17 Things to Know Before You Visit Italy

Italy is one of the most beloved and visited places on earth. It's gorgeous, geographically diverse, and oozing with culture. If you want to experience it in all of it's glory, there are some things you need to know to make the best of it!


1. Air Conditioning is not as ubiquitous as you'd think it would be in a place where the heat index commonly rises to or above 100F throughout the summer. When booking a home or hotel (many of which are boutique style) in the summer, check to see if A/C is listed.

2. It's safe, but petty crimes like pick-pocketing are prevalent.  You have to be especially careful in tourist hot spots. The area of the Vatican is a target area. The people who do this are experts. Don't keep your phone or wallet in a back pocket, even for a brief amount of time. Also, be careful in restaurants. Don't put anything on top of the table. If you have a wallet in a jacket, don't put the jacket on the back of your chair. If someone asks you to take a survey, asks you a lot of questions, or tries to entertain you somehow, keep in mind it could be a distraction technique.

3. Southern Italy still has a trash problem, but there is still TONS of beauty, charm, and it's worth seeing.  The city of Naples used to have a major problem with trash in the downtown area. It has been recently cleaned up, but it's still an issue, especially in the surrounding areas along the road (particularly along exits of highways). It's a common phrase to hear, "Keep your eyes up, and you'll love it". If you can look past some it, you'll get to know and love the ancient architecture, history, art, and local culture, despite the trash.

4. Leave your beach gear at home; beaches here have it all! There are some public beaches, but your best bet is to find a lido (beach club), which are very common. For a small fee (usually between 5-10 euros a person), you can have a reclining beach bed and umbrella. Lidos have bathrooms, showers, changing rooms, bars and restaurants, and sometimes include things like pools, dance floors, hot tubs, and playgrounds. Vendors walk along the beach with apparel, beach toys and inflatables, snow cones, etc.

5. Understand Riposo. Like Spanish siestas, there is a break in the afternoon, called riposo, in which many small businesses close, including restaurants. It can be difficult to find a place to eat a late lunch in non-tourist heavy areas.

6. No early bird specials! Dinner time in Italy starts late (typically around 730, and that's even considered early). You'll see families roll in to restaurants around 830/9 and stay until 11 or later!

7. You have to ask for your bill. "Il conto, per favore!" is what you say to your waiter for him to bring it. Unlike America, it's not brought to you after the table is cleared. It's not poor service; it's their culture. Also, get used to what you may consider slow service. Italians take their time to eat supper, usually eating several courses while enjoying several bottles of wine!

8. It's true that ordering wine at dinner can be cheaper than ordering water. Take advantage of it! Also, when ordering water, you will be asked if you want regular (naturale) or sparkling (frizzante).

9. You can bring a travel adapter for electronics, but be careful. If you have a device that isn't rated for 220V, it can kill it, trip the breaker (if you stay in a home), or both. Hair dryers use a lot of power, and need to either be dual voltage or you will need a power converter (an adapter doesn't convert).

10. Strikes occur, often without any notice (at least not to tourists). Keep in mind that transportation services could become delayed or canceled due to strikes. For the most part, you can rely on public transportation, but it's wise to plan ahead and have alternatives lined up, or cash ready to take a cab/Uber if needed.

11. The driving (especially in the south) can be intense. There are lines in the middle of the road and stop signs like everywhere else. However, don't be surprised to see them completely ignored. Also, southern Italy is known for more aggressive driving. You'll notice this while going through traffic circles. If you're polite and wait your turn, you may get honked at.

12. Rental car insurance normally covered by credit cars does not apply in Italy. See number 12! ha! You won't have the protection that you may think you have. Be sure to check in advance with your company to see what's covered. You may need to purchase an additional/separate insurance plan just for your stay in Italy.

13. Rental car companies can scam you if you aren't careful. Do not sign an electric document blindly. A common tactic is for the company to email you the agreement AFTER you've signed for it electronically, only to find out they've circled every addition on the contract, and you're then obligated to pay for it. Ask for a printed contract.

14. Most rental cars have a manual transmission. You can find automatic ones, but you may pay a steep price for one. They will be harder to come by during the summer when more Americans visit. Also, larger vehicles are harder to find. Don't expect to get an SUV or American style minivan. If you have more than 5 passengers, you won't have much room at all for luggage in most "7 passenger" vehicles, as the 3rd row usually folds down from the back storage area. If you have ONE large suitcase and 6+ passengers, you'll probably get an industrial style 9 passenger (manual) van.

15. August is like a month long holiday for Italians. Many businesses close for the ENTIRE month! Workers in the inland cities will flock to the coast, so many coastal towns will be in their prime (expect even heavier crowds in them), but if you stay in smaller cities, or inland, beware that a lot of places shut down.

