I can’t really remember how I first met Micheal, but I’m sure it was a twitter’ this or a Facebook-that introduction that led to email chats and the eventual revelation that my new friend was a kick-ass rock star (in the purely classical sense, that is).

I don’t know why his talent surprised me – the world is full of performers and surely, they, too, have friends, but about a minute into his Hallelujah video (released earlier this year) I realized Micheal was the real deal.

The Extravergine album reached #1 on the Amazon sales chart during pre-sells and it is geared to be one of the best Italian-language albums of the season, so add a little Italy to your Christmas season this year and grab a copy.

But don’t just take my word for it – head over to Amazon.com now and listen to some sample songs. My personal favorite – in either English or Italian – is #3, “Battel Nel Cuore, Suona Natale” (Little Drummer Boy) but “Gloria in Excelsis Deo!” runs a close second.

So, seriously, go listen to some of the songs, order a copy and then come back and tell me-either here or on my Facebook Page – which song is your favorite.

Happy Listening and Buon (early) Natale!

Are you heading to Calabria? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip.

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How much Calabrian history has been lost to the hands of time and how much is left to be discovered? This was the question that popped into my head after attending a lovely lecture by Dr. Francesco Vizza held on the terrace of the local museum in Ciro’ Superiore, Calabria this August. He talked about Luigi Lilio, possibly the most famous citizen ever to live in Calabria (except maybe Pythagoras), who was forgotten somehow over time. Who knows how this was possible since he made such a major contribution to society! This illustrious astronomer and mathematician created what is known as the Gregorian Calendar in the 1500′s, though it should be known as the Lilian Calendar. We are still using this calendar today.

In the mid 1500′s, Pope Gregory the XIII had a problem – the calendar wasn’t behaving as he wanted it to. Everyone was using the Julian calendar at the time. That was fine except that, due to some miscalculations for how long it took the Earth to revolve around the sun, the calendar dates were changing every year. Among other problems, this meant it was hard to follow the Bible’s rules about when Easter should be. The Bible states that Easter would be on the Sunday following the full moon following the Vernal Equinox (learn more here). Considering that the Julian Calendar wasn’t calculating the moon’s movements correctly, this wasn’t working out.

The Pope sent out word that all of the best astronomers and mathematicians had to solve this problem, not necessarily for the sake of a correct calendar that respects the moon’s movement, but more for this annoying little Easter date issue. He created a committee to solve it. Luigi Lilio’s grand discovery was that there were a few numbers missing in the number of days it took for the Earth to revolve around the sun, and solved the problem. He advocated for three common years followed by one leap year to make up for the difference, plus a complicated discovery about the epacts (age of the moon) that helped solve the Easter date mix-up.

Here is Luigi presenting his work to the committee. Note the man on his right who is counting on his fingers!

One of the most fascinating component’s of Lilio’s work was what he didn’t have at his disposal at the time. No telescopes, as those were brought from Northern Europe later on in the 1500′s and famously used by Galileo. He was also theoretically calculating these extremely complicated movements of the moon before the decimal point was discovered! Many say the decimal point was “discovered” by Scottish mathematician John Napier in the late 1500′s, but there is some doubt that maybe Luigi Lilio was already using it when he was making his calculations for the new calendar. If he did already know about it, the proof would be in his manuscripts, but only some have been recovered. Some think the rest of his manuscripts are located in the Vatican library which is not open to all scholars.

Let’s hope that someday one of the historians trying to remind Calabrians about their famous ancestor gets to enter the library and find out what else Luigi Lilio discovered.

This post was written by Michele Connors, my Calabria-spouse counterpart who blogs at Mignon Potenza. Visit her site there for more great stories about expat life, Italian food, wine and more.

Would you like to find out more about your relatives in Calabria? Click here to see how we can help.

Personally I’m a long-time Telecom client, myself. Noooooo …. not because their stellar customer service merits any such loyalty, but rather because they have a kick-ass calling plan that allows me to call unlimited landlines in the US, Canada and across Europe for €10 a month.

But still, I thought, I have to pay when I call cell phones in the US and more and more people are ditching their landlines, so having a fair-priced standby calling card never hurt. Right?

Right.

The guys at Enjoy Prepaid sent me a $20 credit back in May. I usually shy away from calling my family on their cells but with this nifty new card I’ve been able to call them and while I haven’t chatted at length, it’s been nice to be able to easily and inexpensively get in touch. I’ve used it to touch base with clients and for lengthy consultations … and I still have more than half of it left.

