Gli Italiani - 15 things I've learned

Being back in Italy for summer reminded me of some of my favourite quirks of Italian culture. They make up many of the reasons why my love for Italy and all it's foibles will never fade, and to my surprise I've even begun living by some of these rules myself...

1. Wet hair equals mortal danger

Or at the very least a seriously bad cold, which may turn life-threatening. Just don't leave the house with wet hair. Don't even walk around inside the house with wet hair. Don't even wash your hair if you can help it. Just don't do it.

2. Pizza, Pasta and Nutella

The three staples of the Italian diet. Nothing else is needed to live a long and healthy life.

3. Why drive if you can take a scooter?

It may be pouring with rain, with winds of 100 mph, but you'll still get there quicker on a motorbike. Just pop on your waterproofs and helmet, and you're good to go.

4. Coffee

Coffee to the Italians is like tea to the English. In other words, absolutely essential.

5. Everything is beautiful

You’ll never need any other adjective because 'bella/bello' will suffice. (If something is extremely beautiful, maybe you can stretch to 'bellissima/o'). I have heard all of the following described as 'beautiful' in my time here: lunch, dinner, back flips, TV programmes, music (including Jason Derulo's 'Talk Dirty To Me'. Yes, really), and anything else you can imagine which the English may, at a stretch, refer to as 'quite nice.'

6. Heavy Rain equals No School

Haven't revised for that test? Don't worry, because if there's heavy rain around, there's a chance your school may not be opening anyway (as actually happened in 2015).

7. Rain (also) equals England

If you're English, expect Italians to assume that it rains every single day in England. (In fairness, there are 1078 more hours of sunlight per year in Rome, compared to London, so maybe they have a point).

8. Road Safety

Most taxis won't have working seatbelts in the back. Don't be alarmed, this is totally normal. I'm the kind of person who panics if I don't have a seatbelt on for two seconds in England. In Italy, I quickly got used to going without.

Incidentally, it is possible to squeeze six people into a tiny fiat punto to drive six hours from Rome to Venice. I know this because I was one of those people.

9. Black is the new Black

Especially in winter. Don't bother with any other colours, you'll immediately be marked out as a straniero/a (foreigner)

10. Saying Goodbye

Italians are kind, generous, and drive everywhere. Therefore, they will often insist on driving you home - just don't expect to get home any time soon. The car will be parked at least a twenty-minute walk away. They'll probably have at least three errands to run on the way. And you'll have at least ten hands to shake, and twenty cheeks to kiss, before you can even think about leaving.

Don't even think about exiting with a casual wave and a loud 'Ciao!'. To do so would be the height of rudeness, and you'll never be invited anywhere else ever again. My advice is - if you can get home within a twenty-minute walk, start walking.

11. Swimming & Stripping

Italians love to swim. They see nothing tedious in staying by the sea all summer. We once took a boat over to Isola d'Elba, and stopped in three different spots just to go for three different dips - in the same sea. Don't get me wrong - it was beautiful. But once I've been in once, I'm kind of done for the day.

And they have no qualms about stripping off. I love Italy, but I was born and raised a prudish Brit. Consequently, I save taking my clothes off in public until the last possible moment. If there’s a towel/tree/seat I can hide behind, even better. Plus, I fail spectacularly to become ‘abbronzata.’ My pale skin brightly reflects the sun’s rays, and even after the entire summer people can still spot me a mile off; a white fantasma among a sea of bronzed arms and legs.

12. Fat

Calling someone fat in Italy is not, as I have gathered, a taboo. Italians say ‘ah you’ve put on a bit of weight,’ or ‘you’re a bit fatter since I last saw you,’ in the same way that we might say ‘ah, you’ve had a haircut,’ or ‘new shoes?’. However, as far as actual fat is concerned, Italians are far from it. They eat pizza, pasta and ice cream all day (seriously) and still manage to be one of the slimmest nations in Europe.

13. Bread

Bread, bread, bread. They can’t get enough of the stuff. A sliced loaf of bread will usually accompany any lunch or dinner. And there was one other thing my English friend living in Rome reminded me recently. ‘Rosie,’ she whispered over Skype, ‘they eat mouldy bread.’ I had completely forgotten about it, but it’s kind of true. Although they will draw the line at blue mould. Stale bread is still good bread. Stale bread with the white beginnings of mould is still good bread. So eat up.

