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This is the blog of Steve Burkett of Italy, Our Italy

Transforming a Venetian Palazzo Door

Today we go to Venice for a transformation from snapshot to fine-art photo.

“You’ve seen the Venetian watergate entrances in previous articles, but this is a palazzo’s front door”

As with most all of Italy’s old towns, built when electricity and running water had not yet been conceived, electrical conduits in particular must be snaked along the outside of the buildings. Because of the Venetian water table, there are obviously no basements through which electrical lines could be routed. Thus, conduits are often visible being routed to places that their power is needed.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, my goal is to give you an Italy of the past, at the time of Michelangelo, Bellini, and others of the renaissance. Since you would not see electrical conduits at that time, you won’t see them in my photos. So, there!

You’ve seen the Venetian watergate entrances in previous articles, but this is a palazzo’s front door. It’s not all that picturesque, but maybe I can give it must a bit of charm. Let’s see.

Here is the original snapshot. It’s a bit crooked, as you can see. Also, it has those pesky electrical conduits, as well as in-the-street water valves. There is also a doorbell, mailbox and address placard that I would like to remove. I'll get right on that.

Below is the photo with the aforementioned items removed…as well as the straightening that was needed. You probably also noted that I’ve changed the door color to one of Michelangelo’s favorite Renaissance colors. I need to crop the photo to a traditional 8x10 aspect ratio.

Cropped, as promised. However, when I cropped it, that parapet running across the photo above the door just doesn’t do it for me. I’m thinking that you’d agree, right? So, my next task is to resolve that issue.

I hired some out-of-work gondoliers to raise that parapet to the top of the photo. Thank you Marco and Angelo.

Marco said, “Dovresti dare alla foto un po’ di patina veneziana”. So I did that next.

Then Mateo said, “Piu patina!”. So, I added a bit more patina. Below is the final transformation.

Who do you think built this palazzo? I’ve not idea, but it looks as though their initials were “LVB” — or maybe “L, upside-down A, B” — or maybe…see if you can figure it out. I have no idea, but this is the first above-the-door iron work that I’ve seen with initials embedded.

That’s one more Italian door snapshot transformed into my notion of a palazzo of times gone by. Next time I pass by this palazzo…and I surely plan to do that…I’ll ring the door bell to find out what that monogram depicts.

Until next time…

Ciao for now,

Steve

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Eat Here: Osteria and Trattoria Caprini

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What a night! It was magical. Tonight, we were welcomed into an Italian family!

Because we had both an osteria and a trattoria experience, I am breaking this article into two sections. Section1 focuses on Osteria Caprini, while Section 2 is about Trattoria Caprini.

To avoid a bit of confusion between the osteria part of this establishment, and the trattoria part, I’ll simply refer to the overall establishment of both the osteria and trattoria as ‘Caprini’…after all, they are both in the same building…just different doors.

Caprini’s Beginnings

In 1907, two young newlyweds decided to open Caprini, serving traditional dishes and Valpolicella wine in a simple and unpretentious manner. Four generations later, Caprini is still run by the same family…both as an osteria and a trattoria.

Torbe di Negrar is a small hill town surrounded by vineyards. Caprini is designated within the red circle on this aerial view.

Osteria Caprini

First, an osteria is like a tavern or corner pub. The food dishes are simple and the atmosphere is unpretentious. In other words, it’s casual and typically delish, but the menu is rather short.

We parked our rental car across the street from Trattoria Caprini in the Valpolicella-area hill town of Torbe di Negrar. Our intent was to go immediately to dinner at Trattoria Caprini, but as we crossed the street we were hailed with “Come down here!” from a small crowd outside the door to Osteria Caprini. Really, that’s what they were shouting over-and-over — “Come down here!”. What to do? We were in no hurry, so we said, “Sure!”, and we went down there to the entrance to Osteria Caprini.

What we found was Csaba’s birthday party. That’s Csaba to the left in this photo.

Csaba, Dennis, Patty and others were celebrating, and asked the four of us to celebrate with them. So, we did. Wine was offered and wine was gladly accepted.

Csaba is one of those remarkable people that you are instantly drawn to…a great smile and a welcoming spirit. Hungarian citizen Csaba works at the local NATO facility. Dennis retired from said facility awhile back. Patty is Dennis’ wife. Though they are Americans, Dennis and Patty have a house nearby…as well as this itsy-bitsy car that I’m inspecting.