However, that’s not the best part.

While their cards do have decent rates-currently between $0.01-$0.03 per minute to call landlines in the US from Italy (currently $0.025 to call cells!), what I am really enjoying about the card is the ability to send text messages world-wide.

Depending on your plan (I have the Emerald Plan) it is free to send 160-character text messages to any cell phone-anywhere in the world.

Your friend on the other end won’t see your name or number as the sender (unless you purchase a virtual number with them) but just tell them “Intl Calls” is really you and you’ll be set. I’m also still trying to determine if you can receive texts from them – but I don’t think you can.

With all of their fun, Skype-like features, though, I found Enjoy Prepaid a little hard to follow. Yes, the calling card feature is fool-proof but to be able to call or text from your PC you have to download their software and there is a lot of activity and clutter on their homepage, which could make it difficult to quickly find what you need.

I’m not sure what overwhelming needs Enjoy Prepaid can meet that aren’t currently being met by online chat and Skype but I hope the best for them.

All in all, I’m *very* happy with the plan they sent me and if you’d like to try it – they are giving away free 15 minute trials to all new customers.

Enjoy and Happy Fourth of July, Americani!

Are you heading to Calabria? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip.

Here are five Calabrian travel tips that will help you make the most of your trip to southern Italy.

1. Properly Pack your Day Bag
Most people use some sort of day pack when they are traveling and having one in Calabria is definitely a good idea. However, as opposed to major cities where you can easily pick up something you forgot, you’ll need to pack everything you need, while keeping you bag as light as possible. A few things I always have in my bag are Tylenol or other medications, tissues, chap stick, water, light snacks, my camera, an ID, wallet and coins. If you are carrying a guide book, tear out (or make copies) of the pages you need and leave the heavy books at home.

2. Carry Sunscreen and Mosquito Repellant
Speaking of what to put in a day bag, you should also be armed with sunscreen and mosquito repellant. The skeeters are fierce around here-as is the sun. So make like a boyscout and be prepared!

3. Wear good socks and comfortable shoes
Unless you plan to get to a beach and stay there, you’ll likely do a fair amount of walking during your Calabria vacation. Many of the villages have uneven brick streets and the lungomares are unfriendly to tired feet. Wear good socks and comfortable shoes to avoid getting blisters.

4. Pack your own beach towel
If you are staying in a hotel or B&B that is *on* the beach they might have towels available for you to use. Or they might not. Pack your own beach towel or plan to buy one-a nice souvenir of your trip perhaps?-from one of the strolling salesmen on the beach.

5. Don’t Over-plan your Itinerary
It is true that Calabria is less touristy than other parts of the bel paese, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be crowded. In the summer, the beaches fill up with northern Italians, Calabrians who have “come home” for the summer and the locals who wait all year to hit the beach. If you over-plan your itinerary, you’ll likely get stressed by slow-moving traffic or transportation delays and you’ll feel rushed and frustrated throughout your trip. If you aren’t sure if you’ve planned the best itinerary, then the Trip Doctor itinerary review service - just $100 when you are spending thousands on a vacation – can give you peace of mind and ensure you are making the best possible decisions for your southern Italy trip.

Are you heading to Calabria? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip.

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Sardinia, spelled Sardegna in Italian, is a far-flung southern Italian island that is a water enthusiast’s dream. The island is great for sailing, diving, snorkeling and swimming and features the intriguing Nuraghi beehive-like, UNESCO World Heritage Site dwellings, Roman ruins and ancient castles. Its eight provinces are Sassari, Nuoro, Cagliari, Medio-Campidano, Carbonia Iglesias, Ogliastra, Olbia and Oristano.

Are you heading to southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip.

Photos: Thumbnail, Polisblog; other photos McLaren Clan, yoyntl, imagea, ciao yvon and ozzadavies all via Flickr.

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Abruzzo is the closest southern Italian region to the Eternal City and makes an easy day or weekend trip from the nation’s capital. Abruzzo is particularly celebrated for its national and regional parks that cover roughly 2/3 of the region. The four provinces are Chieti, L’Aquila, Pescara and Teramo and its nicest cities include Pescasseroli, Sulmona and Castelli.

Are you heading to southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip.

