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Benvenuto all` Italia! Welcome to Italy right in the comforts of your couch with a cup of espresso and biscotti. Prepare to adapt to the changing times amidst the lockdown and beat pandemic blues. Here is how to go on Italy tour without leaving home.
Here’s How To Travel to Italy Without Leaving Home
Bring the Authentic Taste Of Italy to Your Home
Set the mood of your pallette right with easy-to-make Italian cuisine at home. Begin your tour to Italy without leaving home with these suggested Italian dishes in your kitchen.
- Pici Cacio e Pepe
Let’s make the famous Padella’s pasta dish at home and recreate the perfect pasta. This hand-rolled simple recipe is a classic dish from Rome. With lots of ‘cheese and pepper,’ swap the dish into a bowl to enjoy white bread with olive oil and a pinch of fine sea salt. You could add an egg to the recipe that is optional.
- Pizza Napoletana
Savor this fabulous Italian dish that can all come together with simple ingredients. Basically relish flatbread topped with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and extra virgin olive oil. Baked in the oven at 900 degrees and in no time you have a delicious pizza to relish. Enjoy it along with some Italian red wine as you binge-watch your favorite movies.
- Panzanella ( Tuscany)
Let’s get healthy with a serving of delicious bread with tomato salad, cucumbers, fresh basil, and seasoned with olive oil and vinegar. Bring Italy’s ‘Cucina Povera’ into your homes which is a classic peasant dish with its origins in the green fields of Tuscany. Greet your family with a glass of Campari Spritz as you enjoy your meal.
What to Read?
Books – Let the Words Tell You an Italian Story from the Heart
Take a pick from the list of a few top novels that enlighten you about the fascinating destination Italy.
- Midnight in Sicily by Peter Robb
Read about the art, literature, and gastronomy of the Mezzogiorno and explore the coastlines of Sicily. The book enthralls you with experiences of Sicilian life including the network of violence and corruption. The travelogue section of Naples and Sicily is enjoyable.
- Italian Journey 1786-88 by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The book takes you to the journey of Goethe traveling in Italy along with different artists. Goethe’s diaries encompass the art, architecture, and richness of renaissance art. Enjoy the ‘Grand Tour’ as the author rediscovers himself. It is a great travel chronicle of a genius going through a spiritual crisis in his passage through Italy from 1786 to 1788.
- An Italian Education by Tim Parks
A humorous book that captures real-life things about Italy. It is a story about the Englishman who moved to Italy a few decades ago with experiences to share about a life spent well in a foreign country. The book is about how kids grow up in Italy through the author’s ironic view. This non-fiction book features many Italian cultural mysteries.
What to Listen to?
Relive the Italian Opera Scene in Your Living Room
Italy and opera go hand in hand, so let’s listen to some classical sounds of music while indoors. Relive the Italian opera scene right in your living room.
- Ma il cielo e sempre piu blu by Rino Gaetano
Join in the joyous mood as the classic tune has now become an anthem of the balcony singers. Lyrics are available in English, so go ahead and enjoy ~ ‘But the sky is always blue’ as you join the others from your balcony too. If you like the genre pop, then this youtube version is a must-listen. Rino was an Italian singer and songwriter par excellence.
- Via Con Me by Paolo Conte
Dance to the beat of the famous number in your living room with the family. ‘Come away with me’ is about romance and an internationally popular Italian song. Audrey Hepburn is a gorgeous star cast in the series as you can swing to the beat and watch lovely Rome in the music video.
- Renato Carosone`s Original – Tu vuo fa l`americano
Enjoy the combination of jazz and swing, the song that was featured in the 1960 Melville Shavelson film called ‘It Started in Naples’. The lyrics are a satire of Americanization in the early years of World War II. It is a hit single of Carosone`s career that you definitely need to groove to.
What to Watch?
