be some scam, because after all, people can’t just access your phone credit and activate anything they want without your consent, right?! Wrong. After the third week I noticed that 10euros were now missing from my phone credit. I promptly called the TIM service line and tried explaining the situation, wanting my 10euros back. I was told that because I didn’t notify them within two weeks, unfortunately they couldn’t refund me. What? Money wasn’t taken out within two weeks. This was unacceptable to me so I insisted, trying to explain more thoroughly the situation as the lady kept cutting me off and interrupting, never letting me finish. Our lovely conversation ended by her continually talking over me, raising her voice so she was yelling, then hanging up on me while I was still talking as she had yet to hear all what I was trying to explain. I switched phone companies. What did I learn about this encounter? Phone companies DO allow in these third parties to access your number, sending you text messages to activate services, and as I experienced, they can activate them on your phone even without your consent. So, if you have a plan in Italy make sure to ask how to block these third party scammers, which involves sending a text message to a certain number to block them. The good news is, since being with a new phone company, I haven’t had anyone outright steal money from my phone credit.

• On simple clothing returns/exchanges: I once bought a sweater online, on sale. When it arrived it was too big. I took it into the store, because an in store exchange is a whole lot easier than sending back a package and reordering it. I had read online their return/exchange policies, so knew this was possible. I explained to the saleslady that I would like to exchange this sweater for the smaller size, which they had in store. She tried to explain to me that I will have to pay the difference. What difference, sorry? I’m exchanging the exact same sweater, just a different size. Said sweater was no longer on sale, so she was trying to get me to pay the difference. I’ve worked in sales and exchanged goods before, and hadn’t heard of this before? I felt like I was explaining their store policies to her, and she finally went to get her manager, who confirmed what I said. I would like to give this lady the benefit of the doubt, maybe she was new? Regardless, maybe not a good idea to stand there and argue with a customer if you’re not sure.

• On bureaucracy: The first time I applied for my marriage based “permesso” or permission to stay in Italy, I needed a whole slew of documents to bring with me to the questura. One of these documents (idoneità alloggiativa) itself needed a whole slew of documents, to be brought and applied for at another government office. Once we brought in all the necessary paperwork, we were told it would take 90-120 days to get this document. My appointment to go to the questura was in about 90 days, so while I was hoping it would be ready in time so I don’t have to go BACK to the questura (average wait time at the questura is 4-5 hours, my record is 8), I knew that it probably wouldn’t be. On the bright side, I was assured that the questura realizes it takes time to procure this, so at least they wouldn’t give me a hassle for not having it ready. Shortly before my questura appointment and when 90 days had passed, we tried calling the office to see if my document was ready to be picked up. After calling multiple times over several days, finally someone answered the phone. The lady responded to our inquiry by saying that whoever told us 90 days was wrong, it takes a FULL 120 days for this document to be ready. But we were told….? Nope, it’s not ready. My appointment for the questura comes, I submit everything except that one missing document. Once 120 days passed, my husband called again and was informed it was ready. I went out to the office to pick it up since the only 3 hours they are open is while he is at work. I tell the lady at the desk what I need to pick up, “ah the one that’s been ready since May 15th?” May 15th?! It’s now June, and my questura appointment was May 19th. It had been ready since BEFORE my questura appointment. So when we called the first time, it had been ready when the lady insisted it wasn’t. Oh, and I wasn’t allowed to pick it up, despite it being for me and my permesso, because it was in my husband’s name. Bummer, because it takes about 1.5 hours in public transport for me to reach this office. The lady said my husband would need to fill out the delegation form and give me a form of his ID to pick it up. It would be nice to know these things before coming all the way out here, ya know? She said I already had this form, they gave it to us when we applied for this document. I looked in my folder which had all pertinent information and paperwork given us for this document, and confirmed what I already knew, we had neither been given nor told about this form. Well, they’re supposed to give it you, she says. The ironic thing in all this is actually two things. First, we were told that they are supposed to contact us when this document is ready. Second, when my husband later asked why we were told the second time it takes 120 days and the document wasn’t ready when in fact it WAS, the only reason the lady could come up with was that someone wanted to play a practical joke on us…welcome to Italy, friends!

Modesty

This is a bit of an interesting one to talk about, especially since most media consumed by the world comes out of America and the world tends to think we are fun, fast, and loose people. They’re not wrong when they look at the US as a whole, but are we more so than say, the French, Italians, etc? Probably not. But as an American in Italy, and getting attention because it’s assumed I’m easy, I’m here trying to help give Americans a more respectable name. Italians/Europeans just seem more comfortable with their bodies in general, in many circumstances. I’m a conservative and modest person by faith and also somewhat by nature, and still am shocked by what I see girls wearing around, especially summertime. I’m sure it’s that way in the US as well, but I’ve been gone a few years and styles seem to be edging closer and closer to uh, nudity? You can only cut material so small. Bathing suits and beaches are another matter. I seriously contemplate why some people don’t just walk around naked? Oh, wait, they do! Crowded public beach right next to the water, with men and boys all around, women sunbathing topless on their backs.

I learned a good bit about Italian modesty in the women’s locker room at the gym. Italians have no qualms about standing for long periods of time stark naked and chatting up their neighbors, relatives, or complete strangers., blow drying their hair, doing their makeup. And doing all kinds of grooming operations that I usually prefer to do with no one else around. Blowdryers don’t blow dry just heads, but the WHOLE body. Sometimes I’m left wondering if I really want to use that blow dryer next to my own head after they’re done. I don’t mean to imply that all of these things are wrong, but speaking as an American, it definitely takes some getting used to!

---

Living in Italy: The Art of Grocery Shopping

While I was originally going to include this segment on grocery shopping (yes, grocery shopping) as part of a different post, I realized I had enough to say on the subject to warrant its own post.

No gloves? Good eye, this photo was taken in France

Why grocery shopping? If you think about it, it’s something that most human beings do on a weekly basis and we probably take if for granted. But when you’re in a new country or even a new city, these everyday errands can be invaluable in getting a glimpse into the new culture you’re in.

If you’ve moved to Italy for however long, sooner or later you are going to have to stop eating out all the time (you can’t live off margherita pizzas and gelato forever) and start cooking for yourself in your new (most likely fun-sized) kitchen.

If you’re looking for help on where to find specific ingredients in Italy, check out my post on Hard-to-Find Ingredients in Italy.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

---

The grocery stores

Supermarket prices are roughly the same in Italy as you would find in the US. So if you’re trying to create a budget before moving here, keep it the same. If you spend $50 a week on groceries, budget 50euro. Maybe 55 as a safety net for when you uh, buy the wrong products. Like when my friend and I bought laundry softener accidentally instead of detergent? Yeah. Our laundry smelled SO good. Can’t vouch for how clean it actually was, but dang. Fields of lavanda for days.

The four main grocery stores are Coop, Esselunga, Conad, Carrefour, and I prefer grocery shopping at them in that order. There are also some Pam’s in the city center which have fair prices, and Lidl which is the European equivalent (and I believe same owners) of Aldi. Conad and Carrefour tend to be the most expensive, and you will usually find them in the city center and out. If they’re in the center, they’ll probably be on the smaller side. Coop and Esselunga on the other hand, are usually only found outside city centers and tend to be larger, with parking more readily available, usually in the form of underground parking garages.

I believe all four have some kind of loyalty card, Carrefour is the only one I can’t say for sure.

• Coop, as a cooperativo, you have to pay 25euro to get their card and benefit from exclusive sales, among other “advantages” that may or may not be useful to you.

• Esselunga has their “Fidaty” card, which is free to get. For every item you buy you acquire points, sometimes on certain products you can get extra points. When you reach 3,000 points you can redeem your points for 27euro off groceries. Otherwise you can save your points and choose something from their prize catalog.

• Conad has their Insieme card which is similar to Esselunga’s. Free to obtain and you start collecting points which goes towards prizes. I’ve never shopped enough to ever obtain enough points to do anything with at Conad, but since it’s free it doesn’t hurt whether you decide to get it or not.

The rhythm of grocery shopping

For many reasons, grocery shopping in Italy is not just a once-a-week excursion but a multiple-times-a-week lifestyle. why?

• Food is very much available seasonally, and when you’re getting the best and ripest of produce, it usually doesn’t last a week before going bad! You’ll find many Italians only buying what they need for a few days, ensuring they always have the freshest stuff on hand.

• Others, like myself, walk to the grocery store and can only buy as much as can physically be carried. This necessitates shopping more frequently. You could also invest in a “nonna” cart, one of the bags on wheels that many nonne use for their shopping.

• The elderly generations themselves also use a daily trip to the grocery store as exercise, and may also serve as their socializing for the day. The strict lockdown during coronavirus only allowed 1 member from each household to grocery shop once a week. I really don’t think that many people complied, as there wasn’t any good way to enforce this rule. In one instance, the police finally cited a man after he was caught at the grocery store for the thirteenth time that day. Yes, thirteenth.

Have an exit plan

As you embark to explore the wonders that Esselunga, Conad, Carrefour, or Coop have to offer, there's something you might want to know.  Some grocery stores have entrance and exit gates, and you can only exit if you have a receipt with a barcode.  You could flag down one of the employees near the self-checkout and they will let you out, but after my experience of getting trapped because I didn’t buy anything, (I just wanted to see what they had to offer!) I always made sure to buy at least a snack or drink, even if I was just going to the store to check to see if they had a certain item.  Maybe I’m the only one who scopes out grocery stores. Ah well. You’ve been warned.

Don’t touch the produce

Whether at an open market or the grocery store, the fruit and vegetables are not to be touched with your bare hands! Or you might get your hand slapped or verbally accosted by some nonna. Plastic bags and gloves are provided so you can rifle through for the best peaches without sullying them.

I do sometimes rebel, especially if I only need one or two things from the produce section and don’t want to waste a glove. Then I will be careful to eyeball the produce and only touch the fruit I buy. Hint: If you only need say, 3 apples, and do want to look them over before choosing them, use your empty bag as a makeshift glove to turn over some apples. Then when you’ve chosen your three, take your hand out of the bag and use your bare hand to touch only the three you want.

A lady once came up next to me to get some peaches and apologized as she chose some without a glove. I told her not to worry. In case she hadn’t noticed, I also was glove-less and clearly not about to rebuke her for a sin I was already committing. Two rebels in the store, lalala.

Don’t forget the mercati

Speaking of produce, it’s much more enjoyable to have one or two days a week set aside for getting your fresh produce from an outdoor mercato. The produce is usually the freshest and you can develop relationships with your favorite vendors. Not only is it a much more rewarding experience to buy your produce from someone you know, you’re supporting local farms and hey, they just might start giving you some deals if they like you! Not to mention some of them have recommendations or recipes they’re willing to share!

I used to shop once a week at the Mercato di San Lorenzo when I lived closer to the center, and there was one dear old signore that I would often buy my produce from. He would frequently sneak some surprise pieces in my bag when he thought I wasn’t looking (it’s normal for the vendors to select the produce you want instead of you getting it yourself) and I would have to figure out what to do with them when I got home. That’s how I discovered khaki/persimmons, actually! I’m pretty sure he would always round the price down for me, but then again I’ll never really know because he lumped and weighed everything together, would think a moment, then tell me the price. The receipt only ever gave the total price, but a couple euros for several different kinds of deliciously ripe fruits and veggies didn’t seem a bad deal to me. Even if he was rounding the price up, I was blissfully ignorant and still consider it a great memory.

I also love the Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio. They have some unique stalls, and if you go on the right days you can even find scoby for sale to make your own kombucha or apple cider vinegar with the mother.

How to wait in line - “fare la fila”

Basically, if you’re not breathing down the person’s neck in front of you, you’re not doing it right. If you’re not doing it right, you will get cut. Waiting in line is all a part of the Italian life. No one likes lines, no one wants to wait, and those who know how to queue in Italy know you might have to be pushy, aggressive, and perfect your evil eye.

You know you’re queueing with Italians and people who live in Italy when:

1. You can smell what kind of shampoo the person in front of you uses, or lack thereof

2. When you take a small step backwards you step on someone

3. The line looks more like a mob than a line

4. Someone comes to wait in line and stands next to you instead of behind you

5. That same person shifts ever more forward every time the line moves up

6. Someone asks if you’re in line, which is really just a lightly veiled threat meaning, “if you don’t keep your spot clearly, I will take your spot”

7. Someone blatantly cuts the line

8. When a cutter is called out, they will either act innocently as if they didn’t know or just completely ignore everyone and continue forward anyway. Either way.

9. Someone genuinely asks where the end of the line is, because you never can tell

In my early days in Italy a lady once asked if I was waiting in line for bread. When I said I was, she then informed me I had best move up or the Italians will cut me. It was kind of her to instruct my green American self. I think? Or it was another manifestation of #6.

Grocery carts

Smaller grocery stores in the center might not have the big metal carts, but they will have the smaller plastic “baskets” on wheels.

At the larger stores you’ll find the metal carts which can be used with a coin deposit. Confession: I’ve only ever used a big cart once, at Lidl, because I had to in order to enter during the coronavirus lockdown. In my scramble to unlock a cart and not lose my place in line, I tried inserting a 20 cent piece. Hint, it didn’t work. However, 50 cent pieces and 1euro pieces do. I prefer to use the smaller rolling baskets as it keeps my shopping realistic. I walk to the grocery store so can only buy as much as I carry.

What to buy where

Over time you will develop your own favorite stores and where you can find certain products or find the best deals. My favorite store is Coop, and yet I often can’t find spicy peppers. No jalapeños, habaneros, nothing. (Italy never labels their peppers. They’re either sweet, spicy, or bell. Sigh.) Every store has their quirks. I also was convinced for years that sour cream hardly exists here. I could only find it at my local Esselunga in the tiny Mexican food section. It’s imported, expensive, and not refrigerated, which doesn’t set well with me. Just the other day, while strolling the refrigerated section at Coop, what did I see? Sour cream. Normal, not sour cream. Aside from these things, there are certain ingredients you just can’t find in any of these grocery stores, or at least if you do, you’ll be paying an arm and a leg. 5+euro for Skippy peanut butter, anyone?

Here are some hints to get you started:

• Although some stores may have a small end cap or section dedicated to Asian, Mexican, or Arab foods, skip their higher prices and go to the sources themselves.

• For Asian ingredients around Florence, there are numerous Asian grocers around the city to satisfy all your rice noodle, ramen, soy, rice vinegar, and coconut milk needs. And peanut butter. Random brands, but almost always cheaper.

• For Mexican ingredients, head to Vivi Market in Florence. Although not an exhaustive source, they have a few shelves of tortillas, chips, sauces/salsas, and beans to get you by. They are also a reliable source of sweet potatoes and random American ingredients, like Reese’s, you may not find anywhere else. The downside to Vivi is their prices, they’re one of the more expensive Asian grocers.

• For Arab food, head to any of the Arab butchers around the city. This is where you can find cheaper black beans, harissa, dates, peanut butter, and other specialty ingredients if you are familiar with Middle-Eastern/North African cuisine.

