Quanta fatica abbiamo fatto e continuiamo a fare. Se la fanno gli adulti, pensiamo un po’ a quanta ne fanno i ragazzi, soprattutto adolescenti, in cui lo stare a contatto continuo è qualcosa di importante, quel sentirsi pelle contro pelle, mano nella mano, stretti l’uno nell’altro per gioire o per consolarsi. Pensiamo un po’ a quanto il dover comunicare tramite uno schermo, del telefono, del computer, li abbia portati ad essere ancora più schivi e soli. Si chiede loro perché stanno sempre col telefono in mano, perché non socializzano, perché non hanno amici e così via.

Ma forse l’unica domanda da fare sarebbe “Hai paura?”.

Se li guardiamo bene negli occhi, percepiremo tanto timore, tanta insicurezza, tanta voglia di aprirsi che però si traduce in un chiudersi in se stessi.
E’ come se avessero perso la bellezza dello stare con gli altri ed essendo stati per troppo tempo chiusi in casa, ora è come se dovessero imparare di nuovo come si fa. Eppure se ci si pensa è così facile, così naturale stare di fronte a qualcuno e comunicare, anche solo con un sorriso.
Lo era forse, ma ora soprattutto i ragazzi, è come se temessero di fare o dire la cosa sbagliata, di non piacere all’altro e quindi spesso evitano anche solo di guardarsi. E’ triste questo, siamo degli “animali sociali” e se pensiamo a qualche momento in cui eravamo felici, molto probabilmente ricorderemo che c’era qualcuno con noi, un amico, un partner, un familiare.

Chissà quanti giovani stasera saranno felici con una ragazza o un ragazzo, chissà quanti invece per timore, non avranno chiesto a quel tipo o a quella tipa che piace, di uscire. Probabilmente saranno molti di più i secondi che come ogni anno scriveranno sui social “Anche quest’anno San Valentino lo festeggio l’anno prossimo”.

Ragazzi, aprite gli occhi, aprite di nuovo i vostri cuori! Buttate la paura al di là della vostra mascherina, lanciatevi nelle cose, ri-bellatevi (ri-diventate belli), urlate di felicità. Non bloccatevi di fronte all’altro, magari parlando scoprirete che anche lui o lei, ha le stesse vostre paure, che è insicuro e pensa di essere sciocco. Insieme potrete imparare come si sta bene, di nuovo, di quanto è bello essere amici, innamorarsi.

Ditela quella parola, ditela quella frase, anche se vi sembra sciocca, magari l’altro non aspetta altro. Voi sconfiggerete ogni paura, ogni bruttezza del nostro mondo. Voi siete bellezza! Tornerete presto ad abbracciarvi, ma intanto sognate e tenetevi accanto chi vorreste abbracciare.

Il Covid sarà un brutto ricordo, ma voi pensate a crearne di belli, oggi e sempre!

L'articolo Come il Covid ha cambiato il modo di vivere le relazioni sembra essere il primo su Venti Blog.

By talking about Veneto, you’ll probably think about Venice, and that’s one of the most visited places in the region. But this vast territory owns different “masks”, other cities worth visiting. 

We’ll go from Venice and its traditional and wonderful carnival to Rovigo and its delicious dishes on our travel through Veneto. We’ll stop in Verona, the most romantic city, and to Vicenza, with Palladio’s peerless architecture. Then we’ll undergo the Dolomites and visit Belluno and through the road of Prosecco, we’ll reach Treviso. And at long last, Padua or Padova will welcome us. So, ready for adventure!

Venice or Venezia during this period of the year is usually ready for one of the world’s most famous carnivals. The carnival became a public festivity in 1296, with an act of the Senate of the Republic of Venice, but its origins are even older. Indeed, in 1094, official documents brought traces of public celebrations in the last days before Lent. The magic of carnival gives Venice a fascinating atmosphere. Masked people from all around the planet fill the streets for about a couple of weeks with smiles, confetti and tricks. The most important days are those between the last Thursday, called “Giovedì Grasso” (Fat Thursday) and the very last Tuesday, called “Martedì Grasso” (Fat Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday). The tradition of wearing masks led lots of artisans to produce more and more extravagant and sophisticated masks. The most famous is “Baùta”, which consists of a particular white mask under a black hat and a black cloak, and “Moretta”, worn by women, consisting of a dark velvet mask that was held by a button in the mouth. For this reason, it is also called “Moretta muta”, meaning the woman could not speak (mute). In this particular period we are living, it is not possible to experience the party as usual, but if you want to look at the magnificence anyway, you could take information here. 