Capture the Majesty of Italian Cinema on Your Screen
Let not COVID-19 pandemic bog your spirits down. Take an authentic tour to Italy without leaving home with these binge-worthy movies.
- Call Me by Your Name
A beautiful love story currently streaming on Netflix. Enjoy the romance between a 17-year-old student Elio Perlman and an older research assistant, the handsome doctoral student Oliver. The movie is based on the novel published in 2007 of the same name. The movie is set in the 17th-century villa in Lombardy, Italy and tells a tale of desire and romance during an Italian summer.
- It Started in Naples
Watch it streaming on Amazon Prime is a 1960 American romantic comedy movie. The film features top stars such as Sophia Loren and Clark Gable with the movie set in Naples. The movie was nominated for its art direction and is filmed in the beautiful location of Rome, Naples, and Capri.
- Cinema Paradiso
Set in the time of World War II the story is about the beautiful relationship between a mischievous Sicilian Salvatore and a grumpy projectionist. Young Salvatore escapes from the war-torn Sicilian village and pursues his love of films. He also falls in love with a beautiful girl Agnese Nano and has to choose between his love for filmmaking and the passion for the young girl.
Virtual Tours – Experience Italy’s Top Attractions
Let`s archive for you the best of travel adventures to quench your wanderlust and imagination. Let’s go on Italy tour without leaving home amid COVID 19 with these fabulous virtual tours to the top attractions of Italy.
The Ruins of Pompeii
The ancient Roman city buried under the ash is a UNESCO heritage site that details the lifestyle and remains of the early inhabitants of Rome. There is much more to be discovered and explored here.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa
One of the oldest freestanding bell-tower needs no introduction. It is the only tower with a 4-degree lean. The lean is due to its unstable foundation. It is one of the top attractions to visit in Italy.
St. Mark’s Basilica
One of the finest paradigms of ancient Italian-Byzantine architecture, this church cathedral is a gem of Northern Italy. Its Gothic ornamental works and gold mosaics are a must-explore.
The Colosseum
This ancient Roman amphitheater is the largest ever built in the history of Rome at the time. Famous for hosting various events, this amphitheater could hold up to 80,000 spectators.
Travel Like the Italian!
Hello: Ciao (informal); Salve (formal)
Buon giorno — Good morning
Goodbye: Ciao (informal); Arrivederci (formal)
Good evening: Buonasera
Goodnight: Buonanotte (use this when you’re going to bed)
Please: Per favore; per piacere
Thank you: Grazie
Thanks so much: Grazie Mille
You’re welcome: Prego; Di niente
Beautiful: Bello (masculine); Bella (feminine)
Buona notte — Good night
Scusa — Excuse me (informal)
Mi dispiace — I’m sorry
Arrivederci — Until we see each other again
Riguardati — Take care
Sì — Yes
Per favore — Please
Non parlo italiano. — I don’t speak Italian.
Parla inglese? —Do you speak English?
Ripeta, per favore. — Please repeat.
Parli piano/lentamente, per favore. —Please speak slowly.
Parla inglese? —Do you speak English?
Come ti chiami? — What’s your name?
Mi chiamo, ___. —My name is ____.
Come va? — How are you?
Dove? — Where?
Dov’è il museo? — Where is the museum?
Il teatro —Theater
Il supermercato — Supermarket
La stazione — Train station
L’aeroporto — Airport
L’ospedale — Hospital
La stazione di polizia — Police station
Il parco — Park
Quanto mi fa pagare? — How much do you want for this?
Quanti? — How many?
Posso ordinare _____? — Can I order the [menu item]?
Da bere? — Drinks?
È delizioso. — It’s delicious.
Aiuto! — Help!
Chiamate un’ambulanza! —Call an ambulance!
Sono stato assalito. —I’ve been mugged.
Ho perso il mio passaporto. — I lost my passport.
Mi sono perso. — I’m lost.
Farmacia — Pharmacy
Also Read: 8 Places to Explore for a Luxury Holiday
