Espresso, caffè normale, cappuccino, macchiato, lungo; sometimes it seems that there are as many types of coffee in Italy as there are pastas.

In Italy we say that make a good coffee is like an art and it changes from north to south and has its traditions.

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“Aperitivo in Italy = “happy hour”: that’s almost right, but it’s not the whole story.

For Italians, aperitivo is a glorious couple of hours—generally between 7pm and 9pm—when they can relax post-work over a glass of wine or Spritz and some snacks.

Want to enjoy an aperitivo in Italy? Here are some things you should know!

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The city is famous for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, but Verona has much more to offer than the connections to the lovers!

In fact the city is rich of culture and history, even have landed it on the World Heritage list!

So if you’re traveling in northern Italy or heading to Venice, you simply can’t miss Verona. Located just a half hour away from Venice by train, it makes an excellent day trip!

Still not convinced? Here are 7 of our favorite sights in Verona.

#1 PIAZZA DELLE ERBE

By day, Piazza delle Erbe is home to a market; in the evening, it fills with locals and tourists at the outdoor cafes;

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If you are looking for books on Venice in any languages, that is the place to go. It looks like hidden cave, with books piled up everywhere, both new and second hand, so you may have to spend some time browsing before you find something that interest you, or ask to Luigi, the wonderfully welcoming owner.

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Pesto is one of the most popular dishes in Italy—and it founds lots of popularity worldwide!

In many cases, what you find when you order a pesto dish abroad just isn’t the same as what you’d find in Liguria. Here’s what “pesto” really means, what pesto alla genovese should be… and how to make it at home!

“Pesto” doesn’t necessarily refer just to that green sauce. Instead, it can refer to almost any mix of herbs that are pounded together and put over a pasta. In Sicily, the pesto rosso is made with tomato and almonds.

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Thinking of visiting Florence… in low season?

I think it’s one of the best times of year to come!

Here are a few reasons why you’ll like Florence also in the low season…

The low season in Florence, but in general in all of Italy, is from November to April, excluding Christmas, New Year’s and Easter.

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As in previous years, European cities dominate the rankings, snagging 15 of the top 25 slots.

Vienna retains the top spot as the city with the world’s best quality of living, according to the Mercer 2012 Quality of Living Survey. Zurich and Auckland follow in second and third place, respectively, and Munich is in fourth place, followed by Vancouver, which ranked fifth. Düsseldorf dropped one spot to rank sixth followed by Frankfurt in seventh, Geneva in eighth, Copenhagen in ninth, and Bern and Sydney tied for tenth place. In which of these FAMOUS cities would you like to live in?

#1 Vienna is the global model of urbanism, known for its musical and cultural heritage, hosts international agencies such as the IAEA (International Agency for Atomic Energy Agency) and OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries). It takes the first position for the fourth consecutive year.

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‘Un Anno ad Arte’ (A year of art), is the name of the programme that includes eight temporary exhibitions, which will take place in the most famous of Florence’s museums, from next spring until the end of the year.

Let’s start from the most famous, The Uffizi Gallery with “Norma e Capriccio: Spaniards in Italy at the beginning of modern art” (March 5 – May 26), which will focus on the intense artistic exchange between the most important Spanish painters and sculptors of the time and Florentine and Italian later Renaissance.

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