Under the fascinating, blue-blue Italian sky lies...it's easier to say what doesn't belong to this wonderful land. Its splendor began centuries ago, sometimes it seems the heart of ancient, mightiest imperia still bangs here, its heredity is everywhere. Just stand in the center of the Coliseum, close your eyes and you'll hear the roar of the crowd, the clanging of gladiator's swords, sounds of old times, feel the whole Italy somehow.
The sent of great people, great deeds left in the streets of Italian cities, the historical centers of which are carefully restored. 30 000 churches and cathedrals, 20 000 castles, 700 museums, galleries and expositions... The country-museum indeed, the country-flower.
Sand beaches with no visible bounds, the azure of five seas, cypresses, smoking volcanoes, peaceful hills and terrifying sheer slopes of dolomite mountains, - there is no kind of scenery, which Italy travel couldn't show you, as well as there are no restrictions for any tourism in this country. Whatever you want, Italy is a place, worth to visit. Hospitable people, relaxing atmosphere, full of love of life (and delicious cuisine of course) make you to do nothing, but enjoy your holiday. Certainly, any Italy travel is unthinkable without travel to Rome, city-treasure, sacred place, the "capital of the world".
To continue, it is not bad to know something useful about Italian shops. Firstly, here is a mini-dictionary of shop names for your Italy travel: "Abigliamento"-clothes, "Profumeria" - perfumery, "Ologeria"- jewelry, "Panetteria" - bakery, "Frutta" -fruits, "Maceleria" -meat, "Pescheria" -fish, "Pasticceria" -destination for sweet-lovers. Usually all of them work on Monday - Saturday, 8a.m-8p.m, nevertheless some shops are open even on Sunday, lunch break is 1p.m-3.30p.m. Frequently small stores take a holiday during the hottest period of a year (middle of August- middle of September).
The cheapest place to buy brand clothes and footwear is Rome: shops of via Del Corso, Gucci and Armani shops in the area of Spanish Stairs, "Valentino" at via Candiotti. Besides it, there are many shops those are not so famous, but not bad at all. Generally, the risk of being cheated is minimal; all the same, foreigners should be more careful. January 7 - March1 and July 10 - August31 - it is the time for season rebates. Unfortunately, it may be no more than the loud words. It is polite to say "buon giorno" (good afternoon) and "buonà sera" (good evening), when entering a shop, as well as taking leave of.
The biggest Italian department stores ("Grandi magazzini") are: "Upim", "La Standa", "Coin", " La Rinascenta", the last ones have the highest prices, but in big state shops prices are often lower than in small private ones, though you cannot bargain there. In addition, prices of electronics are 15-20% more expensive than in Germany. The farther from center, the lower prices are, and they are reduced when moving to the south. If you want to buy the freshest, the tastiest food, it is better to do it at local markets (7a.m.-1p.m.). The phrase "How much does cost" sounds as "Quanto costa?" in Italian.
Search for inscription Tax Free in shops, as the system of tax refund Tax Free gives you the chance to save 15 %, if you are not a member of EU and if you export this article. You just need to show your passport and ask the shop assistant to register your purchase (it must costs no less than 160$) and write the sum that can be refunded. Keep the bill and the receipt and when leaving EU, show them and ask the customer to stamp the bills that you export the good (you must show an article and stamp bills in any case). Then look around, your aim is an office of "Tax Free cash Refund"(usually they are not far from Duty free shops). "Ricevuta fiscale" means bill and because of different checks and fines (and they are often unexpected) it is better to ask for it wherever you spend your money.In conclusion, souvenirs in different cities are different and in other city, you won't find the thing that you like so much in this one.
Italian holidays. To celebrate holidays is always brilliant!
January 1 - New Year
January 6 - Epifania
April 25 - Festa della Liberazione - the day of delivery from Fascism
Good Friday - there is a cross procession from the Coliseum to Palatin Hill
Easter -Pope gives the blessing to "urbi et orbi" at the square in front of the St Peter Cathedral. The same happens on Christmas.
May 1 - the holiday of labor (Festa del Lavoro)
The first Sunday of June - the day of the Declaration of Republic, military parade via dei Fori Imperiali
June 24 - the day of St Peter
June 29 - the day of St Peter and Pavel, the solemn divine worship in the St Peter Cathedral
August 15 - Assumption (Ferragosto)
November 1 - the day of all Saints (Ognissanti).
