Seven-Day Itinerary: Italy at Home
Are you going to Italy this year? Me, neither. I would love to, but lack of time and money leave me dreaming about my vacation instead. I took my first trip to Italy at 10 years old. Using my five senses to recall that trip, I remember the smell of the overripe fruit in the market stalls in Naples, the feel of the clear azure waters and the sun on my skin off the coast of Taranto, the taste of my nonna's fried artichoke hearts, the sight of a donkey struggling up a path on the Amalfi Coast during a flash flood, and the sound of my family speaking musical Italian.
Everyone needs some time off. If we can't physically go to Italy this year, we might as well make the most of things and take a dreamcation. Here's my Seven-Day Itinerary. Enjoy your stay!
Day 1: Pizza and a Movie for Your Flight to Italy
To get in the mood for your staycation to Italy, purchase some pizza (it beats airplane food) and rent a movie. I suggest Cinema Paradiso, the nostalgic movie about a filmmaker who recalls his childhood, when he fell in love with the movies at his village's theater. It is there that the boy, Salvatore, and the townspeople escape the unpleasant realities of post-World War II Italy. If you want more sex appeal in a movie, then watch anything with Sophia Loren.
Day 2: Speak Italian
Wake up to a miniature cup of black espresso (every day, if you can, to get the real Italian experience). If you're hungry, slather a piece of Italian bread with Nutella, the hazelnut spread. Start by congratulating yourself on all the Italian words you've already used on this trip without one language lesson: cinema, pizza, espresso, Sophia Loren!
Get free language lessons on Livemocha.com, or with a British accent at www.bbc.co.uk/languages, or download a podcast at ItalianPod101. Better yet, hire a tutor on Craigslist.com.
Day 3: Experience the Music
Don't forget to stay up late, the way the Italians do. It's perfectly fine to snooze every afternoon during siesta. But all this napping can make you drowsy and romantic, so go with the flow. Listen to or watch a famous Italian opera such as Pagliacci by Leoncavallo, or Verdi's Aida, La Traviata, Otello, or Rigoletto. Get out the tissues for Puccini's Madama Butterfly. If sitting through an entire opera has you thinking you'd rather stab yourself in the neck, then listen to a few arias by Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, or Cecilia Bartoli, and let it go at that.
Day 4: Take a Trip Back in Time
Even if you're staying at your own villa, you need to see Verona. Cook up some broccoli rabe (with or without sausage). Wrap up some salami and cheese. Stir together some pane cotto of escarole and beans. Whip up a frittata of eggs, spaghetti, and cheese. Chill some San Pellegrino in a cooler, and voilà (which is French), you have yourself a picnic to take to the Guilford Green to see The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged).
Day 5: Gooooaaaaaal! Soccer!
Sadly (for some) the Italian soccer team lost the 2012 UEFA European Championship to Spain on July 1. Even if you didn't see the game live, it doesn't mean you can't show your support by purchasing a shirt from WorldSoccerShop.com. Invite a friend (with a premium sports cable package) to participate in your staycation: Bring a ball to his or her house to dribble and practice headers in the back yard, then watch a match while drinking Italian beer like Peroni or Moretti. To see U.S. players, check the schedule at www.ussoccer.com.
Day 6: Buy Souvenirs
Dress Italian-style for an outing to the shops. Don't worry if you don't have anything by Armani. Wear stylish sunglasses, an oversized hat, and platform shoes for both men and women (no sneakers). Color is good. Tight is good.
Scour thrift and antique stores for cruet sets, lacy fans, and plates with Pompeii, Roma, or Capri painted on them. If you can drive something red with leather interior, like a Ferrari, so much the better. Stay close to the shoreline and pretend it's the Amalfi Coast. (No? Not even if you squint?) Take pictures to post on your favorite social media website.
Day 7: Eat and Drink
With so many Italian restaurants on the shoreline, take the night off and eat well. Pick a favorite spot, or try something new. Start with a Negroni or anything with Campari. Enjoy a crisp Pinot Grigio (only two syllables on that last word, but you know that from your Italian language lessons), or something red like a Nero D'Avola, Chianti, or Brunello. Eat your heart out, but don't forget to save room for gelato!
Enjoy your trip. Ciao!
Naomi Migliacci is an international consultant who enjoys traveling and adventure. She collects friends and bracelets wherever she goes. She lives in Guilford.