Italy from the Inside

The two faces of the Italian carnival

Carnevale di Venezia

Photo by my friend Roberta

Sunday, when I learned that my friend Roberta went to Venice to see the carnival, I asked her to send me some photos of the event, one of which I’m now sharing with you. Il carnevale di Venezia is an experience that everyone should make at least once in a lifetime. I had the chance to see it a few years ago and loved it. I think it is such an elegant carnival where people come from everywhere to dress in gorgeous costumes and hide behind mysterious masks.

Then, there is the other face of the Italian carnival: the hilarious one.

Carnevale 2018 Trieste

Photo by my friend Gabriella

I couldn’t stop laughing when my friend Gabriella sent me this picture from Trieste. Have you seen the guy on the right? He is wheeling on the Vespa!

Carnival has become an important event in Italy, even schools are closed during the festivities, which didn’t happen when I was younger (bummer).

What about you? Which kind of carnival do you like the most, the elegant one or the hilarious one? For me, it’s hard to decide…

Time to eat

What time Italians eat- Italy from the Inside

Photo by Francesca Tosolini

In Italy, lunch is usually between noon and 2pm, while dinner is between 7:30pm and 9:30pm. The further south you go, the later you eat.
Try to get to the restaurant before 2pm (or 9:30pm), because if you order your meal before 2pm (or 9:30pm), then you can stay in the restaurant as long as you want, but if you arrive after 2pm (or 9:30pm) you risk being turned away.

{This is an excerpt from chapter 3 “Italian cuisine and food establishments” of the eBook “Italy from the Inside. A native Italian reveals the secrets of traveling in Italy”. To buy our eBook click here}

The Italian power

Italian plug- Italy from the Inside

Photo by Paolo Tosolini

The voltage used in Italy is 220V. If you plan to take along any electronic device, it is advisable to also take your own voltage converter (trasformatore di corrente) and plug adapter (adattatore per la presa di corrente), which you can purchase before leaving your home country or you can easily find in any Italian hardware store (ferramenta) or major airports. In Italy they use both two- and three-prong units that often require adapters themselves.

{This is an excerpt from chapter 12 “Units and conversions” of the eBook “Italy from the Inside. A native Italian reveals the secrets of traveling in Italy”. To buy our eBook click here}