We felt so much at home. We were among old friends, newly found for the first time. And, we were warmly welcomed with copious toasts of wine. It’s impolite to refuse wine, isn’t it? Plus, you know what the Romans say, right? “When in Italy, do what the Italians do!”

Here is wife Ellen, Patty, and sister-in-law Leslie.

And, behind the osteria’s bar was beautiful Maria (aka Mama Maria). She’s run the bar for many, many years. This lovely octogenarian was an excellent hostess.

See this early 20th century photo taken in front of Caprini? That’s baby Maria sitting in her mother’s lap!

We fell in love with Mama Maria because of her charm, graciousness and spirit. But also because she poured us a glass of Amarone produced by her husband and son.

This Corte Martini Amarone knocked our socks off! Really – one moment we had on socks, and the next moment, they were gone!

This wine was everything that brother-in-law Craig and I had been looking for in our two weeks in northern Italy -- put away the Barolo and pour us another glass of this awesome Corte Martini Amarone! [A further description of this Amarone and its equally outstanding Recioto partner will have to wait for another article.]

Also shown in the photo is the smaller bottle of Recioto della Valpolicella, which is a very tasty dessert wine.

Here are Csaba, Craig, me, and Dennis.

Are our glasses empty? Yes. That means it’s time for a refill.

Many celebratory things were uttered as we toasted and re-toasted Csaba’s birthday!

After an hour in the osteria, we bid Csaba and friends a final “Happy Birthday!”. And, with hugs all around, we said good bye to our new friends as we headed upstairs to dinner at Trattoria Caprini. It turned out that our pleasant evening was to continue.

Trattoria Caprini

The formality — or lack thereof — of a trattoria is much like that of an osteria, but the menu is more extensive and the decor is kicked up a notch.

Sergio, the family member who supervises the dining room and wine cellar led us through the menu and helped us make our decisions. My selection was also the local favorite of Lasagnette al Ragu della Pierina (that’s pasta with Pierina’s famous meat sauce). I dove right in and had eaten the whole thing before I remembered that I was going to photograph this dish! Dang! Trust me – it looked as good as it tasted.

Here are a couple of photos of other dishes eaten at our table.

The wine we ordered with dinner? Of course it was the Corte Martini Amarone. We just couldn’t stop toasting! We had now moved into the wine-drinking-excuse toasts.

Here you see brother-in-law Craig sitting beneath a painting of a part of the town of Torbe di Negrar. Trattoria Caprini is the building with the green awning on the left.

As mentioned in my article titled Eat Here: Enoteca della Valpolicella, we had purchased a book of Italian recipes during our trip. Lo and behold, the recipe for Pierina’s Lasagnette al Ragu Della Pierina is in that cook book. As we just happened to have it with us, we asked Pierina to autograph our copy, which she graciously did.

Here is chef Pierina posing with Leslie and Ellen.

And, once again, we get an autograph from an outstanding chef.

And surprise of surprises, that’s Pierina herself on the cover of our cookbook, making her homemade lasagnette pasta.

You can order this cookbook here — be sure to get the Italian-English version.

Do you have meals that you will always remember? Evenings where magic surely played a part in your enjoyment? This evening – with Csaba’s birthday party, Mama Maria’s charm and Pierina’s great food – is one of those for the four of us.

I hope that you can make your way 11 miles north of Verona to the town of Torbe di Negrar so that you can meet Maria, Sergio, Pierina and the rest of the family. And, if you are there on October 2nd, you will surely find Csaba and friends in the osteria celebrating another birthday. Hopefully, we’ll be there too. After all, we need to go back to get our socks!

Ciao for now,

Steve

p.s. Thanks to Silvia of Salvaterra Winery for recommending Trattoria Caprini

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The Results Are In: Part 0

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[As the old western song says, “I’m back in the saddle, again”…the blogging saddle, that is. And to all of you who have written and called to wish me well in my Covid-19 recovery, you have my sincere thanks.]

For those of you who have been with me for awhile, you have seen my “The Results Are In:…” articles before. These are articles in which I toot my horn a bit to reflect that others have been tooting it for me.

I was doing a bit of cleaning up in my photography area of the basement, and I came across a Black & White Magazine from 2014, in which two of my photos were published. Then I found other bits of recognition that I have not shared with you. And then I found more.

As these are older awards that I should have published prior to “The Results Are In: Part 1”, I decided to slip this melange in as “Part 0” (zero), rather than Part 18, which should be the next in line.

