Europe 2022 - 2023

As we travel home for the Holidays, I wanted to take some notes about my experiences on this trip. Since we spent 2 months in Italy (the most of any country), this might be the most insightful. First off let me say this is still my favorite country. It's absolute beautiful. It gives you everything from history galore which shaped the face of the world to breaches that help you forget the world with a Spritz in your hand.

*Light switches as backwards*
This caused me endless frustration at the start of our trip. Lights switched down are on and up is off. Just get used to it.

*Bring a water bottle*
It took us a while to trust it, but Italy is hot and the Italians appreciate this. you'll find public water fountains virtually everywhere you go. It's probably a source of Italian pride harkening back to when aqueducts provided water for all in Roman times. Bring a reusable water bottle and stay hydrated.

*No one wears shorts*
Really 😟
We read this before we left on the trip, but only as we hit Sicily in the middle of a heat wave did we start to see regular wearing of shorts. It was kind of odd to these two Northeaster US residents who will break out shorts in 65 F° degree weather. Plan accordingly. Men or the dress adverse might want to consider bringing very breathable long pants when going to Italy.

*Trains*
The old adage that, if nothing else, Mussolini made the trains on time may or may not be true, but they are on time today. We did 70% of our Italian travel by train (maybe 20% by bus and rented a car three times).

That being said, I can count on one hand how many times someone checked our tickets. It felt a little silly at time to spend $35 on 2 tickets and never took them out once during the trip. I am NOT recommending trying to get a free ride on a train. The one time we ALMOST tried to board a train with no ticket we got the conductor from hell who checked every ticket and made sure every mask was on and covering noses.

*Buses*
This system is kinda good and kinda annoying. What Americans call a Convenience store could be broken into two categories in Italy: a Minimarket or a Tabaccheria. They are similar in that they both sell convenience store type things. A minimarket sells a limited amount of produce and do not sell bus tickets, but a tabaccheria sells no produce (that I've ever seen) but is literally a "Tobacco store." In some places the tabaccheria is also are solely responsible for selling local bus tickets. There is usually one near every bus stop. So they are abundant, but you can't be guaranteed that very tabaccheria clerk speaks English. So you can often buy bus tickets anywhere you need a bus, but that person may not be able to help you figure out which bus you should take. Plan ahead as best as you can! Google maps is wrong sometimes.

*Always pay at the front*
This always felt so awkward, but the system works. You never pay at the table, and you'll always go back to the front to pay when you're ready to leave. So don't ask for the bill at the table. Also, the Italian phrase for the bill is "il conto."

*Don't touch the produce*
Its customary to not touch produce with your bare hands. Grocery stores will virtually always have disposable gloves nearby. If you don't know this and start grabbing or squeezing fruit, an employee may stop you, or other shoppers will look at you like, "Gross!" Use the gloves.

*Don't order Americano*
You will virtually never get a full cup of coffee anywhere in Europe, but definitely not in Italy. Furthermore, depending on how you like your coffee, Americano is not the answer. I found it very watered down tasting. It's better to get the latte (if you take cream anyways) or do as we do (2 people who drink coffee black) and order a "Doppio Espresso" or Double Espresso. It's like getting a small strong coffee or like an Americano with more espresso grounds used. If you find that a bit strong you can also order an Espresso Lungo. We didn't actually learn about that until we were in the Balkans (the Italians were holding out on us). When ordering an Espresso you may rarely get asked if you're like it Ristretto or Lungo. Think of it as Restrained pour or Long pour. So the Lungo is like an Americano with less water. Only ask for Ristretto if you want a small cup of jet fuel.

*Stand at the cafe bar*
Looking back this was a strictly Italian custom and it felt a little awkward every time. Espressos are so small there is no point in ordering it to-go or take-a-way (you'll find they use the latter term more often if they know English). Even the Doppio cups are so small they don't make proper lids for them, so don't try to order one for your rental car. The custom is to order an espresso and if you're in a hurry, stand at the bar and drink it. It is expected. Don't worry about too much about the next guy in line too. They'll find a spot. Usually the bar tender places the coffee down in a spot at the bar where he expects you to stand.

