The Fine Art of Italian Rule-Bending

Ciao tutti!

Today I submitted a guest post for fellow Canadian Nicole Basaraba’s excellent travel and writing blog, Uni-Verse-City. Entitled “The Fine Art of Italian Rule-Bending” my post talks about a couple of funny and typically Italian “rule-bending” situations, as well as my thoughts on why Italians seem to think that rules and laws are so darn flexible!

Read the post here:  
http://universecityblog.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/the-fine-art-of-italian-rule-bending-guest-post-by-sarah-mastroianni/

A big grazie to Nicole for giving me the opportunity to contribute to her blog!

Buona lettura!   Happy reading!

The Value of Travel – Rick Steves’ TEDx Talk

Every so often, I come across little gems of wisdom on the internet. This one is certainly worth sharing with my fellow travel enthusiasts. What is it? Travel guru Rick Steves giving a 22-minute talk for the TEDxRainier event. The subject? The value of travel.

Rick Steves has spent 4 months a year for 30 years living out of a suitcase in order to gain valuable travel experience and to research his guidebooks. I’ve been watching Rick Steves’ shows for probably 10 years now. I read his travel guidebooks, and I periodically check his websites for new updates and travel tips. His talk is interesting, informative and thought-provoking.

Here’s the link: The Value of Travel – Rick Steves Video

Happy Viewing!

We Found Love…

Graffiti love in Venezia

 Representing all the things I love about Italy in the place I love the most.  

“Cicci, rethink it! I love you!” Pleading graffiti in Sorrento.

Bacio chocolates, a worldwide favourite with a little pearl of saggezza (wisdom) inside every wrapper.  

The ”Via dell’Amore”. The first pathway, running from Riomaggiore to Manarola, to ever connect any of the towns in the Cinque Terre. It allowed young lovers to meet, court and keep up their relationships in an area that had previously been extremely isolated.

“Mamma’s love, you’re the only one!”  Nothing displays a mother’s love for her child like graffiti in Sorrento.

Lucchetti d’amore, in what some would call the world’s most romantic city, Verona.  The practice of using padlock as a sign of one person’s neverending love for another probably came from the Italian movie “Ho Voglia di Te”. While romantic at heart, the practice annoys city officials everywhere!

Love in a cappuccio from Bar Cacio e Pere in Siena.

Love from the ground up. The mosaic floor of Liberamente Osteria, Siena. 

Happy Valentine’s Day! Buon San Valentino!