• While Lidl might not have the biggest selection, they definitely have some of the cheapest options. I usually buy cheddar cheese, bretzels, hummus, maple syrup, and other random goodies that you can’t find in a normal Italian grocery store. They also have a little Greek section, so if you have a hankering for maybe not the best baklava, there you go. You’re welcome.

• When it comes to buying meat, think of it the same way as the produce. The big grocery stores are the most convenient, but if you want the best quality, you might consider visiting your neighborhood butcher. Again, you’re supporting local, and being a regular customer might just get you some deals. Italy is more of a “I do you a favor, you do me a favor” type society, rather than the more American independent ideology.

Grocery bags

Every grocery bag at the grocery store will run you 5-10 cents a piece. They are usually biodegradable, but it’s a good way to save some pennies and the economy by bringing your own bags. I never go anywhere without a few plastic and reusable bags in my purse for when I need to unexpectedly pick up some things while out and about.

---

There you have it, more information than you probably ever needed to know about grocery shopping in Italy!

Italy Lockdown Update: May the 4th Be With You

It’s hard to believe it’s going on two months since I originally wrote about the coronavirus in Italy, and in turn pleading for my fellow Americans across the pond to take the virus seriously.

If you would like to read the original post on coronavirus in Italy, click here.

The husband spying on abandoned green houses because, apparently, we’ve been quarantined too long.

8 weeks and a day I since started quarantining. So much has changed since then. I had originally planned on updating my original blog on coronavirus periodically, but it really didn’t make sense to me when all TV channels, new sources, social media feeds, and conversations already revolved around this world pandemic. As it has affected everyone, and many in very real and very tragic ways, this makes sense, but I didn’t feel that my voice had anything important to add to the din. I had already given my two cents worth and given a little glimpse into the window of Italy when it became one of the worst hit countries after China before the rest of the world went under, too. Shortly after we were all in the same boat, anyway, under some kind of lockdown, travel restrictions, feeling the fear and uncertainty, wondering what is going to happen to our loved ones, our jobs, our economy, weddings, graduations, planned and saved for vacations…the list goes on and on.

However, although much still seems bleak, there is some light at the end of the tunnel, especially for those of us who have been living in Italy under one of the stricter lockdowns.

Today, May 4th, starts phase two. Many rejoice, as it feels like the first breath of fresh air (literally, for many!) in 8 long weeks stuck in small apartments. Maybe dark. Maybe all alone. Maybe with too many family members. Maybe without a balcony or any way to get some decent sunshine. Maybe struggling to get food on the table. But there is hope, the weather has turned warm and sunny, and the daily new cases and deaths have dramatically decreased in recent days.

At its worst, Italy saw 6,000+ new daily cases, and 900+ new daily deaths. Today, May 4th, there were only 1,221 new daily cases and 195 new daily deaths. For more information on the numbers in Italy, see here.

With the country slowly reopening I think many are waiting with baited breath…will it work? Or will there be a second wave? Especially in a country where people have been locked up for 8 weeks and maybe are overly zealous to get out? Hopefully, if we don’t let our guard down, everything will progress smoothly.

So, what does phase two in Italy look like? I’ll highlight here the most important updates, leaving out some of the nitty gritty boring stuff.

Italy Phase Two, May 4th

• While the essential reasons for leaving home have basically stayed the same, Italians are now able to travel within their region instead of only within their city/neighborhood. Those essential reasons remain for work, health, and now necessary visits to family members, including boyfriends/girlfriends. Movement beyond your own region is consented for work, health, emergency reasons, and for returning home. (Some workers, students, etc. found themselves locked out of their own regions/unable to return home when the lockdown started. They are now finally able to go back home.)

• The “autocertificazione” or self-certification is still required when you leave home, to justify your reason for being out. An updated version, the sixth edition I do believe, is available starting from today. With more shops opening, the necessary reasons stated above have also somehow been stretched to include errands to get any type of good used in every day life, newspapers, and of course still pharmacies and grocery shopping.

• As of May 1st we are now allowed to walk/exercise freely, instead of having to stay within 200 meters of our home. This is my favorite, favorite, favorite part of phase two! One source said we could go as far as we can physically walk, but don’t try leaving your region. You must maintain 1 meter distance from other people (people who don’t live with you) and 2 meters if you are running, and you may not take public transportation to a certain area to exercise.

• Too many people have tried to profit off the demand for masks, so the government has stepped in to cap surgical mask prices at 50 cents a piece. Masks are required if you leave home.

• Masks must be worn on public transportation. This has already been in place in Florence for the past week or two, I believe. The exception is for those under age 6 and anyone who has a medical problem that would prevent them from wearing a mask.

• Public parks and gardens will reopen.

• Funerals will be allowed, with only family members of the first and second degree and a maximum of 15 people.

• Restaurants will now be allowed to provide take-away instead of just home delivery. However the take-away food must be consumed at home or in the office, to avoid assemblies of people in front of buidlings, etc.

• Industrial, construction, furnishings, and wholesale commerce can recommence.

• Individual sports can restart, behind closed doors, not out in the open.

April 14th

In mid-April there was a very soft opening of a few types of shops. Cartolerie (paper and stationary type stores), kids’ clothing stores, and bookstores. Not essential, but it at least helps some store owners to be able to reopen but with very low risk of crowds.

I had an appointment this day, and was surprised to see how many people were out. They were clearly not all rushing to get fountain pens and stationary, but it’s also hard for me to blame people who have been cooped up for so long, if they’re at least respecting the distance…

Hoping and praying things can start going back to some semblance of normal!

Thanks for reading, and if you need me, I’ll be up in the Tuscan hills, walking as far as my legs will carry me…

On Coronavirus: Don't Panic, Plan Ahead, Love Your Neighbors

Click here to read the May 4th update from Italy: Phase 2.

We can’t stop thinking about it. We can’t stop talking about it. It’s all you see on social media. We’re all obsessed. Say it with me now, Coronavirus! Or Covid-19. As you like.

First things first. I’m writing this article from my apartment, under quarantine, in Florence, Italy. I am in no way a medical professional nor in a leading position in government, and what I’ve written below are merely my experiences and observances. That said, I tend to take a humorous outlook on most things in life, but I also believe that serious things need to be given their due weight. This virus has shown itself to be serious, physically and economically.

This is not the end of the world. Panic is never the answer. But by planning ahead and taking precautionary measures you can do your part in helping your country, State or region, city, and community stop or at least quell the spread. By doing so, you could indirectly be saving lives, by not catching and spreading the virus, especially to those who have been shown to be most vulnerable, the elderly population and those with underlying health problems.

How it Began in Italy

Italy reported its first two cases of Covid-19 on January 30. Two Chinese tourists became ill and were quarantined in the Spallanzani hospital near Rome. They recovered and were discharged.

A period of calm ensued. I remember being grateful no more cases were reported, even though the two Chinese tourists had reportedly traveled to Florence, among other cities. Fast forward to February 21 (some articles I’m double checking as I write this say Feb 20), when a man checked himself into the hospital in Codogno (northern Italy) and became the third confirmed Covid-19 case in Italy. That same day, Italy reported 16 new cases in the Lombardy and Veneto regions and the first death. A red flag immediately was raised for me. From everything I’ve been reading about this virus, mostly from reports from China and the WHO, you don’t simply catch this virus and die in the same day. Which can only mean, this virus has been circulating in Italy for some time already. Who knows where those people have been? Whom they’ve been in contact with that can then become carriers. Silently circulating, and no one knew. In Codogno, while hospitals were already dealing with the seasonal flu cases, they noticed a high number of people with respiratory problems. These people were treated as though they had the flu, not coronavirus. They weren’t quarantined.

My husband and I’s anniversary was February 24 and my birthday was February 28, so we were talking about taking a weekend trip somewhere. Top contender was Brescia, which is a great base from which to take day trips. I really wanted to see Sirmione. (Google that one for the photos and it’ll be on your list, too.) As cases and deaths continued to increase, we put our plans on hold. Should we go? Shouldn’t we? We unanimously agreed not to go. We found some cheap tickets to Sicily, but didn’t buy them because then cases started popping up in Sicily, also. We decided to stay put. By the time my birthday came, we had already decided to limit our outings (which proved difficult because we had appointments almost every single day) and not go to restaurants. I really wanted sushi, though, so I made a reservation at my favorite sushi place, Aji Tei, for right when they opened at 7:30pm, hoping it would be less crowded. We had tried to make a reservation earlier in February but they were full up. Pages and pages of reservations. This place, unlike a lot of dining places in Italy, is not small. It has an ample dining room and a large covered garden out back. And it can be hard to get in. The whole time we were there it didn’t even get to 25% capacity. It was nice for us, but sad, knowing they and probably many restaurants were feeling the impact.

All this time, the attitude of many people I talked to were flippant, dismissive, or a bit surprised if I mentioned something about being careful. The virus was still largely in the northern Lombardy region and I think some people may have thought me mildly crazy. All the while many politicians, business owners, and residents were passionately encouragingly the world at large to “come to Italy!” It’s safe, Italy is as beautiful as ever! I understand many people live off tourism here and they don’t want the economy or their livelihood to hurt…but we’re also talking about people’s lives. How many times did I see people who had planned trips to Italy asking on some forum or facebook group, is Italy safe? Should we still come? And the overwhelming response was always YES. Come, don’t listen to the naysayers, Italy is safe, it’s just a cold guys COME ON. Not one that I saw encouraged them to do what they thought was best for their family or their peace of mind, or stopped to ask if maybe someone in their group was over 60 or had underlying health problems?

The grocery stores started to be hit all over the country. Pictures of empty shelves, and from parts of the country that didn’t even have confirmed cases yet. The big Esselunga in my neighborhood wasn’t too bad, emptier than I’ve ever seen it, but I was able to get everything I needed. The items that were most hit? Toilet paper, rice, pasta, water, sanitizer of any kind and…women’s razors? I might get quarantined, must have smooth legs!!! haha what? At one point the eggs were gone, and also the milk, but next time I went the milk was completely restocked. I have yet to find a bottle of hand sanitizer in a grocery store. The stores have done a really good job of staying on top of the demand, otherwise.

As the days went on and the number of cases continued to increase in an alarming manner, the leaders in government continued to attack the “fake news” and encourage tourists to come. For my news sources I read mostly BBC News, because I enjoy their straightforward, fact and quote based reporting without adding any drama, insinuations, or sensational statements. And for a few days, Italy all but disappeared from the coronavirus news. Where did Italy go? It’s quickly becoming one of the worst hit countries, and suddenly I can’t find anything out anymore? I would have to google things to find them out, and even then I would have to do so in English and Italian with different wordings before finally finding up to date articles.

As cases spiked to more than 5,800 and more than 230 deaths were reported, the Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte made the decision to quarantine 14 regions in the north on March 8. However, this news was leaked out before going into effect, and there was a mass exodus of thousands of people from the soon-to-be quarantined regions trying to get home and flee the lockdown. I watched in disbelief as these measures that are supposed to curb the outbreak are about to make things so. much. worse. I read about a BBC journalist who drove up to the quarantined north, a good 24 hrs after the new “no one enters, no one leaves” had been in effect. And there was nothing. No police, no checks, no barriers. The quarantine at that point seemed to be still a suggestion, or an idea. My disbelief grew. It was from that point that my husband and I decided to self-quarantine, because there were now thousands of people potentially and probably spreading the virus carelessly. I doubt anyone had the specific evil intent of escaping to spread the virus, but people who don’t have symptoms don’t know they’re spreading and don’t know the harm they’re doing. But that is how it will go. We are human, and our first instinct is to think of ourselves, and we will hurt others in our selfish wake.

Two days after the news broke about the north being quarantined, Prime Minister Conte put into quarantine ALL of Italy. Everyone seemed to wake up, and realize what many of us already had: to curb this pandemia, we must all do what we can and quarantine.

Can you imagine how different this might have gone if Italy had decided to quarantine and take these drastic measures two weeks ago? No one wanted to make that sacrifice. People continued to downplay the severity of the situation and now everyone is forced to make that sacrifice anyway. This way, because the virus has been allowed to spread for so long, it will take longer to get things under control. The economy will hurt more. It’s the unfortunate reality of the situation in Italy right now.

I’m not writing this to shame Italy and lament on the if-onlys. I am writing this so you can learn from Italy. Even if your leaders are not yet taking this as seriously as they should or the actions they should, you CAN. You can be the weirdo and not hug or kiss people, keep your distance while in public, go out as little as possible, wash your hands, all the things you’ve probably already heard a hundred times or more.

If you’ve read this far, thank you, and sorry for being long-winded. I know there are a thousand other articles and blogs on coronavirus you could be reading. Maybe you should be! But have pity, I’m quarantined at home in a small apartment; I have all the time in the world to be long-winded! :) Soon, that may be you, too. Get the good books, movies, and snacks, man.

What are the current restrictions in Italy?

Here’s a snapshot of our life right now. At first just some things were closed or restricted, then things got stricter and time extended, now basically everything is closed except grocery stores, pharmacies and banks.

• Thursday, March 5, all schools and universities were closed across the country. Study-abroad students were sent home.

• Suspended until April 3, roughly translated from a post from the Florence Mayor Dario Nardella:

  • Child Educational services and every didactic activity of every order and grade

  • Universities and all artistic, musical, and dance institutions

  • Professional regional and national master courses

  • Universities for the elderly

  • Drivings schools

  • Congress, conventions, reunions, meetings, and social events

  • Demonstrations, events, and shows of any nature

  • Cinema and theatre

  • Pubs, clubs, and similar locales

  • Dance schools

  • Game rooms, casinos, and bingo halls (nooooo not the bingoooo)

  • Museums and every cultural place, such as libraries, archives, archeological parks and areas, monumental complexes

  • School trips, outings, exchanges, guided tours, didactic outings

  • Staying in waiting rooms at hospitals or emergency rooms

  • Civil and religious ceremonies including funerals

  • Visits to nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, hospice, etc. are limited

  • All commercial activities except for the tabacchi, newspaper stands, pharmacies

  • All restaurants, bars, etc. except for home delivery

  • All salons, barbers, etc

At first the grocery stores were going to be closed on Saturday and Sunday , the two busiest days of the week. It was all over the news and I didn’t get it. How does that help? That takes the crowds from the weekends (I’m a weirdo and love grocery shopping but highly dislike going on Saturday and Sunday because it’s shoulder to shoulder) and forces them to go during the week. So now the week will be extra crowded? How does this help crowd control? They only allow so many people in the store at a time, but the lines outside? My husband went to the store today, and after being gone for an hour, came back empty handed. The line was so long he waited for a bit, then decided he didn’t want to be there for hours and hours. Then I remembered today is Friday. Everyone is stocking up for the weekend. Ohhhh snap. I googled to see if anything would be open tomorrow, and you know what? Grocery stores are now open on the weekends. But I had to google that to find out. We have the TV on quite a bit listening for updates, you think they could’ve squeezed that useful bit of information in there somewhere? On the bright side, maybe if I go tomorrow the stores will be empty because everyone still think the stores will be closed, like I did. If anyone can think of why closing grocery stores for two days was a good idea, please. Tell me why.