Photos: Thumbnail, Il Capoluogo; other photos Gigi62, kinitta, Gigi62, Qbic and toprural all via Flickr.

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Located just north of Campania and Puglia, Molise is Italy’s newest region, only splitting with neighboring Abruzzo in 1963. It has two provinces, Campobasso and Isernia and its most interesting towns are Campobasso, Termoli, Oratino, Agnone and Troia. In no particular order, here are five beautiful photos of Molise.

Are you heading to southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip.

Photos: Thumbnail, La Bellezze d’Italia; other photos Renatela, Gerhard Palnstorfer, Fedeabmo, inaki_naiz, Renatela all via Flickr

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Campania is the most-traveled region in southern Italy and with its anarchic capital city, hidden bays and breathtaking views, it is easy to see why travelers love this region. Campania has five provinces, Caserta, Benevento, Naples, Avellino and Salerno. From north to south, here are five beautiful photos of Campania.

Are you heading to southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip.

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Most travelers see Basilicata as they travel south (or east) from Campania into either Calabria or Puglia. The region has two provinces, Potenza on the west coast and Matera, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the same name to the east. Here are five beautiful photos from the region that will entice visitors to stop their car or get off of of the train next time they are passing through.

Are you heading to southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip.

Photos: Thumbnail, Vigilfuoco; other photos Laura Foto, EnKayTee, Emlius da Atlantide, Vanto 6747, Giovy.it all via Flickr

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Located east of Calabria in the “heel” of the boot, Puglia, sometimes called Apulia in English, is a long peninsula that juts into the Adriatic and Ionian seas and is home to the Castel del Monte and Alberobello UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Puglia’s six provinces are Bari, Barletta-Andria-Trani, Brindisi, Foggia, Lecce and Taranto. From north to south, here are five beautiful Flickr pictures of Puglia.

Are you heading to southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip.

Photos: Thumbnail, John Mariani; other photos
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Sicily is Italy’s largest, and arguably its most famous, island. It is known throughout the world, unfortunately for the Sicilian Mafia, but it is also home to two major cities-Palermo and Catania-and nine provinces, Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Catania, Enna, Messina, Palermo, Ragusa, Siracusa and Trapani. Going clockwise from the east, here are five beautiful Flickr pictures of Sicily.

Are you heading to southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip with visits to these beautiful places.

Photos: Thumbnail, Wikipedia Commons; other photos JJKDC, Stills, sbaush, pico2009 and theow all via Flickr

Let’s kick our Southern Italy Snapshots series off today with my home region … bella Calabria, with one beautiful photo representing each of Calabria’s five provinces, Catanzaro, Cosenza, Reggio Calabria, Crotone and Vibo Valentia.

Are you heading to Calabria? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip with visits to some-or all-of these picturesque places.

Photos: Thumbnail, Borgia Web; other photos Massimo Bottelli, loloieg, Al Lanni, mikuzz and Zurgo all via Flickr

 
So pull up your chair, tie on your napkin and get ready to indulge … oh, and thanks for stopping by.

(originally posted, December 2008)

***

As in other parts of Italy, food plays a starring role in a Calabrian Christmas. You won’t find turkey or gravy passed around these tables, but like in the US, there will be more than enough homemade food and holiday cheer to go around.
 
Calabrians love celebrating with their cuisine and there is no shortage of generosity when it comes to commemorating their Savior’s birth. As with other holidays - or typical Sundays – you can expect a multi-course meal that might begin with an aperitivo and antipasto, followed with primi (first plates), secondi (second plates), side items, fruit, desserts and coffee.

Oh, and lots of wine.
 
Aperitivi and antipasto both translate into English as appetizers. Confused with why Italians would offer two types of appetizers at their formal meals? Yea, I am, too. But aperitivi is either an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink that is served with small finger foods as guests arrive, while antipasto is the appetizer dish that is formally served after everyone is seated.
 
The typical Calabrian Christmas Eve meal … or Cenone, as it is often called, is based on seafood, so appetizers would likely include a variety of lightly fried seafood critters, a seafood salad and an assortment of cheese and olives. Here is a recipe for fried baccalà and broccoli.
 
The primi plate, or the official first round, is either a pasta or risotto dish, so think spaghetti with clams or mussels.
 
Secondi plates are served after the pasta dish and are normally either grilled or fried seafood, potatoes or a salad. No Christmas Eve dinner is complete without sauteed broccoli rape.
 
