Italy: Beyond the Obvious

Four reasons to take photos of Italian signs

 
 

Signs are one of those things we rely on and use constantly, but as tourists we often don't see them as a photo opportunity. Here's why I think you should snap a few photos of signs on your trip to Italy:

• you'll be hearing Italian all around you from the minute you get off the plane until the minute you get back on, and it can be tiring navigating a foreign language 24/7 - but when you get home I can almost guarantee you'll miss hearing it. Taking photos of Italian signs is a great way to infuse your photos with the Italian language.

• It's a great way to record cultural differences. For example, take a photo of the sign that said "chiuso" (closed) on the day you didn't know what to do when it seemed like everything was closed. Or just take photos of "pizzeria" or "bar" signs. I found this sign so culturally interesting that I wrote a blog post about it.

• If you're driving in Italy, of course you'll need to show your friends back home some of the different road signs you had to deal with, and the useful way they are color-coded.

• There are lots of pretty signs worth a photo. Made of marble, carved in wrought iron, or made of mosaics.

If you're on Facebook and you understand Italian, you'll be rolling on the floor laughing at this collection of hilarious and odd Sicilian signs!

This post is part of Delicious Baby's Photo Friday - go check out the other photos!

Photo of Attenti al Cane (Beware of dog) by Sanjay

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Three reasons not to miss the town of Orvieto

 

Just try to drive by it

My first visit to Orvieto happened when I was driving through Umbria on my way to somewhere else and saw an incredible hill town out the window. Detour! We ended up spending the afternoon.

 

The Duomo or Cathedral

Orvieto's cathedral is spectacular, and its façade does its job in the true sense of the word, giving the viewer the impression that the church behind it is much larger. Inlaid with marble and precious stones, it will also remind you of the Duomo of Siena. Don't miss the frescoes inside by Luca Signorelli.

Local Wine

The volcanic soil or tuffa in the area (and the material the town's sheer cliffs are made of), is the secret behind Orvieto's fabulous white wine. A lot of the local wine is exported, but it's always good to do a taste test and compare local and exported versions, because they're not the same.

There's also an interesting well, a papal palace, and an underground labyrinth of tunnels you may want to see, but the best part will be just wandering the town's streets, enjoying the views and soaking up the small medieval Italian hilltown atmosphere.

Photo of Orvieto from afar by Pizzodisevo, photo of Orvieto Duomo from www.istockphoto.com

 

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