Italy from the Inside

The (confusing) hours of the Italian post office

November 27, 2018

Italian post office sign

Fortunately, times have changed and the Italian postal service has greatly improved. Many years ago my uncle sent a postcard to his sister during one of his trips abroad. When my aunt received it she was very pleased, but also very much surprised. Why? Well, it took almost 40 years for the postcard to arrive. This is no joke, it happened to my family. But fear no more. Today it is a more efficient system that provides refunds and allows you to track your mail online. They even have a website written in English.
Depending on the city, the post office is open Monday through Friday from around 8:00am to around 1:30pm. It closes at noon on Saturdays and on the last day of the month. It is always closed on Sunday. However, in every big city, there is a Main Post Office (Posta Centrale) which has extended hours and closes later, usually at 7pm as well as other smaller post offices which are usually centrally located. So, to summarize, some close at 1:30pm and some at 7pm (don’t ask me why because I honestly don’t know), but you can find out in advance the hours of a post office by searching its location on the official website.
And remember, post offices are easily recognizable by a yellow and blue sign that says Posteitaliane and it is displayed outside the office.

{This is an excerpt from chapter 9 “The Post Office” of the eBook “Italy from the Inside. A native Italian reveals the secrets of traveling in Italy”. Buy our eBook on Amazon and leave us a review! If it’s good, you’ll make us happy, if it’s bad, you’ll make us improve. Thank you either way!}

The Italian assaggini: what they are and why they are the best solution for food lovers

November 20, 2018

Assaggini

The typical Italian menu will list the dishes following a specific order (antipasto, primo, secondo, contorno, dolce, etc), which may be confusing since in many countries people are used to eating only one dish (piatto) with everything else included. In fact, Italian portions are smaller than American ones, so it is not going to be too overwhelming to order an antipasto, a primo and a secondo. If you are not very hungry, you can certainly order only one or two dishes. If the menu offers too many inviting options, then ask for assaggini (also called trio di primi), which is a dish that combines usually three (sometimes two or four) different small portions. For example: let’s suppose you are uncertain if you want to try that delicious pasta al pesto or tortellini alla panna, or even those inviting gnocchi al ragu’ that the person next to you is happily eating. In these circumstances ask the waiter to bring you a plate of assaggini with those specific dishes, and your wish will soon come true…

{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”. Buy our eBook on Amazon and leave us a review! If it’s good, you’ll make us happy, if it’s bad, you’ll make us improve. Thank you either way!}

If you plan to visit the Uffizi in Florence, buy the ticket well in advance. Always.

November 12, 2018

Amore e Psiche (300 B.C), Uffizi Gallery

You may think…November, low season, no lines, right? Wrong. While it is true that November belongs to the low season, a major holiday happening at the beginning of the month turns a few days of this month into high season again. That is the Festa di Ognissanti, or the All Saints’ Day, a festivity celebrated in honor of all the Saints and that falls on the 1st and 2nd of November. This year, for example, all online (skip-the-line) tickets to visit the Uffizi Museum in Florence were sold out not only before November 1st but also during the whole four days of the long holiday weekend. So, what’s plan B? That’s going directly to the museum and buying the tickets on the spot. Just be prepared to find a long line even before they open the doors at 8:15 am. So, consider buying the tickets of the museums you really want to visit well in advance and check the Italian local and national holidays. Oh, one more thing, The Uffizi are closed on Mondays, New Year’s Day, May 1st and Christmas.