Beyond these measures, you’re basically not supposed to leave your home, and if you do, at least 1 meter (about 3 ft) between you and other people at all times. I am still a bit confused if I can go out for a walk or fresh air? If you have a dog, you can, but once the dog has done his business, back inside you go. I heard once on the TV no, don’t go outside unless it’s for emergencies or going to the store, and only the grocery store in your area. This upset people who like to go for runs and exercise outside. Then I heard you could go out for fresh air. Today I heard you can go out for a run/exercise, if you stay 1 meter away from others, of course. So tentatively, yes? And if you need to go anywhere outside your area, you must carry with you an official document stating who you are, where you live, and where you are going which had better be for work, medical reasons, or a necessary motive. If you are outside and stopped by police and they determine your reason isn’t valid or you’re lying (ie you say you have a doctor visit and they make you call your doctor who is unaware you have a visit), you will be fined up to 206euro or face up to 3 months in prison. It doesn’t matter if you’re walking or driving, bring this document with you. Only 1 person per family can go grocery shopping at a time. Max 2 people in a car, 1 driving and one in back. 3 people in car? Fined. If you know you are positive for Covid-19 and you leave your home anyway, you can face up to 12 years in jail for voluntary homicide.

If you live in Italy and are looking for the “autocertificazione coronavirus” document, they have the PDF you can download at the bottom of this article.

Italy is taking the situation very seriously. They were left with no choice. The hospitals in the north are at a breaking point, having to make the decision between who gets the ventilator and who doesn’t; literally, who lives and who dies. They are running out of room. As I write this, the numbers from today have come out, and they’re only getting worse. Just since yesterday, 2,547 new cases, 250 new deaths. During the worst of China’s outbreak, deaths never exceeded 150 in one day. Italy has more people dying in one day than China did on any given day. You see this is serious? You can see that if you live elsewhere, your country still has the chance to stall this? Or at least slow down the spread so that hospitals aren’t overloaded and doctors won’t have to make the moral choices they are being forced to here in Italy.

Just in the past couple days my homeland, USA, has greatly ramped up the closures, not to mention the whole world. Schools, dance studios, Broadway, events, sports…Though the US is nowhere near where Italy is outbreak wise, they are thankfully taking these hard steps as a prevention. I still see a lot of Americans on social media who are dismissive of this virus, and I wish they would look at Italy. Most Italians had that same attitude up until they were forced to completely switch gears. For some it was overnight, and it was a bit bizarre. Accept with grace that your leaders are trying to protect you. I just wish the US would up their testing game, so the virus doesn’t have a chance to circulate undetected for so long like it did in Italy.

If you’re one of my friends who thinks this coronavirus is manmade, leaked on purpose, a new weapon, the world trying to control you, etc etc. I hear you. But is posting all the articles demonstrating IT’S THE DEMOCRATS helping? Is it loving your neighbor? I don’t think it is. The best way we can go forward is to not panic, check your sources, take preventive measures even if they’re hard, and look after those who are maybe less privileged or are more vulnerable than you. If you know of an elderly person near you, make them a meal and deliver it to their doorstep. Or have groceries delivered to their door. Offer to go pick up their prescription for them. Don’t hoard food/products you don’t need. Know a family that has a lot of kids? Maybe bless them by having pizza delivered to their home, so the mom and dad can have a night off from cooking. By doing this you not only help people out, but you help support businesses that are struggling. I’m sure there a ton of different ways I haven’t even thought of that would be a great help. In this day and age with apps like Uber Eats, food and many other commodities are just a click away.

Oh, and can we all stop comparing this virus to common cold/influenza? Flu has been around for a long time, we have some immunities to it, and there are vaccines. This coronavirus is brand new and we just don’t know enough about it. If you try and compare flu data to coronavirus data, is that even fair? Coronavirus only has data from December, the flu has data up the wazoo. We already know this coronavirus is more deadly, so before you “pshaw” it and rattle of a recent year’s data from the flu, just realize we’re trying to keep Covid-19 from becoming rampant like the flu so it never has a chance to kill as many people as the flu, or worse. Currently in Italy, the mortality rate for the virus is 5.8%, where flu in the US has a mortality rate of about 0.1%. I would rather huddle at home and be proved wrong later that it wasn’t that serious, rather than disregard the precautions and later be proved wrong that it WAS that serious.

I’d love to end this with some encouragement like, we’ve got this, or we’re each stronger than we think, we can all be heroes…but you know what? You don’t have to look far to see that our base reaction has been protection of…self. Me. My needs. My comforts. I rejoice that I don’t have to put my faith in myself, humans, governments, or regulations. I rejoice in the Lord, who has the whole world and this situation in His control. I rejoice knowing that this world is not all there is. This life is not all I have. But while I’m here, I hope to be able to love my neighbor well and do my part because, in Jesus, I’ve been shown true selfless love.

One more thing. Toilet paper? Let’s all just calm down now. You know who you are. Leave some for your neighbors. Count your squares, people! Oh, and I hope you stocked up on Desitin as well if you actually plan to use that much toilet paper…

Other Useful Resources

For live cases worldwide and easy to look at statistics, check out this site.

For more info on cases in Italy, check out this page.

For all things Florence and other useful information on coronavirus if you’re in Italy, check out Girl in Florence!

If you’ve read this far and want to really understand why social distancing is a thing, check out this article full of graphs, maths, possible outcomes and general confirmation that this is serious stuff and must be acted on now.

Italian Holidays

Italy, the land of pizza, wine, many hand gestures and many holidays. As you may have guessed from the title, this post is covering the holidays in Italy and why you should care.

The Beach at Viareggio. Most Italian beaches are not free, you have to rent an umbrella and a couple chairs, usually around 30euro per day.

Italy is a predominantly Catholic country and home to Papa, or the pope. Well, technically the Vatican which is in and of itself a country is home to the Papa, but the Vatican is in Italy, so, same thing. There are many holidays celebrated in Italy to commemorate different saints and events in the Bible. Some seem to based more on folklore than actual fact, but they are celebrated with gusto and nonetheless an important part of the culture here.

Whether or not you celebrate them, these holidays will still have an effect upon your life if you travel or live in Italy. If you’ve planned a trip or traveled to Italy, you may have read about or experienced the infamous Ferragosto, the holiday on August 15th where all the Italians escape seaside for vacation. Even though everything closes down like it’s Christmas, the “ferie” or holidays actually start usually towards the end of July and finish the beginning of September. This means having to plan very carefully when you grocery shop, shop, get public transport, go the gym, eat out, go to the doctor, and everything else that includes hours of business. Make sure to tell all your appliances and A/C not to break during August. If they do, and you know that if they do they will during this month, sorry ‘bout ya. The plumber is at the beach. So is the electrician. Also the tabaccheria where you buy bus tickets, your local coffee place, and the doctor who was supposed to perform your surgery. Ah well.

City centers mostly stay open for tourism, but neighborhoods around that don’t get many tourists will almost achieve ghost town status. It’s quite peaceful, actually, until I start missing the pizza from my local pizzeria. Come backkkkk!! I’m hungry!! Ah well, #firstworldproblems.

Another good thing to note is that all Sundays are considered giorni festivi, or treated like holidays. This means that every Sunday there will be fewer buses and shops will probably close earlier, if they were open in the first place.

What about the rest of the holidays? What are they about? Are they a big enough deal to close schools down, or mere formalities?

The following list includes all the major holidays in Italy that usually affect business hours, schools, and public transport, if not all three. This way we can plan our lives in Italy accordingly and not have to wonder why there are witches and stockings everywhere in the stores in January and not October! I say we because this list is as much a refresher for me as it is for you; I’m fairly certain I end up asking or Googling every year the same holidays because I just can’t keep them all straight! :)

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

---

Italian Holidays

1. January 1 - Capodanno / New Year’s Day

   Yes, even in Italy the New Year happens, albeit 6 hours ahead of the EST.

2. January 6 - Befana o Epifania / Befana or Epiphany

   The day in which the wise men visited Jesus according to the Catholic tradition, hence the word epiphany. If you count from Christmas Day you’ll notice that there are twelve days between it and January 6, which is where the Twelve Days of Christmas originated.

   It’s also called Befana in Italy after the old woman who gets on her broom and flies to deliver little gifts to good children who have left out stockings on the night between the 5th and 6th of January. Naughty children will wake up to coal, garlic, or possibly a stick. Children often leave out fruit or treats for Befana and maybe even a glass of wine (ohhh, Santa is jealous). This is similar to the Babbo Natale/Santa Clause tradition, although Befana has been a part of the Italian culture longer than Babbo Natale even.

   As one story goes the three wise men are traveling to find baby Jesus in Bethlehem and find themselves in need of direction. They ask an old woman, Befana, who indicates to them the way. (Another version says she didn’t know the way but instead offered them food and a place to stay for the night.) They are so grateful to her that they invite her to come along. Despite their insistence, she refuses. After they depart she regrets staying behind, and attempts to find them, bringing with her a large bag of sweets. She is not successful and gives out the sweets to every child she meets in the hopes that one of them will be Jesus.

   Another, darker version recounts Befana as a mother whose child dies. Her grief turns to madness and she goes to offer baby Jesus gifts to make him happy, thinking that he is her son. Jesus in turn gives her the gift of being the mother to all children in Italy, and she goes around giving gifts to them.

   You will notice the stores full of witches and pre-filled stockings leading up to this day. The day of Befana usually involves many excited children, parades, and women who dress up like the old, sooty Befana. In Florence there is a parade with the magi coming to see baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph in the nativity setup in front of the Duomo.

   This holiday ensures that the Italian children also get their moment of realization when they find out that Befana is not in fact real, haha!

   This holiday usually signals the end of the Christmas festivities, with school starting shortly after.

3. February/March - Carnevale

   Carnevale is like a much happier Halloween. It’s a festivity that usually takes place over a period of days, usually in Catholic countries. People dress up, there are parades, and also special sweets and food before the Lenten season begins.

   If you’ve been to Venice you probably noticed how many shops sport costumes and masks for Carnevale. In fact, Venice is among the cities most renowned in Italy (and the world) for their Carnevale festivities, along with Viareggio, Cento, Ivrea, Acireale.

4. March/April - Pasqua e Pasquetta / Easter and Easter Monday

   Similar to the US, Good Friday-Easter Sunday are usually government holidays. Easter Monday, or Pasquetta is also a holiday in Italy remembering the women who met the angel at the empty tomb of Jesus, usually spent with family and friends, probably eating.

5. April 25 - Anniversario della Liberazione d’Italia / Anniversary of the Liberation of Italy

   An important day in Italian history when it was freed from fascist control and Nazi occupation.

6. May 1 - La Festa dei Lavoratori / Worker’s Day

   The day that the 8-hour work day became law, first in Chicago, Illinois. This law soon spread to other states and is now celebrated by many countries around the world. Ironically, although it originated in America we now celebrate this achievement in September, and we know it as Labor Day.

7. June 2 - La Festa della Repubblica / Day of the Republic

   A day to celebrate the birth of the Italian Republic after the institutional referendum in 1946 following World War II.

8. June 24 - San Giovanni / St. John the Baptist

   Each city in Italy has a patron saint and celebrates on different days. John the Baptist is the patron saint of Florence, and is celebrated with fochi d’artificio or fireworks, parades, and the final match of calcio storico Fiorentino, a type of historic soccer/rugby.

   Most shops around Florence close in the evening if not the whole day.

9. August 15 - Ferragosto o Assunzione di Maria Virgine / August Holidays or the Ascension of Virgin Mary

   The holiday we discussed in the beginning. It originates from the Roman Empire when Caeser Augustus was emperor in the year 18 a.d. when he designated the August holidays, “Feriae Augusti” in Latin.

   This is also the day that the Catholic church says the Virgin Mary ascended into heaven.

   In reality, these holidays stretch anywhere from end of July to early September, with most businesses choosing 2-4 weeks within this period to close up shop and head to the coast. So while the towns might be quiet, the beaches are crazy. The actual day of August 15th pretty much everything is closed, so this is a day best used for taking a stroll, a picnic, or staying at home.

10. October 31 - Halloween

    While this is not an Italian holiday, it is an American one and thus becoming quite popular in Italy. Italians don’t tend to dress up as much as they go all out with makeup, the more gruesome and scary the better. All the pretty costumes are saved for Carnevale closer to springtime. The exception would be the expat’s children and a select few Italian children who dress up and go from store to store to trick-or-treat.

    This one does not affect schools, transport or business hours.

11. November 1 - Tutti i Santi / All Saints Day

    Just as it sounds, this is a day celebrating all saints. And there are a lot of them.

12. December 8 - Immacolata Concezione / Immaculate Conception

    The day in 1854 in which Mary was declared by Pope Pio IX to have been sinless from the time of her birth until the conception of Jesus. This day deals with the dogma of original sin, and not, as I had originally understood, the day in which the angel appeared to Mary to announce to her that she would give birth to Jesus. That doesn’t work out very well on the calendar anyway if we celebrate Jesus’ birth on December 25th…not that Jesus was born on December 25th in the first place.

13. December 24, 25 - Vigilia di Natale, Natale / Christmas Eve, Christmas Day

    The best days of the year celebrating Jesus’ birth!

14. December 26 - Santo Stefano / Saint Stephan

    A day to commemorate the Saint Stephan. Being so soon after Christmas it all seems to just blend together!

15. December 31 - Ultimo Giorno dell’Anno / New Year’s Eve

    I experienced my first New Year’s Eve in Florence, and wanting to make a fun night of it, went with my husband to the Duomo where there were large crowds and we were hoping to find a countdown. There was no official countdown whatsoever, and several different groups of people seemed to announce it at different times depending on when their phones/watches changed. I kept asking, was that it? Is that the New Year? Needless to say, it was a bit anticlimactic with a lot of chaos. Everyone had open bottles and glasses of beer and wine, and it was sloshing everywhere. Don’t wear nice clothes out in public on New Year’s Eve. Lots of noise, major smooching, and the firecrackers are awful. People like to set them off at random, even the week before and after, and it can be frightening and hurts my ears! If you can’t tell, I have since decided to spend New Year’s Eve (at least in Italy) inside with a nice movie and food and not in the city center! But to each his own! The next day there are bottles and trash strewn everywhere, between little rivers of red wine. Just not a fan of drunkenness and the various aftereffects.

---

Christmas time is magical around Florence

There we are, a (hopefully) comprehensive list of the major holidays in Italy. If I missed any, let me know in the comments below. Or if you’ve had any funny run-ins or fond memories celebrating any of these holidays, I’d love to hear about it! Until next time!