In Venezia, you can also admire beautiful places and buildings that reflect in the water of the lagoon. Piazza San Marco encapsulates all the beauty of the city’s past, often shown full of pigeons. As it is very crowded every day at every hour, it is suggested to get there very early in the morning, when the sun is rising first strikes the dome. You’ll see it in all its glory. Venice’s Cathedral, la Basilica di San Marco, which in the past was the dodge’s private chapel, officially became the Cathedral in 1807. It has a profusion of domes and more than 8000 sq meters of luminous mosaics. While inside, it is so natural to blink your eyes upon your first sight of the glittering mosaics. They are made with 24-carat gold leaf fused onto the back of the glass to represent the divine light on the Church’s ceiling. By a narrow staircase leading up from Basilica di San Marco’s atrium, you’ll reach San Marco’s museum, in which there are other wonderful mosaics and the terrace above the main façade, where you can admire “Loggia Dei Cavalli”. It is composed of four bronze horses that reproduce Constantinople’s hippodrome, displayed inside.

You have to take a ride on a gondola, so relaxing and romantic! Gondoliers will sail you through Palazzo Ducale, Gallerie dell’Accademia, the Ghetto, and the two beautiful bridges: Ponte di Rialto e Ponte Dei Sospiri. The second one is also mentioned in Lord Byron’s “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage”. Indeed, as it connects Palazzo Ducale to Prigione Nove (New Prisons), it is said that condemned prisoners sigh as they crossed the bridge and glimpsed the beauty of the lagoon.

Not far from Venice, there is Murano, the home of Venetian glass–making since the 13th century. Artisans produce everything with glass, from jewels to glasses or other different objects. It is suggested Museo del Vetro, to admire all the fascine of the glass. 

If you become hungry while walking, you have to taste Fegato Alla Veneziana, Bigoli in salsa, and Moeche. The last one is a particular dish made of crabs, caught when they change their shell and are good to eat.

Let’s continue our travel and let’s go to Rovigo. This is the less eye-catching province, but you can relax by using different means of transport as to the variability of the land. You can use a bicycle, a canoe or a horse to see the two longest rivers, Po and Adige, that are surrounded by wild nature and sometimes hidden by the fog. There are also Pinacoteca di Palazzo Roverella, the Palladian Villa Badoer of Fratta Polesine, and The National Archeological Museum of Adria that hosts ancient finds of the pre-roman period, in particular, a Greek commercial hub and the ruins of the Etruscan city. 

It is suggested to taste Patate Alla Birra (potatoes cooked with beer), Fugassa Veneta and Selghe in Tecia (sparrows cooked with wine and bacon and served with polenta). The Fugassa Veneta is a typical cake made all over the region. It is made of flour, butter, eggs, sugar and covered with marzipan and sugar crumbs. It is usually eaten on holidays.

Famous for Shakespeare’s tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, Verona is the most romantic city in the region. Many and many lovers, every year, go to Juliet’s house, under her balcony, where she admired the courageous Romeo below. The house walls are full of notes where people write about their love stories or their breakup. In turn, you can also have a picture on the balcony, in the romantic background. One of the city’s most beautiful places is Verona’s Roman amphitheater that survived a 12th-century earthquake and has become the city’s legendary open-air opera house, with 30,000 seating. It is worth visiting during summer when it takes place Verona’s Opera Festival, the world’s biggest open-air lyrical music event, that draws stars from all over the world. In Piazza Delle Erbe, you can admire the elegant baroque Palazzo Maffei and the “Arco Della Costa” that is hung with a whale’s rib. The legend says that the rib will fall on the first just person to walk beneath it, but it is still intact so far. Near Verona, there’s Damoli, where it is produced a delightful red wine, Amarone that is one of the motives to visit Valpolicella, going from vineyards to the wine itself.    

Apart from drinking Amarone, you have to eat the famous Pandoro di Verona, particularly produced during Christmas’ holiday; Sarde in Saor (fried sardines cooked with caramelized onion and vinegar, pine nuts and raisins) and Torta Sabbiosa. 

The fortune of Vicenza derives from Andrea Palladio, who, in the 1520s, was sent by a local count to study Roman ruins. When he went back, he began to produce extraordinary buildings by blending sophistication and simplicity, classicism and innovation. One of his productions is the Olimpic Theatre, for which he took inspiration from the Roman amphitheater. One of most admired Palladio’s creations is “la Rotonda”, a villa that inspires variations across Europe and the USA too. In the Basilica Palladiana, there is the museum of jewelry.

Interestingly, the city’s prominence in producing golden jewels is celebrated twice a year at VicenzaOro, Europe’s largest gold and jewelry fair. Another important monument in Vicenza’s surroundings, specifically in Bassano del Grappa, is Sacrario Militare del Monte Grappa. During the Great War, the mountain was crowded by soldiers, both Italian and Austro-Hungarian. There is a small sanctuary, the Madonnina del Grappa, in which Italian and Austro-Hungarian soldiers are buried, even if in niches separated by a longitudinal avenue called Heroic Way. 