Italian currency. Euro. The most of restaurants and shops do not exchange money, so it is better to do it at airports, especially when it is a weekend and banks are closed. One should remember that in hotels commissions are higher than in a bank. You can also exchange money at large railway stations (if you are ready to pay about 10%of commissions) or use exchange machines. American Express, Diner's Club, Visa è Master Card are accepted in cities, restaurants and big department stores, but not in small cities or villages. You can find out the course in banks or from the newspapers, it is necessary, as it can vary widely. Cashiers know how much you must pay for the exchange and sometimes you need to pay not the percents, but some fixed sum, it can be more profitable, if you exchange big sums (the maximum is 500$) You also need your passport. It is comfort to use road checks or VISA travel money as well, because in case of lost or theft you can rather easily restore them.
Car rents. Car rental is not cheap, it is a fact. Even a modest car costs not less than 60$. Yellow pages can name you all the agencies. The rules are not difficult. Anyway, you can ask the manager to explain you every comma in the contract. What is important, it is to be sure that the tax was taken from car rental.
Transport. The preferable kind of transport depends on a city, as well as the rules of using. Public buses and trams are rather cheap, but they are minimally effective in Rome because of traffic jams. Tickets-cards are valid for an hour; you can buy them in special kiosks, bars, news- and tobacco-stalls. Bus maps are sold in the information bureau on Cinguecento square in the front of Termini Station. In Tutto Citta you can buy maps of each Rome district.
Metro is very fast and comfortable kind of transport, especially on the long distances. There are two lines of metro in Rome: line A(18km) connects the center with the east outskirts of the city and line B, stretching to the north. Termini is the point of crossing of both lines. Taxi is not cheap, but sometimes it is useful. Additional payment can be taken for night journeys (22.00 äî 7.00), luggage, country journeys or journeys on Sunday or on holidays. It is common to pay without the change, rounding the sum.
Telephone calls. There is nothing special for them in Italy travel: telephone cards, PIN codes, and usual unpredictableness of telephone bound. "Green number", 800970069 are dialed before a Pin code, when making an international call. You can also chose the language after doing it 2-English, 3-Spanish, 4-Japanese, etc. The magic cipher to "go to" city from a hotel is zero, as a rule. Street telephones are widespread in Italy too.
Gastronomy. "Tasty" theme. Cuisine is more than perfect; any true gourmand will not be disappointed . Plenty of snack bars, restaurants, apartments with kitchen - to eat something tasty is your obligation. For the Italians the word pasta not only means macaroni foods, but it is also the synonym to the word "food" itself. A dinner usually begins with the appetizer (fish, vegetable or shrimp salad) and pasta with tomatoes, meet, mushrooms, cheese or eggs and, of course, not without species and herbs. The following dish is spaghetti or rice with different sauces. Soup "minestre" can be offered in the evening and then the main dish is meat or fish with garnish, salad, compulsory olive oil and vinegar. If you love ice cream...the number of different kinds of this wonderful dainty impresses. Every taste and color you can imagine and even more, nuts, exotic fruits, herbs...
Every city has its own cuisine, in Rome taste "abbacchio" (mutton with the rosemary in the sauce of white wine), mozarella cheese , made from the milk of buffalo, Roman roast veal or "cannelonni"(pasta with liver, spinach, eggs and cheese). One of the Roman sights is "Cafe Greco" (via dai Condotti 86), it was founded in 1760, and Stendhal, Wagner, Sophie Loren were sitting at its tables.
The most popular drinks are coffee, red wine "Chianti", aperitif "Campari", and grape vodka "Grappa". Furthermore, you cannot miss the opportunity to taste the refined almond liqueur "Disaronno Amaretto" (1 liter - $15), legendary drink of love known since 1525. And do not forget about famous Italian pizza - with mushrooms, beckon and fish, large, hot, dreadfully delicious and for 1.5-2$ only.
As an addition, if you suddenly have a wish of spending your day as a usual day of true Roman there are some simple rules that can help you in it.
1. If you see a couple, having their dinner about 5 o'clock, there are foreigners generally; the Italians have their dinner much later, about 9p.m.
So to enjoy the society of natives you should find in yourself patience to wait for a night. In any case, it is convenient to book your table beforehand.
2. The order of ketchup for spaghetti will not be greeted, the seasoning of this dish is called "souse" and the word "ketchup" may be even felt as an insult. The dessert is served immediately after the fruits.
3. There are not special rules for clothes, but it is recommended to wear long skirts while church excursions and not to visit museums in your beach dress.
4. The water of geothermal springs can easily make you silver jewelry dark and unattractive, so is not it better to leave them at the hotel?
5. Siesta is a break from 2-4/5p.m. and you hardly ever will find any church, shop or museum, working at that time. However, the best television programs are translated exactly during this period.
6. If you don't want pay double sum for the same order, try not to seat at tables in Italian bars, just eat something at the bar.
7. Some learned phrases in Italian could give you the kindly feelings of serving stuff and local inhabitants.