*Cafes are also bars*
I love this and I wish it would come to the USA. Coffee shops serve beer and wine and bars serve espresso. I'm not advocating anyone orders a pint at 9am. However this system just seems so efficient, and convenient. It give friends a place to hang out in the morning and meet later for a beer. Your corner hangout is a one stop shop.

*Don't forget to order vegetables*
This took us a few weeks to realize we were getting malnourished, but you won't get vegetables with your dish. This is probably more of a problem if you're there for an extended stay. Food in Italy is often ordered as it is an a nice American Italian restaurant. First you order Primi, then Secondi, which is usually Pasta then Protein. That is usually the most of the menu people see. Loom towards the end of the menu for side dishes to find a vegetable. We would often share a side of zucchini or eggplant (zucchine and melanzane respectively).

*Visit Churches*
If you've followed out blog, you've we visit a lot of churches. It might seem weird and we're not chuch goers at all back home. Here's the thing, ancient Euopeans put a lot of time effort and €€ into making churches grand and beautiful. They're basically free art museums or at worst cheap art museums. There are exceptions. One of our recent stops in a Salamanca featured a grand cathedral and there was a €12 a person fee to enter. That's what some real art museums charge. We decided to pass, but that is really rare. If you get a fee a little high, check Google maps and loom at interior pictures. We've definitely payed a fee and realized we stepped into a church that is all business and no art (they tricked us). Many Italian Cathedrals no matter how large are free. The best Cathedral we've seen to date was one Vatican's St. Perters. It's totally free, and just has a long line (that moves pretty fast).

*Sorbet Rankings*
Dave is lactose intolerant, so we didn't sample a lot of Gelato. However, virtually all Gelato shops have Sorbet. The simple rule of thumb is that berry and fruit "Gelato" is actually Sorbet. If you want to confirm you can just kind of point and ask "senza latte?". After two months we got a good feel for it. Here are some worth trying (don't worry about the Italian words too much, most places have a picture).
1) Melon - Cantaloupe sorbet is DELICIOUS. The first time we finally ordered it was a month into the trip, but it was amazing. If done right it can taste so good.
2) Lampone - Raspberry - A good standby every time.
3) Chocolate - Dark chocolate is always (?) Sorbet and it's amazing. If you didn't know you'd swear it were Gelato.
4) Chocolate & Fragola - Chocolate and Strawbery. If you're getting two scopes, this is a good combo.
5) Cioccolato & Pistacchio - Chocolate & Pistachio. Like a reese's.
6) Basilico - Basil Sorbet is weird, but good. We didn't actually see this until Croatia, but it must exist in Italy. I think we just missed it.

*Dave City ranking*
1a) Rome - and yes take a Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel tour. We splurged for a more expensive super early tour and it was all worth it. It gets very busy. Also don't skip the Roman Forum, it looks whatever, but when you're there it's very impressive.

1b) Florence - I could write a book on Florence and most likely I did in our posts for Florence. It's beautiful, but PACKED with tourists. Take the time to visit the Ufizi Gallery to see the original Birth of Venus and the Accademia Gallery to see the Statue of David. Also the Florence Cathedral is amazing from the outside but whatever on the inside. All the decorations are in a nearby museum. If you don't want to wait in the huge line, that does move very fast), don't worry about it. It's always the closest city to Tuscany, so you can make a good long trip out of just those.

2) Pompeii/Naples - Pompeii and Naples go hand in hand. If you want to go walk around the very well preserved ancient city, then you need to see the Archeological Museum in Naples that holds all the Pompeii artifacts. It was such a rewarding experience.

3) Pisa - I never expected to like Pisa or to take it seriously. I grew up thinking the Leaning Tower of Pisa was a joke from Looney tunes cartoons. However, it still might be the single most beautiful structure I've seen on this trip. Combined with the Cathedral, which has weird hours, it is worth the trip. You don't need to spend too long there. You can book everything in advance to make sure you have a well packed but efficient day.

4) Matera - This is definitely not the first place you should visit in Italy, but it was one of my favorites. You must schedule a walking tour to really understand the city and you'll be blown away. This was our tour and our guide, Tano, Emily and I still agree, was the best guide we've had on this trip.

https://www.viator.com/search/117399P1?mcid=64243

5) Bologna - We almost cut Bologna for time, bit it ended up being one of our favorties. It's not very touristed, but it's a great place to put on a pound or two. Bologna is the culinary capital of Italy. Yes, this country, well known for food has a culinary capital, and no one goes there. It's not the first place you should visit in Italy, but it should be on your bucket list.