Resources and Tricks for Learning Italian

Photo Credit to Practical

Learning a second language (or third or fourth or twelfth) can be challenging, enjoyable, frustrating, rewarding, and just plain ol’ take a lot of your brain power, thoughts, and time.

If you weren’t lucky enough to grow up immersed in a bi or multilingual family, then you can hop on the struggle boat with the rest of us while learning another language.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably studying or thinking about starting to learn a new language, maybe Italian, and I commend you! Or, maybe you are curious as to what it might take, or are looking for resources for someone else. Whatever brings you, I’m glad you’re here, and I hope this post might help you or a friend out.

When it comes to learning a language, you will be most successful if you are fully immersed. You’ve probably heard this before, but it bears repeating because it’s true.

If you aren’t immersed, don’t despair. Taking a trip to a country that speaks your desired language or finding a friend, community, or group in your city or online that you can practice with can make a big difference! Even if these are not possible for you, there are still ways to learn a language successfully.

I for one will do everything in my power to search and learn things for free. I don’t want to pay for school, tutors, programs, books, more books, some more books, and a couple more programs if I don’t need to. (Yes, you can say it, I’m a tightwad.:) Those are all helpful and good things, and if you have the resources to do those things, go for it! But there is more to the equation than just “intensive Italian school = Italian fluency.”

There is a principal ingredient you need to learn Italian or any language: drive. The drive, desire, patience, and determination to learn and work through the moments of frustration and plateaus. If you have the drive but don’t live in Italy, you will still make good progress. On the other hand, if you move to Italy and have no great desire to learn Italian, you will probably pick up very little Italian. It still surprises me how many people I come across who have lived in Italy for years and still can only speak very basic Italian. Some people learn quicker than others and the younger you are the easier it is, but still. You’re only doing yourself a favor if you learn the language and it’s respectful of the culture you are now in. I know it’s way easier to live with and hang out with your culture and every once in awhile order a gelato in Italian…but if you want to learn, get comfortable being outside of your comfort zone.

This may leave you asking, “How long does it take to learn Italian?” I asked people I met and friends this a lot my first year in Italy, those who weren’t native Italian-speakers. Almost everyone responded with “about a year.” Knowing various nationalities who speak varying levels of Italian, I would like to amend the 1 year guideline so you don’t feel too much pressure or behind. You will probably have learned Italian fairly well after 1 year IF you are immersed in the culture and also consistently speaking with others in Italian. If you have Italian friends, live with an Italian roommate, work in an Italian setting, study at an Italian school, or date/marry an Italian speaker, this 1 year guideline could very well be true for you. Otherwise, expect longer and no shame! As long as you are learning new words and concepts and they stay with you, you are on the right track.

Enough philosophy-ing and let’s get to these resources, most of which are free, or if they’re not, I truly think they’re worth it! Keep in mind that the more resources and ways you can expose yourself to a language, the more success you will have. Try not to ever get stuck using just one, i.e. Duolingo or the back of Rick Steve’s Travel Guide. :)

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

---

Resources and Tricks for Learning Italian

• This Italian Verb Drills book

  One of my best friends went to Italy as an au pair and she used this book while learning with her Italian family. Shortly after she got back I went to Italy, and she passed it on to me.

  It’s not overly complex because it only covers verb forms, but it’s the simplicity of its layout I think that makes it so useful. And once you understand the verbs, it’s like a door opens for understanding the language.

  Honestly, if you were to take just one of the suggestions from this post to add to your current learning methods, I would probably recommend this one.

  Pros: Easy to use, excellent for learning verbs, a main component of any language. It’s also pretty cheap. You can also find French, German, Latin, Spanish Verb Drills easily on Amazon, all for about the same price, $10-$12.

  Cons: Not free, and will only help with verbs and not other aspects of the language.

• Duolingo

  If learning a language has ever been on your radar, you’ve probably used or at least heard of Duolingo.

  Pros: Free, tons of languages to choose from, easy to use, fun, and accessible. You can use it on your computer or download the app on your phone to use anywhere, anytime.

  Cons: New words aren’t always easy to remember, and there is no way to go back and easily reference what you’ve learned without doing the lessons over again. They recommend you write down the words you’ve remember after each lesson, but I think they could also provide a list of things learned for each section/level.

  I also think they could explain concepts better. While you can often click on words or phrases which opens up a discussion board, that becomes quite entailed to do so every time especially since anyone can comment on the message boards and they can be quite long. For example, I’d rather have someone explain to me that when “a” and “an” in Italian (un/una) is in front of a masculine word that starts with a vowel, it remains separate from the word, but when it’s in front of a feminine word that starts with a vowel, it is separated by an apostrophe.

  Un amico (masculine) - or - un’amica (feminine).

  Otherwise in Duolingo they would just give me sentences that include this idea, but without actually explaining it. It’s up to you, as the learner, to notice that, hey, why do un and una sometimes stay separate and sometimes are separated by an apostrophe? See what I mean? If not, don’t worry, suffice to say that Duolingo as you’re only learning source will only get you so far.

• Babbel

  Another online resource similar to Duolingo. Trying new programs and keeping a variety may be more fun and thus make you more likely to want to practice every day instead of the “I should….” Plus every program has their unique approach and you might learn some words you wouldn’t with other programs.

  Pros: Free, easy to use, plenty of languages to choose from.

  Cons: To get the full experience you will have to pay, but even just using the free part is worthwhile!

• Translator App

  Having a trusty translator app on your phone can help you learn, too! Anytime you’re practicing, even if you’re just thinking through things, there will probably be words that come up that you don’t know what they mean or you’re saying or thinking a sentence and missing a word. Pop out your phone to translate throughout the day.

  iTranslator is my favorite translator probably. It’s simple and I like that when you translate a word, below it often gives you all the person tenses (if it’s a verb) or all the different synonyms or similar words if it’s a noun or adjective.

  Google Translate App is another good one. It’s a bit snazzier, you can even scan a chunk of text and it will translate it on your screen so you don’t have to type anything in, although it doesn’t always work super great.

  A word to the wise, don’t trust a translator 100%, especially for longer sentences or paragraphs. It’s a computer and doing its best, but it can’t really know exactly what you’re after. Then add in all the dialects, slang, phrases that don’t translate well, and words that just may not exist in that language and well, just realize it’s not going to be perfect. Always run by new words with a native speaker if you can, especially if you have any doubts.

• Coffeebreak Italian

  This is a podcast where you get to listen to a man with a lovely Scottish accent while learning Italian. They also have several other languages, I recently started Coffeebreak French to brush up for my impending trip to Paris. Eeeeeee!!

  Pros: Listening to a language is SO important, and what better way than to have it clearly explained to you through a hands off podcast? Great for when you’re driving, making dinner, or anytime!

  Cons: No visuals, so you can’t see how words are written, which isn’t helpful for my visual learning friends. It can also get annoying to have to keep backing up if you couldn’t hear over honking horns or you want to hear something again.

• Italian Books

  If you take a trip to Italy or can find some ones that interest you on Amazon, reading books in Italian is a great way to learn. I suggest reading children’s books (seriously, baby animal and counting books are wonderful for beginners!) and books you are familiar with unless you have a pretty good handle on Italian.

  Pros: Reading is good for you, and reading in Italian is also so good for you! If you read adult books it can actually be quite difficult and you will quickly find out how many words you have to learn, but on the upside books contain so many words (no, really Jenny?) that you will see certain words over and over again, thus emblazing them upon your memory.

  Cons: There is a special verb tense for writing in Italian. It’s not usually spoken so you really only learn it by reading. However, if you are an avid reader just beware that those verbs won’t serve you in everyday conversations.

• Write

  I recommend keeping a small notebook handy with you, maybe in your car or purse, to write down all the new words you learn. Writing things down help to cement them in your memory, even if you never reference back to them. And when you can’t remember that word you learned yesterday, you have it handy!

  You can also try journaling or writing out your calendar in Italian.

• Netflix

  Now you can Netflix and chill and be “studying”…yesssss. If you have Netflix (or even Hulu or other paid prescriptions, but I’m not sure on the others) go into the settings on your profile and change your language preference to Italian. Now all the films that are available in Italian or with Italian subtitles will show up on this account. The selection will be different, so you probably want to keep at least one other profile with English or your native language. Similar to reading books, I recommend starting with movies or shows you are familiar with. Watching them in Italian the first time may crack you up, but it will help you understand them better. Disney was my best friend when I started watching films in Italian. I actually went to the Italian grocery store once when they had a sale on Disney movies for 5-7euro each…research, ya know? ;)

• Language Tandem Partner

  Having a language tandem partner ( a person with which you exchange languages, i.e. I, an American, might meet up with an Italian where we would spend time speaking in both English and Italian) is super helpful. You get to hear a native speaker and listen, I mean, pick up on their accent, and ask all the questions you want while practicing your language in real time.

  If you happen to live in Italy, there are Facebook groups called AEGEE and Language Exchange that you can join. Depending on what city you live in, you will join your respective city’s group. I’m a part of AEGEE - Firenze and Language Exchange in Florence - Language Tandem. Usually you post in the group introducing yourself, English or Italian is best so everyone can understand, and ask if someone would like to meet up with you. I specified that I wanted to meet up with a woman, because I don’t love meeting up with strange men, ya know? Then you’ll probably get several messages from people who saw your post and would like to meet up with you. I still got WAY more men messaging me than women, even some offering me romantic sunsets and rides on their vespa…tempting, but no. Then you choose who you want to meet up with! The AEGEE group also offers free courses in various languages and organized events or trips.

  Pros: Free and a good way to make new friends. Plus you get to learn all the best spots to eat and drink around the city, from a local!

  Cons: This may only work if you live in Italy or can find someone who speaks Italian in your area. Also can be quite intimidating the first few times, especially for uh, introverts. But I wouldn’t know by experience, nope!

• Think in Italian

  This isn’t a resource as much as it is a suggestion. As you go throughout your day, try thinking in Italian! This is best done after you have a decent base, but you’ll soon find words you don’t know and become curious how to say them. As I hinted above, use a translator app to learn new words throughout your day. For a bonus, put sticky notes around the house with new words or phrases, or ones that you’re having a hard time learning.

---

Are you learning or have you learned a second+ language? What really helped you learn? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

How to Learn Some Italian Using Words You Already Know - Lesson 3

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Here we are at the third and final installment of this little series, “How to Learn Some Italian Using Words You Already Know.”

What originally began as my fascination with the amount of English words used in Italian ended up turning into these comical learn-Italian-effortlessly lessons. Aren’t you glad I decided to write them down? Heheheh. :)

In Lesson 1 we saw all the English words Italians use in every day conversations, or that are the same. Words like budget, Facebook, privacy, password, etc.

In Lesson 2 we saw all the Italian words we can learn simply by adding vowels onto the end of English words, like tubo, musica, dieta, cono, etc.

After Lesson 2 you might be feeling pretty snazzy with all the new words you learned. If you spend any time listening to or reading Italian, maybe you have started to keep an eye out for other words that can easily be deciphered. You’ll probably notice plenty of them that didn’t even make it in these lessons!

Therefore, before things get too comfy, I am going to burst your bubble a bit in Lesson 3. How lovely. We are still going to learn some new words, but we will look at a variety of words that are the same (at least written) or that you think would be the same or mean something similar. But they’re not, or they don’t.

For example, let’s look at the word “peperoni.” You might be looking at an Italian pizza menu and spot a friendly face: Peperoni Pizza. (Truly it would probably be called “Pizza ai Peperoni” or “Pizza con Peperoni” but regardless, you understand “pizza” and “peperoni,” right? Maybe not—>) You order your peperoni pizza while snickering at how they spelled “pepperoni” with only one “p” instead of two. Your pizza arrives and to your shock and dismay, you have a cheese pizza with bell peppers, not pepperoni, and are snickering no more. This is an all too common mistake made by meat-loving American tourists, as indeed “peperoni” means bell peppers in Italian, not spicy-meat-sausage-pizza-condiment.

One more for ya: If you saw the word “arma” you might think it means “arm.” I probably would, too. But guess what? It actually means “weapon.” So don’t go around saying what a nice “arma” that person has, thinking you’re complimenting their strong biceps, alright?

You’ll be happy to see that today’s list is not as extensive as the other lessons, but I’m sure it will continue to expand as I’ve been adding new words almost daily to the other lessons since I’ve posted them. If you want to be of help in growing any of these lists, drop me a note in the comments below!

---

Italian Words That Are Not All That They Seem

1. Camera (CAH-mair-a) - not a photo camera, but a room. An apartment with two camere.

2. Lampone (Lahm-PO-nay) - you might think this means lamp, but it actually means raspberry.

3. Lampo (LAHM-po) - still doesn’t mean lamp, but this refers to a twinkle, flash of light, or lightning. I frequently get this confused with lampone and am forever saying “ohhh, did you see that raspberry in the sky?” It’s embarrassing.

4. Stiro (STEE-ro) - not stir, but a verb that means “I iron.”

5. Topo (TO-po) - I’m on topo of the world! Nope. Topo means mouse.

6. Formica (for-MEE-ca) - You might be thinking formica countertops? Nope. Formica means ant. So you might have a formica or two on your formica.

7. Peperoni (peh-per-OHN-ee) - As mentioned above, this is not pepperoni misspelled, but actually bell peppers. By the way, I love peperoni on my pizza! Give me all the pizze ai peperoni! ;)

8. Sale (SAH-lay) - Shopping friends, don’t get too excited, this doesn’t mean

9. Salsa - salsa means sauce. While Americans take salsa to mean the spicy red tomato and pepper sauce (ya know, chips and salsa?), this is used much more generically in Italian. It can be used to mean a dressing, condiment, sauce, gravy, etc. You can also say sugo, which is a bit more specifically translated to sauce. So if you’re deciding which sauce you want to go with your pasta, you would be better off saying sugo.

10. Moka - if you hear someone talking about moka, you might be thinking of the mocha with coffee and chocolate. What they’re probably referring to, though, is a moka pot, the instrument of choice for making espresso at home!

11. Latte - another word that often results with tourists in a conundrum. Latte as it is known in the English speaking world is really a shortened form of caffè latte, which is Italian in origin. So when you try and order a simple latte in Italy, you will end up with a glass of milk. If you want a latte WITH coffee, then go ahead and order that caffè latte, sometimes also spelled caffelatte or caffellatte.

12. Kebab - While we could call anything in America that’s skewered (fruit, meat, veggies) a kebab, in Italy it refers to the very large hunk of mixed meats that is skewered and slowly roasted while rotating. This meat is shaved as it’s roasted and used to make kebab wraps or sandwiches, referred to as just kebabs. It has origins in the Middle East, and is why most of the kebab restaurants will be Pakistani, Turkish, Indian, etc. It’s delicious, by the way.

13. Granite (grah-NEE-tay) - more countertops? No, rather the Italian version of a slushy. I’ve never had one, maybe because I don’t really like slushies. I’m sure if I tried one, in its little 8oz-ish cup with fresh fruit flavors, I would enjoy it, especially if I were in Sicily where they’re supposed to be the bomb.

