Category: Shopping

Blowing Noses, Using Bidets and other Italian Customs

5/20/2018

The culture in Italy is very different than in the U.S... especially concerning rules of proper behavior. What is acceptable in the States might be considered disgusting in Italy. What Italians consider as normal behavior, we would never thing of doing at home. Here are a few differences...

Popular tissues in Italy

Blowing your nose in public is perfectly acceptable in Italy. You don't have to hide... you can blow your nose while in the middle of a conversation. In fact, do like the Italians do and start packing tissues wherever you go. And when you have to blow, just blow! Va tutto bene.
Italians never eat on the street while walking along during the normal workday, they never eat in their cars (which at times seems to be an extended part of their bella figura), and wouldn't even consider eating on the Metro. For breakfast, they eat at home or go to a bar for espresso or cappuccino and a sweet pastry. For their 3-hour lunch, they go home for a larger meal. The only times you will see Italians eating outside is at street festivals or sagre, or in certain areas of Italy known for a particular type of street food, like arancini or panelle in Palermo, Sicily. Eating a gelato in public doesn't count against you, though, but Italians usually sit down to enjoy it.
At home, Italians always eat at a table--never on the couch. Families tend to eat their meals together.
Italians don't wear shoes they've worn outside while inside their home--they remove them and put on slippers. They are also very particular what shoes get worn where: shoes and sandals for outside; sport shoes for taking part in sports; flip-flops and rubber sandals for the beach or poolside only; shower shoes for spas/hotel showers; slippers for home. Most Italian homes have a sort of shoe garage... the scarpiera.

Pick up your change

The Nonna next to you in the supermarket will more than likely stop you if you try to pick up fruit of veggies with your bare hands. There are plastic gloves in the produce section for this purpose. It's considered more sanitary.
Italian cashiers do not place your change into your hand. Instead, it's considered more polite to place the change onto a little tray for you to retrieve yourself.
Bread might be used by Italians merely as a scarpetta to wipe up the remaining sauce as they finish their pasta secundo course of a meal. Don't expect bread and butter to be placed on the table at the beginning of a meal. Bread tends to be used as a vehicle in and of itself, for bruschetta, crostini, etc.

Avoiding la colpo d'aria

Italians grow into life respecting their Nonna's warning about avoiding la colpo d'aria (literally, air blow). They fear any breezes or drafts (consider the ubiquitous Italian scarf) that will bring illness: Cervicale (stiff neck), raffredore (common cold), or febbre (a fever).
It's considered polite to use exact change when paying for things in Italy. If you hand someone a €20 note for an €11 purchase, they will likely ask if you have the €11 before giving change for the 20. Get in the habit of carrying coins.
In Italy, unless you've become friendly with someone, don't use "ciao". Instead, address people when leaving or arriving with buongiorno (good day), buonasera (good evening), buonanotte (good night, for late evening before bedtime) or arrivaderci (see you later). You may use a presto (see you soon) or a domani ('til tomorrow) with friends or strangers. Save ciao (bye or hi) or salve (hello) for close friends.
Breastfeeding in the U.S. is still a fairly private thing, and Moms who do it in public typically hide the activity with the use of a blanket or wearable nursing cover. In Italy things are more liberal and you might see mothers breastfeeding without cover in the piazza or parks.

It's Chilly down there

Using the bidet is essential in Italy. It's an integrated part of going to the toilet. Italians couldn't think of not having a bidet to clean their, er... centro storico (historic center) thoroughly. When Italians visit homes in the States, they will tend to take a shower after each and every bowel movement. In Italy, using a bidet is quicker. They use toilet paper after using the toilet, and then straddle the bidet either facing toward or away, depending on which end they are cleaning. They use a special soap for this purpose--Chilly--and water. Patting dry with a towel finishes the process. Both men and women and children use bidets. Hand washing is usually done afterwards. This is part of the bella figura attitude about one's personal appearance and grooming.

--GVI

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Gift Ideas for Italophiles: GVI Recommendations

3/3/2017

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Anytime during the year, you might have to find the perfect gift for the Italophile in your life. It might be for Christmas, an anniversary, wedding, birthday or to mark a special event. I thought it would be a great idea to suggest some of the coolest, classiest and tastiest gift ideas right here--and you don't have to travel to Italy to get them. It's as easy as logging on to your Amazon account.

In Italy, the type of glasses used a tavola for wine in homes and the neighborhood trattoria are simple, stemless tumblers. This set of 4 are simple and casual, just like the Italian lifestyle... just like the kind my Dad used to his uncle's home made wine from.
--on Amazon.

