ITALY TRADITIONS
In the United States, New Year’s Day is the climax and the end of the Christmas holidays while in Italy we have an extra bonus – so to speak – of about a week. On January 6 we celebrate the Epiphany, a Christian celebration that symbolizes the Three Kings’ arrival at the Baby Jesus’ manger, and that only recently has been officially recognized as a national holiday.
DRINKING WATER IN ITALY
Italy has an abundance of mountain springs that have provided the local populations with water for the longest time. Some of these springs actually flow with either naturally still or naturally sparkling water. If you enter an Italian supermarket, you will undoubtedly notice an entire aisle dedicated to tens of different water brands, mostly bottled at source in plastic bottles, then sealed and wrapped up in a cellophane package of 6 units each.
NEWS
The man stood stark naked in front the painting. He contemplated it first, then stared at it transfixed. He then slowly began to re-enact the scene: he mimicked the pose, then spread rose petals all around him. “The Birth of Venus” by Sandro Botticelli portrays the goddess naked on a shell on the seashore; the serene beauty of the nature surrounding her is an ode to her very beauty, the winds gently caressing her hair, the meadows sprinkled with violets, symbol of love.
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Sicily is a world unto itself. While other countries speak to you directly, this island, like its dialect, is complex, polychrome, and varied in shapes and tastes. Everything, from the blinding sunlight down to the locals, is more intense than elsewhere, and perhaps not just one visit will be enough for someone to understand it.
Here is a list of things to do before your departure.
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The Pantheon in Rome is one of the most famous monuments of the city and perhaps the most enigmatic building in Italy. This splendid church dedicated “to all the gods” was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus (27 BC – 14 AD) and was finally completed in 128 AD by the emperor Hadrian. This makes this amazing construction one of the oldest examples of architecture we have on our planet today. Built about two thousand years ago, it is still there!
THE ART OF COOKING
Taking a cooking class while on vacation in Italy is very popular among travelers, who often choose to take part to one and couple it – say – with a nice wine tasting or a fine (hopefully!) dinner, that they themselves will have prepared following their chef’s instructions.
SEASONAL FESTIVITIES
I Mercatini di Natale (Christmas Markets) are a big tradition in Europe and Italy hosts many of those in either big cities or small villages. They may last for a couple of days to a month or even go on after Epiphany on January 6th.