If you want to try something typical, you have to drink the famous Grappe of Bassano, better if drunk after eating Formaggio Asiago DOP, Tartufo Nero Dei Berici and the delicious Baccalà Alla Vicentina. This dish was invented in 1432 in Norway by a merchant who decided to take it to Vicenza, as it was cheaper than fish and could also be used differently. 

Bypassing through the Dolomites and by skiing in Cortina D’Ampezzo, we arrive in Belluno. It is visited in particular by ski lovers who go to Cortina and the Dolomites every year. But there’s something more to visit in the province. There is Belluno’s Civic Museum of Palazzo Fulci that owns 600 notable regional works of art, in particular canvases. Given the tradition of woodcarving in the area, some interesting artworks are extraordinarily intricate sculptures made by using wood. The biggest Belluno square is Piazza Dei Martiri, which gives its name to the hanging of four partisans here. You can find a lot of shops under arcading. The Cattedrale of San Martino is Belluno’s majestic Cathedral with its elegant, onion-domed campanile (bell tower). It has been rebuilt several times after the destruction, the last due to an earthquake, if full of late-baroque religious artworks.

If you want to warm up after skiing, the best thing is by drinking one of the strong grappas. If you want to revive, you have to taste Polenta con Cervo o Capriolo or Casunziei (ravioli stuffed with pumpkin or spinaches). 

By walking across the Road of Prosecco, which offers a landscape of rolling vineyard, going from Conegliano to Valdobbiadene, you arrive in Treviso. One of the places to visit is Museo Luigi Balio, a modern art museum, showing a stunningly good 20th-century art collection, including portraits and sculptures, terracotta modeling and bronze casting. Treviso’s best-known statue is the 16th-century naked female torso called the Fontana Delle Tette. It was created as a dispenser for wine during the autumn wine festival, which now has been replaced with water. Another place that shows different pieces of art, coming from unknown and up-and-coming artists, is the old Habsburg prison, which has been reborn and transformed into a museum. 

If you want to eat in a fantastic place, you have to go to Asolo, where, in the dining room of Due Mori, you can eat well with a breathtaking view, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Asolo and Veneto hillsides. You have to try the ravioli with oak leaves and ricotta. In Treviso, you also have to taste Risotto con radicchio e Salamella, Sopa Coada, and Fregolatta.

Padova is ready to welcome us. A wonderful city, everywhere known for Saint Anthony, protector of the city. There is the Basilica of Sant’Antonio that is a pilgrimage site and the burial place of the Saint. It is built in a polyglot style going from Gothic to the Renaissance. Talking about Renaissance, there is Palazzo Bo, a mansion that is the seat of Padua’s history-making university. The university has employed some great Italian thinkers, such as Copernicus, Galileo, and Casanova, and also the world’s first female doctor of philosophy, Eleonora Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia. In the palace, now home to the rector’s offices, library, and halls used for ceremonies, is included the world’s first Anatomy Theatre. If you are interested in medicine, you have to visit Musme, Padua’s Museum of Historical Medicine where there’s an exhibition of historical artifacts and high-tech instruments that prove Padua to have contributed a lot to the world’s medicine, in particular between the 16th and 18th century. “Cappella Degli Scrovegni” is the Paduan version of the Sistine Chapel (we have talked about this in the article about Lazio). Giotto painted it and commissioned by the chapel Enrico Scrovegni, in memory of his father (who as a moneylender, was denied a Christian burial).

It’s never too late to taste Padua’s typical dishes. You have to try Bollito Misto, one of Galileo’s favorite dishes, made with different types of meat, from bullock to cotechino and Paduan hen. You worth try Paccheri al ragù D’anatra and Torta Pazientina, called this way as it was originally prepared for patients (“pazienti” in Italian). It is composed of different layers, almond pastry, and sponge cake stuffed with zabaglione. 

Are you ready to book a tour to Veneto? The different masks are waiting for you!

L'articolo Exploring Italy: a trip to Veneto – the region with different “masks” sembra essere il primo su Venti Blog.

Campania is a “frittata” of different colors, tastes and full of art, culture and traditions, beautiful landscapes and altruistic people. For example, when we talk about Naples, we say “o’ core e’ Napule” (“the heart of Naples”), to underline the charity and generosity of people living in this city and widely in this land. Our tour is going to start and we are sure it will make you drool. 

The first province is Caserta, which is well known worldwide for the “Reggia of Caserta“, built in 1752 by Luigi Vanvitelli for Charles VII, who wanted a palace to rival Versailles. It is so big that it contains 1200 rooms, 1790 windows, 34 staircases and 250 m-long façade. The building is surrounded by a wonderful and huge park, with even a waterfall. It was considered the largest construction in the 18th century in Europe.

