30 October, 2017 Welcome to my interview series featuring cultural perspectives from nationals of different countries around the world. This month, I’m happy to introduce you to a native Comasco, who was born and raised in Como, Italy. A little background: Como is both the name of a province and the name of the capital […]
30 September, 2017 Lake Garda, Lago di Garda in Italian, is both a big beautiful lake as well as a tri-provincial community of several lakeshore towns. The towns span the provinces of Verona (region of Veneto), Brescia (region of Lombardy), and Trento (region of Trentino-Alto Adige). These tri-provincial towns encircling the lake include such beauties as […]
31 May, 2017: You may or may not already realize this, but Italy is a multicultural country and therefore “Italian culture” is very diverse. Italy is a country that has many languages (French, German, and Slovenian are official languages in certain regions, in addition to Italian), region-specific dialects, traditions, and ultimately, cultural differences. Here, I […]
There are many stereotypes about the way in which Italians communicate, so-called Italian communication, and that are attributed to Italian culture. Most of these stereotypes manifest as shouting, excessive gesturing, pinching together the fingers of one hand interrogatively, and using exaggerated singsong cadences when mimicking an Italian accent. Well, I’m here to tell you to […]
Italian innovation is credited for one of the greatest—if not the greatest—communication tool of modern history: the telephone; that little, constantly shrinking, device that has revolutionized the way in which people all over the world get in touch with each other. Until recently, the invention of the telephone has been unfairly attributed to Alexander Graham […]
In Italian culture, April Fool’s Day is marked not by a prank but by a reference to fish. Yes, a fish. Or two fish. Or many fish.* The idea is to say something to someone that will prompt them to ask a clarification question. And if they fall for it, the answer to that clarification […]
The concept of Italian timeliness varies depending on which part of Italy people are from. Generally, the closer you get to Switzerland and Austria, up north, the more aligned people are to the Swiss clock. Just kidding. Not. Link back to Ten Insights into Italian Culture
Most roads in Italy, particularly those in city centres and in the mountains, requiring a certain driving etiquette as they are made for small cars. The logic for this harks back to the pre-automobile era when streets were built for horses, wagons, and carts. Sometimes, the streets are so small that even small cars have […]
Clothing in Italy is world famous for its fine couture, made-in-Italy-clothed supermodels, and top-tier fashion designers. But that’s not what we’ll talk about here. Here, we’ll discuss appropriate and inappropriate attire for everyday life in Italy. Here are the rules: General taboos: All: do not wear sandals with socks Men: do not wear white socks […]
Italian cuisine is very regional and does not begin and end at pasta and pizza. There is a wide variety of regional specialties ranging from the polenta and rabbit stew of Como, to the risotto of Milan, to the arancini of Rome. Other regional dishes include: Risi e bisi from Venice Focaccia from Genova Cacciucco from Livorno Canederli from Bolzano […]
In Italy, you can either have your meal/drink in place (mangio/mangiamo/mangiate qui), in which case there is an addition a cover charge for the table service (however, tipping is not required so it all amounts to the same cost); or you can have your meal/drink to go (da portare da via; or in British English: […]
As in most parts of Europe, when it comes to Italian customer service the customer is never right. You cannot make a fuss, you cannot refuse a bottle of wine that has been opened for you even if for tasting purposes, you cannot send food back if it doesn’t meet your quality standards, you may […]
There is a lot to say about coffee in Italy and the whole Italian coffee culture. The first thing you need to know is that there is no such thing as free coffee in Italy (Americans take note––at your hotel or at events, expect to purchase your own cuppa ol’ Joe). Here are some other […]
23 May, 2017 If you’ve decided to take a trip to Como, Italy––good call. You’ve picked well. And if you haven’t––what’s the matter with you?! Book your trip already! You don’t know what you’re missing out on. But whether you fall into the first group of people or the second group, I have good news––being […]
8 May, 2017 COMO B.C. Where is Como? Como is a valley city in Italy, 40 km due north of Milan. It is also the administrative capital of the province of Como, in the region of Lombardy, which borders Switzerland. Como is known for many things, including: Alessandro Volta, the inventor of the electrical […]
21 January, 2017 Siena is a beautiful and historic town in Tuscany just south of Florence. It is a must-see for any traveller to Tuscany––once you’ve fulfilled a prerequisite trip to Florence, I would urge. I visited Siena on a sunny autumn day, anticipating immediate and complete immersion in its historic charm. However, for me, […]
11 November, 2012 Florence is truly an open-air museum. Everywhere you turn, there is always something beautiful to look at: beautiful buildings with artwork and sculptures; towers with beautiful vistas; public squares with statues dating back several hundred years; little cobblestone streets; arches and mysterious alleyways; engraved façades and trompe l’oeils; interesting bridges and the […]
11 November, 2012 Venice in the autumn loses none of its magic and charm to the impending frost, as one might imagine. In mid-October, it is as sunny and happy a place as ever. And if you arrive there by train, as most do, you will be instantly hurled into the wide, hearty embrace of […]
11 November, 2012 They say that all roads lead to Rome. And so I found myself following the road into that city one fine autumn morning. And like many who have travelled there before me, I left it believing that I would return again someday. Rome can easily be overwhelming. There is a lot to […]
11 November, 2012 Naples is a jewel in the rough. So it goes without saying that you need to put up with its roughness to be able to focus on the beauty within. Then, the beauty within will be abundantly evident: in the warmth and generosity of its people; in the unrivalled superiority of its […]
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