14. Gusto (GOOS-toh) - I always thought we used this to mean with oomph, with style, in English. As in, “he swirled his cape with gusto.” In Italian, this means taste. So it still kinda works, “he swirled his cape with taste.” Eh, not quite the same.

15. Punto (POON-toh) - Not a football punt, but a point, period, or dot. Get my punto?

16. Solo - dance solo, flying solo? Yes, finally one that is more or less correct! Solo means by yourself, alone, or just or only, as in “just one pizza, please!” How many cones of gelato did you eat today? “Solo uno!” (Only one!)

17. Mano (MAH-no) - if someone asks you if want a mano, they’re asking if you want a hand, not a man, silly. Man is uomo. Mano is hand.

18. Oro - do you want pizza oro pasta? <——Not correct usage. Oro means gold. The Italian way to say “sweet dreams” is to say “sogni d’oro” or literally, dream of gold! Awwwwwww.

19. Argento - maybe this one isn’t all that close to Argentinian, but if I didn’t know what it meant that would probably be my guess. It actually means silver! Now that you know how to say both silver and gold in Italian, you can sing your favorite song come Christmas time. Argentooooo e oroooo, argentoooo e oroooo..!!

20. Avvocato - if you ask someone what they do for a living and they respond with, “I’m an avvocato,” they’re not delusional, they mean that they’re a lawyer. That double v and t for a d makes a very big difference in differentiating between our little green friend and a career choice.

21. Slip (sleep) - we might say slip in reference to an under-dress or under-skirt, but in Italian this refers to underwear. This can be men’s briefs or ladies’ undies.

22. Casino (cah-ZEE-no) - you might think Italians talk an awful lot about casinos as you hear them mutter, “che casino!”, but this really means “what a mess.” If you come to Italy to live you too will soon be muttering this under your breath, often and fervently. To say casino it’s actually casinò, with the accent on the end.

23. Per - this literally means for in Italian, and although it is used in both languages, we use it a bit differently in English. If you want to translate the English per to Italian, sometimes it’s per, other times a. “Let’s make 3 cookies per person” / “Facciamo 3 dolcetti per persona.” “We earn about $100 per day” / “Guadagniamo circa $100 al giorno.” It can also be used to talk multiplication. Five times five equals twenty-five. Or cinque per cinque fa venticinque.

24. Grasso - what a nice, lovely yard of green grasso you have there! Grasso means fat. We basically just insulted someone’s fat yard. If you want to say grass, say erba.

25. Grosso - not gross, but another way of saying big, fat, and wide. For example, the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” is called “Il Mio Grosso Grasso Matrimonio Greco” in Italian. If you wish to say gross, say schifo. Che schifo! / How gross!

26. Fine (FEE-nay) - La fine / the end! Not “Fine and dandy!”

27. Arma - this one we also discussed above, so you should be wise enough to know it doesn’t mean arm, but rather weapon. Unless you swing a good one and want to think of your arm as a good one?

28. Pronto - “I need the report pronto!” meaning right away, asap…in Italian, this means ready, and also what they say when they answer the phone. “Pronto? ahh ciao Chiara, come va?”

29. Vesto / Vesti / Veste - none of which mean vest. These are the first, second, and third person of the verb vestire which means to dress, so I dress, you dress, and he/she dresses, respectively. Sounds like an article of clothing but refers to dressing, easy enough to remember, no?

---

Here we are, 3 lessons later, actually 4 if you needed a refresher on the Italian alphabet and pronunciation. What have learned? Oh, ya know, only 200+ new Italian words!

How to Learn Some Italian Using Words You Already Know - Lesson 2

This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

In the first lesson of How to Learn Some Italian Using Words You Already know we focused on all the English words Italians use on a daily basis, thus making our lives that much easier when trying to communicate. There are over 70 words, in fact, that are either English, the same in Italian and English, or so similar that you understand anyway, and I keep finding words to add to that list!

To read Lesson 1, click here.

For Lesson 2 we are going to focus on taking the English words you can turn into Italian, simply by adding a vowel on the end. (If you hadn’t noticed from lesson 1, these lessons aren’t exactly serious… they aren’t aimed at the studious, full-time Italian-language student, but rather can be enjoyed by anyone, whether you speak any Italian or not. :)

If you have spent any time around the Italian culture (or just watching The Godfather) you will have noticed that Italian words all end in vowels, and that it’s very easy to imitate them by adding a vowel on to any word. This is often found highly entertaining by other cultures (ahem, American), even if it (obviously) ends with made-up words. '“Yes, ciao, I will take-o the pizza and the pasta to take-away-o!”

If you don’t want to sound like you are speaking Ameritalian or someone who has lived their whole life imitating Italian stereotypes, read this post about the Italian alphabet and pronunciation of key letters. Some words in the list that follows are spelled the same as in English but with a vowel on the end, but the pronunciation might be slightly different. Likewise, some are spelled differently but are pronounced the same, aside from that last vowel, of course. If I don’t indicate how it should be pronounced, that means the accent and pronunciation stay essentially the same as in English.

One more note to remember as we progress: Italian words are split into two categories, feminine and masculine, usually ending in a or o, respectively. The ending of adjectives can fluctuate, depending on if the word or person they are describing is masculine or feminine. For example, “buono” is an adjective that means “good,” and you could say “oliO buonO” or “pizzA buonA.”

One more example to make sure we’re clear, let’s take #1 from the list below. I am an American, (and a woman) so I would say, “sono un’Americana.” I can’t (or shouldn’t) say “sono un Americano” because the adjective “Americano” no longer matches what it is describing, me the woman. So if you see the o/a below or realize a word is an adjective, remember it depends on if the noun the adjective is describing is masculine or feminine!

Ok, ready to add to your Italian vocabulary?

---

English Words to Which You Can Add Vowels to Make Italian Words

1. American, Italian, Indian, and others / Americano/a, Italiano/a, Indiano/a - This holds true for several nationalities, but not all. For example, Australian is Australiano/a, but British is Inglese and French is Francese, Ah well, helpful for some!

2. Person / Persona (per-SOHN-a)

3. Tube / Tubo

4. Cube / Cubo (COO-Boh)

5. Sphere / Sfera (SFAIR-ah)

6. Case / Caso (CAH-zo) - in any caso…

7. Event / Evento - Hey let’s go to that evento!

8. Concert / Concerto (cone-CHAIR-toh)

9. Art / Arte

10. Ballet / Balletto - Ah, finally you can pronounce that “t” sound like you’ve always been tempted to!

11. Dance / Danza (DAH-nza)

12. Music / Musica (MOO-zee-cah)

13. Tambourine / Tamburino

14. Battery / Batteria (Baht-TAIR-ee-ah) - this also can refer to drums.

15. Angelic / Angelico/a (ahn-JEL-ee-co)

16. Content / Contento/a - I am so contenta to see you!

17. Conversion / Conversione (cohn-VAIR-zee-ohn-ay)

18. Impression / Impressione (eem-PRESS-ee-ohn-ay)

19. Candle / Candela (cahn-DEL-ah)

20. Diamond / Diamante (dee-ah-MAHN-tay)

21. Mark / Marchio note that there is also “marca” but that means a brand or make, such as Gucci or Ferrari, rather than a mark on something.

22. Television / Televisione (tel-eh-viz-ee-OHN-ay)

23. Kiosk / Chiosco (kee-OH-sco) - or newspaper stand.

24. Zone / Zona

25. Current / Corrente (cohr-EHN-tay) - this can be used for all forms of “current” in English, current in water, current events, etc.

26. Equilibrium / Equilibrio (ee-quil-EE-bree-oh)

27. Diet / Dieta (dee-EH-ta)

28. Vitamin / Vitamina (vee-tah-MEE-na) - Let’s go soak up some vitamina d!

29. Ingredient / Ingrediente (een-GREY-dee-en-tay)

30. Rice / Riso ( REE-zo)

31. Cone / Cono

32. Carrot / Carota (cah-ROH-ta)

33. Melon / Melone (Meh-LOHN-ay)

34. Marmalade / Marmellata (mar-may-LAH-ta) - you might not eat marmalade very often, but “marmellata” refers to all jams, jellies, and marmalades.

35. Olive / Oliva (oh-LEE-va)

36. Liquor/Liqueur / Liquore - although liquor refers to stronger spirits (vodka, taquila, etc.) and liqueur to sweeter spirits (Kahlua, Bailey’s, etc.) both of these are encompassed in the Italian “liquore.”

37. Cream / Crema - this can refer to any kind of cream, such as a face cream or a cream you would eat. Crema is also how you would say “pudding” in Italian.

38. Spinach / Spinaci (spee-NAH-chee)

39. Protein / Proteine (pro-tay-EEN-ay)

40. Pork / Porco it’s also often referred to as “maiale”

41. Pen / Penna - if this word looks familiar, that’s because yes, penne pasta literally means “pens” in Italian! Remember to lay those n’s on nice and thick, because if you take away one “n” you end up with a completely different word that you definitely don’t want to be ordering for dinner! (If I got you curious, it’s anatomy, not a swear word or worse, but you can go translate it because I prefer to keep this blog G rated. :)

42. Train / Treno (TRAY-no)

43. Airplane / Aeroplano (air-oh-PLAHN-o)

44. Airport / Aeroporto (air-oh-PORT-o)

45. Bank / Banca (BAHN-ca)

46. Post / Posta - this can refer to the post in your mailbox as well as the actual post office.

47. Postal / Postale (post-AHL-ay)

48. Pharmacy / Farmacia (far-ma-chee-ah)

49. University / Università (oon-ee-vers-ee-TAH)

50. Camp / Campo (CAHM-po) also means field, realm, sphere, domain, any of those kinds of camp.

51. Metal / Metallo (Meh-TAHL-lo)

52. Metallic / Metallico/a

53. Atomic / Atomica (Ah-TOH-mee-ca)

54. Comic / Comico/a also known as a comedian or used as an adjective to describe something funny

55. Animal / Animale (ahn-ee-MAHL-ay)

56. Elephant / Elefante

57. Lion / Leone (lay-OHN-ay)

58. Dolphin / Delfino (del-FEEN-o)

59. Serpent / Serpente

60. Rat / Ratto

61. Vote / Voto

62. System / Sistema (sees-TAIM-a)

63. Problem / Problema

64. Terrible / Terribile (tair-REE-bee-lay)

65. Crucial / Cruciale (croo-CHYA-lay)

66. Special / Speciale (speh-CHYA-lay)

67. Incredible / Incredibile (in-cred-EE-bee-lay)

68. Important / Importante (eem-por-TAHN-tay)

69. Fine / Fino - thin, the dimension, not “fine, be that way.”

70. False / Falso - true or falso?

71. Liberty / Libertà

72. Destiny / Destino (des-TEEN-o)

73. Ocean / Oceano (och-YA-no)

74. Divine / Divino/a (Dee-VEE-no) - not to be confused with “divano” which means “couch.”

75. Noble / Nobile (NO-bee-lay)

76. Dollar / Dollaro - (DOL-lar-o)

77. Button / Bottone (boo-TOH-nay)

78. Distant / Distante (dee-STAN-tay)

79. Second / Secondo

80. Moment / Momento

81. Medicine / Medicina (meh-dee-CHEE-na)

82. Pulse / Polso (POHL-so)

83. Palm / Palma

84. Penicillin / Penicillina (pen-ee-chee-LEE-na)

85. Vein / Vena

86. Nude / Nudo/a - Don’t come in, I’m nuda! In English we more commonly say naked rather than nude, but in Italian you get one option. Try not to laugh too much the first time you actually get to use it.

87. Cigarette / Sigaretta

88. Rose / Rosa - means rose as well as pink.

89. Vase / Vaso (VAH-zo) - I got you a vaso to put your rosa in.

90. Medium / Medio (meh-dyo)

91. Category / Categoria

92. Comment / Commento (cohm-MEN-toh)

93. Phrase / Frase (FRAH-zay)

94. Alphabet / Alfabeto

95. Letter / Lettera - as in English, this can mean both a letter in a word and a letter you write someone.

96. Note / Nota - like a note you write someone along with musical notes, etc.

97. Icon / Icona (ee-COHN-a)

---

There is yet another taste for you, that Italian can be easy to learn! And fun(ny). There are many, many more words like this, which is why it can be almost effortless to expand your vocabulary of nouns and adjectives. And this doesn’t even touch upon all the letter combinations you’ll start to pick on, those that are in English but not Italian, then figuring out the Italian equivalent, which enables you to translate words on your own without using a translator or asking a friend. Huh? Let me explain quickly.

Take for example, words in English that end in “tion.”

Frustration. Eradication.

If I tell you that “frustration” becomes “frustrazione” and “eradication” becomes “eradicazione,” you can see that the root of the word stays the same, and the “tion” suffix becomes “zione" in Italian. Easy, right? I bet you can figure out the next three.

• Extraction = Estrazione

• Indication = Indicazione

• Indecision = Indecisione

Did you catch the exceptions? Where one root word didn’t stay the same, and one word didn’t end in “tion”? The “ex” in “extraction” became “es” in “estrazione,” and “indecision” ends in “sion.” This, in turn, could open the next letter combinations you could translate by yourself. There is no “x” in the Italian alphabet, therefore the combination of “ex” usually becomes “es,” and words that end in “sion” often become “sione” in Italian.

• Expulsion = Espulsione

• Extrusion = Estrusione

• Extrinsic = Estrinsico

• Invasion = Invasione

I’m getting ahead of myself, and going beyond the just the light-hearted lesson I had planned-o today-o, but I’ll leave you with on last word to translate on your own. Conversation…go!

Until next time, alla prossima!

How to Learn Some Italian Using Words You Already Know - Lesson 1

This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Did you know that you already know a whole bunch of words that Italians use everyday? You’re basically fluent in Italian and don’t even know it. Ok, ok, not really, but the fact is, Italians use a good bit of English in their everyday jargon. I’m not talking about Italians when they’re speaking in English, I mean the English words that are thrown in to Italian conversations. English words that have come to replace the traditional Italian, or words that were coined in English in recent decades and have wound their way into Italian.

Some Italian words by now are almost obsolete. I’ve spent almost 3 years’ worth of time in Italy, only including the time in which I was learning Italian and conversing maybe more in Italian than English, and still have yet to hear the Italian equivalent of certain English words. For example, “privacy.” Written, spoken, it’s always “privacy.” I didn’t even notice I had no idea how to say nor had I ever heard someone say “privacy” in Italian until someone brought it to my attention. So I had to ask, how do you say “privacy” in Italian? “Privatezza.” By now with "terms of privacy” and the like around the internet, especially here in the EU, “privatezza” has been rendered all but forgotten, I guess. Maybe just uncool.

English is a desired language and thus becomes cool if you can speak any. Plus Italy is so dependent upon tourism that many people’s jobs require them to speak some basic English, if not fluently. Many parents look to English speaking au pairs to teach their children English from a young age, or get them in any programs that involve English native-tongues, no matter the program, just for the language experience. Teaching English is almost always an option for native speakers.

