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When traveling in Italy, it’s easy to go to the many tourist sites, such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Coliseum, the gondolas in Venice, or the Vatican. While it’s important to catch some of these sites during your vacation, they can be busy and crowded, and you may just return home feeling like you didn’t get the rest you needed. Take some time to really live in Italy as if you are a local. Stop and smell the flowers, savor your food, and explore places other tourists might not go.
Eat well during your stay
Throw your diet out the door and savor the amazing food that Italy has to offer. Every culture has mealtime rituals, and in many European cultures, mealtime is more about community and relationship than about physical sustenance. Eat slowly, letting the array of flavors bless your taste buds. Cookery holidays in Italy are another way to allow your taste buds to taste the best of what Italy has to offer. Learn how to cook like the Italians do and go back to the states with some new tasty recipes up your sleeve!
After all of that eating and cooking, if you’re feeling guilty about overindulging remember you’re on vacation, or take a long, leisurely, winding walk after dinner. Combine some of your meals with delicious red wine, and desserts should be accompanied by rich, dark Italian coffee.
Remember to slow down
We all know that vacation goes way too fast. Schedule a few days into your visit to do simple, leisurely things. Take a few days wherein you make the conscious effort to open your senses and really drink in what Italy is all about. See, taste, hear, smell, and touch. If you’re an artist, take some time to write, paint, or draw. If you don’t consider yourself an artist, still take some time to tell a friend about what you’re seeing. One of the most amazing things about travel is experiencing a place through new eyes like a child would. Go for a walk and spend a few hours sipping coffee or wine at a streetside café to truly enjoy the sites.
Go on an adventure
Go off the beaten path and enjoy an adventure. Many Italians speak English but don’t be afraid to attempt to speak Italian. It’s part of the experience. Ask someone at your hotel front or another local which parts of the city are unsafe. It’s also important to make sure you know exactly where you’re staying. Stay away from unsafe areas, but in the safe areas of the city, take a walk through the winding streets, giving yourself enough time to pause and experience beautiful life as it really happens, day-by-day, for everyone in this beautiful place.
April Yap
Thursday 16th of June 2016
I was so amazed when I saw the Tower of Pisa in Italy, It so old but very nice and very interesting place.