14. Snacking

They’re not so big on snacking. Unfortunately, I am. I’m like Hannah Horvath from Girls. I need to eat roughly every two hours or I crash. Not so in Italia. For example, you might have lunch at 1pm, followed by dinner at 9pm. That’s a whole eight hours without eating. Sure, you might have a piece of fruit to get you through the afternoon. But what’s an apple here and there ever done for a growling stomach? Not a lot. (I think this could be one reason why all the stale bread gets eaten at dinner time.)

15. You'll never have more fun

Italians are one of the warmest, friendliest, (not to mention good-looking), groups of people on the planet. They may have a reputation for driving like maniacs, or speaking more with their hands than their tongues, but you won't find a country of people more hospitable, or with a greater appetite for life. (And for food, obviously). If reading this blog has made you consider hopping on a plane to Italy, what are you waiting for? Vai!

Rome Round-Up: June 2016

A quick update on the latest news from Rome...

Rome Elects New Mayor

Virginnia Raggi has been elected as Rome's new, and first female, mayor in a historic victory for the anti-corruption party Movimento Cinque Stelle (Five Star Movement).

Raggi takes office after former mayor Ignazio Marino was forced to resign following an expenses scandal and a widespread belief that he was unfit to tackle corruption in the city

The new mayor, who wants to make the city of Rome 'liveable' again, has stated that her priorities include improving the management of municipal services such as transport and rubbish collection.

Pope Francis - Church Should Apologise to Gays

Pope Francis has said that the catholic church should apologise to gay people for the way it has treated them. He told reporters earlier this week that the Church had no right to judge the gay community and should show them respect.

He also stated that the Church should apologise to other groups it has 'exploited' and marginalised such as the poor, women and children.

Italian Restaurant Crowned Best in the World

Chef Massimo Bottura

Italy's 'Osteria Francescana' was crowned world's best restaurant earlier this month at an awards ceremony in New York. The restaurant in Modena, run by chef Massimo Bottura, is the first Italian establishment to win the annual accolade.

'Our job is about art work,' an emotional Bottura told the ceremony, 'it's all about our work, in the kitchen everyday to work and succeed.'

The judging board praised Bottura for his twists on traditional ingredients, saying in particular that he crafted Parmigiano Reggiano into 'forms and textures most diners will never have previously experienced.'


Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston Spotted in Rome

New celebrity couple #Hiddleswift, were spotted sightseeing at the Colosseum on Monday, before going for a romantic Italian dinner. It's not the first time that Rome has been host to high profile celebrity couples this year - last month Kim Kardashian and Kanye West celebrated their two year anniversary in Rome at the premiere of Sofia Coppola's opera La Traviata.

Kardashian & West in Rome last month

Vintage Shopping in Rome

I was back in Rome again in January, and decided to re-visit all my favourite vintage shops and markets. Want to know where to find the best bargains? Read on...

Borghetto Flaminio
(Piazza della Marina, 32)

This market takes place every Sunday on Via Flaminia, close to Piazza del Popolo. It costs less than 2 euros to enter, and is definitely worth the small entrance fee. The market stalls are crammed with vintage jewellery, fabulous fur coats, second-hand designer clothing, books, knick-knacks, and basically anything the vendors have found in the back of their closet.

The quality ranges from high-end labels like Chanel and Dior, to second-hand make-up of questionable origin. If, however, like me you are a bit of a magpie and drawn to anything covered in glittering jewels, I highly recommend.

I've found many a bargain here, including this red top (3 euros) and necklace (5 euros), and most recently some lovely earrings (8 euros)

Rechicle
(Piazza dell'Unita, 21/Via dei Gracchi, Prati)


I went to Rechicle to interview owner Annalisa for Rome based magazine Mangiare e Vivere (read the interview here), where I spent a lovely hour admiring the many designer labels on offer. This store is full of beautifully crafted, unique items from the '20s-'70s; you can find anything from Prada shoes, Armani shirts, to Chanel handbags. One client even came in selling a real leopard fur coat.

King Size Vintage, Monti
(Via Leonina, 78/79 & Via del Boschetto, 94, Rione Monti)

Monti is home to a number of vintage shops including King Size Vintage, where I purchased a beaut leather backpack that I still use every day (55 euros).

The goods at King Size are all genuine vintage from the '40s-'90s, without so many labels. The range of items available is great, and they're more affordable than some of the designer goods sold at other vintage stores in Rome.

Mercato Monti
(Via Leonina, 46)

Mecarto Monti, a market selling jewellery, clothing and artwork from local designers and artists is based right next to Metro Cavour. It's on every Saturday and Sunday between September and June, and well worth a visit, even if just to browse.

