Lisa D = Italophile
Anyone who knows me personally knows that I love all things Italian and that I make it a priority to travel to Italy once a year. This page is devoted to sharing my Italian experineces. I hope you find something informative and interesting here.
2006, October, Lisa's month in Italia
2005, June, Lisa's month in Europe (Switzerland & Italia)
2003, September, Lisa's month in Europe (Ireland, England & Italia)
2002, May, Lisa's trip to Italia
2001, August, Lisa's month in Italia
*Years that aren't linked can be found here.
Slow Travel is a web resource I consider to be the single best 'first and repeated stop' in your planning process. Check it out.
"Italy, Instructions for Use" is a book written by an acquaintance of mine who like me, visited Italia for 10 years, every year, but SHE decided to move there! She also blogs here!
Uffizi and Academia Museum Reservations made easy! Don't wait in line with the masses if you don't have to!
For a comic view of how gli italiani differ from their EU counterparts, check this: EU vs. Italia
I have rented cars from; Argus Car Hire and HERTZ, where you can get great discounted rates through their deal with both Easy Jet and Ryan Air (and you don't have to have flown with these airlines to get the discount!)
Get your rail schedules at TrenItalia.
I have rented a villa in Toscana through a service called; "Tuscany Villas." Great service!!! There are a bazillion of these villa rental agencies online...some are better than others. I can recommend "Tuscany Villas."
If you are in Venezia, you may wish to check out "Hotel Vecellio." This small hotel located on the Fondamente Nuove (facing the water) is run by my good friend of nearly 10 years, native Venetian, Matteo. In a beautiful place that has become a "Disneyland" of sorts, it is useful to know a native (many of the local workers come in from the mainland!) who can point you in the 'right' direction to eat well and see what little is left of the 'real' Venezia!
On that note, it is very easy to NOT eat well in Venezia...this place is geared almost entirely toward tourists. Avoid any place that offers a 'tourist menu' if you want to eat wel. Below I have outline 2 places to eat in Venezia that you may not find unless you read it here (or asked Matteo) the rest I am keeping to myself!
"Trattoria Storica" located not far from Hotel Vecellio in Canneregio,
"Osteria Al Vecccio Pozzo" aka "The Old Well Pub" located in Santa Croce, Venezia: Centro Storico
corte Canal No. 656. (great fish, fun waiters, outdoor seating)
One thing to know is that no matter where you are in Italia, "Osteria" refers to a more casual style of restaurant whereas, "Trattoria" is very similiar to Osteria. "Ristorante" is more formal. Further, "Rosticceria" even more causual than Osteria...being more of a cafeteria...some of the best homecooked food can be found here! "Enotecas" and bars are usually focused mostly on beverages and light foods. Enoteca for wine, bars for coffee and liquors. "Pizzeria" well....you should get that one!
More information on Venezia can be found in a little one-pager I wrote back in 2004...basic overall information but beware, it is dated!
Wineries I have visited and/or stayed at in Italia:
Ceretto, Piemonte
Livio Felluga, Friuli Venezia Giulia
Mionetto, Veneto
Bressan, Friuli
Casa Zuliani, Friuli
Small facts worth knowing...especially if it is your first time visiting Italy:
-August is NOT the best month to visit...many shop owners in Italy are on holiday themselves and a lot of establishments are closed. Go off season if you can...you can get the best flavour of REAL Italy in non-touristy towns during the off season. If you must go during high season, Spring is the most lovely with Autumn close behind!
-Try to abide by the daily routine of 'the Italian schedule'...for so many years I would not abide by afternoon 'pisolino' (aka siesta) and wonder why I couldn't stay up to enjoy evening fun. Gli italiani know what they are doing...especially in the dead of summer when it's over 100 degrees....NOBODY should be roaming the streets at 1PM...and you might find that if you do, you will be the only one! Save yourself some trouble, and some water for you will need a second shower that day!
-There are a lot of transport methods that are 'on the honour system' in Italy. For example, in Roma, you buy a bus ticket but it's more than likely nobody will ask you for it. You are required to 'validate' your ticket when you enter the bus to prove it has been 'used.' The driver of the bus only cares about driving the bus and will never ask you for your ticket. You may stand (more likely) or sit (if you are lucky) thinking, "I didn't need to use this ticket, nobody would even know..." Well, the one day you do that, the ticket checkers who RANDOMLY visit buses asking folks for their ticket will issue you with a fine and loads of public embarrassment if you do not have a validated ticket when they do choose to visit the bus you are on. Don't make us, as Americans look any worse than we already to the rest of the world, always buy yourself a ticket and always validate it. The same is true in Venezia...I recommend if you are going to be in Venezia for more than 2 days to buy a tourist ticket. You can do this at the airport or at any ACTV (Venice's public transport) station. I once paid a fine because my validation was expired. It was over 30 euro and I was mortified! I will never let that happen again!
In January 2008 I wrote an article for a friend who runs HELLO STILETTO, a social networking club for women who LOVE all things SHOES. The article featured show trends for Winter 2008 in Rome. You can view it HERE.