JUNE 2020 67
5 THINGS I LEARNED
DURING MY YEAR
OF ITALY
Rent the right car. Think
about where you’ll be
driving before you book.
For example, a little
Peugeot 308 was perfect
for the tiny streets of
Sicily, we loved the Fiat
500X for the Turin leg,
a Jaguar sedan made
cushy work of the four-
day midsummer tour,
and a sturdy Audi Q5
with snow tires got us
over the Alpine passes in
November.No, really. Pack light.
No one wants to haul a
massive suitcase up the
labyrinthine stairs to their
Airbnb in Amalfi or across
the cobbled streets of
Florence. In most towns,
the centro storico is out
of bounds to nonlocal
traffic, so you may have
to park nearby and walk
to your accommodation.Ask your waiter. Italy
only became a unified
country in the early 19th
century, and many of
its towns and regions
were once completely
separated by severe
geography, so the local
specialties can be very
localized indeed. Sure,
you can eat pizza any-
where, but ask your
waiter for the true local
choices.Pasta tells a story.
Wheat in the south is
hard wheat, which means
it’s high in gluten and
needs little more than
water to form pastas
like spaghetti (for cacio
e pepe or amatriciana in
Rome) or orecchiette (in
Puglia). But head north
and the softer wheat
needs egg for structure,
hence Bologna’s tiny
tortellini en brodo or
Mantua’s larger pumpkin-
filled tortelli. Farther
north, from Piedmont
in the west to Trentino
in the east, risotto and
polenta are king.Get outside at sunset.
La passeggiata, a pre-
aperitivo stroll through
the main street, is an
essential part of every
Italian day.Pappa Reale
I’ll never forget the exceptional
two-scoop combo of candied
ginger with fig jam–swirled ricotta,
each with just the right balance of
smooth gelato and flavorsome mix-
ins. (facebook.com/pappa
re a l e.mn)Sorbetteria degli Esarchi
On a hot summer evening, we
couldn’t resist flavors like melon,
ricotta with a sweet balsamic
ripple, zuppa inglese (a typical
trifle-like dessert in Emilia-
Romagna), and meringue. (Via IV
Novembre, 11)
I Vizi degli Angeli Laboratorio di
Gelateria Artigianale
The simple but beautifully executed
flavors—like Amarena cherry,
peach, and chocolate fondant—are
as refreshing as the beautifully tiled
interior. (ivizidegliangeli.it)Gelateria Arte Fredda
The granita-like gelato of the south
is incredibly restorative on a
sweltering day. The peach, green
fig, and milky almond flavors were
exceptionally refreshing.
(artefredda.com)0620_Travel.indd 67 FINAL 4/21/20 4:50 PM