Dreaming of Italy

It is not much of a secret to my friends, family, or followers that I love Italy!  The idea of wandering through the maze of bridges in Venice, savoring the view from Piazza Michaelangelo in Florence, or getting a history lesson at the Colosseum in Rome leave me feeling both nostalgic and giddy. Not to mention the thought of savoring authentic Italian pizza, sipping the house wine at a rustic cafe, or devouring gelato at least once a day.

That is Italy to me!

Yet at this point in my life, I’ve only managed to spend about eight days total in the famed European country that captures my heart and inspires my wanderlust. It has been nearly 2 1/2 years since my last trip to Italy, and oh how I miss it! (Stupid Covid!)

I’m not at a point in my life, or my finances, where I can up and move to Italy or spend weeks on end vacationing overseas. And for most of the world, traveling has either been at a standstill or at least fairly limited over the past few years. (Stupid Covid!)

There is a multitude of reasons why I won’t be jetting off to Italy in the very near future. My guess is that many of my followers also find they cannot travel to their favorite destination as often as they would like due to finances, family or work obligations, or a variety of other obstacles.

Whatever might be keeping you homebound these days, I hope by sharing how I keep my love for Italy alive I can also inspire you to keep dreaming about your favorite destinations.

Mark my words…I will return to Italy one day.

But until then, this is how I’m dreaming about Italy!

Reading

One of my favorite ways to travel to Italy in my mind is through books. I gravitate towards any fiction book set in Italy, and my bookshelf holds quite a few of them.

Some of my favorites include Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch and Our Italian Summer by Jennifer Probst. Next up for me is Home to Italy by Peter Pezzelli. (That one’s going in my suitcase for my upcoming trip to the beach!)

Italy guide books and other non-fiction titles are also a great way to escape into all things Italian. Plus they can help you anticipate and prepare for your first, or next, trip to Italy.

I’m currently working my way through Maria Pasquale’s “How to Be Italian: Eat, drink, dress, travel, and love la dolce vita.” Like a fine wine, I’m slowly savoring this book as I learn about the custom of aperitivo time and how to communicate like an Italian local.

Watching Movies

Of course, when reading seems too taxing and I simply want to pop over to Italy for 90 minutes or so, an Italy-based movie is in order.

I most recently watched “Made in Italy” starring Liam Neesom, and I highly recommend it!

“Letters to Juliet” has me inspired to add Verona to my next Italian itinerary. And if I could channel Julia Roberts (“Eat Pray Love”) or Diane Lane (“Under the Tuscan Sun”) for my second act, that would be pretty cool.

Listening to Podcasts

For years now I’ve consumed just about everything Rick Steves writes or records about Italy, and I often rave to other travel enthusiasts about Rick and the wealth of information he offers…for free. Downloading the Rick Steves Audio Europe app is my favorite way to take in the tons of insightful, practical, and historic info he offers on Italy. (You can find plenty of helpful info on just about any other European country on this app as well.)

One of my newer finds is the Untold Italy podcast. The host, Katy Clarke, expresses her admiration for Italy as she divulges tips, tricks, and hidden gems about the most popular Italian destinations and many that you may never have heard of.

I recently listened to episode #111 on Carnivale in Venice, and now this over-the-top annual festival involving decorative masks and plenty of mystique is on my travel bucket list!

Learning Italian

While you don’t have to speak Italian to have an enjoyable experience in Italy, learning the basics of the language while stateside can keep your love of Italy burning.

I’ll admit I do not have a knack for learning languages! I am finding that even though my high school Spanish didn’t leave me fluent in the language, it is aiding in my comprehension of Italian since there are many similarities between the two languages.

Of course, you can purchase costly language guides and classes, but there are plenty of free, readily accessible tools that can add to your Italian vocabulary and confidence.

Pick up lots of useful Italian words and phrases with just a few minutes every day spent on the Duolingo app. Or pop into your local library and see what resources are available to help you increase your Italian speaking and comprehension.

I currently have the 15 Minute Italian book and CDs checked out from my local library. It promises that I’ll be speaking Italian in just 12 weeks. We will see about that!

But I’m already having fun as I try to take on the emphatic phrasing and hand gestures of true Italians…in the privacy of my home, where no one is judging my feeble attempts!

Scrolling Instagram

I know I’m not the only one who wastes far too much time scrolling through social media. Yet this mindless activity has done wonders for inspiring my Italian wanderlust.

With vivid images of Tuscan countrysides and vibrant videos depicting colorful coastal villages, Instagram can instantly transport me to Italy (if only in my mind).

Here are just a few of the Italy-inspired Instagram pages I follow: @cruisetoitaly @italia @italianlandscapes and @detour.ist as well as the IG pages of all the other resources listed in this blog post.

A quick IG search of “Italy” and your feed will be flooded with breathtaking landscapes, historic towns, cobblestone streets, charming villas, and mouthwatering Italian delights.

Taking Virtual Trips

One of my favorite ways to spend time in Italy these days is virtually. While it may not be the same as actually setting foot in Italy, it is the next best thing. And a whole lot cheaper!

This may be one of the good things that came out of Covid! Many tourism companies made the leap to virtual tours to stay afloat and this has made it a lot easier to explore and stroll through far away places…through your digital devices.

I’ve been to Venice numerous times, virtually, over the past 2 years and this has helped me stay connected to my favorite city. I learned all about Aperitive Time and how to make the famed Aperol Spritz from my new far away friend, Valerio, through Withlocals.

I’ve also walked around Burano and between the coastal towns of the Cinque Terre with NextStop-Italy. Through the magic of Zoom, you are transported to Italy and joined by a local tour guide, in real time. The tour guide walks and talks while regaling you with historic, art, culture, customs, and more about many Italian hotspots.

They even conduct a Q & A with the audience, and it is all free. You are given the option of providing a tip through PayPal, which I strongly encourage. The tours are well worth a modest tip, and you will feel good about doing your part to ensure Italian tourism continues to thrive.

Youtube also provides some great options for virtually walking the streets of Italy.  ProWalk Tours and Italy Together are two of my favorite channels with tons of walking tours that make me feel like I’m right there in the excitement of Italy.

Do you also dream of returning to Italy…

Or taking your first voyage to this amazing European country?

Perhaps there is another destination that frequently captures your daydreams and inspires your wanderlust?

Regardless of the destination that consumes your heart, you can use the same basic tools I’ve mentioned above to quench your travel desires until you can actually jet off to that locale and explore it in person. And if you need specific tools related to that destination, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask Traveling Tanya!

 Ciao for now!

Wherever the road takes you, make it a joyous journey,
Traveling Tanya

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