Seasonal fruit is served before dessert and coffee. Typical Christmas Eve dessert dishes are panforte, which is similar to an American fruit cake, panettone, which come in a variety of flavors and torrone, a hard candy typical of the holiday season.

You can check out the entire series here, with Celebrating Christmas in Italy, The Feast of the Immacolata and Southern Italian Christmas Day Traditions.

For other Christmas traditions around the world, visit the Blogsherpa Blog Carnival at Inside the Travel Lab.
  
* Please note that all of the customs and traditions I am referring to are typical of Calabria. I’m no expert on the other regions, but I hope those of you who are will chip in with your two centesimi!

Are you heading to Calabria or southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you with your itinerary.

Photo: Tiffany Blog

With that in mind, I welcome my Travel Feeder friend, Cecil.

Welcome!

Many people travel to a new country without giving thought as to what they’re going to see, where they are going to go and what they hope to “get” out of the trip. While it is possible to travel to a country like Italy-and still fall in love with it-without much prep, a little pre-planning can enhance your experience. Here are five tips for prepping for your southern Italian vacation.

1. Learn some History. You don’t necessarily need to know the thousands of years of Italian history to be able to appreciate what you are going to see, but knowing more about Rome’s Coliseum, Campania’s Pompeii and Matera in Basilicata, for example, will help you appreciate what you see in a whole new way.

2. Learn the language. I had some problems when I traveled to Italy because contrary to what many travelers might think-all Italians don’t speak English. Learning some important Italian words and phrases, especially coffee terms, menu items, numbers and basic directions will help you have a better experience in southern Italy.

3. Pick up some culture. It is more fun to travel to Italy when you have an idea about how Italians dress, what and how they eat, the type of music or movies they like and how they enjoy spending their evenings. While it is true that many traditions are regional, reading blogs or guidebooks written by people who live or travel often to the country will help prepare you for your trip.

4. Prepare to fight mix with the locals. Italians are generally outspoken and straight-forward when they speak, so while us foreigners might not be used to yelling, it is perfectly normal in Italy. Be prepared to “fight” back and have fun speaking (loudly) to the Italians.

5. Pack your telephoto lens. This is the most important thing I missed out on during my Italy trip. Instead of packing a telephoto lens, I planned to travel light and missed some really great shots. The architecture, monuments and sculptures in Italy are amazing and every minute detail is worth a shot. Without a telephoto lens, I could only capture the big picture and I missed out on details.

What else do you do to prepare for a trip?

Cecil Lee is an avid traveler who is also a passionate travel blogger and travel photographer living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He writes about travel on his travel photo blog, Travel Feeder.

Until next time … Buon Viaggio!

Be sure to check out Robin’s travel tips this week at My Melangè.

Traveling to southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip to Calabria or southern Italy.

Photos: Cecil Lee

In honor of our 3rd anniversary, I’m going to share some tips that have kept us sane-and happy!-in our travels.

1. Compromise the Planning
It is hard for two independent people who are, ahem, used to calling all of the shots, to learn to compromise their travel plans. I often find myself wanting to squeeze in extra vacation days, especially when we are traveling to Texas to see my family and friends, while my husband tends to worry over the details … you know, like paying for the trip and closing our business.

We’ve gotten really good at understanding each other’s motivations and the last few Christmas trips we took started later than I’d have liked (we didn’t get to Texas until December 22 or 23!) but lasted for more than a month.

2. Help Each Other Prep
Whether they are working to get ahead for their job, planning who will take the pets and get the mail or worrying that everything is in place, most people are ultra busy before a big trip. When you are traveling solo, you have to take care of all of the details. When you are traveling as a couple … yes, you do have some help, but there are also two people, with two sets of “lists” that have to be finished before you leave town.

When we are in the final prep stages before a big trip, my husband and I share our lists, divide them and conquer ‘em. This helps each of us feel like we are getting help, relaxes us before the trip and ensures no one starts our vacation with resentment or hurt feelings.

3. Take it Easy
… on each other, I mean. Yes, traveling is exhilarating, fun and exciting but it is also stressful. Before we set out for an international flight, which when we go to Texas means three flights, two layovers and oftentimes an overnight somewhere, we pledge to have a good attitude and not add unneeded stress to each other. At some point, usually when one of us gets too-easily agitated or moody, this turns into a joke and we laughingly remind the other one that they broke the rule.