Just about any Italophile in your life would appreciate this 3 pound wedge of iGourmet Parmigiano Reggiano --on AMAZON. If they are really into the King of Cheeses (and if you can afford it), treat them to this 86 pound wheel--just don't be shocked at the price! --on AMAZON.

Who doesn't love Nutella? Well, if your loved one is a real Nutella Nut, how about not one, but two 105 ounce buckets of the stuff? --on Amazon.

Ok, so I like cheese--and while in Italy, I discovered a passion for caciocavallo, a nutty cousin of provolone. Here's a great deal on a 5 pound ball. Tie it to your donkey's back and you're ready for a long winter in the north pasture with your sheep! --on AMAZON.

My wife Lisa loved her red Moka pot so much when I gave it to her last Christmas, that she's still using her old, stained silver one, with the shiny, new red one displayed proudly above our cooktop. It's a 6 cup size and makes the best espresso ever. --on Amazon.

This beautiful Consigli carving set with olive wood handles is what every Tuscan would love to carve his porchetta or wild boar roast. on AMAZON.

To go with the your Moka pot, perhaps the object of your affection would love this hand made, ceramic espresso cup set from Deruta. --on AMAZON.

When we visited the Solimene Ceramica factory in Vietri sul Mare on the Amalfi Coast, we fell in love with their ceramics. Here's a great pasta bowl in their olive design. --on AMAZON.

Aged, imported Balsamic is hard to find... at a decent price. Most are in the $100-200 range for 3-4 ounces. Here's a good compromise, a Modena Balsamico in a 8.45 ounce bottle. It's not 20 year... but 12 years is pretty decent, especially at its low price, and will be way better than the supermarket variety. --on AMAZON.

Every uomo when traveling in Italy needs to have a scarf to keep away those 3 mph breezes that Italians fear so much. (Mama to Giuseppe, "Tighten your scarf or you'll get sick!") A beautiful, supple wool from Biella, Italy tied in that special way.
--on AMAZON.

Ok, I'll admit that when I was in Italy, I did enjoy the occasional street musicians playing tourist style accordion music as we had dinner in a ristorante, but there is more to authentic regional Italian music other than mandolins and Oh Solo Mio. This album gives you the feel of the small villages and remote cultures in Italia. If you're into folk or world music, you'll love it. Digital download or CD --On Amazon.

For the chef on your list, a great olive wood cutting board made from large diameter olive trees. These are imported from Italy. --on Amazon.

If you have a friend who loves Italian wines, then they should love this Italian made, carbon fiber sommalier's corkscrew. I bought in Italy and wouldn't open a bottle of Primativo or Barolo without it. A high quality item. --on Amazon.

If you're fascinated by ancient Roman history, then this series is for you. It's one of the most historically accurate series about the lifestyle, politics, sexuality and culture of the Roman Empire. Not for the faint-hearted, this is a very blunt look at the vulgarity (as we now see it) and violent lives experienced by Roman elites, plebeians and slaves. My wife and I have binged watched this series... it's as addictive as the I Claudius series from years ago. Available streaming or as a boxed DVD set. Not for the kiddies. --on AMAZON.

If you love making your own pasta, try this imported ravioli maker. I Inherited my mother's ravioli pin and still remember her making ravioli for special occasions with it. --on AMAZON.

This "chitarra" (guitar) isn't musical, you make tonnarelli pasta with it--a sort of square profiled spaghetti. Under $40 on AMAZON.

When it's time to take your next Grand Voyage to Italy, keep a record of your travels in this 6x8" Florentine leather journal. Keep photos, notes, sketches and tickets from museums and monuments you've visited. Think of it as an 18th century, analog way to blog.
--on Amazon.

While traveling on the Amalfi Coast, Lisa discovered Limoncello--that heavenly-hellish drink made from the skins of amazingly sweet Sfugo lemons. This version is a bit sweeter than others--more perfumed, too. Keep one for yourself, give the rest to good friends. Remember to sip. It's powerful nectar. --on Amazon .

Another prize we brought back from Amalfi Coast's Vietri sul Mare was a hen version of this wine pitcher. This rooster is decorated in the same joyful, often childish style popular in southern Italy. Decant and pour your wine--the Italian way.
--on Amazon.

Italians celebrate with pizzelles for just about any holiday, especially Christmas and Easter, but they also appear at weddings. Pizzelles are great any time of year dusted with cocoa, sugar or cinnamon... you can even shape them into gelato cones or cups and cannoli tubes! --on Amazon.

