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I have been an enthusiastic fan of
Italy and all things Italian since I was five years
old and my mother took my little sister and me on an
epic journey to visit her brother and sister-in-law,
who owned a little house on the island of Elba. We flew
to Pisa, hired a car with sponge gears, missed the ferry
and poor old Mother ended up getting pleurisy, but to
me it was a huge thrill from beginning to end. I loved
the heat, the funny language, the kind people and particularly
the peach juice.
When I was 13, we went on another family
holiday, this time to a village called Palinuro in the
Campania region. From then on, Mother was forced to
take us to Italy every summer - and one Christmas -
until I was at university and able to go by myself.
I did my degree in Italian and Russian and spent two
months in the summer of 1988 studying in Urbino.
In 1992, I went to live and work in
Milan for two years and since then I have been back
to Italy many times to visit the friends I made there.
So those are my credentials as an Italophile
and these are my 20 top tips for having a great time
in Italy:
1. Learn
some of the language before you go. I know I would say
that but it really does enhance the experience if you
can understand what's going on around you. Also, it
gives you the freedom to go off into the wilds, where
the natives may not speak English.
2. When
you have learnt some Italian and you use it in context,
don't be put off if people answer you in English. Persevere
in Italian if you can and you'll be rewarded not only
with enormous satisfaction but also (mostly) with respect
from your interlocutor.
3. Particularly
if you're a woman, think hard before travelling alone.
While I don't necessarily think it's dangerous to travel
around Italy on your own, in my experience people -
especially men - can be annoying. Italians get around
at least in pairs, usually in groups, and they tend
to feel sorry for anyone who appears to have "no
mates".
4. Be
careful of your valuables. I repeat, I don't think Italy
is a dangerous country - but there are a lot of thieves
and foreigners are an obvious target. During my two
years in Milan, my wallet was stolen twice and my flat
was burgled once. Neither of these things has happened
to me in the ten plus years I've been back in Manchester
(touch wood!).
5. Don't
be offended if the people appear rather bossy and/or
nosy. I found this difficult at first but it's purely
a culture gap.
6. There
is quite a strong north/south divide in Italy. The north
is efficient, punctual and well organised, while the
south is pretty laid-back and much poorer.
7. The
train service is excellent in Italy, particularly in
the north, but it is very popular so you need to allow
time to queue up and buy your ticket.
8. It
does get hot in the summer, particularly in the south,
so be realistic about what you can do. My family and
I went to some Roman ruins in the middle of the day
and nearly passed out. The sun is reflected and intensified
by all the stone and it can be pretty unbearable.
In the winter, it can be extremely
cold in the north. South of about Rome, the climate
changes and it's much milder.
9. If
you're going to Sardinia, be especially careful of the
sun, which seems to be particularly insidious there.
I've been to the island twice and both times I came
home looking as if I'd been in a nuclear accident.
10. Although
the Mediterranean is wonderful, don't ignore the Adriatic
side. Some of the most beautiful sea I've ever seen
has been off that coast. And around the heel into the
Ionian.
11. As
well as the sea, Italy has spectacular mountains to
explore. Italians have all the latest, most colourful
climbing gear but they tend not to persevere to the
top, so you can have the summit to yourself. I've spent
several (separate) wonderful days hiking for a few hours
and then having my picnic and reading a book for a while
on top of the world.
It can be difficult to access the mountains
sometimes, though, and I recommend a little place called
Mandello del Lario, which you can reach in half an hour
or so on the train from Milan.
12. Hiking
is best done in spring, autumn and - if you're strong
- summer. In the winter, you can ski in the mountains.
Some friends took me to Monte Rosa, which was fantastic.
13. There
are also the lakes, of course. I like Garda best. When
they left Elba, my uncle and aunt got a flat on Lake
Garda and I visited often from Milan. The swimming is
more peaceful than in the sea and the scenery is beautiful.
14. If
you're in Italy around Shrove Tuesday, make sure you
see one of the carnivals that almost every place puts
on.
15. If
you're in Rome, you must go to the Vatican. It's interesting
and very beautiful.
16. On
the other hand, don't bother with the other "independent
state" within Italy: San Marino. It's quite fun
to get your passport stamped there but the abundance
of tasteless tack oozing from every shop makes it basically
not worth it, in my view.
17. Explore
the little towns around wherever you are. The number
of unexpected little gems in terms of piazze and churches
is enormous. Also, it's nice to get away from the tourists
if possible and see the real Italy.
18. If
you like churches, I recommend the Santa Croce in Florence,
the cathedral (duomo) in Milan and everything in Assisi.
I've seen hundreds of beautiful churches
but the Santa Croce is special.
From the top of Milan cathedral there's
a great view of the mountains. And from the mountains,
on a clear day, there's a reasonable view of Milan cathedral.
Yes, it's big!
Assisi is an amazing place, a wall-to-wall
feast for the eyes.
19. Try
the regional variations in the pasta dishes.
20. Be
open to new experiences and just go with the flow.
Let me know how you get on: Georgie@jmj-manchester.co.uk
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