Comments for The Vespa Diaries™

Comment on Rick Steves Parody by Fred H

Fred H — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 06:36:26 +0000

Pretty darn funny. Rick’s books are not bad for the first time visitor. We used him sometimes but often branched out away from the mainstream towns he focuses on. His hotel recommendations always worked well for us.

Some sights in Italy just cannot avoid lines and crowds, alas. The Sistine Chapel was so crowded in 2009 that we felt relieved just to get out of there. I’ve since seen a great online virtual tour of the Chapel that lets you spend as much time as you want to enjoy that art.

Comment on It All Starts with the Piazza by admin

admin — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 06:03:42 +0000

Thank you SO much Joanna for sharing your memories of the Italian piazza! It’s not always easy to explain the role of the piazza in Italian society to someone who has never seen it or been a part of it. And your description is absolutely wonderful.

My eternal hope is people here in the U.S. will begin to understand how important it is to have this type of community interaction, and one day soon “American piazzas” will develop and grow in towns and cities of all sizes. I have tried to encourage this process with The Italian Way app (which you can see a demo of here: http://buff.ly/URFspD) but I realize we have a long long way to go. And I am so glad there are Italian-Americans who have already been a part of and understand the feeling of community that is made possible by the piazza. Thanks again Joanna!

Comment on Outdoor, Neighborhood Market by Joanna M. Leone

Joanna M. Leone — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 22:04:10 +0000

I love the sound of the vendors setting up their tables early on a Sunday morning in preparation for the “mercato” or market near the piazza. Every where I look there are pieces of cheese, dry sausage, green and black olives, candies, and those juicy, red oranges when they are in season. Sometimes I see a great pair of platform sandals or purse, but then I think , “If I buy too many shoes or purses, I won’t be able to buy food for the rest of the trip.” There are great bargains on fruits, vegetables, linens and tablecloths. The best part of the market is listening to the locals bargain with the vendors. The vendors are always willing to lower their price a little for people. I always love the tables of toys in the market on Sundays. It is a great place to stop before visiting relatives because I can buy something for myself and of course for my relatives or for their children. Those lupini beans always stare at me while I walk through the market so I have to buy some! Around 1pm, it is time for the vendors to pack up. The market closes at 1pm and everyone heads home to have their Sunday meal around 1pm or 1:30pm.
I love the markets in Italy. It is great to see so many things that my grandparents bought when I was a child during my vacations there. Some of the foods from the market that I did not like as a child are priceless to me now as an adult and I love the foods there!

Comment on It All Starts with the Piazza by Joanna M. Leone

Joanna M. Leone — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 21:51:27 +0000

I enjoyed reading your article about the piazza. Since I have traveled to Italy many times, I was able to connect with the article on many levels. Each time I think about the piazza in many towns and cities in Italy, I remember the times that my friends and family always made room for me at their table right there in the piazza. I would often hear the Italian version of my name, which is Giovanna. My name would echo from the piazza down the street as they wanted to buy me a marmelade filled crescent pastry, espresso, or a drink called “Bitter”. On a hot day, that white or red bitter went down my throat quickly as I would feel the cool shade under the umbrellas that were attached to the table. I loved watching the people pass by the piazza. They would smile and say “Buon giorno” or “Buona mattina”. I always loved to see which fruits and vegetables or biscotti my friends or family bought. That’s another benefit of the piazza, which is “people watching” and checking out the fresh and delicious things they bought. Sometimes I would pick the green figs off the trees at my grandmother’s house ( nonna’s) and I would carry them in plastic bags to the piazza so I could give them to my family and friends. It is always fun to catch up on the news of the day while sitting in the piazza, such as updates about the soccer games, upcoming feasts and firework displays and the hot gossip in town. All you need to do is sit right there in the piazza. The great thing about the piazza is that no matter how crowded it is, there is always room for you at someone’s table or they will buy you a coffee or drink while standing up at the counter inside the bar. If you travel to Italy during off season when there are less tourists, someone always talks to you or offers you a coffee or beverage. Sometimes I would watch the religious processions while sitting in the piazza, or I would be able to look up at the church nearby the piazza and see the bride and groom go into the church and their procession after the wedding. The piazza is the central location for news, gossip, important events and it is the place where someone always invites you to visit them in their home or to do something fun together.. While chatting in the piazza, a friend or relative usually says, “Come to eat at 8pm” or “We are going to Rome tomorrrow, so why don’t you come with us?” It is the place where you meet people that you might not have seen in a while, yet they remember you and embrace you with open arms. The funny thing about the piazza is that if someone does not know you, they may look at you, smile and say, “Who is your family ?”( their last name or nickname) The person who starts out as a stranger in the piazza usually knows someone in your family or may even know your great-grandparents or great aunts and uncles. Suddenly, the stranger becomes your friend, right there in the piazza.- Joanna M. Leone

Comment on It All Starts with the Piazza by Jim Spenser

Jim Spenser — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 06:58:31 +0000

this is great content!!

Comment on Rick Steves Parody by Italy Tours

Italy Tours — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:43:08 +0000

I genuinely enjoy looking at this site, it contains wonderful videos.

Comment on Italian Passion by enzo testa

enzo testa — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 06:19:51 +0000

Greeks and italian are basically the same people. The language of course is different but the lifestyle is the same…i have a few greek friends and they want to be Italian so bad LOL

Comment on Italian Passion by Pavlikowski

Pavlikowski — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 07:05:26 +0000

Wonderful blog!

Comment on Rick Steves Parody by shawn

shawn — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:56:35 +0000

you make fun of Rick Steves ? lmaorof .. oh the nerve the total never !! lolololol that is why I love ya .. [friend here .. no one panic Im Italian ]
sei sempre stato di talento in tutto quello che fai. Sono curioso di sapere perché avete bot diventato un miliardario. Ti ammiro Warren. Bravo sul modo in cui hai fatto questo intero sito web. molto molto ben fatto. L’amore con te, shawny

Comment on Rick Steves Parody by holland america

holland america — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 05:36:58 +0000

I've thought about posting something about this before. Good job! Can I point to this post - http://www.vespadiaries.com/rick-steves-parody.html - in my blog?