Talking about ancient buildings, there is also the less known “Castle of Rocca D’Evandro“, built in X century and inhabited by Romans. This has a complex story, going from battles, earthquakes and different owners. It is really worth seeing if you like nature and an overlook to the numerous mountains around. Another place to visit in this province is Mondragone that is famous for its Mozzarella di bufala campana DOP, where you can also see how it is produced, from buffalo’s milk to the formation itself.

Yes, here in Campania people cook and eat very well. Some of the dishes eaten in Caserta and nearby are “Menestra’ mmaretata”, traditionally eaten at Christmas and Easter, “Cianfotta”, “Maialino nero casertano” and “Struffoli”.

Flying on a sweep we arrive in the province of Benevento, the so called “Witches’ city”. This name derives from women who carried out pagan rituals near the river Sabato. It is handed down that they were able to stay near snakes without being bitten. Walking in this air of mystery and magic, we can have a look at beautiful historical places. There are “Paolo V’s palace”, “Arco di Traiano”, “Rocca dei Rettori” where you can also admire the sun setting. Benevento is the second place to own Egyptian finds only after Egypt its own. As a matter of fact, there are “Obelisco di Iside” and a museum full of finds, “Museo del Sannio”. The museum is near the “Church of Santa Sofia”, which is one of Unesco’s assets. If you want to relax, you can put your feet up in the so huge public gardens, the city’s green lung, or walk on the streets doing shopping. Another important city to visit is Pietrelcina, where Padre Pio was born. Padre Pio is a monk who was able to see the signs of Christ on his own body, such as stigmata. A lot of pilgrims every year visit His native house and the museums in which are collected some objects belonged to the Saint. It is a place in which a mystic spirit stir, in which you feel one with the Universe and near to God.

Plenty of famous wines are produced here. We recommend “Aglianico di Taburno”, “Solopaca DOC”, “Piedirosso” (red wines), “Falanghina” and “Greco di Tufo” (white wines). Why don’t you combine something to eat? You can taste “Cicatielli di Benevento“, “Panzerotti di San Giuseppe” (fried puff pastry stuffed with chickpeas and cinnamon), “Pizza di Ran’Din” (maize pizza cooked on embers), “Fiadon” and “Ammugliatelli”. If you like sweets, you may try “Susamedd”, “Carusedd” and “Scartellat”. Typical of these places, in particular of Pietrelcina, are artichokes, generally cooked in a soup.

The second less inhabited province is Avellino. The Irpinia land is remembered for one of the strongest earthquakes that occurred in Italy, that in 1980 hit the territory, causing the loss of 2914 lives.

It was able to Flourish again and stronger than before. The province is green and is favourable to long hikes and delicious picnics. A wonderful place, deep in the green hills, is “Sanctuary of Montevergine“, whose abbey is one of the sixth Italian abbeys (in my last article about Lazio, I talked about another one, Montecassino Abbey). The Symbol of Avellino is “the Tower of the clock”, but it is really important the Cathedral, built in the faraway 1132 in a neoclassical style. An amazing castle can be visited in Ariano Irpino, situated 811 m.a.s.l., in the highest and most panoramic part of the territory. Two green places to visit, especially in autumn, are Montella and Bagnoli, famous for the so delicious and premium quality chestnut, particularly cooked on embers. 

Typically, while eating chestnuts, you can drink the liqueur made of this fruit too or white wine, “Fiano di Avellino”. It also produced the “DOP extra virgin oil of Irpinian’s olives- Ufita’s hills”, hazelnuts, particularly the “Corylus Avellana” variety, used to produce nougat, especially in Ospedaletto and Dentecane villages. This land is also rich of the black truffle, found mostly in Bagnoli Irpino. A typical dish is “Viscuotti re pane spunzati co’ li fasuli” (biscuits made with bread pasta, dunk with beans), a real panacea in the coldest evenings. 

Let’s go to the homeland of western medicine: Salerno. Salerno’s province has a variety of beautiful places, going from Cilento, then to Paestum and to Costiera Amalfitana (Amalfi Coast). Except from the magnificent and relaxing seafront, Salerno’s most beautiful places are “Castello Arechi”, a medieval castle that overlooks Salerno’s gulf. There are also the Cathedral, a medieval water main and “Minerva’s garden”, a botanical garden that belonged to Matteo Silvatico, a doctor of the Salernitan Medicine School, who was an expert in how to produce drugs from plants. Starting from the public garden and going everywhere in the city, at Christmas, everything is lightened up by “Luci D’Artista“, artistic lightings that fascinate thousands and thousands of people every year. They change basing on a common theme. Last year they were inspired by fairytales. It is an extraordinary show worth seeing to become a child again and live the magic of Christmas, the feast loved by children and adults, except if you are like the Grinch (in deep, he loves it too).

