WELCOME TO OUR BLOG

MEET THE REPORTERS




Four lively young women comprise the Travel Writing: Florence course. In the first photo, they are learning more about wine making and tasting at the Tuscan Wine School in Siena.
Left to right, they are Pamela Birchard, Ashley McHale, Christen Calloway and Kimberly Manning. All are Columbia College Chicago Journalism Department magazine majors except for Christen, who is a Photography major.
In the next photo, La Nazione reporter Francesca Cavini had a working lunch with the American reporters near the newspaper's office in Florence to discuss their final projects, news features on such subjects as graffiti, vegetarianism, a unique street performers festival and the flocks of Americans who journey here to learn to cook real Italian food.

Funicolare

By Nancy Day

Certain steep hillsides in Italy are equipped with funicolari. The one I traveled on was the Funicolare di Montenero, in a village just south of Livorno. When my daughter and I visited in July to escape the Florence heat, we met no other Americans, nor were there any other visitors to our hotel who didn’t get there by car. We took our backpacks on the train from the Santa Maria Novello main station in Florence to Livorno, then took City Bus 2 to its last stop in a Montenero square, right across the street from the entrance to the funiculare. For one euro each (you buy a ticket, just like at the train stations), you are allowed through the turnstile to await the next run of the driver-less cable car, about 20-minute intervals on a weekday. The ride back down is included, and the views from the top are worth it, even if you aren’t staying overnight or hauling groceries, kids or luggage.

I also recommend this quiet hotel, La Vedetta. On weekends, dinner is served al fresco to hotel guests, freshly caught seafood a specialty. It felt as if we were at an Italian villa with our own staff, surrounded by flowers, fresh breezes, and dining by candle light, with a sunset view of the sea.
www.hotellavedetta.it

Italian Dining 101

By Pamela Birchard

After working in U.S. restaurants for a little over five years, I've learned the etiquette of dining out, including what and when to ask for service, and how to leave an accurate tip. Coming to Italy threw me off guard. The range of Italian traditions and practices of dining out changes the way I am used to experiencing a meal.

First off, Italians aren't in a rush when eating. They want to enjoy every last bite. Lunch, or siesta, happens later in the afternoon and is the biggest and longest meal of the day. The traditional siesta was a way for Italian families to spend time together around their busy lives. The market is only open until 14:00 so the freshest bread, vegetables and pastas are purchased in the morning and prepared almost right away.

Around our usual dinner time is when Italians enjoy a snack, or apertivo. Small dishes, maybe even nuts and chips, are provided with a cocktail. It is a social experience, to enjoy the end of daylight before the night begins. This is my favorite time of the day. It is casual and gives you something to hold you over before the real dinner menus are available.

When dining out, the ordering method varies depending on where you go. Locations for food vary from caffeteria to ristorante. A caffeteria is my least favorite, mostly because everything is displayed in front of you and then reheated when ordered. A trattoria is usually a family-owned restaurant, with a limited menu known for the specials of the day. You can order an appetizer, a meat dish and a dessert for around 10 euro.

A pizzeria is known for, well it's pizza, which is usually prepared in a wood burning oven. Small pasta dishes are also available. A ristorante is the highest quality of dining and includes a wide arrangement of dishes, from antipasta, first and main courses, as well as pizzas. A typical antipasta is a salad or bruschetta. First courses are usualy pasta dishes and main courses are usually speciality and meat dishes. Sometimes a first course alone is enough to fill you up.

The surroundings at ristorantes are more sophisticated and offer a bigger wine selection. The smaller places mostly offer their house wine, not the best quality but at a great price. A half liter can cost only 6 euros!

A wine instructor said it's better to spend the couple extra euros on a better wine then continually get the house. A culinary student said most foreigners come to Italy and only get pizza and pasta, so don't be afraid to branch out.

Depending on which level of dining out you choose to experience, especially depending on where you choose to sit, the tip policy changes. Waiters won't bring you a check when they assume you're done, because, once again, Italians want to indulge and enjoy their meals.

TIPS:

When you are ready to leave, simply say "il conto per favore" to ask for the check. Most places include the tip, or even a cover charge if you want to sit. It will say on the menu "servizio incluso" or on the bill you will find a small charge labeled "coverto" for cover charge. It is only necessary to leave a few coins on top of that, usually around 5 percent.

Never pay more that 4 euros for a coffee or gelato if you aren't going to sit and enjoy. If you choose to sit and there is no cover charge, sometimes the higher price makes up for the atmosphere.

A Venetian experience worth the taking

By: Ashley McHale
A trip to Venice would be incomplete without taking the time to ride a real, authentic gondola. The city is infused with waterways that give you the opportunity to gently flow through it and listen to a short history of how the buildings originated.

Riding a gondola with at least four people will be the best way to do it, so your driver can balance the weight and you will be able to divide the cost among a good number of people. The standard price of a ride during the busy summer season is about 100-150 euro for 45 minutes. An Italian student gave us some good advice and said that we should say another driver is giving us a better deal, that way you can bargain with them and get a lower rate.
Taking this advice my group and I were able to have a 45minute ride for 100 euro as opposed to 150 euro. Our driver, Andres, was soft spoken and welcoming reaching out for my hand to let me on his gondola with red love seats and black silk benches.


We sat and relaxed while he took us under the Bridge of Sighs, which was unfortunately under construction, and he told us how the bridge was the last thing for prisoners to see before they were incarcerated. He also mentioned how this is a long told legend as we glided past the dark prison with rod ironed windows and cracking brick walls.

