It can surprise its guests not only with famous historical monuments, but also with the tradition of afternoon rest, which is widespread throughout the country, that is, siesta.
Siesta in Italy is called pennicella. It starts at about 12.30 and ends at 15.30. During a siesta, in many Italian cities, especially those in the south of the country, shops, banks, communication salons, law offices, and doctors' offices do not work. Both public and private institutions close for a long lunch.
A day in Italy
A traveler visiting a particular country should be prepared to adhere to local customs and traditions. In Italy, as in other countries, it is customary not to rush anywhere. There is a morning for everyday affairs. Lunch and evening time can be devoted to relaxation and family.
To avoid annoyance and stress, seeing the doors of museums and churches closed for a long lunch break, it is better to plan your day correctly while on vacation in Italy:
- sightseeing should be devoted to the first half of the day - until 12.30. This way you can be sure that the castle or museum you need will be open;
- at lunchtime, you can have a snack in one of the tourist places that work without lunch in the hope of profit, and then wait out the heat in a hotel room;
- for the evening it is better to leave unhurried walks around the city and shopping. Large shopping centers in big Italian cities like Milan are open without interruption. Small private shops are only open in the morning and evening.
Southern phenomenon
The results of recent studies of the phenomenon of the Italian siesta are striking: until now, about 30% of the country's inhabitants prefer to sleep after a hearty meal. And since lunch in southern countries is quite plentiful, consisting of several changes of dishes, which are also washed down with wine, it is absolutely impossible to start work immediately after it. You also need to take into account the intense heat, which is established in Italy from April to November at lunchtime. Going into the garden, picking oranges, doing something with your own hands in the open air under the scorching rays of the sun means putting yourself at risk of cardiovascular disease.
Young people in Italy are indulgent towards the traditions of afternoon naps. Most often, the older generation goes to relax on the sofa in the middle of the day. At this time, their children and grandchildren go shopping in large supermarkets that work without interruption, or meet with friends.
What is still open?
In cities in northern Italy, about 1/5 of the population recalls siesta. So, only 20% of residents sleep in the afternoon, while in - already 36%. In the south of Italy, siesta traditions are still alive: almost half of Italians prefer to relax here at noon. Pharmacies, banks and cafes located in the provinces, away from tourist roads, will probably be closed during the day for several hours. All establishments will work in resorts and in the centers of big cities. Large, significant museums, such as the Museum Complex or the Uffizzi Art Gallery, operate without interruption. Outlets near Milan, where all fashionistas come to shop at bargain prices, are also open all day.
But in the afternoon, even at crowded places where there are many visitors, most restaurants and cafes take a break. During the siesta, they regularly receive visitors, and after 15.00 they close until the evening. The Italians themselves consider this quite reasonable, because it is hours at 19-20 locals go to supper. And the desires of tourists, who are accustomed, for example, to eat at 6 pm, are not taken into account here. Again, if you come to a country, live by its laws.
Italy is not the only country in Europe that encourages afternoon relaxation. The traditions of siesta are strong in, na. It is interesting that it is in these countries that the happiest people live, who are not fixated on the indispensable urgent fulfillment of all matters. Maybe travelers should learn from their experience?
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This quiz is designed for extracurricular work with high school students and aims to expand their horizons and increase their interest in learning. It can be used to organize a public review of knowledge, school evenings, seminars to study the experience of extracurricular work, a methodological week at school.Topic: "Countries and Peoples"
History teacher, senior instructor: Ignatieva I.G., Higher 1 cat.
RULES OF THE GAME:
Three teams of arbitrary size take part in the game. Spectators can include classmates of the players, their parents, friends and acquaintances. A week prior to its holding, the teacher introduces the players to the quiz grid and the topics of reserve questions, gives the necessary explanations and a list of recommended literature. Before the start of the game, the teams play the right to choose the starting line, performing for a while the same task, which will hereinafter be called preliminary. The team that completes this task correctly before others starts the game first. The teacher reads the question aloud to the audience, and gives the team a card with his record. The "starting" question consists of two parts: the main and the additional one, which is asked in case of an incorrect answer to the main one (after the opponents' move). Having answered this question correctly, the team, after the opponents' move, chooses the topic of the next one, using the pointers - arrows. In case of an incorrect answer, the team returns to its original position and, after the opponents' move, tries to answer another question. The team that incorrectly answered all the questions that it has the right to choose according to the index is eliminated from the game. In the event that one of the teams chooses the path to the question, which was correctly answered by their opponents, one of the reserve questions below, or one of the questions, which cannot be returned, should be used. The first team to answer one of the three “finish line” questions wins.