16. Dogs are Everywhere

17. King beds (and even queen) are hard to come by. If you do find an accommodation with king, it's usually two twin beds pushed together.

Packing for the Whole Family: PRINTABLE PACKING LIST!

Here is my new and improved Printable Family Packing List. Please let me know if you think anything is missing, or if reformatting is needed! I tried to organize it in a way that is suitable for most families. It's nice to separate carry-on and checked bags, and also have a list for each person.

- Page 2 offers a checklist for 2 children. If you have more, you can print that page more than once. Page 4 is the baby checklist. Obviously, don't print it if you don't need it!

- This is a basic list. You can cross off what you don't need, and I left space to add items not included.



Packing Tips for Flying:

- I keep my travel-sized sanitation spray, hand sanitizer, plus liquid medicine in a clear quart-sized Ziploc bag and put it on top of my carry-on. All the rest of the medicine/first-aid items are in a bag. After going through security, I put the liquids back in that bag so it's all together.

- Keep your large electronics (iPad type devices) on top to easily get them out while going through security.

- Bringing a water bottle per person is a great idea (so much cheaper to fill up at fountains/in restrooms than buy water all the time), but make sure they are empty before going through security!

- If you have a you have a baby/toddler, it's sometimes easier to carry him/her in a carrier and use a stroller to cart around bags!

- Use packing cubes!

- More tips here.



**Check out my other blog posts. Some are random topics, but I have a couple more on traveling with children.

If you want to know when I post something on this blog (I plan to post some more useful info!), or check out tips I only post on FB, join my little group here! I don't profit from it...I just like to share helpful things. :)

Packing For a Family Trip

Traveling as a family is a lot of fun, but packing for the trip can be daunting.  I have some advice, based on our experiences, on how to make it easier!

We've traveled, as a family as seven, to sixteen countries. We've flown more times than I can count, and have also done several long road trips. Each trip is different when it comes to climate, distance, methods of travel, length of stay, number of destinations, and ages of children. However, there are a few principles that apply to each one, and are keys to what I believe make a trip more successful:

1. Packing efficiently, lightly, and smartly

    - Always check the weather at your destination(s) a week in advance, and keep track of it until you leave.

    - Try to book hotels or homes where you can do laundry. Pack no more than 5 outfits total, per person (including clothes in carry-on, and clothes worn while traveling), and do laundry for longer trips. Be sure to pack a small amount of laundry soap/dryer sheets and coins if you plan to do laundry.

    - Always have a small "first aid" kit, to include pain relievers/children's medicine (in the event of sickness or emergency, you won't want to go out searching for a pharmacy). Use a well-labeled and secure pill box for medication.

    - Use travel-sized items. I recommend 2oz. Toob reusable bottles.  They are pricey, but worth it. These are very durable, well-made, and a good size for the whole family. They make 3 oz. bottles as well.

    - Don't pack items that take up a lot of room, but can easily be bought at the destination (diapers).

      - We pack all clothing and toiletries into one large hard-cased suitcase. Each person has their own backpack with snacks, electronic device, headphones, books, etc. This makes it manageable to travel without my husband. Breaking it up into two smaller suitcases may work better, and it may be beneficial if you stay in multiple destinations, or if weight of the one large suitcase is an issue (for air travel), but it IS possible for a large family to only need one suitcase!
     
     - Always have travel documents, information, and tickets printed and with you, in the case something happens to your phone/other electronic device.

    - Pack a car adapter and air vent phone holder if you plan to rent a car and use your phone as a GPS.

    - Always have some cash on hand. If you travel to a foreign country, you can exchange it. 

Click HERE for a printable family packing list. This is tailored more for a trip by air, but can be used for road trips too. You can always cross off what you don't need and add what you do! 

2. Organization

     - Use packing cubes! Buy one color per person, so you can easily identify to whom each one belongs. Place one whole outfit in each bag (including underwear and socks). I recommend the ones we have, which are from Ebags They come in size small, medium, and large, and slim, and they have a variety of colors. I suggest size small for children outfits, small or medium for women's outfits, and medium for men's. The large ones are useful to put everyone's pajamas in, as well as everyone's swimsuits.

    - Pack a compact backpack to be used for small trips within large trips, or to bring home souvenirs!

    - Put shoes in drawstring shoe bags. 

    - Pack a laundry bag for worn clothes.

    - Don't forget to put your carry-on liquids in clear sealable bag.

    

Watch this video to see the sizes and what fits in each bag. If it doesn't work, try this link. :)

I've written some more recommendations for family travel:

Tips and Tricks for Air Travel with Kids

Tips and Tricks for Air Travel with a Baby

Keeping Kids Entertained While Traveling Without Electronics

Smart People Commonly Make These Grammar Mistakes.

