Italy from the Inside

The Italian antipasto

The antipasto (appetizer) usually includes cold cuts such as salami, ham, mortadella along with cheese and pickles. But it could also consist of bruschetta, olives, prosciutto crudo (air-cured ham) with cantaloupe, and any other light food that can be eaten while waiting for the main courses.

Prosciutto e melone- Italy from the Inside

Prosciutto crudo e melone (air-cured ham with cantaloupe)

Bruschette- Italy from the Inside

Tuscan bruschette

Antipasto- Italy from the Inside

Spiedini di mortadella, pomodorini e cetriolini (skewers of mortadella, cherry tomatoes and pickles)

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

No horses on the highway!

The signs leading to the highway always have a green background. Bicycles and pedestrians are not allowed on the highway, and neither are horse-drawn carriages (yes, indeed, see the sign below…) or mopeds (motorini).

Italian highways- Italy from the Inside

Highway sign showing what is allowed and not allowed on the highway

Italian highways- Italy from the inside

Highway sign showing distances and highway denominations

Italian highways- Italy from the inside

Highway exit signs show the name of the city or town in the nearest proximity;
they don’t show the exit number as in the US.

Italian highways- Italy from the Inside

Highway exit (Photos by Paolo and Francesca Tosolini)

{This is an excerpt from chapter 2 “Driving in Italy” of the eBook “Italy from the Inside. A native Italian reveals the secrets of traveling in Italy”. To buy our eBook click here}

 

The “bridge”

Holidays- Italy from the Inside

Photo by Francesca Tosolini

In Italy, if a holiday occurs on a Tuesday (martedì) or a Thursday (giovedì), Italians practice the so-called ponte (bridge), which means that they carry the holiday over to the previous Monday or following Friday respectively. However, if a national holiday falls on either a Saturday or a Sunday, they don’t make up for it on the following Monday, as they do in the States; Italians just lose that day.

{This is an excerpt from chapter 13 “National Holiday” of the eBook “Italy from the Inside. A native Italian reveals the secrets of traveling in Italy”. To buy our eBook click here}