Gay Travel Phrase Book

by Adrienne Wilson on

Everyone here knows I’m into learning as much and many foreign words as my brain can possibly soak in, which is why this particular book caught my eye. I’m a straight woman so I don’t know how far some of the phrases in eight different langs will take me in some place like Portugal, but I find it might help someone. I saw this one over at Get Lost Books and laughed at first because I don’t know any of my gay pals that would use this book. (Unless they’re secretly doing so.) According to the short blurb on Get Lost Books the most interesting part of the book are the euphemisms for being gay in different lingos with literal English translation. For example: “he’s from third parish” or “slipped an okra.” That was in English and I’m still confused.

Oh well.

Getting Good Gelato in Italia

by Adrienne Wilson on

If I’m correct when I reflect back and say this then I had my very first gelato experience ever like two days ago, but it was far from Italy. Considering it was the only gelato spot around for miles a guide to finding the BEST wasn’t really necessary. In that kind of heat I would have taken the gelato from the palms of a bum on a shady Venice Beach side street. In Italia it’s different though. It’s the home of gelato. The real deal. You want to score the best. But how?

Valerie Ng at World Hum fills readers in on telling the best from all the rest. Long lines are a good indication in any place and Italy is no exception. Just be sure to line up behind all the Italians and not your foreign look-a-likes. Search for the signs that read “fatta in casa,” which means the gelato was made in house. Learn how to order, a little gelato lingo and some advanced technique to help get you the best gelato in all of Italy. Check out all of Ms. Ng’s tips. Something tells me she really knows what she’s talking about.

Affordable Amalfi

by Neil Woodburn on

“Million-dollar views at hundred-dollar prices.”

This was the sentence that sucked me into a Budget Travel piece about finding affordable accommodations on the not-so-affordable Amalfi Coast in Italy. The coast is expensive to begin with, and now that the dollar has sunk so low against the euro, it is even more expensive for us Americans.

Fortunately, Reid Bramblett has done the legwork necessary to allow us poor travelers some luxurious accommodations and still have enough money left over to indulge in gelato. Take, for example, La Rosa dei Venti in Positano. The B&B has only six rooms, but each has, “a small terrace, decorated with flowers, that offers a view of the beach, mountains, turquoise waters dotted with anchored ships, and a medieval tower built as a lookout against Saracen pirates.” Prices range from $130-$190 per night.

Good job Bramblett! Once Italy recovers from its World Cup hangover, I just might make my way over there.

Word for the Travel Wise (07/09/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Now that Italia has successfully taken the World Cup and we’ll have to wait another four years for the adrenaline-pumping futbol festivities to occur again, we should just happily congratulate all of our Italian friends during their sweet, sweet time of victory. Tomorrow start your trash talking for your own country again. Just kidding.

Today’s word is an Italian word used in Italy:

congratulazioni – congratulations

Seeing how popular the language is there isn’t much difficulty finding learning resources on the web. I’m a little unsure about what’s going on with this June29 site, but they have three very simple lessons to get your learning motors going. You might find the BBC your one stop shop in handling your needs. Dictionaries, lessons, audio, and slang are all included. Distance learning is always recommended in my book. Check out some of these programs abroad where you can study in various cities across the country and even Lugano, Switzerland. A few links to study abroad are as follows: Amerispan, World Link Education, and ILUSS. Head over to this Italian Book Store for suggested text.

Past Italian words: qualcosa, dov’é

Siena’s Big Race

by Neil Woodburn on

While thousands of tourists visit Florence on any given day, few detour to the Italian city’s lesser known neighbor just a day trip away. 

Siena is a smaller version of Florence and, if you ask me, one that is more personable and far more peaceful–unless, of course, you happen to visit during the Palio.  The Palio is a horse race that occurs in the town square twice a year, July 2 and August 16. 

But it’s not just any horse race.  Ten jockeys at a time, from various rival neighborhoods, blow around the converted square in a mad race for local bragging rights.  50,000 spectators cheer them on with a passion normally reserved for European soccer.  And this being Italy, you can just imagine the wild times had by all.