Calling To and From Italy

Calling Italy from the United States:  To call an Italian telephone number from outside Italy, either from a landline or a mobile phone, you will need to first get an international line, by dialing 011.  Next, add the international dialing code for Italy, which is 0039 (sometimes you'll see this written as +39), followed by the telephone number you require.

For example, to call our hotel from the U.S, you would dial:
011 39 0572 79271

Calling the United States from Italy:  To call home from Italy, you will need to add the international dialing code for the United States, which is 001 (sometimes written as +1), followed by the area code and telephone number you're calling.

Calling within Italy:  To make calls within Italy, dial the number you require without adding the international country dialing code.   To make calls from public telephones (which you can find on the street, in some bars, restaurants, etc and in shopping centres), you can use coins or phone cards, which can be purchased from tobacconists, news kiosks and telephone shops.

Beating Jet Lag

What do you do to beat jet lag?  I've received all kinds of advice from friends and the internet, some of it conflicting. 

Everyone seems to agree on:

• Stay hydrated
• Avoid alcohol and anything caffeinated in flight
• Do eat breakfast either before landing, or immediately thereafter
• Switch your watch to your destination’s time zone as soon as you get seated on the plane

There’s outright conflict on a couple of things:

• Don’t go to sleep until bedtime at your destination

OR

• Take a short nap (no more than 90 minutes) upon arrival

• Use movies, a book or an IPOD to help you sleep

OR

• Avoid entertainment on the plane as it will keep you awake

Other ideas:

• Alter your eating schedule to match your destination three days before flying
• Eat carbohydrate rich foods the night before the flight
• Eat protein immediately after landing
• Don’t eat the evening meal on the plane, because it’s the middle of the night at your destination
• Fast for 24 hours before traveling and don’t eat until arrival
• Wear a large scarf or pashmina that can double as a blanket in flight, if the AC is too high
• Use noise-canceling head phones to help sleep

What works for you?

Reader’s Digest article:  http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/jet-lag-and-sleep/article54848.html

Live Science article re fasting:  http://www.livescience.com/health/080522-food-clock.html

Psychology Today:  http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/here-there-and-everywhere/201001/beating-jet-lag

CBS Early Show Video, with Dr. Jennifer Ashton   http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6680699n&tag=mncol;lst;1

Leather School in Florence

If you're thinking of buying something leather while in Florence, you may want to stop into the Scuola del Cuoio, which has been teaching the craft of the leather trade for sixty years.

Originally begun to offer a trade education to orphans after World War II, the school is open to guests and sells the creations of its students and craftsmen.

You can read about the history of the school and see some of its products here:  http://www.scuoladelcuoio.com/index.html

Located in the frescoed halls of the monastery of Santa Croce, you can find the school from Piazza Santa Croce by walking down the street on the left side of the church until you come to an opening in the wall at #5R, Via San Giuseppe.

Two Weeks!

We leave two weeks from today - what is on your "to-do" list?

• Contact health insurance provider to verify coverage, copays, out of network charges, etc.
• Put a hold on newspaper and mail delivery (easy to do on line here:  https://holdmail.usps.com/holdmail/landingView.do)
• Make sure you have enough prescription drugs for an extra week, just in case your return is delayed
• Make sure you have copies of prescriptions for medications and glasses
• Start breaking in new shoes
• Get a hair cut
• Download information on things you want to see and/or do, print copies or make digital files
• Photocopy or make digital files of key documents

What Time is it in Italy?

Italy is in the Central European Time (CET) Zone, which is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and six hours ahead of us (Eastern Time Zone).  Italy observes Daylight Savings Time, which will be in effect during our trip.

So when it's 8 AM in New Jersey, it's 2 PM in Italy. 

Free Museum Openings in Florence

MiBAC, the Italian Ministry of Culture, has a program called "Martedi in Arte", to call attention to the vast holdings of the national museums and make them available to more people.  They are opening many of the state museums on three Tuesday nights - one of them is Tuesday, October 26, the day we will be in Florence!

So if you wanted to see the Uffizi, for example, but didn't think you could in just the few free hours that afternoon, now you have a choice; you can stay for the evening opening. 

Each of the museums will be open from 7 PM until 11 PM, free of charge.  The list of museums participating in "Martedi in Arte" in Florence are:

• Cappelle Medicee (the Medicee Chapel)
• Galleria degli Uffizi
• Galleria dell'Accademia (with slightly different hours, from 8:30 PM until 12:30 AM)
• Galleria d'Arte Moderna (Modern Art museum at Pitti Palace)
• Galleria Palatina (Pitti Palace)
• Museo del Bargello
• Museo San Marco
• Palazzo Davanzati

If you do stay in town, it's easy to take the train back to Montecatini Terme.   Just remember that the last train for the night leaves Florence at 10:08 PM (arriving at Montecatini Centro at 11:04 PM).

For those who can read in Italian, more information can be found on MiBAC's web site.

Mmmm...Gelato!

Gelato is something almost everyone tries when in Italy, even if only in pursuit of a scientific comparison between it and American ice cream.

Where to start?  It would be much too easy to simply dig in and enjoy ... there's so much to know and to choose from!

There is mass produced gelato, like brands of ice cream we find in our grocer's freezer.  Then there are different levels of "craft" gelato:  homemade (produzione propria);  made by the proprietor, but not necessarily right there (nostra produzione);  and artisanal, or made by craftsmen (produzone artigianale).

You can get gelato in a cone (cono) or in a cup (coppa).  You order and pay for it first, then show the barman your receipt and select your flavors.  Just like ice cream shops at home, when you order you'll be asked how many scoops (gusti) you want and the price will be commensurate with the number you select.

The range of flavors can be dizzying.  Of course there is basic Chocolate (Cioccolato), and then several variations on the theme of Chocolate (Bacio, Fondente, Nutella, etc.).  There are vanilas, or creams, like Fior di Latte, Crema, and Zabaione.  How about nuts: Pistacchio, Mandorla (Almond), Nocciola (Hazlenut).

There are fruit sorbets (sorbetti) made without milk in flavors like Fragola (Strawberry), Limone (Lemon), Mandarino (Mandarin Orange), and Pesca (Peach), to name just a few.

Then there are my favorites: Mente (Mint), Stracciatella (Chocolate Chip), and Tiramisu.

Every town will have a gelateria.  In Florence, some of the most popular include:

*  Vivoli (Via Isole delle Stinche 7, near Piazza Santa Croce)

*  Gelateria dei Neri (Via dei Neri 22 Red, between the Uffizi and Piazza Santa Croce)

*  Perche No! (Via dei Tavolini 19 Red, near the Duomo)

*  L'Angolo del Gelato (Via della Scala 2 Red, near Santa Maria Novella)