Italy From The Inside

Archive for the ‘General’ Category

Do you enjoy playing bowling indoor? If so, how about playing Bocce outdoor? If you don’t know this game, here is the opportunity to familiarize with a social activity originating from Italy.

In this brief video, our daughter Silvia gives you a brief demonstration of how to play Bocce including some of the basic rules of the game. Enjoy!

(Can’t see the video? Watch it from YouTube)

If you have read our eBook Italy from the Inside you probably know that our goal is to give practical tips and insights about your vacation in Italy. We don’t really deal with places to stay and/or see, because there are already many wonderful guides out there that can provide this kind of information. This time, however, we will make a little exception, due to the fact that we are going to talk about how much is it worth staying closer to the heart of Venice (and maybe spending a little more money) versus staying in the outskirts.

One of the best things that can happen to you as a tourist in Venice is… getting lost. Walking in Venice is such a great experience because each calle (pedestrian street) is different and it may lead you to a bridge (ponte), a church (chiesa), an interesting store and so one. However, walking in Venice may be also exhausting, especially if you visit it during summer time. I still remember when I was a student and I used to do some research at the Biblioteca Marciana in Piazza San Marco;  I always underestimated the time it takes to walk from Saint Mark’s Square to the train station (if you wonder: it was a 25 minutes fast/anxious/”oh my God, I’ll miss the train” walk).

When two years ago we decided to spend a couple of days in Venice I had no doubts: I wanted to stay as close as possible to the center. So, I went online and found the Bed and Breakfast Zaguri which is in a super-duper convenient location:

As you can see it is only 5 minutes from Piazza San Marco and 8 minutes from the Rialto bridge. Plus, prices were very reasonable, the breakfast was delicious, the owners very gracious and it is thanks to them that I was able to make one of my long wished dreams come true: walking in the water during the high tide, because they lent me and my daughter a pair of rain boots!

Silvia and Francesca Tosolini enjoying a unique view of the Basilica di San Marco

Now, how can you beat this??

As you can learn from our eBook Italy from the inside there are many possibilities to reach Venice from the airport: you can either take the bus to Piazzale Venezia, or to Mestre train station and then take a 10 minute train ride to Venice train station. These two options are definitely the cheapest ones, but they surely don’t make you save in terms of time.

So, you may prefer to spend €15 per person and catch the public boat from the airport to the city, which, in my opinion, offers a more interesting experience for tourists. However, there’s one more option that sometimes is not taken into consideration, I think mainly for its cost, and that’s the water taxi.

The privately ran water taxi company charges €100 for a ride, which may sounds like a lot of money if you consider yourself a budget traveler. However, this price is for rides for up to 5 people which, by doing some math, translates into €20 per person. Not too bad if you consider that you don’t have to share the ride with anyone else and that you are going to be dropped to your destination (or to the closest vicinity). Besides, isn’t it better to add a great memory to your life rather than to have 50 more bucks in the bank? Well, at least this is my new philosophy…

A few days ago, I attended a Christmas potluck with some Italian friends and since I was in charge of bringing un dolce (Italian term to define a dessert) I decided to make the pandoro farcito con crema al mascarpone (pandoro cake with mascarpone cream). This is a very simple and yet delicious dessert that has become a classic in Italy during the Christmas holidays. If you decide to make it, this is what you need:

- 1 pandoro (I got mine at Marshall’s in Bellevue, WA, but you can find it also either at Ross Dress for Less, World Market or any Italian specialty food store)
- 2 egg yolks
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp mascarpone cream
- powdered sugar
- Gianduiotti chocolate (optional)

First beat the egg yolks with the sugar, then add the mascarpone cheese until you get a smooth cream. Set aside.

Cut the pandoro in 5 layers.

Spred the crema al mascarpone on each layer (the more liquid the better, it will make the cake softer).

Place each layer back, without matching the edges, in order to create a Christmas tree like shape.

I used Gianduiotti chocolate to decorate the cake, but you can use any other decoration, sometimes we even use small candles.

Finally, sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar and decorate the top with your favorite object (I “borrowed” baby Jesus from my kids’ Fisher-Price nativity).

Enjoy it, Buon Natale!

The Teatro alla Scala of Milan – more commonly called La Scala – is universally known, even by those people who have never been there.