During the game, teams are allowed to use geographical maps.
For convenience and clarity, you can use chips of different colors, using the quiz scheme as a playing field.
The main grid of the quiz (see diagram).
PRELIMINARY ASSIGNMENT:
The outstanding traveler of the 19th century, Alexander Humboldt, considered the most beautiful cities in the land of Naples, Istanbul and this Austrian one, whose name in Russian can be translated as "Salt Castle". (Salzburg).
STARTING QUESTIONS:
"MUSICAL" continent.
1) On this continent there are the Beethoven peninsula, the bays of Verdi, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Haydn, Cape Berlioz, Rossini, the mountains and peaks of List, Grieg, Gluck, the Glinka group of islands. (Antarctica). 2) There is only one river on this continent - Onyx and only one lake - Vanda. And in 1966, 4 geographical objects disappeared from his map: Cape Aymery, Torshavn, Evans and Engam bays - they were located on a part of the mainland that had broken off and floated into the ocean. (Antarctica).
"SLEEPING CITY"
1) In Italy they say: "Milan works, Rome eats, Naples sings." Which one then famous city asleep according to this saying? (Venice). 2) In the Middle Ages, inflicting damage in any way was considered the most terrible crime in this city after treason. state waters, i.e. the sea, and as an extreme limit of luxury was perceived as a small garden at the palace. (Venice).
UNIQUE ISLAND
1) This island has one unique distinctive feature- the absence of native mammals: those habitats that were occupied by animals on other continents were taken over by birds. ( New Zealand). 2) The Valley of Geysers can be seen only in Kamchatka, Iceland, the Yellowstone National Park of the USA and in this country. It is not for nothing that in the language of the aborigines this island is called Aotearoa - "The Land of the Big White Cloud", and their favorite national dish is meat or vegetables cooked in the boiling water of geysers. (New Zealand).
POINTER QUESTIONS:
SAD COUNTRY
At the beginning of the 12th century, the first Danish historian Saxon Grammaticus gave this country the following geographical description: “Barren, dotted with rocks everywhere, dotted with cracks, it seems like a sad land of ruins. In its northernmost part, the daylight hides for more than one night, and then shines for a long time, neglecting the daily change of day and night. " Currently, the northernmost city in the world is located on the territory of this state, and the extreme southern point of this country, located approximately at 58 degrees N, approximately coincides with the location of the Russian cities of Pskov and Rybinsk. What state in question? (Norway).
GENERAL FEATURE
It is this circumstance that unites the names of such dissimilar countries as Tanzania and Pakistan. (The names of these countries are abbreviations. Tanzania: the name appeared after the unification of the Republic of Tanganyika and the People's Republic of Zanzibar and Pumice. Pakistan: P - Punjab, A - Afghanistan, K - Kashmir, S - Sind, Stan - from Baluchistan. At the same time - “Pak” is pure, unblemished, “Stan” is the country.
PUSHKIN'S FORECAST
That is exactly how many years A.S. Pushkin devotes in the novel "Eugene Onegin" so that good roads appear in Russia. (500 years).
"BREEDING FARM OF EUROPE"
The fact that the princesses of this country were traditionally married off to the monarchs of many European states gave Bismarck reason to call it sarcastically "the tribal farm of Europe." (Germany).
"CAPITAL OF SAUSES"
In Italian, the name of this German city sounds like Monaco, and in Germany it is also called the "capital of sausages" and the "beer capital" of the country. (Munich).
PRESIDENTIAL BAN
Like Peter I, the first president of this Islamic country banned the national male costume. It happened at the beginning of the 20th century. What state is the question about? (Turkey, Kemal Ataturk).
PLANT ON THE CREST
The image of this particular plant adorns the coats of arms of such dissimilar states as Uzbekistan and Angola. (Cotton).