Cilento is a green and a blue place, full of nature and of fascinating beaches. If you cannot decide whether to go between the mountains and the sea, then you can come here and experience the best of both. There are the “National Park of Cilento” and “Vallo di Diano”, with 1810 square meters of heavy hoods, flourished fields, mountains with waterfalls and rivers. It is worth doing a hike to “Pertosa-Auletta’s grotto”, where you can even sail an underground river to admire a village of palafitte aged II millennium BC. You’ll love Cilento from its innards. One of the biggest European monasteries, “La Certosa di Padula“, will go back to medieval times and then bring you back to the contemporary ages. Going to the coastal part, we have four different but at the same time beautiful cities and villages: Agropoli rich in peculiar streets that seem to be a way to the “Aragonese castle” on the top; Palinuro that if famous for the wide and white beaches with the second-highest lighthouse in Italy, looking at a crystal sea; Castellabate, a medieval village that became famous thanks to the film “Benvenuti al sud” (“Welcome to the South”) of Alessandro Siani, with the beautiful “Angel’s castle”; Acciaroli, that seems to harbor the secret of healthy aging, as there are 30 centenarians for every one hundred thousand of inhabitants. 

In this province so rich in culture, there is also Paestum, which preserves one of Europe’s most important archeological zones. A UNESCO asset, it includes three of World’s best-preserved Greek temples and a museum full of millennia-old frescos, ceramics and daily artifacts. The oldest monument is so-called Basilica, a temple to the goddess Hera, dating from the middle of the 6th century BC. You’ll feel in a greek land, thinking about the magnificence of the well-survived constructions, such as the “Temple of Nettuno” and the “Temple of Cerere”.

Here we go to the most touristic place of the province: Amalfi Coast, known for scented lemons, painted everywhere. All the places of the coast have clean beaches and clear water to swim in. There is Amalfi, Unesco asset, where, a part from lying under the sun wearing a necklace of corals, typical of the place, you can visit the Cathedral in Arabesque-Sicilian style consecrated to Saint Andrew, protector of the city. If you like doing shopping, the right place for you is Positano, the place where it was born 50’s fashion. You’ll get lost in the streets while looking at vivid clothes and unique souvenirs. Other beautiful and littler centres are Vietri sul mare, where handcraft becomes art, especially by using pottery and glass; Ravello, the city of the music and Minori, chosen in the past by Romans as a summer residence, where you can visit an ancient Roman villa. You can also thrill your palate in going to “Sal De Riso“, the famous pastry shop that sells many and many delicious sweets. If you are tired of the sea, you can walk through “Il sentiero degli dei”, a trail of 7.8 km that will let you walk while admiring Amalfi Coast and Capri. 

What to eat? There’s all for you to choose. Some typical and delicious dishes are “Scialatielli di Amalfi“, “Friselle di Eboli”, a sort of poor bread, “Zizzona di Battipaglia”, a mozzarella di bufala that can weigh from 1 kilo to 10 kilos. There are also sweets such as “Delizia al limone“, typical of Amalfi, “Castagnaccio”, made with chestnuts’ flour and “Nocche cilentane”, made of chocolate and cream.

Squeezed between the sleepy Vesuvius and the steaming Campi Flegrei, Naples is a voluptuous, volcanic city and full of the will to live. Naples is the native city of the actors that characterized the Neapolitan comedy: Eduardo De Filippo, Massimo Troisi and Antonio De Curtis (Totò). Naples is so amazing that the great Goethe even said “Vedi Napoli e poi muori” (“see Naples and die”, as to say you have seen everything that needed to be seen in life). Full of marvelous places to visit such as “Maschio Angioino”, “Piazza del Plebiscito”, “Monastero di Santa Chiara”, “Teatro San Carlo”, “Galleria Umberto I”, “Castel Dell’Ovo”, “the Veiled Christ“.

A symbol of the city is the Cathedral where it is collected San Gennaro’s blood, that every year, three times per year, melts remembering “the miracle of San Gennaro”, so the collection of the blood after the Saint’s martyrdom. Other two places worth visiting are “Museo ferroviario nazionale” di Pietrarsa, 36000 square meters of different locomotive and trains’ exhibition, and “Toledo subway”, defined the most beautiful subway in Europe and in the World.

To couples are really suggested Mergellina, the most romantic part of Naples and Posillipo, where you can walk with the Gulf and Vesuvio as background; a real postcard. Here there are also Leopardi’s and Virgilio’s tombs for literature’s enthusiasts. 

The king that oversees the city, Vesuvio, in 79 AC, erupted and covered Pompei and Ercolano, with their inhabitants and their lives with incandescent dust. Everything seems to be sleeping happily under the dust. Both Pompei’s and Ercolano’s excavations are Unesco’s assets as they reproduce a way of living so distant to ours that cannot be compared to no other places in the World.