Buon shopping!

A Very Italian Christmas - Five Traditions From Italy

Thinking of celebrating Christmas with an Italian twist this year? There are a number of ways that Italian celebrations differ from ours. Their Christmas season starts with a national holiday on 8th December, and finishes with the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th. Here are five of their most popular traditions:

L'Immacolata Concezione

The Italian Christmas season begins with a celebration of the Immaculate Conception (L'Immacolata Concezione) on 8th December. This is a national holiday in Italy with schools and offices closed across the country.


The Nativity Scene

Italian families traditionally recreate their own nativity scene in their home, alongside the Christmas tree. This usually features not only the stable and manger, but lots of farm animals and other figurines too. One important addition is left until midnight on Christmas Eve though - the baby Jesus.

Nativity Scene in Naples

Panettone & Pandoro

Forget Christmas pudding, these are the traditional cakes of Christmas in Italy. Huge in size and dry in texture, I can't honestly say I'm a huge fan. But who am I to argue with tradition? After all, we tuck into the equally questionable brussels sprouts and turkey every year over here.

Christmas Panettone

Christmas Eve Dinner & Midnight Mass

No meat is eaten on Christmas Eve in Italy, instead Italians tuck into fish, usually followed by a trip to Midnight Mass. Abstaining from red meat (and sometimes dairy) comes from the Catholic tradition of fasting the eve before a celebration. In Italian-American communities in the USA, this tradition has morphed into the 'Feast of the Seven Fishes,' in which seven or more different fishes are eaten on Christmas Eve.

Midnight Mass is another popular tradition, with many families heading down to their local church at midnight to take part. The Vatican also holds a Midnight Mass every Christmas Eve, however the event is so popular that they recommend booking (free) tickets 2 - 6 months in advance!


La Befana

La Befana is a kind, old witch who brings children presents on January 6th, the day of The Feast of the Epiphany.

The story of La Befana has its roots in Roman times, in which La Befana was seen as a Mother Nature-type figure who flew over the crops on New Years' Eve, in order to encourage a good yield the following year.

In the Christianised version, La Befana is an old lady who helps direct the Three Wise Men to baby Jesus in Bethlehem. However, despite their insistence, she turns down the offer to travel with them. She later regrets her decision and travels across the country to try and find them, giving sweets to little children along the way in the hope that one of them is the baby Jesus.

Nowadays, in an echo of modern Father Christmas, La Befana is said to come down the chimney via her broomstick. She leaves stockings  filled with sweets outside the bedrooms of good Italian children. Bad luck for any naughty children though - they receive only lumps of coal.

La Befana, the kind witch of Christmas

Isola del Giglio

You can find Isola del Giglio in the Tyrrhenian sea, ten miles from the Tuscan mainland. In 2012 this small, unassuming island shot into headlines around the world when the Costa Concordia capsized and sank off its coast. The wreck of the Concordia was a figure on the Giglian coastline for the next three years (and I took a very distant photograph of it here).  In 2014 the ship eventually completed a complicated re-flotation process and in its final days was towed to Genoa to be scrapped. The coast of Giglio is now unspoiled and serene once again, and this year I was lucky enough to visit the island itself.

Port of Giglio

Giglio only has 800 permanent inhabitants who stay throughout the winter, but in the summer the island comes alive under the scorching hot sun. The port is the first thing you'll have a wander around when you're fresh off the boat. It's a lovely, colourful hub of island life, full of ice cream shops, bars and pizzerias. 

Perched atop this rocky island is Giglio Castello, the only town on the island. It dates back to medieval times and is characterised by its fortress like walls. Today it is home to 500 of Giglio's permanent inhabitants.

The castello is only navigable by foot, being made up of paved narrow streets which are frequently adorned with potted plants, street art, and independent craft shops. Sitting as it does right on top of Giglio, the castello provides some spectacular views of the surrounding island and even the mainland in the distance.

The old lighthouse, facing Monte Argentario

Giglio Campese

We spent a lovely day in the sun exploring all Giglio has to offer, and then it was time to take the boat back to our own little corner of Tuscany, in Monte Argentario. 

Piscina at Cala Moresca (Giglio in distance)

Sunset over Isola Rossa

The sea here is also ideal for snorkeling and cliff jumping

I didn't think I would get the chance to come back here after my year living in Rome came to an end, so it was wonderful to be able to explore this part of Italy all over again. Now I am back on the grey, cold streets of London, busy saving for my next trip to Italian soil!