"ISLAND OF THE HAPPY"
Translated into Russian, the name of this state means "Eastern Country". This small European country is famous for giving the most Nobel laureates per million inhabitants, and Pope Paul VI called it “the island of the happy”. (Austria).
MYSTERIOUS NUMBERS
There is a pillar with a sign at the entrance to every American city. On it is the name of the settlement and tiny numbers. In the Western United States, these numbers represent the number of inhabitants. And what do they mean in the East of the country? (Year of foundation).
ANOMALOUS STATE
In this US state, the compass needle points not to the north, but to the east (Alaska, since the magnetic north pole is located in Canada).
"LION CITY"
This "Lion City" (Sanskrit) in recent times sometimes called "dragon", then "young tiger". Another figurative name for this city-state is "The Western Gate of the East and the Eastern Gate of the West." Its port has recently become the largest in the world, relegating the port of Rotterdam to the second place. (Singapore).
FINISH LINE QUESTIONS:
GRAND PRIZE
Which country did the American President George W. Bush (Sr.) call "the main prize of the USSR in World War II"? (East Germany - GDR).
NAME OF THE NORTHERN
Foreigners call all Americans by this nickname, American southerners call northerners, and northerners call people of New England. (Yankees - "traders", "dealers").
"RIVER OF ARABS"
The common name of these two rivers is also called in the Shatt al-Arab - "The River of the Arabs". (Tigris and Euphrates).
BACKUP QUESTIONS:
1) The shortest border. The shortest border in the world runs between these states. (The shortest possible border is a mathematical point, such a border is at the North Pole between Russia and Canada). 2) Country of 1000 islands. The country in question is the largest island nation in the world, often referred to as the "Country of 1000 Islands". Rabindranath Tagore said about this state: "I see India everywhere, but I do not recognize it." (Indonesia).
Quiz "Intellectual Labyrinth"
Liked? Please thank us! It's free for you, and great help to us! Add our site to your social network:Many travelers, coming to Italy, consider it their duty to visit at least two cities of this country. It is the ancient and modern capital of Rome, and the city of fashion, shopping, opera and delicious cuisine, Milan. Each of them has its own history, holidays, sights, iconic places. There are many ways to get from one city to another. This includes an airplane, a bus, a rented car, and even a taxi. But we want to talk about how to be budget travelers who may not have a driver's license and don't have much time. Therefore, we will devote this article to one method of transportation. This is the Milan - Rome train. Most independent travelers come to Northern Italy. Many low-cost airlines fly to Milan from different parts of Europe. Therefore, first, let's talk about how to come to the capital of Italy.
How fast
The distance between these two cities is quite significant, so a few years ago such a trip took a lot of time. It took five to six hours to get from the north of the country to the capital. After all, it was necessary to drive about six hundred kilometers. Now the Milan - Rome train covers this distance in just three hours. Of course, if it's fast. There are only two types of such trains. The first of these is Italotreno. It is considered the most comfortable one. The company "Trenitalia" also has But they are more expensive, although the level of comfort is less. Their trains are called "Freccia", which means "arrow". Italotreno is a private carrier. The fact is that in 2012 they were liberalized and the right to carry out transportation was taken away from the monopolist. It was the Trenitalia company. But the competitor has already achieved popularity for several years with both the fastest trains and the lowest prices.
On the way to
How to get on the high-speed train Milan - Rome? It’s very simple. These trains leave from the main station of the city "Milano Centrale". They arrive at the main station of the capital "Roma Termini". Express trains run non-stop. The Italotreno teams do it in record time - two hours and forty minutes. Other high-speed trains can pass through different stations. For example, some of them make stops along the way in Florence and Bologna. Traveling on high-speed trains is very convenient. The road resembles a rest. In addition to admiring beautiful landscapes, you have the opportunity to use Wi-Fi. There is climate control, electronic displays indicating speed and time, as well as outside temperature. Uniform guides are very polite. The chairs are comfortable and the toilets are clean. Apart from restaurants, there are cinemas in Italotreno cars.