What about the islands? Do you know Capri, Ischia and Procida? Well, if you don’t, it’s about time. Let’s start from the fascinating Capri. Many tourists visit this island every year. Its “Faraglioni” and grottos, in particular “Grotta Azzurra”, are crowded destination. There is a romantic legend for “Faraglioni”: it is said that if two lovers kiss while passing through them, their love will be eternal. “Villa Jovis” and “Giardini di Augusto” deserve a visit too. If you like shopping, you can choose between numerous shops. But pay attention, it can be really expensive too. Ischia is called the green island for nature that spreads all around. At first, it was connected to the peninsula but then it became an island. The “Aragonese Castle” that overlooks the land is a place really recommended. The smallest island of the archipelago is Procida, the wildest too, inhabited by lots of fishers. The center of the island is called “Terra Murata” as it is a medieval village that can be reached only by a little path.  

Sorrento Coast, going from Castellamare di Stabia to Punta Campanella, is famous in particular for the city that gives it the name: Sorrento. Its labyrinth of streets are full of workshops where you can buy typical pieces of art and culture. Do not go home without trying and buying a bottle of limoncello. It’s the best!

Christmas is near and after visiting “Luci D’Artista” in Salerno, you have to visit San Gregorio Armeno. It’s the place where presepe (nativity scene) is very, very important. There are lots and lots of small shops exhibiting statuettes for the native scene, going from the traditional to extravagant ones. You can find singers, soccer players, actors and so on. You’ll be surprised to find what you’d ever wanted and your presepe will be the most original and unique among your acquaintances.

I know you’ve chosen Naples for its yummy foods. You must try the unique and inimitable Neapolitan Pizza, “Sfogliatella”, “Babà”, “Frittata di maccheroni”, “Casatiello”, “Parmigiana di melanzane” and “Cuoppo di mare”. And even more you have to taste “Crocchè di patate”, “Pizza fritta”, “Salsiccia e friarielli” and “Pastiera”, a cake typically eaten during Easter.

As a song says, “What are you waiting for?”. Campania Felix (no need to ask why) is waiting for you!

L'articolo Exploring Italy: a trip to Campania Felix – Campania sembra essere il primo su Venti Blog.

1. Evitare il telegiornale a tavola

I momenti dei pasti, sono momenti di condivisione in famiglia, momenti in cui la scuola e il lavoro danno una tregua. Sfruttate questi momenti per raccontare cosa avete fatto, cosa c’è da fare e per sorridere insieme.

Tips: Per movimentare i momenti di condivisione potreste raccontarvi le vostre giornate in maniera giocata, un bel “tg famiglia” e un bel “meteo famiglia”. Ognuno di voi racconta la giornata e assegna un sole, un cielo nuvoloso o una nuvola piena di pioggia a seconda di come si è sentito.

2. Cos’è il Covid?

I bambini e i ragazzi sanno che c’è questo “mostro” più grande di tutti noi contro cui stiamo combattendo. Come rispondere a domande e preoccupazioni a riguardo?

Tips: per i bambini è opportuno mantenere un mondo fantasioso. Provate a rispondere alle loro domande, usando termini di favole o similitudini con favole che conoscono. Per i ragazzi conviene essere più realisti, cercando di alleviare le loro preoccupazioni, soprattutto ascoltandoli.

3. Insieme

La convivenza è difficile e le cose da fare tante. Perché deve sempre fare tutto la mamma?

Tip: Potete organizzare il da farsi, su un cartellone, ben visibile a tutti. Ognuno di voi, dal più piccolo al più grande avrà dei post-it di un colore diverso che verranno attaccati in corrispondenza dell’impegno da portare a termine. Sarà di aiuto e responsabilizzerà i ragazzi.

Ci si può anche divertire insieme facendo qualcosa per tutti.

Tip: scegliete una ricetta da fare tutti insieme, ad esempio, per la colazione della domenica. Ci si sveglierà tutti, col buonumore.

4. Ad ognuno il suo!

Così come è giusto fare insieme, è giusto anche che ognuno abbia del tempo per dedicarsi a se stesso. Prendetevi qualche momento per voi, senza pensare che c’è qualcos’altro da fare. 5 min di pausa, non vi toglieranno tempo prezioso, ma vi faranno “staccare la spina”.

5. Si può fare!

Anziché soffermarci su cosa non si può fare, soffermiamoci su ciò che invece si può fare. Non si può uscire per un aperitivo!? Organizzatevi un aperitivo domestico. Non si può vedere gli amici!? Organizzate qualche riunione virtuale tutti insieme.

6. Comprendersi

Dal bambino all’anziano. Tutti hanno notevoli difficoltà a vivere in questo periodo. Non ce la prendiamo se qualcuno ci risponde male, se non tutti i giorni sono “rose e fiori”. Cerchiamo di capire quando le cose non vanno e ascoltiamoci, guardiamoci di più. Non andrà tutto bene subito, ma non ci sentiremo soli.

7. Sorprendersi

Se c’è una cosa che i bambini sanno fare meglio di chiunque altro è sorprendere e sorprendersi, anche delle cose più piccole.

