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Rome - our favourite city in the world. |
We love Italy and Italian culture so much that we were married there, honeymooned and holidayed there, bought a house there, and are now living in Italy for a large part of the year.
In doing all that we've absorbed huge amounts of personal knowledge about the culture of Italy - not just academic knowledge but a real, huge, genuine love of and passion for the place, the people and all the Italian culture we can soak up.
The magic of Italy ...
... has added such richness to our lives that we want to share its wonders with you - the romance, the excitement, the occasional madness of it. Whatever you want to know about the country or about Italian culture, we hope to be able to help you find it - and if it's not here, use our contact page to get in touch with us, and we'll find an answer for you.
Or use this search box to have a look for answers within this site or on the web.
Custom Search
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Need to know something about Italian cities?
Is Rome accessible for wheelchairs? Is there anything to do for kids in Rome? When's the best time to visit? How do you keep cool in the heat of an Italian city in the summer?
How would you like some insider knowledge?
Not just run of the mill sights where tourists go, but less well known places that only Italians know, friendly Trattorias where you can enjoy culture and Italian food, wonderful hotels to use that won't break the bank - or perhaps a luxury hotel which will break the bank - and will be worth every penny for your trip of a lifetime.
How would your kids like to be a Roman gladiator for a day? For that matter, how would you like it?
We'll look at out of the ordinary things to do and places to visit in Italy that will keep your whole family entranced and entertained and make you want to go back for more, just as it made us.
And we'll look at Italian culture and the differences between cities. Is there one that's better for families? Would older family members be happier in Venice or in Rome?
What about other places to visit in Italy? Where's good to go in the countryside? What's the Italian coast like?
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The beautiful coast of Le Marche. |
And what about pets? Can they travel to Italy? Do they have to go into quarantine? Are there pet friendly hotels in Rome or other Italian cities? Are there any dog friendly beaches?
Will your pet be happy living in Italy's heat, even if it's only for a holiday?
Let us be your Italian travel guide and steer you through the answers to those questions, and more.
"I speak Spanish to God, Italian to women, French to men, and German to my horse" (Charles V).
Living in Italy, or just visiting, and want to learn the most romantic language in the world? Not sure how to go about learning from a distance?
We'll share how we developed our Italian language skills using methods both conventional and not - and giving due credit to our lovely friend Claudio and his family who have taught us so much and whose favourite phrase is "è buon sistema" - or - "non è buon sistema" - depending ...
Want to know more about Italian weddings?
Are you planning a wedding in Italy, or perhaps an Italian themed wedding, and want to know about Italian history and traditions?
Look no further.
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No, not a film set! - our real live wedding in Rome. |
And most importantly of all, we make sure you share our tips for how best to enjoy your day in the typical, traditional, Italian laid back way.
As Italians would always say - "nessun problema"!
So - pour yourself a glass of cold white Italian wine - or a cup of hot black espresso - settle down, relax, and come into our Italian world.
Enjoy Italian culture, enjoy the magic of Italy - and enjoy helping us develop the site by making sure you tell us what else you want to know.
| Currency in Italy - what is it and how do I go about buying it? Old Italian currency and the new Italian Euro : all you need to know about the most cost-effective ways of buying foreign currency in Italy. |
| The Italian flag : colors, facts and pictures. The flag of Italy is full of symbolism. Find out what the Italian flag looks like, what it means, and what facts on Italy it tells us about. |
| The Italian national anthem : Italian culture and traditions in words and music The history, words and music of the Italian national anthem, and some fun facts about the official view of this popular anthem of Italy. |
| Essential facts about the Pope for travellers. Five facts about the Pope, including : Is an audience with the Pope one of the best things to do in Rome? Where can I get Pope John Paul the 2nd memorabilia? Where does the Pope live in summer? |
| Italian girl names : the top twenty Italian first names for baby girls. Family traditions and Italian girl names : the most popular baby first names, their meaning, saint's day and naming traditions in Italy. |
| Italian boy names : popular Italian first names for baby boys. Baby first names are an important part of Italian family traditions. Here we look at the current top twenty Italian boy names, their English equivalent, saint's days and meaning. |
| Basic Italian phrases and how to pronounce them. Your language guide to basic Italian phrases : how to learn Italian from scratch - starting with how to say hello. |
| Ancient Roman Culture: where Italian culture traditions started. Italian culture and history: understand ancient Roman culture and the history of daily life before you visit. |
| Ancient Roman Weddings : the origins of the modern ceremony. Planning a wedding? Want to add some classic touches? Here are some fun facts about ancient Roman weddings - where modern wedding traditions came from. |
| Italian wedding customs : your questions. Want to include Italian wedding customs and traditions in your own ceremony but not sure how? Here’s where to ask your questions and get honest, reliable answers. |
| The weather in Rome, Italy : learn about Rome's climate before you go! Details of the seasonal weather in Rome, Italy, an Italian weather tool to show you what the forecast is today and for the next few days, and ideas on how to keep cool in the heat. |