I can’t tell you how often my Italian colleagues in every day conversation would sprinkle in some English. “Yes” would replace a “si,” “excuse me,” “oh my god,” “please,” “thank you,” and “you’re welcome” would be used just as often as their Italian counterparts. And my colleagues often weren’t talking to me, the only native English speaker who worked there. Americans learn a second language often in high school, but because we have no need of the language it is never exercised and usually forgotten. Even the basic words we retain we don’t often use, even if we also think it’s cool, because it seems a bit pretentious. At least I think the general consensus is that it is. Here, I don’t know, maybe the desire to learn English (and French, German, Spanish, etc.) is almost so accepted that it’s more common everyone is “practicing” in a way, and therefore not pretentious? Shrug.

Whether you’re looking forward to an upcoming Italian adventure, learning Italian, or simply curious, here is a great way to add some QUICK and EASY words to your repertoire. Heheh.

Buca di Beppo requires full out Italian speaking mode ON

Quick Note on Italian Pronunciation

Even if it is a true English word that Italians use, they often pronounce it with their wonderful accent ( and sometimes may not understand you the first time [or ever] if you pronounce the same word but in the correct English way.) So as you are reading the words that follow, you might want to learn or brush up on the Italian alphabet and how to pronounce some of their key words to get the full appreciation. (Click here to do so.) It’s way more fun to pronounce things in an Italian accent anyway, so let your inner Fabio/Martina come bursting forth!

If you want to actually learn Italian or you have a base that you would like to build upon, I have found this book to be very useful in clarifying all the different verbs in Italian. One of my best friends used it while she was in Italy as an au pair, and later gave it to me to use when I first came to Italy!

Italian Verb Drills, Third Edition (Drills Series)

---

Italian Words You Already Know

Some they borrow from us, some we borrow from them, either way we understand each other!

1. Weekend - Il Weekend. By now everyone wishes you a “buon weekend!” instead of “buon fine settimana!” I once heard an elderly gentleman say “buon fine settimana” to an acquaintance on the bus. It actually made me turn around and take note of this gentleman. And that’s it. Just that one time I’ve heard it. It’s really just the older generations that use it. I think it’s a bit sad, really, that some words aren’t hardly even used anymore. As someone who wants to learn Italian and learn it well, it feels a bit like cheating injecting words you already know!

2. Relax - you could use the Italian verb rilassarsi, but why don’t you relax and use what you already know? ;)

3. Budget - I was using the Italian “bilancio” for the longest time until I realized that Italians use “budget.” Why do I even try?

4. Zero - one number down, uh, a couple trillion to go?

5. Radio - La radio. This I learned when briefly taking Italian lessons. Yay for words that are the same, just a slightly different pronunciation! Rahhhhdio instead of Rayyyydio. Remember those pronunciation rules?

6. Computer - they even say this one a bit like we do, the u is a “yoo” sound instead of the usual Italian “oo.” But try and roll that r a bit. I know I know, but you’ll get there!

7. iPhone, Android, iPad, and other well-known technological products and companies - Even though Android seems to have a higher number of cell phone users, Apple is still as desired here as it is in the States. Except an iPhone can cost about €100-300 more than it’s American retail price. Add that in with a weaker economy and it doesn’t take much imagination why Android is still #1.

8. Social - the only difference here is that Italians don’t say “media” after. It’s always just “social.”

9. Facebook, Instagram, selfie, etc. - all those trendy words coined in recent years are all the same!

10. Email - la email…

11. Password - la password…I don’t even know if these have a translation in Italian. I think they are what they are.

12. Account - I believe you can also say il conto, the same you would say when asking for the bill or tab at a restaurant. But I’ve never heard anyone use anything other than account, so, no worries!

13. Display - what a nice display of words we have here! There are several different ways to say this in Italian, such as “mettere in mostra” / to put on display, or “sfoggiare” / to show off, display. But it’s much easier just saying display, now, isn’t it?

14. Wi-Fi and Internet - need WiFi? You can communicate with one word. WiFi? Si? Grazie!

15. TV - pronounced “tee-vo,” and short for televisione, but reading it is the same.

16. Modem and Router - at this rate you might be thinking you can handle calling a help center for internet or something. You can say password, account, email, internet, modem, router…right? Wrong. This bit of knowledge I can pass on to you, internet, cable, and phone companies are awful to talk to all the world round. You may have already known this. ;)

17. Giga - like social media, they don’t say the second word. Instead of giga-byte, it’s simply giga. I have 50 giga per month, and so far my phone service has only taken unauthorized money from my account once, and they fixed it afterwards, these are two positives of my phone company!

18. Touch Screen - you could be all fancy and say “schermo tattile” or “schermo sensibile al tatto” but I haven’t seen those readily as touch screen is way easier to say, no?

19. Cliccare and taggare - these might be the only verbs on this list, but they make me laugh because they just turned English words into Italian verbs. All Italian verbs end in “are” (ah-ray), “ere” (air-ay), or “ire” (eer-ay) in the infinitive form. Thus “click” became “cliccare” (to click) and “tag” became “taggare” (to tag, as in Instagram).

20. Privacy - as stated above, I finally had to ask, how DO you say privacy in Italian? Ah. Privatezza. But goodness, you’re so uncool if you say the Italian.

21. Area - pronounced like the name “Aria” this is the same in Italian and English.

22. Marketing - Italians have taken American marketing to new levels. The kind that makes you roll your eyes and say “marketing.”

23. Logo - “il logo” logos are logos the world round!

24. Range - this one seems really random to me. But useful, because I can’t think of how to say it in Italian. Gamma, assortimento, portata, actually there a quite a few.

25. Babysitter - or you can be a tata!

26. Stalker - useful. Very useful.

27. Gas - as in water “with gas.” You’ll hear this quite a bit in restaurants, but not necessarily to be used for gasoline, or the other kind. Um, flatulence?

28. Spa - the relaxing wellness center, not to be confused with S.p.a. which is the Italian equivalent of our LLC.

29. Fitness - fitness is so important, people! Even Italians understand this.

30. Personal Trainer - there are so many at the gym I go to!

31. Zumba, Spinning, Yoga, Pilates, Box, and other popular sports and activities - there are also plenty of corsi di fitness at my gym. Note that boxing is said just “box.”

32. Studio - Pilates è in studio 1. Pilates is in studio 1. Only one word is different. Crazy, huh? (Although 1 would be pronounced “uno”)

33. Sport - lo sport, very important in Italy and Europe.

34. Basket - like social and box, basketball is just “basket.” Or pallacanestro.

35. Trek - un trek!

36. Adidas, Nike, Prada, Timberland, any well-known international brand - except, much to my enjoyment, the pronunciations are sometimes different. Not just the letters but the accent, too. I grew up hearing Adidas as “ah-DEE-des” but here it is “AH-dee-das.”

37. Performance - or spettacolo.

38. Record - un nuovo record! Used as in “setting a record” and that type of record, but I haven’t heard it used as the type of record related to music and other meanings.

39. Stop - I learned some Italian phrases before coming to Italy for the first time, including the useful “basta” (stop, or enough). It would have been nice to know I could’ve also used good ol’ STOP, too.

40. Bus - short for autobus, but ends up essentially the same in the abbreviated.

41. Mascara - long a’s, ladies, for long eyelashes.

42. Shopping - shoppers, rejoice!

43. T-shirt - mi piace la tua t-shirt! Italian is “maglietta,” but they are interchangeable.

44. Jeans - jeans are jeans. “Pantaloni” refers to all long pants, but if you want specifically a pair of jeans, the term is jeans.

45. Push-up - I’m not sure about the exercise push-up, but ladies will have an easy time finding a certain type of lingerie in this style!

46. Influenza - the sickness, but is also Italian for “influence.”

47. Stress - lo stress. Yes, even Italians living their dolce vita experience stress. Che stress / what stress!

48. Idea - what a great idea! Che bella idea! It’s the same, different pronunciation.

49. Blu - said the same as our blue, but without the e. There is another word for blue in Italian, azzurro, that is more commonly used, especially for medium and lighter blues, but for your purposes, using “blu” is just fine.

50. In - this is actually Italian and English, and generally used in the same way: Inside something.

51. Me - also both Italian and English. Chi, me? Yes, you.

52. Circa - this is usually used in English to determine an approximate date. “He was born circa 1950.” You can use it this same way in Italian, but also in many other ways, such as: with regard to, about, approximately, roughly, thereabouts, etc etc.

53. Via - Used similarly in the two languages, to express a means of getting somewhere. “I sent it via email.” Only in Italian, however, it is the equivalent of street. I want to live in Via delle Belle Donne! In Italian you can also say “attraverso,” meaning through.

54. Film - usually used in place of movie. Do you want to go see a movie? Vuoi andare a vedere un film?

55. Set - film set, set of plates/set di piatti, set of silverware/set di posati…if Italians lift weights in the gym they probably have a number of steps they do. I just said set too many times in my head and now it seems like the most bizarre word. Set. Weird.

56. Fan - this is widely used in Italian in reference to a fan club (not the ventilation fan), but if you want to sound more Italian you could say appassionato/a, fanatico/a, or tifoso/a for a sports fan.

57. Video - a videoclip on Facebook or recording on your phone is considered a “video.”

58. Foto - short for fotografia, but pronounced the same.

59. Piercing - your parents might not appreciate that there isn’t even much of a language barrier for getting a piercing here. Heheh.

60. Bomber - I’m not cool enough to know how to use this exactly right in actual English, but I do know that Italians understand it as a cool, “fuoriclasse,” or out-of-their-league person. Cristiano Ronaldo is a bomber. Maybe “This cake is the bomb” and if you made the cake, you’re the bomber? I’m trying, ok!?! Let’s just say it can be used exactly the same in Italian as it is in English, mmmk?

61. Rock, Pop, Rap, and other types or styles of music - la radio, pop, per favore! Look, we’re already able to easily build phrases from this list. Amazing. “Per favore” I realize is not on here, but you’ll find that in any guidebook. ;)

62. Bar - bar is the same in both languages, although it is a bit more widely used term in Italy. Bar is used to refer to just about any place that sells coffee. A true bar usually opens early with coffee and pastries, somewhere around 10am transitions to selling sandwiches “panini” and maybe some lunch dishes, and sells alcohol all day long, and finally closes sometime in the early evening.

63. Hotel - these, of course, you will see everywhere, and if you ask an Italian they will point you to the nearest “otel.” Italian is albergo, but maybe they also eventually adopted hotel because the people who search for hotels, that would be tourists, would find and understand hotel better than albergo. Just a theory.

64. Pizza - I think this has long been accepted as both English and Italian.

65. Pasta - Another dual citizen here, except it has a few more meanings in Italian, not always meaning the delicious plate of carbs with wonderful sauces. Pasta can also mean dough, batter, paste, and pastry.

66. Spaghetti, Gnocchi, Linguini, etc. - these probably seem obvious, however I will add a quick note: for whatever reason, types of pasta are sometimes referred to in their singular form. You may not notice this as a tourist, but if you hang out enough with pasta and Italians, you’ll start hearing “spaghetto” and “raviolo” or “gnocco” and “casereccia.”

67. Panini - important note on this one…panini is PLURAL. You shouldn’t ask for one panini in Italian, that’s like ordering “one sandwiches.” It’s panino, and denotes any kind of sandwich rather than the American grilled sandwich. Just so you know. :D

68. Cheesecake - there are many cheesecake gelato flavors and cheesecakes themselves in restaurants and gelaterie, but they generally taste quite different. They are more like a semi-freddo in texture. I don’t know why. I thought it was the cream cheese, but after making cheesecakes at home that turned out great, I still don’t understand. It shall remain a mystery for now.

69. Hamburger - to be pronounced as Jacques Clouseau from the Pink Panther. Hamburgers are very popular here, and based on the restaurants Italians seem to think that America is stuck in the 1950’s diner era and all we eat are hamburgers, French fries, and milkshakes. Ah well, Americans think Italians only eat pizza, pasta, and wine, so we’re even, right?

70. Hotdog - not as popular as the hamburger, but it has it’s own following and can be found in most grocery stores.

71. Yogurt - the yogurt section can be quite extensive in grocery stores, as Italians are rather obsessed with their digestion.

72. Avocado - millennials, rejoice! No translator needed to find your beloved green fruit. Your wallet will not rejoice, as avocados usually hover about €5/kg (that’s about $2.50-3.00/lb)

73. Banana - you say “bah-naaa-nah,” Italians say “bah-nah-nah.”

74. Lime - sometimes called the same as a limone. But lime and lemon are very different, how can I tell what you are offering me if you say limone? I don’t understand.

75. Sushi and other ethnic foods - entering an ethnic restaurant that then tries to explain under the title what the dish is in Italian, can be very amusing to me. Lo mein that is explained as spaghetti just doesn’t get it for me, haha.

76. Paprika - spelled the same, but in Italian it has a different pronunciation: PAH-pree-kuh instead of pah-PREE-kuh

77. Curry - the same, although the u is not pronounced as the Italian u, instead it is a strong a, like in “carry.”

78. Sultana - we usually say raisin in English, but sultana works in English and Italian!

79. Brioche - technically a buttery, enriched French bread in French or English, this term in Italian applies to any pastry.

80. Cocktail - cocktail and most of the classic cocktail names, Mojito, Moscow Mule, etc. will get you far during aperitivo hour.

81. Espresso, Cappuccino, etc. - yes, all the famed coffee drinks that were invented in Italy are the same and so far we haven’t managed to mess up the pronunciation too much! Good job, everybody!

82. Broccoli - the same in Italian and English. Random, but hey, we could all use a little more broccoli in our life!

83. Hobby - an Italian hobby might be sitting at the local bar and people watching, wine tasting, long dinners, long strolls, watching soccer, discussing soccer, watching news discussing soccer, and playing soccer.

84. Food Truck - Italians have picked up on the food truck trend in America and are following suit with their own trendy hamburger food trucks!

85. Street Food - like food truck above, except I don’t think that restaurant I saw the other day advertising “street food” fully understood the concept.

86. Take-away - mangi qui o take-away? Italian is “da portare via” or “d’asporto.”

87. All You Can Eat - ALL sushi restaurants I have ever seen or eaten at in Italy are always the “all you can eat” formula. And “all you can eat” is always written in English, everything else in Italian. Don’t ask me why.

88. Freezer - I always appreciated this one because for a while there I could never remember “congelatore.” Maybe because I heard the English more often than the Italian, didn’t stick with me, haha!

89. Zebra - the same, except I say ZEE-brah, you say ZAY-brah…

90. Zoo - everyone loves the zoo! It’s the same word except for in Italian you pronounce it “Zo.”

---

There you are, a whole list of “Italian” words you already knew. My little Italian prodigies!

I’m sure I’m missing a whole slew of English/Italian words, if you want to add to this list drop me a comment below!