6) Genoa - We did this as a day trip, and I really enjoyed it. The old town has a really back alley feel and for good reason. I'm not advocating for it, but prostitution is legal in Genoa and you will see ladies in the old town. During the day you'll many see old churches and salami shops though. Their Plazas are some of the prettiest you'll see in Italy. Not the first place you'll visit by any means and will probably be at the end of your list. I liked it a bit more than some of these last ones.

7) Venice - It is really pretty, but tourists there really ruined it. The old town is small and absolutely breadth taking, but oh my God the people. Google maps is really bad in parts of the Old town and you'll get lost more than once. Also the Gondola rides are like $250 a person... don't do it. Try to spend a little time as possible there. Nearby Verona is also worth a trip to get of town. It has its own colosseum and beautiful architecture (doesn't match Venice, but way less people).

8) Milan - Milan is VERY expensive. However if fashion is your thing and you've got Euro to burn, Milan will probably be higher on your list. The main attraction for us was the ORIGINAL "Last Supper", but tickets as early as you can because tour guides buy them all up. We had to bay $88 a person for a tour when the tickets were like $15. I'm still very annoyed about this.

9) Siracusa - We only went to this one city in Sicily, but we have no regrets. The old town is full of white marble facades and beautiful Mediterranean views. The other big cities are Palermo and Catania. If you go, tell us what you thought of them.

10) Parma - Parma was kind of what I expected. It has some beautiful architecture, but it wasn't REALLY worth the trip. You can do it as a day trip and tour a Parmesan Chase Factory or a Prosciutto Factory. I'd set home base in Bologna though and do it that way.

11) Turin - Turin was interesting, but it's hard to recommend. It feels kind of like a Detroit. It was big, but once the automotive plant moved out it kind of went down hill. FIAT (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino) used to be headquartered here. It's affordable and great for onward travel. It's in the wine region of Piedmont. It's near both Milan & Genoa and it's close to the French border. It's also semi close to Switzerland (but Milan is your transportation hub of choice there). It was a good place to get some wine for us.

*Amalfi, Cinque Terre, or Como*
These are the three famous beach areas of Italy. Amalfi and Cinque Terre are very similar, with steap cliffside towns and stone beaches. Como is a lake where the rich a famous play. Amalfi is easier to get to from Rome and Naples while Cinque Terre is closest to Pisa and Genoa, which as I eluded above aren't anyone's first cities to visit. The two are comparable, but Amalfi has way more tourists and might be a bit prettier. Cinque Terre is close to Pisa and we dis it as a day trip from there. Amalfi is close to Naples, but Pomeii is closer. You could manage that as a day trip. In either of these places, be aware, the further from the beach you accommodations are, the higher in elevation they will be. It will make trying to hit the beach in sandals a tough task. We can attest there are busses that go up and down the cliffs in Amalfi. In Cinque Terre there is a train that connects the towns, but I am uncertain about busses that go to and from the beach if you book inland.

Como is a different beast altogether. If you want to try your luck and see if you end up at a table in Bellagio next to George Clooney, I wish you the best. Como was created by glaciers, and is surrounded by very high cliffs. So it's not unlike Amalfi and Cinque Terre in that towns have steep hills or stairs in place of alleys. It's just very expensive. Also unlike Amalfi and Cinque Terre the he best way to travel between towns is ferry and not bus. It is worth splurging for faster ferries too. We opted for a cheaper slow ferry from Bellagio to Como and it took 2.5 hours to go 20 miles. It was excruciatingly slow. Overall, we found it a little over-hyped. If you do go, we stayed in a town called Lecco and it was reasonably priced. It was a good home base.

*Food to try*
As an American I feel this was not common knowledge, but all Italian food is not "available" everywhere. Not every restaurant is an Olive Garden. Food we consider staples of an Italian restaurant are actually regional dishes.