Train Milan - Rome. Schedule
High-speed trains and express trains travel to the capital from six in the morning until ten in the evening. In order not to be mistaken, pay attention to the stands at the station. One of them will be written "Arrivi", that is, arrival. On the other "Partenets" - retreat. The number of the train, the gauge from which it departs, and the name of the station of the terminal station are usually indicated there. As a rule, trains of any category arrive on time. The delay can be within a few minutes. There are, of course, situations when the Milan-Rome train - however, like any other - can be canceled due to strikes by railroad employees. But this is usually warned about a week in advance. But, for example, in France, you can learn about a strike in just a day, when you no longer have time to change your plans. Regional trains, to put it simply, electric trains, or even "Intercity", go on the route Milan - Rome for a long time. The train, the travel time on which can be six or even ten hours (if you count with transfers), often arrives not at the Roma Termini station, but at the Tiburtina station. The night express arrives at the Ostiense.
How to buy tickets
To take the Milan - Rome train, you must, of course, purchase a travel document. Tickets can be bought by regular, the classic way- at the ticket office at the station. But be aware that you will have to stand in a long queue. However, if you know how to use the machine, it will save time. But on the day of departure, tickets can be very expensive. In addition, this direction is very popular. And it is not uncommon for tourists who were going to go to Rome to encounter a situation when there were not enough tickets for them. Therefore, experienced travelers are advised to make such purchases in advance and via the Internet. Then you can "get" to sales and promotions, as well as have time to buy economy class tickets. The average price for such a one-way train is about fifty to seventy euros. If you buy a ticket on the day of departure, then you can pay one hundred percent. Children under 14 have a fifty percent discount. Italotreno trains are slightly cheaper. The trip in their carriages costs 33 Є, and if you buy a travel document for two months at a discount, then you will pay less than twenty euros. But it is no longer possible to return it. If you buy tickets online, it comes to your e-mail as a PDF file. You print it out and you can get on the train. But the ticket purchased at the box office must not forget to punch. Otherwise, your travel document will be invalid.
Return trip
Sooner or later you will have to return to Milan. Or, suppose you want to visit this proud city of Northern Italy while in the capital of the country. Then you will need the Milan - Rome train. The price and travel time are approximately the same as for the road from the North of Italy to the capital. High-speed or regional direct trains run every hour between 7 am and 8 pm. There is also a night flight. It leaves Rome at almost midnight and arrives in Milan seven hours later.
Everyone knows that in Italy there is a cult of food, and restaurants, bars or pastures are open at every turn. However, unlike Russia (especially Moscow), it is impossible to eat at any time of the day or night in Italy. The fact is that almost all restaurants in Italy work on schedule, and if you don't know it, you can easily stay hungry. We talk about the working hours of Italian restaurants and other nuances in today's review.
Photo: Alberto Sordi eating spaghetti, still from the movie "An American in Rome"
In Russia, there is still a myth that Italians and discipline are incompatible concepts (thanks to the comedies with Celentano), in fact, when it comes to eating hours, the life of an average Italian is strictly subject to a schedule.
THIS SCHEDULE LOOKS LIKE THIS
—from 8 to 10 am - colazione, that is, breakfast
- from 12.30 to 14.00 - pranzo, that is, lunch
- from 18.30 to 22.00 - cena, that is, dinner
Accordingly, restaurants in Italy are open strictly during the eating hours of the local population, that is, from 12.00 to 14.00, then a break until 18.00. The restaurants reopen at 18.00, but the kitchen starts working at 18.30 and closes at 22.00.
In short, if you decide to dine at 15.00 or 16.00, the best thing you can find in Italy is an open bar where sandwiches are served along with wine.
Photo: Cincio restaurant in the Euganean Hills, Italy
Of course, in large cities, for example, in Rome or Milan, there are establishments that work late, but on average in the country, the schedule of opening hours of restaurants is exactly the same.
If, in Venice or Milan, you see a restaurant that works without a mandatory pause in the middle of the day, then I do not advise you to go there. As a rule, these establishments are aimed at tourists, as a result, immigrants from friendly China, Moldova or African countries work in the kitchen, and the quality of the food is below average.
WHERE TO EAT BREAKFAST?
Since restaurants in Italy open at 12.30, a reasonable question arises, where to have breakfast? The answer is simple - in the pasture.
In the photo: sweets on the pasta counter
Pasticheria is a cross between a pastry shop and a bakery, brioches are baked here (a local variety of the good old croissant), espresso and cappuccino coffee, all kinds of sweets and cookies are prepared, which appear under the names dolce and biscotti.