The Italian Alphabet and Pronunciation

A nook along Cinque Terre hiking trails in full Italian speaking mode…you don’t like to find crevices that are just your size??

This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Listening to Italian makes you happy, doesn’t it? It doesn’t even matter if you know what they’re saying or not. The rolls and lilts of the language are filled with an over-exaggerated sense of passion and drama, and you can’t help but smile. Unless they’re yelling, then I’m not smiling. Even if it’s probably just a friendly exchange about the last soccer match. I’m very non-confrontational and the public displays of conflict make me nervous. Run awayyyyyy! In fact, someone once thought I was Hungarian because I was so laid back and calm. Hmmm…

As far as languages go, Italian is really not that difficult to learn. Yes, it’s a foreign language and difficult, but. Have you ever tried to learn Chinese or Arabic? That’ll put things into perspective real quick! With Italian you can learn just a few phrases and suddenly you feel alive and all the hand gestures come as if you were born doing them. But before we warm up our hands and our best “mamma mia” expressions, let’s go over the alphabet and pronunciation of vowels that is oh-so-important.

The Italian Alphabet

Alright sing this and see if you can figure out which letters are missing:

A B C D E F G H I L M N O P Q R S T U V Z

(Pronounced: ah-bee-chee-dee-ae-effe-jee-acca-ee-elle-emme-enne-oh-pee-coo-erre-esse-tee-oo-voo-zeta)

Haha got it? See, Italian is easy because they have less letters than the English alphabet! Only 21, to be exact. But they messed up our nicely coordinated ABC song by Mozart. Rude. (You’ve made the connection by now that the ABC song is the same as Twinkle Twinkle, yes? Great. Ok, we can move on.)

The following letters don’t technically exist in Italian, except for in the foreign words that have been adopted:

J K W X Y

(Pronounced: ee loonga - kappa - doppio voo - eex - eepsilon)

And thusly we have eliminated half of the letters in my first name. Thanks guys!

---

Pronunciation of Those Vowels in Italian

• “A” in Italian is a long A as in “ah”

  “casa” (CAH-zah)

• “E” is usually a hard A as in “mate,” but can also be softer, closer to “eh”

  “re” (RAY [king]) / “permesso” (pair-MEH-sso [permission]); the first e is harder, the second softer

• “I” is a hard E as in “feet”

  “ravioli” (rah-vee-oh-lee)

• “O” is usually a hard O as in “poke,” but can also be softer, closer to “moss”

  “otto” (OHT-toe [eight]); the first o is softer, the second harder

• “U” is a hard U as in “fluke”

  “cappuccino” (CAP-poo-CHEE-no)

How to Pronounce Key Consonants in Italian

• “C” is a hard c as in “cup” unless it is immediately followed by an i or e in which case it is a soft c as in “chocolate.”

  “cono” (CO-no [cone]) / “cioccolato” (CHYO-co-lah-to [chocolate]) / “cena” (CHAY-na [dinner])

• “Ch” is always pronounced as a hard c.

  “chiuso” (kee-OO-zo [closed])

• “G” is a hard g as in “gas” unless it is immediately followed by an i or e in which case it is a soft g as in “Germany.” (J doesn’t exist in the Italian alphabet, so any j sound is made with a g and an i or e. The Italian version of my name is spelled Genny, short for Giovanna.)

  “gatto” (GAH-to [cat]) / “giardino” (jyar-DEE-no [garden]) / “gelato” (je-LAH-to)

• “Gh” is always pronounced as a hard g.

  “ghiaccio” ( ghyA-chyo [ice])

• “S” is a z sound like the s in “pose” if it is between vowels, otherwise it is an s sound as in “soup”

  “casino” (ca-ZEE-no [mess]) / “pasta” (PAH-sta)

• “SS” is an s sound like in “messy”

  “bellissima” (bell-EE-see-ma [so pretty])

• “Z” is a normal z sound as in “zebra” at the beginning of words, otherwise it is a ts sound as in “mats”

  “zucchero” (ZOO-kair-o [sugar]) / “stazione” (Sta-tsee-O-nay [station])

• “R” is always semi-rolled, not the “er” sound we make in English where the tongue doesn’t come in contact with any part of the mouth.

  “mercato” (mair-CAH-to [market])

• “RR” is an exaggerated roll. And yes, you can learn to roll your r’s!

  “ferro” (FAY-rrrr-o [iron])

• “GN” is pronounced like the ñ in Spanish; the g is silent.

  “gnocchi” (nyO-kee)

• “GLI” when it is in the middle of a word or used as an article (“gli” [plural for the]) is the L version of ñ; the closest example would be like the lli in “million.” This one is harder to write without hearing it, especially because many people struggle with this subtle but particular sound. It’s like saying “Lee” while trying to stretch the back of your tongue between your molars and the roof of your mouth instead of just touching the tip of your tongue to the front of the mouth to make the normal L sound…or in other words trying to say it more from the back of your mouth than just the front. (How are we doing? If there is anyone by you, you may want to explain why you’re contorting your mouth so much.)

  “famiglia” (fa-MEE-lya) / “gli uomini” (LYEE oo-OH-mee-nee [the men])

• “SC” is an sh sound as in “shop” if it is followed by an i or e, otherwise the letters are pronounced normally as in “escape.”

  “scienza” (shee-EN-za [science]) / “sconto” (SKOHN-toe [discount])

• “H” is always silent.

  Santa Clause says “ho ho ho” / Babbo Natale says “O O O”

---

In my head it was going to be a lot easier writing all that out than it actually was. It seems like a lot of information, but don’t worry, it’s actually quite simple with a bit of practice!

A Beginner's Guide to Italy: 20 1/2 Things the Guide Books Might Not Tell You

This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Welcome to my first "All Things Italy" post!  I'm glad you're here.  I'm glad to be here, too.  In fact, let's take a moment and be thankful to be on this earth.  Great.  It's good for the soul to be able to talk or write about things, and in this instance, hopefully helpful to whomever may come across this blog!  Whether you have been, are planning to, or are still dreaming of traveling to Italy, I hope my trial/error, observances, and gleanings from friends both national and international will be of use to you; or if nothing else, an insight into what the folks on the other side of the globe are up to, more than just the politics on the news.  

If you're anything like my mom and I while planning trips, you've probably read every edition from the last decade of The Backpacker's Guide, Rick Steves, Planet Earth, and Forbes, exhausted every airline website for cheap tickets, booked all your airbnb's, and compiled endless lists of what and how to pack, language cheat sheets, top sights to see in each city, foods not to miss, directions for the subway/train/bus to get from A to B, what NOT to wear, what souvenirs to buy, and a list of the local emergency phone numbers and services.  And if this not how you plan your travel experiences, well, let's just say you probably save a lot of time, spend more money, are less stressed, and might miss out on some of the little experiences.  But that's why I'm writing this, to share some of the things learned with endless hours of research, reading, traveling, and now living in Italy.  So if your brain is spinning with information and Rick Steves left you with some questions, hopefully this list will help you navigate smoothly in Italia by pointing out some of the little, albeit important things. 

---

1. First things first: 911 won't work in an emergency

You're in a foreign country and someone just stole your purse or you tripped down some stairs while staring at some ancient building.  What do you do?  

Call 112.  The European Union has a universal number of emergency (this is a great idea) however, it's taken some countries longer to adopt it than others, and in some provinces in Italy it still isn't completely integrated.  In these instances, it will connect you to the police emergency line, which in theory should be just as effective.  Thankfully I've never needed to call.  Listed below are all the emergency numbers in Italy that will connect you to specific departments:

• 112 for the general number of emergency or carabinieri (para-military) - for all emergencies or cases of danger, criminal activity, etc.

• 113 for polizia di stato (state police) - crime, neighbors are making too much noise, the stoplight is broken, etc. (I know everyone keeps their eyes peeled for malfunctioning stoplights while on vacation.)

• 114 emergenza infanzia (child emergency) - for young people until the age of 29 in peril, bullying, kidnap, etc. (I know, you had pictured a 2 year-old who accidentally drank some bleach, but instead it's a 29 year-old who says somebody's picking on him at the bar.)

• 115 vigili del fuoco (Firefighters) - for FIRE!

• 116 soccorso stradale/carro attrezzi (road rescue/tow truck) - for car troubles

• 118 emergenza sanitaria/ambulanza (health emergency/ambulance) - for yes, any health emergency.

2. Theft is common

You've read it once, you've read it a million times.  Because it's true, and it does not discriminate.  It's happened to friends while I was with them, famous celebrities, and people I know have prevented it from happening. It almost happened to me once, too. Stay vigilant and smart about your belongings at all times and you should be fine.   

Women, across the body purses are wonderful, although be thoughtful of your strap.  If someone could tug your purse hard and break the strap, consider wearing something different.  The backpack purses are nice, too, but again you want to always be aware of them, periodically check to make sure your purses/bags are closed and stay closed.  Men, wherever it is that you keep your wallet that's hard to get.  

And those flesh colored under-the-clothes purses for your most preciouses and extra cash?  Don't bother.  Uncomfortable, lumpy, hot.  What if you don't want to leave valuables or cash in your hotel or apartment?  Let's put it this way:  You should really only have as much cash on you as you're going to use in a day or two, a credit card, and your passport, and all those things should stay on you.  Everything else probably shouldn't be with you on vacation, anyway.  

Be extra vigilant on buses, while dining (no purses on chairs), busy areas, and wherever there are begging gypsies, the more correct term being the Roma people.  They are easy to spot, dark skin and hair, usually have bright colors on, the women with long skirts and often heels, and layered shirts.  They have various tactics for getting money, shaking cups at you, laying on the street or feigning handicaps to evoke sympathy, or sometimes, downright stealing.  The Italians in general (around 80%) are unfavorable towards them, but they are humans and should be treated as such, even if they have lamentable habits.  But don't we all?

Keep these tips in mind and again, you should be fine! 

3. Those bracelets and trinkets offered to you for free are never free

Speaking of theft, the cons are not alway so obvious as purse snatching.  The tactics or objects vary by city, but a common one has to do with a bracelet. 

My first experience was in Rome, in Piazza del Popolo, where a seemingly friendly man approached me and insisted on tying a thread bracelet around my wrist.  I said no, thinking I would have to pay, but after he repeatedly insisted and wouldn't leave me alone, smiling all the while, I finally allowed him, partly so he would go away.  I told him numerous times I didn't want to pay for it, I didn't have coins to pay him, etc., but he continued to tie the bracelet, taking his sweet ol' time and complimenting me and my mom the whole time.  As soon as he finished I thanked him sincerely but he wasn't about to let us go.  He started out quietly, asking for anything, just a coin, 50 cents, 1 euro, but we repeatedly told him no, he had told us it was free.  Then he got angry and insisted I give the bracelet back, cursing and insulting us all the time it took me to unknot it. (Why did it have to be a TIE bracelet?!?) Then he sulked away.  

Similar things happen in Florence, but usually the bracelets are beads, and the person will be very cordial, shake your hand (in fact, they often grab your hand and won't let go) and ask you all kinds of information making small talk, but ending in asking for money: they need to eat, have to feed their babies, etc.  Of course, you feel bad taking the bracelet off and it makes it harder when they don't want to accept it back while pleading with you, so then you feel pressured to give them a euro or two.  All part of a tactic, and I'll tell you this from experience, it's usually best to avoid them if you don't want to give money and don't like saying no a million times.  

It's not fun to refuse, I feel bad for the situation so many of the immigrants are in, but I also don't like some of the tactics they use.  I know several people who have tried to help, stopped and talked long whiles with some of the people begging on the streets.  Then, the next day, they see them again, shaking their cup or sitting on the street, but they act like they don't know them.  Or, sitting by signs that say "Help, I'm hungry" and they refuse perfectly delicious food.  Unfortunately, drugs and alcohol play a big part and a few will even be up front about it if you ask them.  

4. Don't trust a restaurant that has "greeters" standing outside 

You're tired, feet hurt, sunburned, and starving after spending the day sightseeing.  All you want is a nice sit down restaurant with a giant bowl of pasta and a glass of wine.  A smiling man in black with a red bow tie and apron smiles and greets you with a "Buonasera!" as you pass, then continues to offer you something to drink, pizza, pasta, or anything else you might like in fluent English, gesturing to the menu written neatly on a blackboard next to him, also in English with choice Italian words anyone would understand.  If anything like this happens to you, simply reply with "no grazie" or "no thank you" and walk away.  This is not a place that will give you authentic or even good Italian food.  If the greeter proceeds to advertise that none of their food is frozen or microwaved, please turn your walk into a sprint.  If the restaurant is in full view of a major landmark of that city, there's a good chance it's tourist food and the high prices reflect that.  You want to take your time strolling in some smaller streets, often away from the historic city centers and crowds, and find the places that have mostly Italians at them and might not seat a lot of people.  Stay away from catch phrases such as "authentic," "cucina Italiana," or anything that tries to indicate its Italian-ness; Authenticity doesn't need advertising.  

5. Water is not free

I'm not just talking about that bottle of water to carry around with you, any restaurant you go to you're going to have to pay for water.  Italians don't drink tap water or serve it in restaurants, and with good reason.  The water here is hard, very much so in Tuscany; I've seen the pebbles of calcium and who knows what else stuck in a friend's kitchen sink water filter after just a few hours and heard how the water will run gunky and brown at times.  Then think how old some of the pipes are under these ancient cities, and you can understand why the Italians consume so much bottled water.  If the idea of paying for water in restaurants seems ridiculous, as it did to me for so long, just make sure to drink plenty of (cheaper) water before and after the restaurant, and order a bottle of wine with your meal instead. :)

An exception to the rule would be the taps around the city, the water is usually pretty tasty from there and great to fill up water bottles.  Some are quite deluxe because they are connected to underground springs.  There's one in Piazza della Signoria where you can choose from natural or sparkling water.  ("Wis gas")

6. Expect a cover charge at most restaurants

Known as "Il coperto," this fee usually hovers between 1.50-2.50 euros per person, and covers that "free" bread they brought you at the beginning of the meal, napkins, silverware, and tablecloth.  If you notice on your bill that the "pane" or bread is listed separately from Il coperto, as I once noticed indignantly, that often happens when the bread is made in house, or "produzione propria."  Nothing is free in Italy, and if someone insists on giving you a gift, you should be highly suspicious.  (see #3 above) 

6 1/2. Really, it's not necessary to tip

I know, I know, if you're American, you're going to feel like a real jerk not leaving a tip.  Honestly, no one is going to think you are a tight wad.  There just isn't a tip culture here.  You can think of the money that went toward paying for the water and cover charge as your tip, if that makes you feel better.  If you really want to leave a tip because of exceptional service, leave a couple euros.  But don't feel guilty if you don't!