One of my group members asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be singing?” Andres laughed and shook his head, “ You wouldn’t want me to do that,” he said. He then pointed out Marco Polo’s house and said hello to his fellow gondola drivers. The drivers wear the quintessential black and white stripe shirt, straw hat, a great tan and for the most part pearly white smiles. Their charm alone gives you good reason to commit to taking a ride.

FI-PI-LI, Manually

By Pamela Birchard

Florence, Pisa, Livorno: I’ve plotted those destinations and relentlessly head toward them, despite confusing road signs symbolized by arrows and exclamation points, the obvious anxiety of my passengers, the protesting car horns as we lurch forward, whether it’s our turn on the roundabout or not. No stopping us now!

In a packed rental Fiat Panda, the Italian outer bound [Fi-Pi-Li] seemed overwhelming. My only compass is the speedometer and the street names, which I don't understand at first glance. All I know is I must exit at Empoli Oeste. That means west! I'm getting the hang of this. Just drive for an hour and make it to Certaldo, a small countryside town and home to the Mercantia festival.

As my courageous test of driving skills begins, excitement fills my stomach as I switch gears. I reach my first bump in the road, a roundabout, and forget to yield. Cars come from behind me, to the right of me, and in the meantime I’m looking out for the ones ahead of me. It was 20:00 after all, traffic continued throughout and everyone on the road headed for a different exit, crisscrossing madly.

The passengers’ alerts exclaiming, “watch out!” and “turn here!” shake my senses, and I accelerate quickly, jerking forward. At least we survived the first left turn.

Until a fancy, more familiar European car honks loudly at me. This Mercedes must have been within a meter of my brake lights. My chair and my foot are as forward as they can be. The poor Fiat will not go fast enough. Go! Go! is what the honks yell. To swerve or to stay, I guess I am in the left lane after all.

How can they get away with driving this fast? Since the police rarely speak English, I just took advice from the receptionists at both the Europcar rental and tourist information offices. They both recommend not driving within Florence. On the “outer routes” the speed limit is 90 km even though at 110 km, cars still zoom by me.

Finally getting off FI-PI-LI at Empoli, since I didn’t need to reach Pisa or Livorno, another roundabout points me in an unfamiliar direction. I stall. My first mistake, then grinding gears in fear of more horns and tail gates. The road becomes narrow and empty, with trees on either side.

At last, an affirming sign, no need to reverse. I know the cracks and humps in the road keep me at a steady speed. It is bumpy and dark and I am concerned for the other riders and drivers. But it is a straight transition into the town and next thing you know, we’re there. Let the Mercantia festivities begin. I park and lift the brake.

Coming back, well after midnight,I watch out for one ways that look like two ways, roadblocks, and blind spots, particularly from those on Vespas. Pedestrians roam aimlessly and parking spots are hard to come by.

The rental process seemed pretty straightforward. The agent let us park the Fiat at the shop. To rent a car, you must be 18 years or older, but if you’re not 25 or over, you must pay an extra 12 euros. Insurance was 30 euros, and as long as I didn’t go over 100 kilometers, the total price was 104 euros, since I was an Italian resident. They provided us with a map and directions, even though for an additional 30 euros, GPS would have been nice.

Necessary Accessories

By: Ashley McHale
Shopping for clothing and accessories in Italy can be a little intimidating, considering Italians hold fashion in such high regard. Going with my preconceived notions of fashion I think it is smart to purchase a few staple pieces,interchangeable and affordable.

After arriving in Florence and seeing the sleek, flowing styles worn by the locals made me immediately want to go shopping and use their trends as my influence. I started small by picking up a belt in the leather market. Leather is worn by nearly every Italian I see, whether it be a belt, shoes or a bag. Genuine Italian leather is a common commodity in Florence but finding the right stand with a reasonable price is key.

I had been seeing statement belts warn on the high waist in a variety of colors. I loved how flattering they looked on the women I had seen and knew I needed one. I chose a neutral color so that it would match a few tops and dresses, that way I could get a lot of use out of it. It was only 10 euro and great quality.

Accessories are my favorite thing to shop for because you can wear some almost everyday, whereas your favorite dress or top can only be worn every so often. Keeping that in mind, I continued my quest for fine Italian accessories. I next purchased a black leather bag at a small shop down the street from the leather market. It has excellent quality and can be worn four different ways. It's a medium-large size and was 60 euro.


All I can look forward to now is wearing my authentic accessories at home and wait to be asked, "Where did you get that?" And say, casually, " Oh I bought it in Florence."

Sculptures: the Perfect Models

By: Christen Calloway

Art is abundant in Florence, especially sculptures. Michelangelo’s sculptures are the perfect models for sketching because they never move. I particularly enjoyed drawing David at the Accademia and Night of the tombs of the Medici in the Medici Chapels connected to San Lorenzo.

One afternoon, I buy a soft graphite pencil, eraser, and pencil sharpener at the art store down the street and go to sketch David. There are always open chairs or benches surrounding the massive ill-proportioned man, and you can see him even if there are thousands of people in the museum. I sit in between a mother and her son in an empty chair, the son curiously watching me as I timidly draw David’s torso, not used to having an audience. Several people change seats by the time I leave, each interested in my sketch and trying to steal photographs of the statue; no photos are allowed.

A few days later I go to the Medici Chapels to draw. Tourist rarely visit this museum and it is crowd free at all hours of the day. Alone most of the time, with the exception of the guards, I turn the forms of the female Night’s masculine arm.

Sketching or drawing the art you see in Florence is a good way to study the art here, it makes you concentrate on every detail of the sculpture or painting and really understand it. I never realized that Michelangelo emphasized David's proportions by making his hands gigantic until I sketched him. It is hard not to get artistic in the heart of the Renaissance with great masters work around every corner.