This doesn’t work all of the time and no, it doesn’t eliminate travel-related stress, but I think our attitudes are what got us through the DC Blizzard last year with flight delays, an unplanned night near the airport and two new, unexpected flight connections in happy spirits.

What other tips do you have for couples who travel together?

Be sure to check out Robin’s travel tips this week at My Melangè.

Until next time … Buon Viaggio!

Traveling to southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip to Calabria or southern Italy.

Photos: Cecil Lee

According to the CIA World Factbook, 4/5 of the world’s population does not speak English, so in addition to instilling a sense of global and cultural understanding and increasing future employment opportunities, you’ll also help your children become better world travelers.

Here are three tips that will help you, help them learn Italian.

1. Share Your Excitement
As soon as I knew my nephew would be visiting this summer, I set out to teach him a few new words in Italian. I’d repeat a few basic words and phrases over and over, such as “here you go,” “are you hungry?” or “let’s go” until he quickly understood and could respond to them. Then, we moved on. Also, I was with him in Texas for a month before his trip, so we’d use our morning walk to work on pronouns and basic verbs.

2. Don’t Push Them
Remember those morning walks where we’d talk pronouns and verbs? Yea, well … they weren’t *that* interesting. Let’s face it, learning a language would be more fun-and loads easier!-if you didn’t have to study. I’d take a cue from my nephew and when he started to get restless, we’d abandon Italian for a while and talk about something else. Later in the day, I’d gradually reintroduce it, usually by repeating something he’d just said and adding, “Oh, do you know what that word is in Italian?”

3. Encourage Them to Try
it was hard for me not to take the lead and speak for him when we were out and about. Luckily, he’s a pretty independent kid and wanted to speak for himself, ask for the restroom … even order his own food. I was lucky because he wanted to take the initiative and learn some Italian. Even if your kids are more intimidated by the language, encourage them to at least respond with a “grazie,” or “per favore,” when others speak to them.

What other advice would you have for parents trying to teach their kids Italian?

Until next time … Buon Viaggio!

Be sure to check out Robin’s travel tips this week at My Melangè.

Traveling to southern Italy? Click here to see how I can help you plan your family vacation!

I received an email from Matt Kachinsky, a Tuscany-based expat who consults for villa and B&B owners in the area. Needless to say, we had a bit in common. We agreed to exchange guest posts and he is here today to share some tips on choosing a villa in Tuscany.

Benvenuto, Matt!

***

There is little arguing over the beauty of Tuscan villas. Spending a couple of weeks in one of these homes during the summer is a perfect way to enjoy quality-time with your family and relax in Tuscan comfort. However, there are some things you should consider before booking a Tuscan villa.

Plan Ahead
Unfortunately Tuscan villas are extremely popular, which makes them hard to get. The fact that many owners only accept weekly reservations starting on Saturday makes things even more difficult, so avoid booking your villa for a last-minute stay.

Last minute offers are not always available for these properties, and an early planner is likely to get a good price. Booking one year of advance will get you the current year’s rental price, plus you will have plenty of choice during cheaper mid-season weeks (April to June, September), which are less crowded and often have better weather. The low season usually allows for rental periods that are not strictly weekly and can start any day of the week, however, the weather can be a risk. Finally, if your stay is longer than one week, do not forget to ask for a deal on your additional weeks.

Is your villa ready for kids?
Tuscan villas are usually filled with valuable items, such as antique furniture or costly appliances. For this reason each owner will apply a refundable damage deposit. Ask yourself if your kids are ready for such an experience, otherwise ask the owner to remove the most valuable items before your arrival. If this is impossible, consider purchasing travel insurance that will cover damages to third parties.

When you get there
Italian appliances may be totally unfamiliar to you. While they are not complicated, it may get you a little while to get the gist of ovens, dishwashers, dryers, washers and so forth. Just let the owner know you are not familiar with her appliances before departure and ask for English-language instructions. It is common for owners to show you around the villa upon arrival explaining how things work. This is a time while you are just recuperating from your trip, and everything is new, so ask for the owner’s phone number in case you forget something or in case of emergency.

It is also good to know that Tuscan villas have high electricity consumption volumes. While all utilities are usually included, there may be a maximum limit beyond which you will have to pay for your consumption. The cost of air conditioning is not always included. Ask before you book to avoid unexpected expenses.