The so-called “Temple of Opera”, is located in Piazza della Scala, in the city center just behind the Gallery and the Duomo. The structure was built in 1778 by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, after a fire had destroyed the Royal Ducal Theatre.

What does La Scala offer during its Theater Season? Opera, ballet and classical music concerts. A repertoire that mostly attracts people of a certain age who have a deep interest in this kind of performances and can also afford the prices of the tickets. This represents the typical reality of our time, which is characterized by such a varied music offer that classical music often remains isolated. You can hear about La Scala mainly for the traditional contestations happening during the première – approximately in the first week of December – rather than for its cultural offer.

For this very reason the initiative, supported by Milan Municipality, whose aim is to bring younger audiences to the theatre is remarkable. In Lascalaunder30.org website we can read:

“Between you and your search for strong feelings there are no obstacles anymore. Discover LaScalaUNDER30, the project dedicated to young audiences under 30. With the Under30 Pass you will be always up to date on news concerning La Scala. You will also become a member of our Community and will get access to many exclusive offers. It will be like being part of the theatre itself, by visiting it, watching the performances and approaching the artists…”

This is an intelligent way to approach the younger audiences by communicating that La Scala is not a museum but a place for cultural production: from the games on its website to the fascinating opportunity of freely watching the previews.

The Under30 pass – obviously for those people who are under 30, thirty-year-old persons included – costs just 10 Euros and give you many exclusive advantages, including promotions and visits to the Theatre, to the Theatre Museum and to Ansaldo Workshops. It also offers the opportunity of watching five ensemble opera and ballet rehearsals and a 50% price reduction on the entrance for the Theatre Museum. You will also obtain the Scala Shop Card for free. This is undoubtedly a worthwhile initiative and represents an important step towards a more affordable city. We hope that it will have a great success.

(This guest post has been contributed by Ileana Ongar of Viaggionelmondo.net)

December is a magical time in Italy, the Christmas spirit is everywhere and people are immersed in a world of colorful lights and jolly sounds.

Every 6th of December, Trieste celebrates San Nicolo’ (Saint Nicholas, who had a reputation for secret gift-giving) with a popular fair, which becomes the city’s main attraction for several days and attracts vendors from all over Italy.

The fair takes place in the famous Viale XX Settembre, a long pedestrian avenue with many shops, gelaterie and cinemas that has been one of the main social points since forever.

The fair is the delight of the adults who can buy food specialties (like succulent olives from Sicily, torrone candy or goat cheese from Tuscany) and unusual gadgets to give as a present for Christmas, and the joy of the kids who can get candy and toys.

It is almost impossible not to meet an old friend or schoolmate while walking by the booths, and this makes the whole experience even “merrier”.

Art lovers will enjoy the recent release of the Uffizi Gallery masterpieces as gigapixel photos fully accessible from your computer.

A consortium of Italian and multinational brands has funded the project HaltaDefinizione which has captured super high resolution photos of some of the greatest treasures of Italian art. Images can be zoomed in to an impressive level of detail, enabling a new level of accessibility to a piece of Italian historical-artistic heritage.

What I’ve always loved about Venice is to get lost in its calli (narrow pedestrian streets) and find out unusual things on the way as a result.

This great example of Renaissance architecture makes you think that in Venice everything, and I really mean everything, is art.

I recently went to a Pizzeria with some friends and finally, after years, I was able to enjoy one of my favorite desserts: the profiteroles.
Profiteroles are small round puffs either filled with pastry cream or whipped cream, and covered with a chocolate sauce. Whipped cream is also used to add sweetness, decoration and calories…
Don’t forget to order some next time you go to an Italian Pizzeria!

P.S. In our eBook we devote an entire chapter to the Italian cuisine. Get the insider scoop!

There’s something I really don’t understand: why in the world in Italy a teenager who is only 16 years old can assume alcohol with the consent of the Government, when everybody knows that most deadly car accidents among the youth are caused by an excessive assumption of alcoholic drinks?
This is something that really shocked me when I saw this sign in a grocery store. In the States the legal age to drink alcohol is 21. It’s 21 against 16, you must be 5 years older!
If you are like me, and have left behind the teenage years long time ago, I’m sure you would agree that 5 years, at that age, do make the difference.
Maybe our politicians will wake up one day and will finally change things for the better. Speriamo.