If you can, visit Italy in the off-season, between early November and late March. There's no crowds, prices are lower, and the atmosphere is much more relaxed. During this last trip, we never once had to stand in line anywhere, not even at the Uffizi or the Accademia in Florence.
Memorize these two words, because you will need them: spingere means "push"; tirare means "pull."
To buy train tickets, go to any travel agency (l'agenzia di viaggi) that displays the Trenitalia logo. You'll pay the same price and get much friendlier service than wading through the crowds at the station.
The Italian term for jet lag is jet lag.
Indoor heating and cooling is an iffy affair: some places will be too warm and some places will be too cold. In any event, Italians seem to dress by the calendar, not the thermometer. If it's December, they will be wearing scarves and coats, even in a restaurant heated to 85°. Be prepared to add or remove clothing as necessary.
The only flat part of Italy is the lower Po Valley, Parma-Modena-Bologna-Ravenna. Everywhere else, be ready to walk up and down hills. A lot.
Another important word is sciopero (SHOW-per-o), meaning strike, as in a labor stoppage. Strikes are an Italian tradition of long standing. Tourists learn of strikes by standing at a bus stop alone for twenty minutes until a helpful Italian walks by shaking his head and says sciopero!
Flying home across seven time zones in one day is hard on mind and body. But it's worth it.
Here's my snaps from the trip on Flickr. And as always, there's a slideshow version.
Christmas in Bologna
No comments:
Post a Comment