Tip: proviamo a regalare a qualcuno in casa, inaspettatamente, un fiore, un cioccolatino, un disegno, un sorriso. Le cose inaspettate sono le più belle e faranno sorridere il cuore di chi li riceve.

8. Vivere

Ci è stato fatto un dono, la vita, che per quanto difficile possa essere, è nostra. Accettiamola, viviamola!

L'articolo Guida pratica su come sopravvivere al Covid in famiglia sembra essere il primo su Venti Blog.

Every year Italy welcomes many tourists from all over the world; just before the Covid-19 pandemic, 215.3 million tourists visited Italy in 2019, mostly coming from Germany and America, followed by Chinese, French and British people. 

To start our travel through Italy, I decided to guide you through Latium or, in Italian, Lazio, one of the most visited regions, because of Rome. 

But Lazio is not only known for the “Eternal City”: you can be surprised by the variety of the other attractions, going from medieval towns to remote hilltop monasteries or to volcanic lakes. 

And, of course, as part of the authentic Italian experience, this region will embrace your visit, offering its tasty and typical dishes.

Rome is one of the most attractive city and full of ancient icons: the best known are the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Pantheon that recall the city’s golden period as caput mundi, which means Rome was ‘the capital of the world’. You can walk around the Flavian Amphitheatre (Colosseum) or even buy the ticket to explore the arena itself and imagine gladiators fighting for their own life in that place, pushed to fight for the audience’s leisure. Interestingly, the public enjoyed these types of bloody games like we enjoy watching Netflix today.

You may also be impressed by the sprawl of ruins, ruins representing Rome’s showpiece centre, a huge district of temples and vibrant public spaces. 

Pantheon – And what about Hadrian’s temple dedicated to the classical gods, as it can be derived from its name, pan (all) and theos (gods) but now consecrated as a Christian church, known as the Basilica of Santa Maria and Martyres and that hosts Raphael’s tomb. 

A stone’s throw the Roman Forum, there is the Palatine Hill. Roman myth tells that Romulus established Rome on the Palatino, after killing his brother Remus. Dating from 1471, the Capitoline Museum is another wonderful place you cannot miss. It is the world’s oldest public museum boasting sculptures such as the famous Lupa Capitolina (Capitoline Wolf) representing the wolf feeding the twins Romulus and Remus. If there is little time to visit an art gallery, it can definitely be Galleria Borghese, formed by Cardinal Scipione Borghese and shows painting by Caravaggio, Raphael and Titian and sculptures by Bernini too, such as “Rape of Proserpina”. 

The last and best place to visit in Rome is St Peter’s Basilica, in Vatican City which is open to everybody so no visa is required to enter. Well known for being the Pope house, it welcomes many and many tourists everyday who wants to see the Pontiff but also to admire spectacular works of art and masterpieces, such as Michelangelo’s Pietà. In the Vatican Museum there is the Sistine Chapel, by Michelangelo, showing the contents of Revelation.

There are some other beautiful places near Rome, less visited but fascinating. There is Bracciano’s Lake in Bracciano, Villa D’Este in Tivoli and a Necropolis in Tarquinia. The formers are natural places, in which you can breathe nature and relax, surrounded by flowers and pure air, the latter contains the most prestigious painted tombs.

It’s not a secret that Italians love eating and eating well. We are plenty of delicious foods. Some of our best dishes, hailing from Rome and nearby, often cooked abroad, are Carbonara, Cacio e Pepe, and Abbacchio allo scottadito e carciofi alla Giudìa (fried artichokes). If you move about 26 km from Rome, you will also taste the savory porchetta (spit-roasted pork).

The second most inhabited province of Lazio is Latina. Composed by a stretch of coast about 100 km long, it alternates beaches of fine sand and rocky promontories, it belongs to the Ulysses’ Riviera of the Odyssea thousand-year-old poem. Among the towns of the Riviera we point out Formia, Gaeta, Sperlonga and San Felice Circeo. The Redeemer, placed on the Reedemer hill of Aurunci Mountains, at 1252 m in Formia, watches over the lands beyond, from Formia to Vesuvio, Ischia and Capri too. From the top you can see Gaeta with the Angiovine-Aragonese Castle, with the Turkish’s grotto and Split Mountain. Then there are Torre Truglia, which separetes The Riviera of Levante and that of Ponente and the Tiberio’s Grotto that are absolutely worth seeing in Sperlonga. In San Felice Circeo you can find the Submerged Christ, the most representative symbol of Circeo. It is told that sorceress Circe, stayed on the highest point of Circeo Mountain. The name ‘Riviera di Ulisse‘ is because Ulysses stopped here, on the beaches, bewitched by the sorceress. 