Not much effort for this article, right? Just assume that I’m just kind of working my way back in to blogging very slowly.

Well, that’s it. I think I’m all caught up on horn tooting. The next installment of ItalyOurItaly.com will be a bit meatier. So, until then, please stay safe, and as always…

…Ciao for now,

Steve

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Eat Here: Enoteca Della Valpolicella

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Has there been a time when you’ve had a meal and you think, “Wow, I’d like to come back and eat here again!”. We said that. And, we then went back and ate there again. It was that good. Italy at its best. Here is what you can expect.

We had just completed a mourning tour and tasting of the wines of the Allegrini winery, and it was oh, so good. Now it was time for lunch. Because of a recommendation by Silvia at the Salvaterra winery, we had made a reservation for lunch at Enoteca Della Valpolicella…and we are glad we did, as the locals already know about this gem.

Getting There

On this map, you can see the short drive from Villa Allegrini (red circle) to Enoteca Della Valpolicella (blue circle) in the small village of Fumane, just 9 miles north of Verona. So, it’s possible that Juliette and Romeo had their first date here. Yeah, I know. Right?

Drive through the gate and park in the small lot.

“Whether you dine for lunch or dinner, either experience (or both, as in our case) will please you no end”

Eating There

First of all, don’t expect to be treated like a customer…you are a guest at Enoteca Della Valpolicella, and that’s the way you will feel.

Dining is upstairs, and it is a very pleasant place to eat. Add to that our very pleasant cameriera (waitress), and you have a very pleasant meal, assuming the food is also very pleasant.

Elisa Riolfi took or order, with a bit of a twist. She asked us what sort of things we liked (and didn’t like) and she then suggested that she bring us what one might call a 'chef’s menu’. We handed her our unopened menus and put our trust in Elisa.

We were glad that she approached our meal this way…because it turned out that, along with everything else, the food was very pleasant, indeed!

It turns out that Elisa has a good relationship with the chef, as Chef Ada is her mother.

I mentioned in the introduction that we returned to dine for dinner after having eaten lunch at Enoteca della Valpolicella. One of the reasons we wanted to return? This absolutely heavenly starter of Tomato Sauce alla Veronese.

It is finished with a bit of burrata cheese, basil, and a splash of EVOO.

And, for our dinner, once more we let Elisa and her mom take the reigns, but with one demand —- we wanted this starter with our meal, once again!

In this photo, you can see the texture of this scrumptious delight.

In testament to just how good this simple dish is, Ellen’s action speaks for itself! This gives new meaning to ‘diving in’ to a dish!

Ellen says, “It is remarkable that something so simple should be so flavorful!”.

And it is super simple. There are only three ingredients, and one of them is butter!

We know how to duplicate this dish. Click this thumbnail and you can see for yourself.

Wine with Our Meals

As with virtually every meal we eat in Italy, wine is always appropriate.

For lunch, we opted for a bottle of La Grola from the Allegrini winery which we had just visited that morning.

For dinner, it was a nice Amarone. This wine is the one that is made from grapes that have been raisinated for about 100 days before being pressed, described in the article here.

They have over 800 labels in their cellar. And they know each one…as well as the families that produce them. Just ask, and you will receive a wine that you will enjoy with your meal.

Whatever the meal, there is always a toast to Italy and friends not present — and that includes you, of course!

Ellen and Steve (in photo) along with Leslie and Craig, offer a toast

Here are the chef’s selections for our lunch and dinner. And it is oh, so good to know that bacon is often a part of a meal in Italy! That particular dish is Dandelion Leaves with Monte Veronese Cheese and Crispy Pancetta (which you will find on page 47 of the yet to be mentioned cookbook, below).

See the third dish in the top row? That is Duck Breast with Recioto & Honey Sauce…and it was absolutely fabulous.

Recioto is a sweet, red dessert wine made in the Valpolicella Amarone style. By putting the Recioto together with the honey, a delicious sweet, but not overpowering, accompaniment is created for the duck breast.

Here is the recipe so you can try it at home. Just click on the thumbnail to get a larger view.

Dessert? Yes please. And thank you!

A Visit from Chef Ada Riolfi

During our trip, we had found a cookbook that we really liked, as it had dishes that were the specialty of Italian chefs of the Lake Garda, Verona, and Valpolicella area - the area which we were visiting.

