Rick Steves - Rick Steves Italy

ITALY

Travel is intensified livingmaximum thrills per minute and one of the last great sources of legal adventure. Travel is freedom. Its recess, and we need it.

I discovered a passion for European travel as a teen and have been sharing it ever sincethrough my tours, public television and radio shows, and travel guidebooks. Over the years Ive taught thousands of travelers how to best enjoy Europes blockbuster sightsand experience Back Door discoveries that most tourists miss.

This book offers you a balanced mix of Italys lively cities and cozy towns, from brutal but bella Rome to tranquillo, traffic-free Riviera villages. And its selectiverather than listing dozens of hill towns, I recommend only the best ones. My self-guided museum tours and city walks give insight into the countrys vibrant history and todays living, breathing culture.

I advocate traveling simply and smartly. Take advantage of my money- and time-saving tips on sightseeing, transportation, and more. Try local, characteristic alternatives to expensive hotels and restaurants. In many ways, spending more money only builds a thicker wall between you and what you traveled so far to see.

We visit Italy to experience itto become temporary locals. Thoughtful travel engages us with the world, as we learn to appreciate other cultures and new ways to measure quality of life.

Judging from the positive feedback I receive from readers, this book will help you enjoy a fun, affordable, and rewarding vacationwhether its your first trip or your tenth.

Buon viaggio! Happy travels!

BellItalia! Italy has Europes richest, craziest culturebubbling with emotion, traffic jams, strikes, rallies, religious holidays, crowds, and irate ranters shaking their fists at each other one minute and walking arm-in-arm the next. Promise yourself to relax and accept it all as a package dealthe exquisite and the exasperating. If you take Italy on its own terms, youll experience a cultural keelhauling that actually feels good.

After all, Italy is the cradle of European civilizationestablished by the Roman Empire and carried on by the Roman Catholic Church. As you explore Italy, youll stand face-to-face with some of the worlds most iconic images from this 2,000-year history: Romes ancient Colosseum and playful Trevi Fountain, Pisas Leaning Tower, Florences Renaissance masterpieces (Michelangelos David and Botticellis Venus), and the island city of elegant decayVenice.

Beyond these famous cities, theres even more: German-flavored Alps, timeless hill towns, peaceful lakes lined with 19th-century villas, the business center of Milan, and Mediterranean beaches. Italy is reasonably small and laced with train lines and freeways, so youre never more than a half-days journey from any of these places.

Wherever you go, Italys top sights are its people. Theyre outgoing and social. They have an endearing habit of speaking Italian to foreigners, even if they know you dont speak their languageand it somehow works. If a local starts chattering at you in Italian, dont resist. Go with it. You might understand more than youd expect.

Interact with the people you meetin the streets and in the shops.

Italian food is a cut above. If Americas specialty is fast food, Italys is slow foodbought daily, prepared with love, and enjoyed convivially. Three-hour restaurant meals are common; dinner is the evenings entertainment. To eat and run is seen as a lost opportunity. Wine complements the meal; Italy is the worlds number-one wine producer (just ahead of France). For just a quick sandwich or a coffee, Italians stop by a bar. The bars arent taverns, but cafsgood for a light meal anytime, with all ages welcome.

Early evening is the time for the ritual promenadecalled the passeggiataup and down main street. Shoppers, people watchers, families, and young flirts on the prowl stroll and spread their wings like peacocks. You might hear sweet whispers of bella (pretty) and bello (handsome). You can be a spectator, sipping a drink at a sidewalk table, or better yet, join the promenade, with a gelato in hand.

As you stroll, its fun to window-shop. While no longer a cheap country, Italy remains a hit with shoppers for glassware and Carnevale masks in Venice; gold, silver, leather, and prints in Florence; and high fashion in Rome and Milan.

Buon Appetito!

Italian cuisine is sightseeing for your palate. The recipe: Start with fresh ingredients and talented cooks, mix in the owners personality, and add a happy restaurant crowd. Eating in Italy is a joy you cant get anywhere else. Be adventurous, and try the regional specialties and culinary customs. You can eat well, even on a budget.

In Florence and the hill towns of Tuscany, enjoy hearty farmers food: grilled meats, beans, fresh herbs, and high-quality seasonal vegetables. Popular dishes are ribollita, a savory bean-and-bread soup, and bistecca alla fiorentina, a grilled T-bone steak. Forage through Florences gourmet food hall. For light fare, try an enoteca (wine bar), where appetizers and salads are paired with fine wine. For dessert, decide for yourself if Florence really does have Italys most flavorful gelato.

Venetian cuisine features catch-of-the-day fish and shellfish, risotto, polenta, and some exotic choices. Nero di seppia is squid in its own black ink, served over pasta. Tourists are drawn to the pricey, romantic, canalside eateries (Hint: Pizza is the least expensive item on the menu). But I prefer to dine on the cheap, dropping into atmospheric cicchetti bars to munch bite-size appetizers that add up to a fun, tasty meal. Try both!

Trendsetting Milan claims to have created the aperitivo happy houra drink with free appetizersthats catching on elsewhere in Italy. In stylish Milan, even the deli food is photogenic. The most famous dish is risotto alla milanese paired with ossobuco (saffron risotto with veal shank). The Lake District features whitefish on the menu with sublime views included in the cost. In the mountainous Dolomites, the hearty cuisine is Germanic, with pork, game, potatoes, dumplings, and strudel. Passersby will wish you a