Fav Reads on Italy this week – Oct 4

Favorite Reads on Italy (FRI) is a weekly roundup published on Fridays featuring interesting articles, fascinating experiences, and handy resources that I’ve come across that week.

Postcard from Italy: Streets of Pompeii, Italy

This week’s roundup covers a fascinating read on Roman graffiti, spectacular photos of Italy, a new boutique hostel in Venice, some common coffee drinks you’ll find in Italy, a glimpse of a grape harvest and more.

Hope you enjoy these reads and have a fabulous weekend!

Culture / Travel

What can we learn from Roman graffiti? by The Telegraph – A great read on prevailing graffiti found in Roman ruins. The article mentions that “just like schoolboys today, the Romans loved their graffiti to be rude”. I saw evidence of this when I visited Pompeii and apparently, as reported by Huffington Post in “Colosseum Cleaning Yields Ancient Art Discoveries Including Old Frescos, Graffiti” earlier this year, some “graffiti and drawings of phallic symbols” were also found in the Colosseum.

Italian cowboys—The butteri of Maremma by Cecchi Winery – You read right! There are cowboys in Italy. Read the article to find out how they relate to wine. If you are interested to read more about these Tuscan cowboys, here’s an insightful article by FT.com in July called “Ride out with Italy’s last cowboys in Maremma Natural Park”.

All the reasons we love Italy, in one gorgeous slideshow by CNTraveler – Gorgeous photos of Italy and I certainly agree that gelato is perfect any time of the year.

Fall festival at your fingertips and Harvest festivals in Alto Adige by Select Italy – With harvest in full swing, this means a plethora of festivals taking place all over Italy. A lot of eating, drinking and plenty of reasons for good cheer.

Five Unusual Facts About Sardinia by Dream of Italy – Did you know any of these facts? The cheese with live maggots is challenging even for the most adventurous foodies. However, a friend of ours from Sardinia absolutely loves this delicacy!

See Venice without pushing the boat out by The Independent – If you are looking for an affordable place to stay in Venice, check out the new Generator Hostel. I did! I immediately went to the Generator Hostels website to find out about the place and was impressed by the splendid interior of this building, which once was  “an undistinguished grain warehouse”. And yes, they do have private rooms too, and doing a quick search for late October the rate is about €38.50 per person/ per night. A pretty good deal considering its Venice.

New iPhone App Translates Italian Menus to English by The Daily Meal – It’s a free app by Menu Translate and since it can be used offline, it will surely come in handy when trying to figure out what’s on the menu. According to the Daily Meal, the app “offers instant translation of more than 5,000 Italian foods and dishes” as well as “how it is cooked”.

Italian Food / Drinks

Consomme with bignolini baked, parmesan and truffles of the hills by Travel Emilia Romagna – With the weather getting colder and the bounty of truffles this season, I can assure you that I’ll be making this recipe soon.

Marmellata di fichi neri (Black figs marmalade) by Kitty’s Kitchen – If you don’t already know, I relish figs, and as I didn’t get to indulge in my share of them last year, I am making up for that mistake this year. When I saw this recipe, I was ready to drool. It’s in Italian and if you would like me to translate the recipe, let me know.

A guide to ordering coffee in Italy by The Travel Bite – A look at some of the coffee drinks you can order at a “bar” (Italy’s equivalent to a café). And in Italy, coffee is a quick sip at the counter. Although I’ve seen espresso delivered to offices in small plastic cups, I’ve yet to see Italians walk out of a bar with a huge cup of coffee to-go.

Morellino Harvest in Tuscany by Tuscanycious – An excellent article on Sangiovese grapes and Morellino di Scansano wine, “a very young but surprisingly good DOCG”. Flavia was part of the group that participated in the grape harvest (vendemmia) in Val delle Rose (see my article under “Life in Italy”).

The “Untouchables” (2013/2013 edition) by Tavole Romane  – If you are heading to Rome, print this list out and bring it with you (or at least save it on your smartphone). An invaluable resource to ensure you eat well and not get ripped off in the city.

Life in Italy

Italy’s buffaloes treated to ‘jazz and massage’ by The Local – Fascinating read about how these buffaloes are living “La Dolce Vita”. The farm, situated south of Salerno, in the region of Campania, is a “pioneer for environmentally sustainable buffalo dairies” and the owner states that “Animals have to be treated well to produce stress-free milk”. He makes a good point and is reaping the rewards.

Grape Harvest at Val delle Rose, Tuscany by BrowsingRome – I had the fortune to be invited to experience the grape harvest (vendemmia) at a beautiful vineyard in Maremma, Tuscany. An amazing and unforgettable experience.

Driving me mad by The American – A fun read to give you an idea of life in Italy and a reminder that we still have to deal with the daily grind here in Bella Italia! I’ve always said, “my hats off to parents”. I guess it doesn’t get easier in the countryside, though, what I cherish would be “noise” – meaning the lack of it.

Fish Festival in Positano by Figs and Lemons – We attended this lively festival in Positano a few years ago and what an experience. A huge party on Fornillo beach with plenty of good food, live music, and a lot of dancing. Held annually in September, it’s also a great time to visit Positano as it will be,  undoubtedly, less crowded.

Five Ways to Celebrate St. Francis’ Feast Day in Italy by Pines of Rome – Today is St. Francis’ Feast Day and this insightful article lists 5 places where you can celebrate this day. I’m putting a few in my bucket list. In Italy, the celebration of a saint’s feast day is very much a part of the culture. Italians not only celebrate their birthdays but as they are often named after saints, they also celebrate the day that corresponds to the saint’s feast day (onomastico). It’s common for a person to get wishes of “Buon Onomastico” on their saint’s feast day. So, a “Buon Onomastico” to all the Francesco and Francesca.

Talk the Talk by The Florentine – I had to let out a chuckle or two while reading this article. It does a fantastic job at explaining the subtleties of common Italian phrases. Fun read!

Have you come across any great reads or resources on Italy this week? Share them with us in the comments below.