The cookbook is titled, “Polenta & Amarone: The Flavors of Lake Garda, Verona and Valpolicella”. It so happens that Chef Ada is featured in this cookbook with 7 of her recipes. As we happened to have our own copy with us, we had Ada autograph our book. Surely you too have a cookbook with you as you travel. I certainly hope so!

It is interesting that Ada had not seen the cookbook before tonight, as it was not of her creation. And, upon taking a look at some of her recipes therein, she spotted errors in cooking temperature and time.

Here she is as she signs our cookbook, after penciling in changes to the Duck Breast with Honey and Recioto Sauce recipe. She changed the ‘brisk heat’ of the Recioto sauce to ‘low flame’, and the time of ‘15-20 minutes’ to ‘40 minutes’. It’s nice to have a chef handy whilst you’re cooking, so we will try to do that for our future at-home cooking sessions! We’ve already scheduled Keller, Douglas, Flay, Giada, and more!

Four women of whom bother-in-law Craig and I are in awe

The Cookbook

If you are interested in obtaining a copy of the cookbook (without Chef Ada edits…unless you make a personal visit to Enoteca della Valpolicella, of course), click here.

Just be sure to select the Italiano-English version (rather than the Italiano-German version). Each recipe is given in both Italian and English.

By the way, the woman on the cover is Pierina Caprini. Though we know her, you probably don’t…but you will soon when i publish an article featuring her restaurant and cooking. So, stay tuned for that…it was one of the most truly magical evenings of our lives.

That’s it for our back-to-back visits to Enoteca della Valpolicella. Both lunch and dinner were fabulous.

Want to give Enoteca Della Valpolicella a try for yourself, To the right is their contact information.

And here is a direct link to their website, where you can make a reservation…which is a must. Click on the British flag to get an English version and/or let Google translate for you. Click on the word ‘Reserve’ and fill out the form to make your reservation.

Whether you dine for lunch or dinner, either experience (or both, as in our case) will please you no end. If a bottle of un-ordered Amarone shows up at your table, make no fuss…just turn to the table near the window to see Ellen and me giving you a thumbs up of affection…that bottle is on us.

Ciao for now,

Steve

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Driving a Car in Italy - Part 2

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In Driving a Car in Italy - Part 1, we explored some of the ins-and-outs of driving in Italy. I intended Part 1 as a reality check, of sorts. Assuming that you have now decided to consider renting a car and driving a bit through lovely Italy, here are some pointers on doing just that.

International Driving Permit

Our rental on a trip with just the two of us (less luggage space needed) was an Alfa Romeo Giulietta, parked here at Castello Brolio

OK, so you’ve decided to get a rental. Several sources suggest that one get an International Driving Permit (IDP). Why get an IDP? While renting cars, you will not be asked for an IDP. But it is my understanding that it comes into use if you are asked for one by the polizia (police)…maybe. It is evidently hit and miss in being asked for one by the polizia. So, get one or not at your own risk.

It’s less of a license and more of a translation of the one you already have. It costs you a $20 fee, the need for a couple of passport-type photos, and some time to complete the application process. Click here for more information on getting an IDP, good for one year of use.

Your Own Country’s Driver’s License

You will definitely need your traditional driver’s license to rent a car in Italy.

Renting Your Car

GO REPUTABLE: I can’t stress enough the importance of using a reputable car rental agency. You already know the big ones like Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Budget, Alamo, etc. and they each rent in Italy. The opposite of renting through a reputable car agency can be a nightmare, which isn’t what you want during your trip to Italy…you are after peaceful nights of sleep, with dreams of wine and pasta. You may find some bargain deals from less-known companies, and they may perfectly legit, but they usually/may have fees involved that they do not advertise. Though not an Italy anecdote, on a trip through the Dutch countryside for a day, we paid $375 for a one-day rental. Ouch!!! We learned a lesson, there.

So, using a reputable company will get you peace of mind, the insurance that you need, 24-hour assistance in English, English-language contracts (that you can read!!!), etc.

Here are a few reportedly reputable rental car brokers:

There are occasions to rent from a very small local agency, as the big companies might not be available. For instance, in Bellagio (at least at the time of one trip there) you will not find rental agencies on sites like those above. Before our trip, I contacted the hotel at which we would be staying and they were able to direct us to a local garage that rented out cars.

PICK-UP AND DROP-OFF: We have rented in one location and dropped off in another, several hundred miles from our starting point. Some allow this, and I suspect that some don’t. So, if that is your plan, plug your itinerary into their websites reservation boxes and see what happens.