In the photo: morning in the pasture of San Marco, Padua
On average, brioche (aka croissant) in Italian pasta costs 1.20 euros, coffee in the region: 1-1.5 euros. However, it depends on the region, in Sicily, for example, food is several times cheaper than in Veneto, breakfast for two with brioche, granite (local variety fruit ice) and a cappuccino will cost 4.5 euros.
Pastures are open from 08:00 am to 1:00 pm, then from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm there is a break, again the establishments open at 3:00 pm and work on average until 8:00 pm. An important point - on Mondays the pastures are closed, for everyone Monday is a hard day, and for workers and owners of the pastures it is a day off.
If you find yourself in the region of Liguria (), then you can have breakfast in focaccia, the so-called establishments where the famous Ligurian focaccia is baked every morning.
In addition to the versions of focaccia known in Russia, in local establishments you can taste tortillas stuffed with tomatoes, olives or with pesto sauce.
HOW DO RESTAURANTS IN ITALY WORK?
Although the overwhelming majority of Italian restaurants open their doors to guests only at 12.30, the working day in the restaurant begins at 9 am. First of all, the restaurant staff tidies up the premises, that is, they wash the floor, wipe the dust, in a word, make the exterior shine.
In the photo: the summer terrace of the Cencio restaurant in the Euganean Hills
Meanwhile, work is already beginning to boil in the restaurant kitchen. Despite the fact that most of the dishes in decent Italian restaurants are prepared "in live time", that is, after receiving the order, in the morning the chefs also have something to do with themselves.
Photo: baking desserts in the kitchen of the Cencio restaurant, early morning
As a rule, desserts are baked early and ahead of time, tomato paste is prepared, plus meat is cut and fish is cleaned, in a word, they perform the necessary preparatory work, which is not worth wasting time on during reception hours.
Photo: morning in the kitchen of the restaurant Cencio, butchering a pig
Around noon, the restaurant employees have lunch, often with wine, (for the mood), and during the break, which lasts from 14.30 to 17.00, the owners close the institution, and the entire staff of the restaurant goes about their business.
Photo: freshly baked desserts at the Cencio restaurant
More interesting moment... As a rule, in addition to full-time employees, Italian restaurants also have their own staff of freelance waiters, they are invited to work on especially busy days, for example, on Easter eve, when Italians go to restaurants or trattorias with their families, or if the restaurant is booked for a wedding or dinner at honor Christening of the child.
Photo: Restaurant Cencio in the Euganean Hills
And one more important point As a rule, on Mondays, many restaurants in Italy are closed; it is Monday that the owners of the establishments consider their legal day off. By the way, if you decide to dine in a good restaurant, then a table should be booked in advance, in Italy, in decent places with adequate prices, it is invariably sold out. Agritourism establishments are kept apart from the point of schedule and opening hours. These are restaurants open at small farms where vegetables, wine and livestock are grown, and only what is produced in the home is served on the table.
Photo: agritourism restaurant in the Prosecco hills
Some agritourism restaurants are open only on weekends, others only a few times a month, it all depends on the will of the owners. So, in order not to get into a mess, check the working hours of agritourism restaurants by phone.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE NOT ON SCHEDULE?
Unfortunately, most grocery stores and tobacco shops in Italy work according to a schedule close to that of a restaurant, that is: from 08.00 to 13.00, from 13.00 to 15.00 - lunch break, evening hours: from 15.00 to 20.00. If you realize that you are hungry around 14.30 - 18.00, the best way out of the situation is to visit the bar, they are open at any time.
In the photo: cheeses and wine in an Italian bar
Of course, you will not have a full lunch, but you can get through with sandwiches, piadina, cheese, ham and other snacks.
The second option is gelateria, that is, an ice cream parlor, in Italy ice cream (gelato) is prepared from natural ingredients, so it is not only very tasty, but also very satisfying.
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Yulia Malkova- Julia Malkova - founder of the site project. In past Chief Editor internet project elle.ru and editor-in-chief of the website cosmo.ru. I'm talking about travel for my own pleasure and the pleasure of my readers. If you are a representative of hotels, tourism office, but we are not familiar, you can contact me by email: [email protected]