It can be scary going to a country where you don’t speak the language if you have a severe allergy. I have an allergy to bees (api) and wasps (vespe). It ispretty easy for me to avoid areas where bees and wasps hang out and I always make sure I carry my EpiPen and a few Benadryl with me. So far, I have not had a problem getting my EpiPen through airport security.

Food allergies can be tricky because differentingredients are commonly used in different countries such as hazelnuts and almonds in Italy. You need to be particularly careful because your waiter may not knowexactly what is in the meal you are ordering.

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We start this brief information article about the events and exhibitions you can visit in Italy in the following days and months with the city of Florence.

In Florence from March 2nd until July 29th there is: Cézanne in Florence  at the

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Brightly colored balls bounced down the Spanish Steps in Rome on Wednesday. Graziano Cecchini and several other supporters emptied bags full of red, green, yellow and blue balls down Rome’s famed steps and into the boat-shaped Barcaccia fountain in the Piazza below.

Passers-by took photos and gathered up the balls as souvenirs of their trip to Rome. Officials had to cordon off the Spanish Steps while they cleaned up the mess. Cecchini and three others were detained. Cecchini told Italian TV newscast TG5, that he uses “art – if we want to call it art – to stress our malaise.”

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When you travel to Italy, or any other country where you do not understand the language well you need to make sure you can tell someone if you are having a medical emergency. If you have a known medical condition write that condition on an index card in both Italian and English. You need the English translation so you know what you are saying! Be sure to have a native speaker look at your card so you know that you have written everything correctly.

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Fall in Rome, full of events. September starts with the “Notte Bianca ” on the 8th (the night when all shops, museums attrctions will be open all night long), with the reopening of the “Palazzo delle Esposizioni”. From the 5th of October the Palazzo will be open to the public  with an exhibition of Mark Rothko. In the museum will open also the new “Open Colonna” a restaurant for a maximum of 200 people settled in a

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The main train station in Florence, Italy is also known as Santa Maria Novella, I am assuming this is because it is located right behind the church of the same name.

The train station is located on the fringe of the historic center of the city. It is an easy walk to many of the hotels, however, if you are staying in a hotel near the Duomo, the Uffizi or the Ponte Vecchio and have luggage you may need to take a taxi. Without luggage you can easily walk to the Duomo and Uffizi. I find it difficult to roll luggage for a long distance on cobblestone streets.

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Italians like their drinks warmer than Americans like theirs. So, if you want ice you will have to ask for ice.

Several years ago I was eating dinner by myself in a small outdoor café on the Via Veneto in Rome. I entertained myself by watching the other diners. Since it was early to be eating dinner by Italian standards, most of the Italians were enjoying a drink and a snack.

I happened to be sitting next to a table of four elderly women and one elderly man. They were all dressed extremely well in their suits and hats. One of the women had a bright green drink that had been delivered to her full of ice. After much discussion with the waiter and much complaining to her friends she meticulously picked out each and every sliver of ice and put it on her plate.

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The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on Tuesday that Germany broke EU rules by allowing German cheese to be labeled “Parmesan”. Germany has been condemned for selling “fake” parmesan which is a violation of EU food origin rules. In the future, only cheese made in Italy can be labeled “Parmesan”. This puts to rest Germany’s argument that Parmesan is a generic term for a specific type of cheese.

As part of the ECJ ruling Germany will not be punished for violating existing regulations protecting the authenticity of quality foods. The EJC said that protecting EU-protected foods is the responsibility of the country of origin.

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Sicily produces some of the most beautiful pottery in the world. It is different than the pottery that we see here in the southern part of the United States. Sicilian potterty is brighter and busier and you will be tempted to buy it when you see it.

Small pottery shops can be found all over Italy. When I visited Caltagirone, known as the capital of Sicilian pottery, pottery was everywhere. The steps in the heart of the city had pottery tiles embedded in them. There must have been 100 steps each with their own unique tiles. The dome of the church was made of pottery. The bridge had scenes depicted in pottery tiles. Houses had pottery sitting in the windows.

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Tuscany in first place amongst destinations for Easter holidays: according to the data of the Tourism Observatory of Unioncamere-Isnart, Tuscany has earned first place amongst the destinations chosen for the Easter holidays. A total of 16.5% of tourists who will move on the peninsula - approximately 7 million people - will spend

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