Speaking of insurance, here is Scott driving our automatic-transmission equipped rental through the Tuscan countryside. This one happens to be a minivan, as we needed luggage space for four adults.

INSURANCE? Be sure to spring for it. You don’t want a relatively small mishap to turn into an afore-mentioned nightmare.

Your American-issued credit card may have some insurance provisions for car rentals, but be sure to check on applicability in Italy, if you plan to use that as your insurance method.

We had a 20-minute wait as THREE of these tour buses jinked back-and-forth to negotiate this curve on this main highway along the north shore of Lago Lugano — We had a 20-minute wait as THREE of these tour buses jinked back-and-forth to negotiate this curve on this **main highway** along the north shore of Lago Lugano

RESERVE EARLY: And, consider making your reservation before you go. It is usually cheaper to do so. And, you will get the car size that you want. For us, when we are on a two-week trip with friends, we have much more luggage than one might imagine! With friends, we have rented min-vans, just to get the luggage space needed for four adults.

MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC?: Do you know how to drive a stick shift? If so, manual transmission autos are typically a bit cheaper, and definitely more readily available. If you want the pleasure of an automatic transmission (and will all in your party who will drive know how to handle the stick?), then renting in advance is a definite must. Be sure to find the right rental deals for automatic transmission if that is an issue.

HOW MUCH ROOM DO YOU NEED?: We have gone small, and we have gone big (well, at least a minivan - like a Ford Winstar). It has depended on how many people we have, which in reality translates into how much luggage we have. Be sure to discuss that with your travel companions. We have friends who travel for two weeks with just a small carry-on size, and then we have friends who would want a large suitcase and a carry-on, or two. Discuss it and rent accordingly. We have had no problem with getting a minivan, but you will want to look early in your planning process.

FUEL TYPE: And, be sure that you know whether the vehicle you’ve rented takes gasoline (benzina) or diesel.

GPS versus Google Maps

We definitely have our opinion on rental-company-supplied in-auto GPS versus Google Maps.

If we had been using the in-auto GPS, we would most definitely not have come upon this small chapel along a back-country gravel road in Tuscany

GPS…is good. It can speak to you in English (be sure of that before rental) to give you fair warning on upcoming turns, etc. But, here’s the thing. Many towns in different provinces can have the same name. You plug in the name of a town and head out, only to find that you are headed to Town-A in Sicily when you wanted to go to Town-A in the Veneto. And, in-auto GPS doesn’t send you through the more remote countryside, and that might be what you want.

iDEVICE & GOOGLE MAPS: We like to use an iPad and Google Maps. Before our trip begins, we get an inexpensive 30-day data plan for our iPad and iPhone accounts from our U.S. cellular. Using the iPad, or iPhone or iSimilar, let’s you see the big picture that is usually difficult with a dedicated in-auto GPS. You can be driving on the Autostrada because the GPS says to do that, while you might rather be driving on the back roads of Italy so you can see the countryside…that’s why you’re driving, right? It takes a good bit of time and effort using just an in-auto GPS to figure out such a route, while your iThingie can give you the view you need to plan a more-excellent route. There are several travel books available that specialize in recommending back-road travel through Italy, and you can use those in conjunction with your iDevice to plan your route.

And, of course your iDevice can talk to you as you drive, just as the in-auto GPS does.

A GPS Tangent

Do you know the very big difference between the in-auto GPS and your iThing? The in-auto GPS has its maps ‘baked in’ — by which I mean there is a DVD or similar device within your vehicle which has the maps stored within it. As you drive, and as your car’s GPS antenna is receiving your location information and direction of travel, the display on your dash is painted with the appropriate parts of the map stored within your vehicle. This means that the vehicle you’re driving must have your country’s maps built into it, as it most likely does not have world-wide maps stored within. Most auto manufacturers will sell you the appropriate DVD or whatever with updates each year to take into account new roads, businesses, etc. This will not be a problem if you rent a vehicle with GPS provided, as it will include the map system for Italy.

In contrast, your iDealie receives its map through the cellular data that it is picking up as you drive…if you are using the cellular data function on your iItem…through the airwaves. There are no built in maps on your iGadget. This means that as long as Google (for example, and Waze is in this category) keeps the maps up-to-date on its servers, you will get the most accurate map available delivered to your device, and it will be painted onto your handheld iMechanism almost in real time. The down side is that when you are not in range of cellular coverage, you just see a blue dot showing your location, but no map to let you know where that blue dot is on the planet. I’ve experienced that in the desert southwest. There is a work-around involving saving particular Google maps to your device, but I’m not going into that here. Of note, we have never found ourselves out of cellular service whilst in Italy.