Disclaimer (As always, I have one!  Incorrect grammar is a pretty common pet peeve, but having someone correct you is even more annoying. No one likes the grammar police.  I admit that I'm not free of making grammatical errors, or that I am evenly a remotely good writer. I liken my keen eye for noticing these particular mistakes in the same way I notice when a singer is off-key...yet my singing ability is so horrible that three of my kids cried as newborn infants every single time I attempted to sing a lullaby.

Some will argue that grammar doesn't really matter. As long as you communicate effectively (get your point across), it doesn't make a difference if you incorrectly use a word or an apostrophe. However, how well you write or speak can change others' perception of you.  This is especially true professionally. A report, brief, or argument can lose credibility if not stated well or contains grammatical errors, while a well-crafted one creates the impression of poise and intelligence.

Here are tips for a few common mistakes that I routinely see well-educated people make:

Bring and take

For the use of these words, think of the direction of the object. You ask for someone to bring something to you, or take it away to somewhere else. 

For example:       Please bring a dish to my house for the potluck dinner.       
                            Can you take the bags of trash to the dumpster?

Me, Myself, and I  
Most people correctly use "I" in the subject of a sentence when they are talking about themselves and another person or group. However, it is usually inappropriate to use it at the end of a sentence, and it is commonly misused that way. 

For example:        My husband and I love to travel. This is correct.       

                             This was the first trip my husband and I took while in Europe. This is                                      also correct (even though "I" is at the end). 

**The trick is to consider the sentence without the other person or group. You'd still say: "This was the first trip I took while in Europe". 

That's not the case for the example below:       
                              My mom plans to come on the next trip with my husband and me. 

Many people would say "I" in this case, but it's not correct. If you take out "my  husband", you would not say, "My mom plans to come on the next trip with I."; you'd use "with me". So if you get confused, try that trick!

When it comes to "myself", you can also use the replacement strategy. If you can use "me" or "I", you use those words. You only use "myself" when "I" or "me" do not make sense. 

Examples:              
                                I kept the gift all to myself. (correct)       
                                He and myself will attend the meeting. (incorrect -  use "I")

Also, keep in mind that "she", "he", and "I" go together, and "her", "him", and "me" go together. You shouldn't say "her and I". It is "she and I".

Impact

It's simply not a verb, although it is often used as one. Instead, replace it with the word "affect". If you still get confused by affect and effect, just remember "a" is for action. Effect is a noun.

Unnecessary Apostrophes
1) Years do not have apostrophes.
2) Last names do not have apostrophes when you refer to everyone in a family, and aren't referring to any possession. 
I think the confusion here is from talking about going to a family's home. You would say, "Let's go to the Smith's home". However, if you are talking about the Smith family as a plural noun, not possessive, you say "the Smiths".

Lay and Lie
You lay objects down, but a person or animal lies down to rest. In past tense, it is lay, as awkward as it sounds.       

                                   She lay down all day because she was sick.

Using a comma instead of a semicolon or period

If you have two separate ideas that are connected, try the underused semicolon! Example:

                                   I went to the party; it was a lot of fun. 

You could also just separate them by a period, but you CANNOT combine them with a comma. 

Take this quiz to see if you can apply what you've learned (or already knew)!

**When in doubt, check out a great website like, www.grammarly.com!

Magical Matcha: What Finally Reduced My Panic/Anxiety to Almost Zero

If you, or someone you love, has experienced anxiety and/or panic attacks, I propose a consideration that may possibly help.

Background

In the last 13 years, I’ve struggled with panic attacks and also a more consistent anxiety. Most of this time, I’ve been on various prescription medications, although I have come off of them a few times. Through therapy and some trial and error, I have found some practical coping mechanisms to fight the more debilitating moments. I shared some of these on this “blog” about six months ago.

Ironically, a few weeks after that post, thinking I made some successful stride in overcoming my battle and helping others, I suffered the longest and most intense panic attack of my life. It lasted hours, and I truly felt like I was going to die from it.  An ER visit, Xanax pill, and a new prescription later, I began to feel better, but a lot of residual anxiety continued. All my mind needed was a small trigger, even an unconscious one, for the onset of panic to creep back in. Unfortunately, it didn’t take much at all to start sliding backward, and it kept happening over the next few days and weeks. There weren’t any real-world major stressors occurring in my life to trigger such a severe episode. I racked my brain trying to identify what caused it, but couldn’t place my finger on it. And because the new therapies still didn’t bring me back to my “normal”, I tried a few other changes to get there.