A part from lying under the Sun, surrounded by clear water and gold sand or sailing for the Pontinians Islands, Ponza and Ventotene that are explored by lots of visitors, you may taste something very typical. I really suggest Tiella di Gaeta, Pesce alla recanata, Crostata di Visciole and Ciambelline al vino.

Let’s turn up to Ciociaria. We are in the province of Frosinone. The name Ciociaria comes from a particular type of shoes, wore in the past “ciocie”, made of leather and tethered on legs. In the main city of the province, Frosinone, you can visit the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, on the highest points of the hill on which the historic center stands and the Palazzo of Pietro Tiravanti, one of the first in Italy to be built in anti seismic material. Not far from the province there is Anagni, best known as the City of Pontiffs, as it is the birthplace of four Popes and ad it has been papal seat for a long time. As a matter of fact, there can be seen, one of the palaces of the Popes: Palazzo of Bonifacio VIII. Other wonderful cities worth visiting are Isola del Liri and Fiuggi. They are both famous for their water. The former is called this way because the Liri river surrounds the historic centre and forms an island. It also has two waterfalls in the centre of the city. The latter is famous for the thermal baths, definetely recommended for respiratory problems but still beneficial for everyone.

In Pastena, there are the Pastena’s caves, full of stalactites and stalagmites. A lot of historical finds have been discovered, such as a bronze dagger dated XV century B.C. In addition, they are the house of thousands and thousands of bats, so if you are frightened, that’s not the right place for you to stay in for about an hour. 

One of the most important towns of Ciociaria is Cassino. Probably you will know it because of Montecassino Abbey, the awesome top of the town, built by St Benedict in 529 A.D. on an old pagan temple and here he founded the Benedictine order. It was completely destroyed during the Second World War as it happened for the city beyond. This was caused by the fact that Cassino and villages around were divided by Gustav Line, constructed by Germans in order to stop the Allies to fight there. Apart from the breathtaking view from Montecassino, the Abbey holds one of the ancient books on different subjects, from theology to art. Very close to the Abbey, there is Rocca Janula that has been for centuries the military fulcrum for inhabitants of the lands of St Benedict. As different populations crossed it during the War, Cassino wanted to recall the lives of young and courageous militaries that lost their lives for their Countries. Indeed there are the German Cemetery, the English Cemetery and the Polish Cemetery.

In Ciociaria there are a lot of savory dishes. We have “Fini Fini”, a type of tiny pasta aged ‘500 or Strozzapreti “Strangle Priests”, whose funny name was invented by women against the Pontiff State, who imagined Priests strangling while they were eating this pasta. 

Lazio is recommended to cheese-lovers: you can find high quality and different types of cheese, such as Pecorino (from Picinisco), produced with sheep milk, Caciocavallo and Scamorza appassita (from Supino) and Mozzarella di Bufala DOP from Amaseno. A typical cake is Casata Pontecorvese, a little salty as made of eggs, salt, unsalted pecorino, cinnamon, citrus and black chocolate. 

Our trip in Lazio is almost finished but there are two other little provinces to visit: Viterbo and Rieti. 

Viterbo owns a variety of different but peculiar places. There is Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola, a 16th-century palace that makes you living the Renaissance world with frescoed rooms and hillside gardens. The area of Tuscia Viterbese is one of the most evocative of Lazio, based on wines, farmhouses and villages to visit, one of which is Civita di Bagnoreggio.

This is called the Dying City, only reachable by a pedestrian bridge, because it seems to crumble continuously off the cliff on which it stands. The most mythological place of the area is Bomarzo that has the Monster Park. It is full of sculptures of mythological animals and divinities. You will feel involved in a magical atmosphere. 

If you want to admire natural landscape, Lake of Bolsena, at Tuscany and Umbria’s borders, is worth visiting. After a long trip you may need to refresh. Why don’t you try Acquacotta, Bertolacce and Ceciaroli? The last dish, in particular, may sound different from what you tasted in Italy so far, as it is sweet but with chickpeas, definitely to try, and I am sure our Indian readers will appreciate it.

The less populated province of Lazio is Rieti. You can relax near the Lake of Turano and also do some windsurfing or you visit the Castel of Antuni, which is connected to the mainland by a tiny piece of land or also visit the most fascinating and mysterious Italian castle, Castello di Rocca Sinibalda. The province or Rieti had a strong earthquake, in particular in Accumuli and Amatrice, in 2016. If you want to help people to recover and visit beautiful towns, you have to go there. And what is more, you can taste the spectacular Amatriciana, they do better than everyone does. You can also eat sardamirelli, made of grilled cured pork guts or cordelle sabine, also called cecamariti “to blind men” because they were considered as good as to blind men.

A lot of mysterious and unknown places are scattered in Italy. It’s time for you to explore and discover the dark horse: let’s start from Lazio!

L'articolo Exploring Italy: travelling to Latium – Lazio sembra essere il primo su Venti Blog.