This is the only street through Amalfi…a traffic light regulates the passage of north- and south-bound traffic…pedestrians just step to the side into a shop as the vehicles (including that bus) creep through

GOOGLE DOWNSIDE: There is a down side to Google maps, though. We’ve had two weird experiences in Italy because of imprecision by the Google-Maps folks.

On a back-roads drive in Tuscany in the Val d’Orcia, we decided to take a tangential route through the countryside. What Google Map displayed on our iPhone as a road petered out completely into a dirt trail suitable only for walking – and we had to backtrack past that pack of dogs that we feared would take the doors off of the car.

A more humorous adventure found us in the most bizarre driving experience of my entire natural life. We followed Google’s route in Lombardy right into a man’s carport…really! The designated route narrowed into a driveway and then into the carport attached to his house – it didn’t continue through his backyard to Lago Garda, I can assure you! As we pulled into the carport, the homeowner opened the door to the carport with a confused look on his face as we rolled down the windows shouting ‘mi dispiace, mi dispiace!’ (I’m sorry, I’m sorry!) as we backed the hundred yards back to an actual road. What looked like a road to those Googleites with their satellite view did not actually work out in reality.

A taxi ride to dinner at La Pergola illustrates the no-road-stripe-everyone-for-themselves driving atmosphere of Rome

PAPER VS ELECTRONIC: But whatever you do, get an electronic device of some sort and don’t rely entirely on a paper map. The scale of the European road maps is so great that a map of Italy takes up just about the whole car. And, once you enter a village, smaller roads are often unmarked and one-way streets and roundabouts can be confusing without a navigation system. An added plus with electronics: you have visual access to dining, shopping, parking, and other points of interest...including street view throughout Italy if you are using Google Maps.

And speaking of Google’s street-view, it is pervasive in Italy. I often use it to plan out a route, getting a ground-level view of the countryside, to see if is more scenic than some other route. And, I’ve been known to stay up late at night well past my bedtime just traveling the roads of Italy voyeuristically using street view.

iDEVICE WHILST WALKING: And the last thing on this subject: having Google Maps on your iArticle as you walk within the narrow streets of a town or city can help you navigate to the point at which you want to arrive. Don’t use it in Venice, though…it is much more fun to get lost there, eventually finding your way by chance and fate.

That’s me in our super compact rental as we leave the Bellagio environs for a day of adventure

Similarities and Dissimilarities to US Driving

They drive on the right side of the road in Italy…whew!
No right-on-red. Do NOT turn right on red. We can turn right on a red light…not so in Italy.
You cannot text or talk and drive while holding a phone. There are very strict penalties if you are caught using a mobile phone while driving.
In the U.S., green means ‘go’, yellow means ‘caution – prepare to stop’ and red means ‘stop’. In Italy, green also means ‘go’, but yellow is for ‘frivolity’ and red is ‘merely a suggestion’.
Though roundabouts, or rotaries, or traffic circles, are gaining popularity in the U.S., they are ubiquitous in Italy (and most of Europe). When you come upon a roundabout, be prepared to know at which point you will be exiting. The key is to not panic! Upon arriving unexpectedly at a roundabout, I have been known to go around 3 or 4 times while wife Ellen researches to get us back on route – just relax and drive in circles until you get your bearings. Our system is that my wife-navigator and I visualize the roundabout as a clock face, with us coming into the roundabout at 6-o’clock on the clock. Ellen looks at Google Maps and lets me know that we will be going out of the roundabout at 10-o’clock, or whatever-o’clock is appropriate.

Useful Words Whilst Driving

Destra = Right
Sinistra = Left
Dritto = Straight
Uscita = Exit
Ingresso = Entrance
Pedaggio = Toll

Ferries

That’s our Ford minivan in a pre-dawn crossing of Lago Maggiore

AUTO FERRIES: On some Italian lakes, there are both auto and passenger ferries. As you look on-line at ferry schedules, be sure you are viewing auto-carrying ferries.