First, I decided to go even further in my discipline of eating. I cut out sugar and alcohol almost COMPLETELY. Yes, it’s very drastic. But there is science to back up that both of those substances can affect anxiety, and after all, I had given up/reduced alcohol several times for my five pregnancies and breastfeeding.  Those measures certainly helped, but I continued to have occasional periods of anxiety and a few panic attacks.  So here’s the kicker, I ignorantly never considered my coffee consumption to be a factor in my mental health. It’s another substance I reduced during pregnancy (although never completely), but much harder for me to live without.  It’s always felt a bit essential to function. I mean, I have five young kids; need I say more? Since I was going full throttle to boost my health though, I decided to try at least lessening my caffeine intake. What I hadn’t noticed until I really thought about it, was that during the time of my horrific panic attack, I had actually been drinking around 2-3 *larger* cups of *Italian* (stronger) coffee. I had gradually started increasing the amount because I was drinking out of some newer 10/12 ounce cups and also didn’t realize how much more caffeine the Italian coffee had in it. Essentially, the amount of caffeine I was drinking crept up over a threshold that my body could withstand.

This realization led me to do some research. It seems obvious that too much caffeine could cause anxiety. Although, I thought too much = a whole pot of coffee. What I didn’t know, is that if you’re biologically predisposed to anxiety or panic (ME!), caffeine can more easily throw you over the edge, and in smaller amounts. Here’s another kicker: as I planned to avoid caffeine withdrawal and wean off of it by replacing coffee with green tea, I made a discovery.  Matcha, a form of green tea which also contains caffeine, can actually be BENEFICIAL as a therapy for anxiety.  It contains much less caffeine, but it also contains some other nutrients that promote health, instead of negatively impact it.

It’s science!

L-Theanine is the name of the substance (an amino acid) in matcha that relaxes your mind. It gives you a sense of calm, improves focus and mental clarity, and increases mood. Also, matcha molecules bind to catechins, which act as powerful antioxidants. The caffeine releases in your body steadily over time to provide SUSTAINED energy – up to 8 hours. So instead of getting the jittery spike of energy with coffee, along with a steep plunge in the afternoon, you get a more constant and consistent boost from matcha.  Feel free to do your own research, and review scholarly articles and studies. 

As with anything promoted with such glowing reviews, huge benefits, and pretty much no negative effects, I approached my little matcha experiment with a healthy dose of skepticism and caution. I have always enjoyed tea, and had cups of matcha with dinner many times when we lived in Japan. I had never tried it consistently, or used it as a replacement to coffee though. So, I ordered some powder online (Amazon), and decided to see if the claims had merit. I began by reducing my coffee incrementally, and replacing it with matcha tea.  After roughly two weeks, I’m incredibly happy to report, I felt a noticeable difference. It’s been over four full months. It’s no longer an experiment; it’s a conclusion (for me, anyway) because, guess what? I have only had THREE panic attacks, and virtually no anxiety in the last four months. That’s less than what I was having per week six months ago. This is the first thing that isn’t in the form of a pill that has made such a positive and significant difference in my well-being. I’ve even been wondering and hoping that I could maybe come off of the medications.

Caution and disclaimer

I am one person with anecdotal evidence that matcha can make such a big difference for anxiety/panic. It may not work as well for others. The greatest part of it though, is that there is no risk in trying. And even if it doesn’t work to treat anxiety or lessen stress, it’s still a very healthy drink with loads of benefits. If you research, you may find LOTS of cure-all claims (some believe it can even treat cancer), so beware of all that. The same thing has happened with essential oils, vitamins, and other substances. There is indeed scientific evidence to back up chemical processes of its ingredients in the mechanism to reduce stress/anxiety though. Also, I can actually back up (anecdotally) the claim that it boosts metabolism. I did manage to lose 10 pounds since I began drinking matcha! Double win!

Q&A

Why matcha and not green tea?

Short answer: it’s the same stuff, in different form. Matcha powder is more packed with the nutrients; a lot more bang for your buck.

What if I hate the taste?

It’s an acquired taste, I must say. It’s a powder, so it’s super easy to use in smoothies. Also, it’s harder to drink in just plain water, you can make it as a latte instead.

Where can I get it?
Japan friends: easy! Others, if you can’t find it locally, you can order it online. I got mine on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Jade-Leaf-Matcha-Green-Powder/dp/B014LT0712/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=jade+leaf+matcha&qid=1556527719&s=grocery&sr=1-2  There are other brands though. Just know that “ceremonial” grade is much tastier/less bitter than culinary grade matcha.  It’s more expensive though. If you just use it in smoothies, culinary grade is fine. It won’t seem like you are getting much, but you only need about ½ a teaspoon per cup, so one bag/can goes pretty far.

How much caffeine is in a cup of matcha?
If you use 1/2 teaspoon per cup, it has 30-40mg of caffeine.  That's approximately 1/3 the caffeine in a cup of coffee.