| Accommodation in Rome, Italy : our personal in-depth hotel reviews. Deciding where to stay in Rome is hard: accommodation in Rome (Italy) is so plentiful. Here are our personal reviews of the best places to stay n Rome, including the friendliest hotels for kids. |
| Things to do in Rome: learn about Rome's attractions before you travel. Everything you need to know about things to do in Rome, Italy : where to shop, attractions and culture. |
| Rome for kids : activities in Rome for toddlers to teens. Attractions in Rome for adults are easy to find but Rome for kids can be more difficult. Here are some practical and some unusual things to do in Rome to occupy youngsters. |
| Current weather in Venice, Italy and a six day forecast. Need to see the current weather in Venice, Italy? Use our free tool to plan your vacation. |
| Venice, Italy weather : the climate in spring. The climate in Venice, Italy : weather in springtime and things to do when it starts to warm up. |
| The weather in Venice Italy in the summer months. We look at the summer weather in Venice Italy : the climate during June, July and August and the best things to do in Venice in the heat. |
| Hotel Danieli, Venice, Italy : a review of Venice's premier hotel. The hotel Danieli, Venice, Italy - Honeymoon? Anniversary? Or just a special treat? Any occasion will be made unforgettable with a stay in this luxury accommodation in Italy. |
| Cheap hotels in Venice, Italy : a review of the Hotel Marco Polo. Good quality cheap hotels in Venice (Italy) are hard to find. We review one of the best cheap hotels in Italy - ideal if you're travelling to Italy on a budget. |
| The Spinone Italiano : all you need to know. The Italian Spinone or Spinone Italiano : all the information you need to help you decide if this is the dog for you! |
| Animal fact file : a guide to the culture and care of animals in Italy. This animal fact file helps choose and care for Italian animals, explains how to get them to Italy, recommends hotels and pet friendly places to visit and gives some strange animal facts for kids. |
| Italian Mothers Day : when it is and ideas to celebrate the 'festa della mamma'. Wherever in the world they may be, Italian mothers are the focus of family traditions. Here's how to celebrate your Italian 'mamma', with some poems for Mother's Day that you can make your own! |
| Valentine's day facts : Italian culture, traditions and the 'Day of Lovers'. Valentine's day history has been an important part of the developing culture of Italy. Learn about Valentine's day facts, traditions and unique events to celebrate your love in Italy. |
| Italian culture and customs at Easter : your guide to Easter in Italy. Easter in Italy is one of the best times to visit. Here we look at Italian culture, customs, traditions and sayings and offer you some delicious Easter recipes from Italy. |
| Italian seafood recipes : try our delicious Italian fish recipe Food in Italy can be high in calories and healthy Italian recipes aren't easy to find. Garlic lemon prawns is one of our favourite Italian seafood recipes : a low fat, tasty meal. |
| Best Italian meatball recipe: even healthy eating diets can include this! Simply the best Italian meatball recipe we’ve ever found, combining Italian food customs with healthy cooking. Make this recipe for Italian meatballs your own and you’ll always be in demand! |
| Italian frittata recipe : the Italian omelette you can make in minutes. The Italian frittata is one of the most popular cold picnic food recipes in Italy. Here's our easy frittata recipe for you to enjoy hot or cold. |
| How to roast garlic - all you need to know to flavour recipes from Italy. Easy steps in how to roast garlic : our favourite roasted garlic recipe and why it's important in italian food customs. |
| Italian pizza dough : how to make your own delicious cheap pizza. Cooking Italian food is fun and easy, and once you know how to make Italian pizza dough the possibilities are endless! Here's our simple, quick recipe and easy to follow instructions. |
| Popular Italian food : an easy recipe for pizza margherita. Pizza has to be the most popular Italian food. Margherita is a delicious tomato based Italian pizza recipe which makes a great vegetarian dish too. |
| Italian salad recipe: Caprese salad - one of the best easy picnic recipes ever. You can make this Italian salad recipe in ten minutes using some of the most popular Italian food available. Great to have as one of your stock of easy cold picnic food recipes. |
| An Italian Easter bread recipe: part of Easter traditions in Italy. Italian bread recipes are an important part of food in Italy. Here's a delicious Italian Easter bread recipe that anyone can make. |
| Cold picnic food recipes from Italy : tasty Easter food to take away. 'Torta di Riso' is one of Italy's favourite cold picnic food recipes and a big part of Easter Italian food customs. Use it any time as Italian finger food to eat at home or away. |
| Quick tiramisu : one of our favourite Italian dessert recipes. An alcohol and egg free quick tiramisu with chocolate - kids love it! |
| Italian Easter pie : one of the tastiest dessert recipes from Italy. Italian Easter pie is a traditional part of Italian Easter food customs - and so easy to make! Find out how here. |
| Everyday Italian goods: your best buy retail store online. If you can't get to Italian stores in person, choose from our everyday Italian stuff online and find the best gifts for him or her. |
| 'Coffee Mate' : guests talk about favourite Italian culture traditions. Who would your ideal coffee mate be? Pour yourself a cappuccino and hear some of ours answering interview questions about themselves, their family and their favourite fun facts about Italy. |
| Free interactive e-cards of Italian images for you to send. Get interactive e-cards for free. Here's a complimentary service of free interactive e-cards for you - beautiful free e-cards to send to family and friends. |
| Cath and Mike'sItalian Bloggolino. This is where you can keep up to date with all the latest news from our Italian culture website. |
| Italian travel guide : your personal expert on Italy and its culture. Let us be your Italian travel guide. From places to visit to living in Italy; from culture and Italian food to history and fun facts - here's how we came to know and love Italy's culture. |
| Here's how to get in touch with us. Here's how to get in touch with Cath and Mike Andrews. |