RESEARCH: A bit of research is necessary as you plan your lake-crossing driving trip. Ferries do not necessarily ply the lakes when you want them to. Look on-line at the appropriate lake’s schedule (and for the date range of your trip) and plan accordingly. You may need to bypass something you had planned to see because that delay will cause you problems later in the day as you work to meet your ferry schedule. Our experience is that the ferries do maintain a tight schedule.

Menaggio fades into the distance as we travel across Lago di Como to Varenna

READING SCHEDULES: You can see more on ferry schedule reading, using the passenger ferry to Bellagio on Lake Como as an example, here.

The Super Highway

The autostrada is similar to our interstate highway system. Autostrada highways have a highway designator starting with a capital A (e.g. A1). Unlike the autobahn in Germany, Italy’s autostrade have a maximum speed of 130kph, or 80mph.

TOLL ROADS: The autostrada are toll roads, where you take a ticket as you enter and pay the toll as you exit. Be sure to have Euro cash, as not all toll booths take credit cards.

TASTY AUTOGRILLS: Fuel stations are located in the median area between opposing lanes. And don’t forgo the dining experience in the AutoGrills located in these fuel stops. These huge stopovers have great snacks, as well as full meals offered in several food kiosks…some with cooked to order steaks, pasta, etc. Go slow on the available wine, though, as you have miles to go before you stop!

Ahhh, Verena and lunch awaits…you don’t get views like this one from the ferry while you travel the autostrada

Traffic Signs

KNOW THE SIGNS: Road signs in Italy are not always intuitive, so it is a great idea to become familiar with several before you start your driving adventure…this is especially important within towns, where there are often no-go zones that are strictly enforced. If you have driven in other European Union countries, then you will be familiar with most of the Italian road signs.

SHAPE & COLOR: To start, here is a table which will give you a general idea of the purpose of a sign, based on its shape and color.

Here are several signs with which you should be familiar…

SPEED LIMIT: 50kph speed limit and end of 50kph speed zone

MOVEMENT: Stop (in English, no less), Yield, Traffic Must Turn Left, Right-Turn Only Ahead, No Right Turn, One Way, and Zone of Traffic Limitation

PASSING: No-Passing Zone, and End No Passing Zone,

HIGHWAY DESIGNATION: Autostrada Highway Number, State Highway Number, Regional Highway Number, and Provincial Highway Number

640px-Strada_Regionale_11_Italia.svg.png

640px-Strada_Provinciale_7_Italia.svg.png

MISC: Entering Town (or comune) of Potenza and Leaving Town of Matera, Ferry Terminal, Autostrada Directional Sign, Roundabout Directional Sign, Distance to Borgosole on State Highway 10 is 48 kilometers.

640px-Italian_traffic_signs_-_inizio_provincia.svg.png

MY FAVORITE: No Vehicles Carrying Explosives Allowed.

You can see an exhaustive display of Italian roadway signs here.

Your Final Exam

OK, it’s time for a test. You’ve driven to Deruta to purchase beautiful Italian pottery for your home…maybe a set of dinner plates, a platter and a couple of serving bowls. As you approach this portal, can you drive into the centro storico, or historic center of town? Will parking be available? What else is, or is not, permitted?

Here is an enlargement of portions of the photo. You can click on a photo to get a larger view.

Here are the answers to the test…

For the left photo:

The top portion indicates that you are approaching the historic center of the town, but does not in itself prohibit travel…it is not a ZTL.
The part of the sign with the ‘P’ indicates parking is available, but within the appropriate spaces.
The bottom of the sign indicates that parking meters are available in three places, and they are available for 1 hour between the hours of 8:00am and 2:00pm.

In the center photo:

The circle with a bus (counter-intuitively in my view) means no buses are allowed (why not a circle with a bus and with the traditional slash through it?!).
Vehicles are limited to those weighing less than 3.5 tons. Uhhh, how much does your rental weigh?
The traffic light? You could sit there all day waiting for it, as it doesn’t appear to be functioning! Maybe it is tripped if a vehicle approaches from the other side.

For the right photo:

Beware that the first street on the left is a one-way street…so don’t turn there.

Congratulations! You passed!

Thank you for spending a bit of time with me as we drive around Italy. If you did not read through Driving a Car in Italy - Part 1, now would be a good time to do that.

If you decide to drive awhile with the Italians, I hope your miles are enjoyable. You will most likely see us stopped along the side of a country road as I take a few photos and Ellen sketches and watercolors. If so, stop and say hello, or at least honk as you drive by…you know, as they say, “Honk if you love Italy”.

Ciao for now,

Steve

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