Air Conditioning
Tuscan villas are very old buildings and when they were built air conditioning had not even been invented! In order to avoid heat loss their walls were constructed with stones and layers of dirt to form a thick and insulating barrier. This way summer heat was kept outside by closing windows and panes during the day, while the cool night air was allowed in after dark. Even now, many villas in Tuscany do not have air conditioning for this reason. However, if this is a must-have for you, ask before booking.

Finally some spare advice: grocery stores and towns are usually within walking distance; garbage bins are located along roads and may be remote from your villa; linen and towels are usually included in your rent and they usually change them weekly; as a rule of thumb swimming pools are open from mid-May until the end of September; apart from pizza, food delivery is not available; your DVDs will not work since Italian players are coded for another region; and finally, remember to ask the owner for a starter-pack on your grocery shopping, as you will likely check in on a Saturday evening and shops will not be open until the next Monday.

What other things should you look for when choosing a villa in Tuscany?

Matt Kachinsky lives and works in Italy where he visits many Tuscan villas consulting for owners who wish to better their services for their vacation rental customers.

Traveling south after you visit Tuscany? Click here to see how I can help you plan the southern Italy section of your trip.

Italians are known around the world for their fashion sense and style, and this is no different when the weather turns cool. Autumn and winter are great months to travel in Italy, especially if you’re hitting the big cities and want to avoid the crowds. Since winter weather can be unpredictable in Italy, it’s best to pack layers. Here are five words that will come in handy while traveling (and shopping!) in Italy during the winter.

1. Sciarpa

If you’ve traveled to Italy before, then you already know about the love affair Italians have with scarves. While you’ll spot them wearing sciarpe throughout the year, when the weather starts getting cooler they become de rigueur. (Wait … that’s French!) Fortunately, finding a beautiful sciarpa in Italy is easy, which means you can fit right in with the locals with this easy fashion accessory. Stop by any market and you’ll find an array of choices, often without breaking the bank!

2. Giaccone

Just like in English, there are many words in Italian to describe coats. A giacca is lighter weight coat, more like what we would call a jacket in English, while a giaccone is a heavier winter coat. If you’re traveling to southern Italy where it can be rainy during the winter months, packing a giaccone impermeabile, or waterproof coat, is a good idea. You might also hear the word cappotto used for coat or overcoat, and giubbino or giubbotto used to describe jackets. I’ve heard them all used on the Amalfi Coast and there are probably even more Italian words out there to describe winter coats!

3. Guanti

If you’re traveling to Italy in the winter, be sure to pack a pair of guanti, which is the rather strange sounding word for gloves in Italian. And don’t do like me and leave one of the pair in the taxi like I did when visiting Rome (in January!) two years ago. I had cold hands the rest of the day! If you have a similar mishap or forget your gloves at home, just stop by one of the many beautiful shops selling handmade leather gloves in a rainbow of colors. They make a wonderful reminder of your winter trip to Italy.

4. Cappello

Even southern Italy can be cold and windy during the winter months, so don’t forget to pack your favorite winter cappello, or hat, to keep you warm while you’re out sightseeing. Even if you’re not accustomed to wearing hats back home, you might be tempted by the beautiful hats you’ll find in shops and markets throughout Italy.

5. Stivali

No Italian winter wardrobe is complete without boots. Whether we’re talking rain boots in the south, snow boots in the north or high fashion boots in Milan, you’ll find just about every Italian—especially women—own several pairs of stivali. As soon as the weather begins to change, the windows of shoe stores fill with beautiful designs in every possible style and color. With all the choices available, you’ll quickly see why the Italians wear such great boots.

Stay warm… and happy travels to Italy this autumn & winter!

Laura Thayer is an art historian and freelance writer living on the Amalfi Coast in Campania, Italy.
She writes about travel for MNUI travel insurance and about life on the Amalfi Coast at Ciao Amalfi.

Traveling to southern Italy? Why not get coached on when and where to go by someone who lives there?

Photos: Antonio Trogu, Carlo Pecoraro and Amodiovalerio Verde, all via Flickr

Welcome, Andi.

***

As I’m writing this, I’m preparing for yet another international trip – this time, I’m heading back to south America to join my soon-to-be marido, and as always, I’m sticking to my travel packing plan.