7. "To Go" and Doggy-bags aren't common  

Taking away and eating in are two very separate categories for the Italians.  Either you eat at a restaurant without taking home a doggy bag, or, for certain places, like bakeries and pizza places, you can get your food to go.  Even when the portions are large, like when one pizza is considered one serving, they don't ask for to-go boxes.  They eat the whole pizza.  Their dinners are usually long and sociable, with plenty of time for eating and digesting.  It always impresses me how even the kids and petite women can pack away a whole pizza.  Those who are watching their figure, however, usually leave the crust.  Of course, if you want a to-go box, go ahead and ask for it, just expect some weird looks and tinfoil instead of a box.  And coffee to go?  Better not, unless you're at a trendier, younger coffee place and not the typical Italian bar. Off the top of my head, the ones that offer to-go coffee as part of their service include Arnold's Coffee, Melaleuca, Ditta Artigianale

8. Coffee = Espresso

Espresso, or as they more commonly call it, "caffé normale," is the most common coffee beverage here, usually drunk at the counter in a matter of minutes.  If you prefer a touch of steamed milk in your espresso, order a "caffé macchiato." Don't forget to try a cappuccino in the country where it was christened, or my favorite sweet coffee, caffé al ginseng.  Really, it's sweet and delicious and nutty and ginseng supposedly has some health benefits.  If you really miss American coffee, order the americano, which is just water added to an espresso.  Drip coffee is becoming more of a thing here, and a select few places do a pretty decent Chemex or V60.  

Most of the typical coffee choices come unsweetened (I'm a fan).  Oh, and remember if you order a latte, you're just going to get a glass of milk.  (Latte means milk.)

9.  Ice? What's that? 

Ice isn't a given here, so if you can't stand drinking a soda without ice, you might want to request it.  If you are in a place used to dealing with tourists, then they might ask.  Otherwise, your soda/drink will *probably* come cold, but no ice.  Or maybe just cool.  Italians think abrupt temperature changes are unhealthy, so an ice cold beverage on a hot day? That's a no-no.  You might come down with a cold.  

10. The bar is not just a place for alcohol and adults

The word "bar" in Italian means much more than a place to congregate later in the evening and throw back a few drinks.  My friends and family may think I've turned into a lush for as often as I talk about "going to the bar."  It's true they serve alcohol any time of day, no one ever has to say "It's 5 O'clock somewhere," but bars are so much more than beer and mixed drinks. 

The bar is an integral way of life here.  You can find one just about on every corner, open from 6:00 or 7:00 in the morning where the Italians linger a few minutes to throw back an espresso, eat breakfast and sometimes their lunch break, discuss the latest soccer (calcio) match, read the newspaper, talk about the weather, gossip about the neighbors, and people-watch.  They might return several times throughout the day to the bar nearest their home or workplace, or the elderly generation might just sit and watch passers-by for hours.  Then, somewhere around 6:00pm, the bars magically turn into what I grew up knowing as a bar and they no longer serve coffee.  All around, bars are quite magical.  

11. Sitting down at a bar or cafe may double the price of your hot chocolate

There are three types of caffès here: The type that charges more if you sit down to enjoy your beverage, the type that charges more only if you order sitting down instead of first ordering at the bar, and the type that charges the same no matter what you do.  

If you're not sure, order at the bar and then, ideally after you've paid, ask if you may sit down.  That way they won't surprise charge you 5 euro for the hot chocolate you thought was 2.5.  This usually happens in more upscale locales rather than your humble local bar, but nevertheless, it's always better to ask and be safe than sorry.   

Another thing to note is that some bars and caffès don't care whether you pay as you order or after you've enjoyed your treats, while others require you to pay first and then show your receipt to the barista.  If the latter is the case, there will probably be a sign, so keep your eyes open, or, just ask.  (I'm a big fan of drawing as little attention to myself as I can, and prefer to observe how the locals do it or read signs before proceeding.)  

12. Italians will faint if you drink cappuccino after 12:00pm. Or will they?

After reading in just about every guide book and blog that Italians will all but have a heart attack if you drink a cappuccino after noon, you can imagine my shock when one time my Italian language partner ordered a big ol' cappuccino at 4:00pm.  After scraping my eyebrows off the ceiling I asked her how she could betray her country like that (I'm sure I didn't phrase it that way) and she kindly explained to me the logistics. 

You see, drinking coffee with milk in it together with food is wonderful for breakfast, but for lunch and dinner, espresso is what you drink after the meal to help aid digestion.  Milk would upset your digestion with any meal heavier than breakfast, so that's why you should stay clear "after 12:00pm," or the usual cutoff for breakfast hours.  But.  If you are drinking the cappuccino in the afternoon at say, 4:00pm, or any time you're not eating food, you're in the clear.  At that point there is no food digesting to be messed up.  You'll only see the Italians fainting and throwing evil glares if you order a cappuccino with that pasta and truffles.  Seriously, they don't go together.  

13. You can drink anytime, anywhere

If you exit early in the morning, the evidence of last night's partying might not be swept away yet. Boxed wine, how classy.

Yes, I'm talking about alcohol.  Due to open-container laws in the States, you have to think twice about where to pop open that beer.  There is no such law here, and you can take along that bottle of wine and wine glasses to any piazza, park, or romantic spot you'd like.  As I mentioned above, there is no 5 O'clock social rule here, and have seen people drinking beers before 9:00am while I'm still finishing my cappuccino, or opening bottles of wine at 11:00am for a little pre-lunch.

Drunkenness is frowned upon here, and so even while the land may be flowing with Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino, all but the younger generations know how to drink responsibly.  Drunkenness usually occurs on special occasions such as soccer matches and holidays.  If you stay out later at night, the sloshed you see are probably American students and the younger generation of Italians out partying and clubbing. 

14. Kids' menus aren't common

This one was brought to my attention by friends with kids.  After it was brought up, I realized how right they were.  It's rare that I've ever seen a kid's menu.  Children here usually eat whatever the parents eat, and once they are older, get their own plate.  Makes a lot of sense to me, rather than getting some completely non nutritious mac n' cheese or chicken tenders that they probably won't end up eating anyway.  

15. Don't touch the fruit!

Or a nonna might scold you.  My mom and I wouldn't know that by experience, nope.  Really, they're very touchy about their fruit.  Plastic gloves are provided in every grocery store and at markets, where the person at the stand might not let you touch the fruit at all but put the fruit and vegetables in bags himself as you point out what you want.  

One time while at the grocery store, I didn't want to waste a plastic glove to get just one apple, so I decided to sneak over and snatch an apple sans glove before a nonna saw me.  While I was standing there a woman came up next to me to get some peaches, and actually apologized to me that she wasn't using a glove.  She obviously hadn't noticed that I was in no place to judge, also without a glove.  Two rebels touching the fruit, lalala.   

16. Use free bathrooms when they are available to you

The free services of a restroom in your hotel, the bar where you just drank a cappuccino, or the restaurant you just ate in should all be utilized when possible.  The moment you step out the door of your hotel you will be at the mercy of the Italian city centers, where there are fewer public bathrooms than you'd like, hard to find when you need one, and consequently, if easily found or advertised, probably not free and more likely not sparkling clean.  Train stations and near popular tourist sites there are bound to be some but almost always at cost.  It will depend on which city you are in how much you might pay, I believe I've seen the bathrooms near the Florence train station cost 0.70-1.00 euro and smaller Tuscan cities such as Siena 0.50, whereas Rome will be 1.00 or 1.50, and Venice, the only place I was desperate enough to pay, and ended up paying 2. whole. euros.  I think it's low to make people pay for bathrooms, and as a rule, will suffer until seconds before wetting my pants until giving in to paying for a bathroom.  But Venice got the best of me.  Not to mention constantly looking at water.  Yikes.  

Refusing to pay for a toilet has led me to know where the nearest free bathrooms are around Florence.  As I mentioned above, you could just pop in the nearest bar or caffè, check to make sure they have a bathroom, and then order something so you can make use of their services.  However, if you weren't already planning on buying anything, well, it's basically the same thing as paying for the bathroom, now, isn't it?  So, for free bathrooms around Florence, go to

1. Mercato Centrale, second floor (primo piano). Attention, the bathrooms on the ground floor are NOT free, but go up one flight and tada, free.

2. Biblioteca Oblate in Via dell'Oriuolo (it's a bit of a maze in there, so after "browsing" for a few minutes, you might want to ask)

3. Coin in Via dei Calzaiuoli, just south of the Duomo. I know for sure there are bathrooms on the top floor in the lingerie section, but I'm sure there are others if men don't want to pass through there.

4. La Rinascente, off of Piazza della Reppublica. Again, I can vouch for the bathrooms on the top (home goods) floor, but not sure where the others in the building are located.

5. Most of the larger grocery stores outside of the city center, such as Coop and Esselunga

Note: Because of the lack of free public restrooms many of the people who have lost some inhibition from alcohol after a certain time at night take to peeing on the streets.  If it hasn't rained recently, don't step in the puddles.  It's probably man or dog-made.  

Also note: European toilets frequently have two buttons, one big and one small.  If you're a man and only went #1, press the smaller.  It's a less potent flush, saving energy.  But if you went #2 or used toilet paper, please press the larger button.  Thank you and have a great day.

17. Public Transportation

I get conflicting feelings on this subject.  Speaking of Florence, the public transportation here is plentiful, but somewhat unreliable.  You can rent a car, take a bus, take a train, or rent a bike.  I mean, the buses are Mercedes Benz.  The only problem is they frequently don't come on time, at least judging by the paper schedules at each stop, and especially on Sunday or holidays.  Unless you're at a bus stop with an electronic screen, and then those are 85% of the time correct on predicting when the buses will show up.  But here's what you really need to know about buses and trains in Florence:

• bus tickets as of July 1, 2018 cost 1.50 if bought ahead of time (available at any tabacchi, some pasticcerie, and train stations) and is valid 90 minutes. If you plan on traveling by bus frequently, you might consider getting a "carnet" of tickets for a slightly better deal. Check at the train station to see what your options are. There are usually machines and some teller windows dedicated to the bus line.

• bus tickets can also be acquired by SMS for 1.80 if you have an Italian SIM card. Write "ataf" and send to 4880105.

• as a last resort bus tickets can *usually* be bought aboard for 2.50. Sometimes the drivers run out.

• once aboard any bus or before getting on your train, you must validate your ticket. There will be a yellow machine near the front of the bus to stamp it or the green machine near the front door if you have a bus pass to scan. For trains there are machines on the wall or posts, usually not on the platforms. This is important, because having an unvalidated ticket will result in a fine. It varies on the train, but the bus almost always results in a 50 euro fine.

18. Road rules are more like...guidelines

This goes for driving, biking, or walking.  The lane lines are to be driven on, the blinker is all but nonexistent, and there are way too many one ways.  I have never driven here, only been passenger, and that's about the maximum of my ambitions.  Biking is also hazardous, because you can never predict what the cars will do, and even when the cars are stopped in traffic or at a light, the vespas are weaving in and out of the lanes to get to the front.  Compared to the US, driving in most other countries I've been to feels like Nascar.  

Thankfully I adore walking, but even as pedestrian your life is in peril wherever cars or bikes are present.  Just because it's a crosswalk doesn't mean the cars are going to stop and let you pass!  Just when you think you're safe on the sidewalk, there's a big van driving up onto the sidewalk to park.  Cars park on sidewalks, the sidewalks are full of tourists, and then you're forced to walk on the road.  Whatever it is you are doing, just be sure to have all senses on high alert! 

19. Either the weather or the weather app is very unreliable

This is mostly applicable to rain and bad weather.  All the days it says it's going to rain, sun.  And the days it's supposed to be sunny, random rainstorms.  You just can't win.  So, carry on with your vacation, learn to sing in the rain, and keep that umbrella nearby, just in case.  

20. Souvenirs

You probably don't need much help with this one, take one step into any city and you'll see a million things you want to take back with you.  (Will this city fit in my suitcase? How about this restaurant? No? I'll settle for the chef.)  But in case you're wondering, here are some things you shouldn't forget:

• Wine - Chianti Classico, Super Chianti, Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Vin Santo, and so on and so forth)

• Olive Oil - Tuscany is known for its oil with spicy notes. Honestly, the good stuff is like wine tasting, you can pull out all the different notes and flavor profile! If you come in October/November, lucky you! Be sure to grab a bottle of Nuovo Raccolto, the fresh harvest...sooooo goooood. If you want the king of Tuscan olive oils, grab a bottle of Laudemio.

• Cheese - You want to get your hands on some Parmigiano Reggiano, aged anywhere between 8-120 months (the older it is the more crumbly and pronounced the taste will be, and also costly), Pecorino (sheep's milk cheese; there are many different varieties with various names but always starting with "pecorino", young, aged, aged in oak leaves, etc., but don't get too young or TSA won't let you bring it into the States), Caciocavallo young or aged, Gorgonzola for the blue cheese fans, Asiago young or aged, Provolone young or aged, or Taleggio. Indulge the younger varieties during your trip, take the aged back with you. Others to be enjoyed during your stay include fresh ricotta, mascarpone, mozzarella di bufala (on your pizza or just eat a big ball of it; yolo Italian edition!), and stracchino. There are many more, but those are some of the staples and favorites!

• Truffles - Watch out for fake ones or oil that's just "essence." The real ones will be expensive, but if you don't want to spend 10-20 euros for a few tiny truffles try some truffle honey or the truffles in a jar that's mostly mushrooms, but still delicious.

• Honey - There are many different varieties here, ranging from acacia to sunflower, chestnut to million flower. You can find smaller bottles at some markets, great for gifts! Just remember to pack in your checked bag.

• Cookingware - For those who love to cook and bake, enter in any kitchen store and you'll be sure to find fun new gadgets to play with at home! Wander around some of the outdoor markets and you'll find fun things too, looong rolling pins for cheap, and beautiful artigianally crafted olive wood pieces.

• Leather - So many leather stores around Florence! If you go around the San Lorenzo leather booths or near the bronze warthog, you can haggle the prices down. I recommend the purses, but you might want to splurge on that leather jacket you've been dreaming of for awhile, or maybe just a nice journal. Probably a more ethical option would be the leather school just behind the church of Santa Croce, "Scuola del cuoio", where you can not only buy leather goods but see the craft in process as the traditional methods are being handed down. Prices will be higher here, but so will the quality.

• Scarves - Always a nice gift, and in Florence you can find copious quantities for good prices in the same area as all the leather booths. I love the wool ones for winter. You'll be great at haggling by the end of your trip!

• Stationary - Florence has beautiful stationary if you or someone you know enjoys sending mail the good old fashioned way! Not to mention calendars, journals, booklets, bookmarks, etc. Pair it off with a feather quill and ink (can be found for 16 euro), and wax and stamps!

---

Whew, feel ready for Italy yet?  If you don't, that's ok.  Visiting any new country is always filled with adventure and mishap, but the more reading and researching you can do, the better.  You'll not only be prepared, but you'll probably save some money and enjoy things you otherwise might not have noticed!  

Until next time, fellow adventurers, I hope you found this article helpful!  And as always, if you have any questions, I would love to help!  You can find my contact by clicking on "contact" above.