Rome - This one was fun. Rome prides themselves in "the 4 pastas of Rome." It's like a scavenger hunt to find them. Also, these 4 pastas, might have a translation issue, but they're actually 4 sauces, the pastas (like rigatoni or spaghetti) are up to the restaurant. They are: Carbonara (the one we are most familiar with), Amatricia (maybe the second most common. European grocery stores have Amatricia sauce in a jar), Cacio e Pepe (peppery white sauce), and Pasta Alla Gricia (also a white sauce). Here is a link with more info:

https://www.thekitchykitchen.com/?recipes=/4-pa…

Naples - Main thing here is Pizza and seafood.

Sicily - Seafood and oranges and lemons. They have some massive lemons in Sicily. We also found a citrus gummies made from oranges, lemons, and grapefruit which were really good. Didn't taste artificial at all.

Florence - This one surprised me. Beef! Especially T-Bone steaks aka Bistecca alla Fiorentina.

Tuscany - Besides wine, two main things come to mind. Tagliatelle al tartufo, which is thick ribbons of pasta with truffles sliced on top. Yes, Tuscany is known for truffles and you can get them a little cheaper here. Second is Pappardelle al Cinghiale or thick ribbons of pasta and a wild boar sauce. It's so good. I ordered it every time I saw it on a menu.

Parma - Mostly the obvious ones. Parmesan cheese and Parma Prosciutto. You can find factory tours to do for both. You can do the same from Bologna though.

Bologna - Yes, the "culinary capital of Italy." Bolognese sauce is regional here as is Lasagna. Also, try Mortadella. I feel like Americans think of it as that thing you glance at in a deli and no one ever buys it, but try it in Bologna. Dave was adamant we try it in Bologna to the point of almost nausea to Emily. We ended up settling on a fast food place called, "Mò Mortadella Lab," due to lack of a better option (think of trying to Google a turkey sandwich in Boston. Results were awkward at best). It's a hole in a wall down an alley. We went in with lowered expectations, but it was AMAZING. Highly recommended!

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Mtsk991zX8u1ML836

Venice - Eat some seafood and get out fast!

Milan - Minestrone soup is from here. Also, Risotto is from here as the region is a heavy rice producing region! Lastly, you'll start to see sandwich places dedicated to Piadina. It's basically a pita with deli meat. It's over rated.

*Food NOT to try*
Don't order Tuna on stuff - This was surprising to me. Every now and then I saw tuna on a salad or tuna on a pizza and we tried it. No matter how fancy the restaurant was, it was always canned. If that's your thing, knock yourself out, but I won't pay markup for someone to crack open a can. If you're traveling you'd probably rather try something local.

*Some useful words to know*
- Prego - It's not just a pasta sauce! This was one of the first new words I learned in Italy. We were at a grocery store and when we went to pay, that cashier looked at us and said, "Prego." At first I thought he was offering a sale on red sauce. It took a while to grasp the full meaning of "prego." It's a catch all polite word. It means any and all of the following English sayings:
* You're welcome
* After you
* Next please

Which also implies the American pasta sauce brand name is a bit of a pun. Prego sauce is basically implying: "Our sauce is pretty good, so 'you're welcome'" or "Our sauce is so good you'll thank us later."

- Doppio Espresso - Already mentioned earlier. It's a better option than ordering an Americano coffee. Also Doppio is pronounced, "Dough-pee-oh."

- Non capisco - This means, I don't understand. A good one to keep around if some approaches you trying to beg or sell something.

- Per oggi - This is a great saying and also says a little bit about their grocery store culture. Literally (as I understand it) means "ready to eat." So, when to use it? Well, Italians find it rude or gross to touch produce with your bare hands in the store. You will almost ALWAYS find disposable gloves in the produce area. If you're in a corner fruit stand though you're supposed to let an employee pick and bag your fruit. I believe you can point to certain pieces too and he'll bag those as well. However, if you wanted to eat the fruit immediately you could ask, "uno pera per oggi" which is like saying "one ripe (ready to eat) pear." Exactly what you want out of your Italy trip right! Also, this makes the Ravioli like food Perogi a bit of a pun. They're already bite sized and ready to eat. Perogis are Polish, you can't convince me "Per oggi" and "Perogis" are not related.Les mer