In addition to last month’s tips that were posted at Il Cedro, here are four more tips-and a few bits of extra advice-on packing and prepping for an international trip.

Split up valuables. Since you never know who might have access to your luggage after you give it to the airline, it is always smart to split up your most important or expensive items-those that won’t fit in your carryon, that is-in different pockets or hide them inside your purses or shoes.

Take solid shampoo bars and tooth powder. These items are easy to find in US grocery stores or online and will help you stick to the quart-size liquid restrictions you are allowed in your carryon. And remember, depending on where you are going, there are some countries that ban all liquids in carryons, so solids and powders aren’t only your best option – they are your only option.

Pack delicates in a Ziploc bag. Having your underwear, socks and bras all in one place will save you time, plus you won’t have to pull your entire luggage apart to find them. Later on, you can reuse the Ziploc bags to either store things during the trip or repack items that need to be washed. Slip the Ziploc bags inside your shoes or purses to save even more space.

Bring snacks. Don’t waste countless dollars on overpriced and unhealthy airport food, instead head to a grocery store before your trip and pack some of your favorite treats. In addition to saving money, it could also help you out in a pinch. Sometimes flights don’t serve food and depending on your travel arrangements, you could arrive at an airport once the stores have all closed.

Know flying rules. While, this is not a packing tip, it is probably the most important tip of all. It will take only a few minutes of your time to look up the current rules of the airline(s) you are flying. Don’t arrive at the airport, when you are already stressed, only to be surprised to find there is a new rule you knew nothing about.

Some other helpful tips include: 1) Only taking magazines or books you don’t mind discarding; 2) Same for toiletries, try to bring mini-bottles that you might have saved from previous hotel stays; 3) Purchase a universal charger so you don’t have to pack multiples chargers that take up valuable space; 4) Download movies onto your laptop or rent some DVDs from Netflix in case your inflight entertainment is not so entertaining.

What other international packing and traveling tips have you picked up?

Don’t forget to see what travel tips Robin has today.

Until next time … Buon Viaggio!

Traveling to Calabria? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip!

Photo: AE-J via Flickr

Our journey from the Houston Intercontinental Airport to Lamezia Terme Airport in central Calabria lead us through London Heathrow-where we had a nine-yes, nine-hour layover, to Rome’s Fiumicino where we made a mad dash to the gate to finally, home sweet home … Calabria.

As luck will have it, I’m also with child (at the time of this writing) and am preparing to travel internationally with my own mini-me at the beginning of 2011. While prepping for travel with an infant is a whole different story-and one we’ll get to here at MBV soon enough-here are some tips I’ve read and picked up for traveling internationally with toddlers and children.

1. Pre-Trip Preparation: Whether you are five or fifty-five, your first international flight can be a little daunting. So prepare your kids by telling them about airport check-ins, security lines and waiting at the gate. While I’ve never seen it, I’ve heard good things about the “Good Little Traveler” DVD that was created to help prepare children for flying.

2. Pre-Boarding Preparation: Once you and your kiddos are through security, do bathroom and hunger checks. Depending on what type of flight you are taking, you will know whether they will serve a meal or drinks. If not, tell your kids they won’t have an opportunity to eat for “X hours,” and see if anyone needs to get a bottle of water for the plane.

3. In-Flight: These tips vary greatly depending on the length of your flight and the age of your children. However, here are some things to consider.

- Entertainment: If your airline has a good in-flight entertainment system (then you are in luck) and your kids can choose from any number of family films and programming to entertain them throughout the flight. If your flight doesn’t offer good entertainment, then have an assortment of books and games-we played Old Maid and Go Fish and created our own games using a deck of cards.

- Snacks: Even on long flights when they feed you a few times, kids (and sweet-tooth crazy aunts like me) like to have a snack. We went shopping a few days before our flight and my nephew selected candy, gum and salty snacks for our flights, then I transferred them into Ziploc bags and put them in his carry-on.

- Issues: On international flights from the US to Italy, it is a good idea to encourage your kids to get some sleep. They’ll wake up in a new time zone and will need those few hours of sleep to help minimize jet lag. Additionally, my nephew used Earplanes ear plugs for kids and had no air pressure problems during our flights.

What other tips do you have for flying with children?

Don’t forget to see what travel tips Robin has today.

Until next time … Buon Viaggio!

Traveling to Calabria? Click here to see how I can help you plan your trip!

Photo: Getty Images