One of the best changes I made to my at-home pizza making was to upgrade from a standard ceramic pizza stone to a baking steel. Steel transfers heat more efficiently than ceramic ever could--about 20 times faster. It also bakes more evenly. If you really want a great crust under your pizza, then a steel is the way to go--it's a great investment. Read more about my switch to a baking steel here: Making Pizza: My New Pizza Steel, an Answer to My Problems
--on Amazon.

--Jerry Finzi

If you CARE, please SHARE. Grazie.

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What's Worth Buying When in Florence

2/5/2017

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Leather Sandals Made-to-Order in Florence

To start with, buy one of the wonderful leather and marbled paper journals or sketchbooks to record your Voyage. Not everything has to be captured in digital form, you know. Let the Hemingway in you out and onto the written page.

Everyone (men and women) should come back home with a scarf from Florence, tied in that unique, chic manner. This is one case where "better" or a designer name is not necessarily needed. The street vendors have lots of stylish scarves that are affordable. Haggling (it's expected) for a two-for-one price will be part of the story you'll tell friends when you return home. Look for "Fatto in Italia" (made in Italy) labels, but if you really want a more chic version, you can spend a lot more on one of the many shops. Tip: Ladies should always carry one in case you want to visit one of the many beautiful churches--heads must be covered.

There's nothing like the baby's bottom, soft as a feather, Italian leather gloves. And Florence in the place to get some. Just be sure to find a good shop and steer clear of the street vendors cheap imports.

Florence is a walking city, but luckily, it is also a city with a time-honored tradition of making the world's best leather shoes. You can find shoe merchants everywhere you look. Some will offer custom shoe design, making shoes to fit your feet exactly, while others will have ready made shoes to pick from. The most affordable option is to have a pair of leather sandals made while you wait, with options of color, leather, lacing all selected by you.

Most women would love to buy a Florentine made handbag--if they can afford it. The upscale shops are the safest--and most expensive--option to ensure you're getting high quality leather-goods made in Florence. The street vendors have many handbags imported from China--junk for the tourists made from vinyl. If you want to find a bargain from a street vendor, give the bag (or its strap) a bend and smell it. Leather has an unmistakable scent. Be careful of "bonded leather", which is ground up leather, textured and glued to a fabric base. You can also bring along a BIC lighter and ask the vendor to allow you to do a "flash test"--quickly passing a flame across leather won't hurt it, but vinyl will give off a chemical smell.

I know my boy, Lucas would love to do this if we get back to Florence--making marbled papers. There are stationers who specialize in the making of marbleized papers right in their shops. Some offer demonstrations and will even let you make your own.

Italy has produced some of the most beautiful and desirable fountain and calligraphy pens in the world. In Florence you'll find small shops that might have that perfect pen, fit for your hands to pen your love letters, notes from your Voyage or your next novel.

Tools of the trade in a shop in the Oltrano district

Sculptor at work in the Oltrano

Keep in mind when visiting Florence, that you are in a timeless city with centuries-old tradition of artisan crafts, with many maestri (masters) in each of their specific trade-crafts. Many still work with traditional tools and methods, while others have modernized their techniques to suit the increase in demand from the tourist trade. This is a double edged sword. On one had, it is still possible to find the best traditional leathers, jewelry, linens and more. On the other hand, the casual Voyager to Florence has to be wary of shoddy materials, careless workmanship, outright fakes and forgeries and cheap factory-made imports from China.

  A great way to start your search is to take a stroll through medieval streets of the Oltrarno (“other side of the Arno”) neighborhood, in between Via Maggio and Piazza Pitti. Walk past the vendors on the Ponte Vecchio to the south bank of the Arno and then a bit west. You will sense that you really stepped back in time into the Renaissance discover a literal maze of artisan workshops in the tiny streets--violin makers, bookbinders, gilders, ceramics, tilemakers, mosaics, calligraphers, clock makers,metal-workers, framers and sculptors. Just remember not to go during riposa, when most Italians close up their shops for 203 hours between 2-3 pm. Early morning or later in the afternoon is best. There are also many little piazza with trattoria to enjoy, sit back and just take it all in...

--Jerry Finzi

Jewelry maker in her Oltrano studio

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Under Construction...

1/1/2017

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Beginning in January, 2017, Grand Voyage Italy is undergoing a reconstruction: adding new pages, categories and moving older posts to more appropriate pages. If you can't find what you are looking for in this new Lifestyle page, use the Search Box to help find what you need. Grazie!

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Culture

Blowing Noses, Using Bidets and other Italian Customs

Gift Ideas for Italophiles: GVI Recommendations

What's Worth Buying When in Florence

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