Food Lover's Odyssey

Tips for the Traveler in Italy - Comebacks and Curse Words in Italian

While traveling, have you ever been told to stop speaking the local language because you were so incompetent at it, you hurt the native speaker’s ears?  Many Parisians have given me looks to this effect, but no one has actually come right out with it.  Locals can make traveling a bit of comedy and a bit of tragedy.

It’s true that not all the locals you meet while traveling are the most pleasant.  An Italian nonna told a classmate from my language school in Venice, “Please stop speaking Italian.  You’re hurting my ears.”  This was probably after la nonna rolled past the girl with her shopping cart while elbowing her way to the front of the line.  (I’m telling you Italian grandmas are more dangerous than Berlusconi, the Camorra or Cosa Nostra.) Aghast and thoroughly upset the poor girl had no response and let it negatively affect her trip and opinion of Italy. 

An experience like this can either leave you with a negative impression of the country you've visited, or it can give you plenty to laugh about later.  I prefer laughter, and you have a funny travel tale to tell later. 

During my travels throughout Italy, I’ve learned comebacks and a few parolaccie (bad words).  I learned some of the comebacks in Italian class and others elsewhere and from my Italian cousins.  Curse words in another language don't feel as strong or vulgar as they do to me in English, but I usually kept most of my comebacks in my head or I'm just not quick enough with them.  These are listed from least offensive to vulgar in each category. 

To express disgust or repugnance:

Mamma mia!

Che schifo! (What filth!  How disgusting!)

 

To say you could care less:

Non mi interessa!  (I'm not interested)

Me ne frega (I could care less)

Me ne sbatto! (I don't give an "F"!)

 

To tell someone he/she is not the nicest person in the world:

Che scortese! (How rude)

Sei un stronzo! (You're an a**hole!)

Sei maleducato!  (Your parents raised you horribly) This seems to be the absolute worst insult you can hurl at someone, maybe because it's also attacking your parents.  Be careful with this one; I’ve seen fists fly after someone slings this one.

 

To tell someone to stop being difficult:

Non rompere le scatole (Don’t break the boxes)

Non rompere le palle (Don’t break the balls)

Non rompere i miei coglioni (Don’t break my balls)

 

To express anger towards someone (the stronzo yelling at you or one of the many drivers who cut you off or almost run you over, for example):

Sono arrabbiato come una bestia! (I'm as angry as a beast!)

Va al diavolo!  (Go to the devil---the Italian version of "go to hell!)

Cazzo (If you call someone it, it means “dick.” It’s also an expression, meaning “oh F***.)

Testa di cazzo (literally it means “head of a dick.” In English we just say it in reverse.)

Vaffanculo! (Italian version of F you!)

 

These are from my cousins, a few Sicilian parolaccie, which might not be fully understood anywhere else in Italy. (Oh, I will be in big trouble if my cousins read this post, I wasn’t supposed to repeat them.)

Minchia (This one is hard to translate but it’s like calling someone a F***er.  It’s also a vulgar expression.  How they explained it to me: There are 3 Sicilian expressions, used like we use “wow;” they are perbacco, mizzica and minchia.  Minchia is the vulgar one.)

Puttana della miseria (the worst miserable whore – definitely used while driving in Sicily)

Cazzo che ti fotte (It wasn’t thoroughly explained, but it’s like “Mother F***er” in English.)

Even if you don’t want to use the comebacks or the parolaccie, a traveler in Italy should know these phrases.  You certainly don't want to respond to a "Vaffanculo!" with a smile and "grazie.” 

What’s been the funniest altercation you've experienced while traveling? And, did you have a comeback? 

Related Posts:

Twist on a Venetian Spritz and Embracing Italian Culture

Eggplant Caponata and Sicilian Market Etiquette

If it's Tuesday, I Must Be Eating Gelato in Rome

Buying Easter Chocolates in French

 

Wine Tasting in Tuscany Along the Chianti Trail

  

  

Greve-in-Chianti is on a road from Florence to Siena called Via Chiantigiana.  The highway, which connects these two cities, winds through the Chianti wine region.  From the window of our vehicle, we saw rolling hills lined with pointy Cypress trees, olive groves, and rows of vineyards.  Castles, villas, and stoned farmhouses dot the peaks and valleys of the undulating green countryside.  The picturesque countryside and warm climate are probably the reasons so many tourists flock to the area year after year.  Well, there might be a few more reasons, like the wine and the food.

  

  

Our mission for our stay in Greve-in-Chianti was to learn more about the wine.  What we found was a wine cave where we could try 140 different Tuscan wines in one day!  It actually took two. Le Cantine di Greve in Chianti is a virtual underground cellar.  Stone walls keep things cool, and  brick doorways section off the cantina by wine type. 

 

 

You can swirl, sip, and spit (if you wish) up to 140 various types of Chianti Classico, Chianti Riserva, Super Tuscans, and a few Brunello di Montalcino whose full-bottle price would surely be a budget-buster.  Along with all the tastes, each day we had a little lesson in Chianti.

The set up is quite easy, and you set the drinking pace and the level of wine education.  All around the cantina are informational posters, and the friendly staff is available to give you as much or as little wine education as you’d like.  You buy a drink card and prepay the amount.  A staff member hands you a wine glass and gives you a quick orientation about the set up.  If you want a little wine lesson, just ask, and your lesson begins. 

 

To sample, place your card in the machine, press the button of the wine you'd like to try, put your glass up to the dispenser, and sip away.  The cost of each taste varies by the bottle price of the wine, ranging from 60 centimes to 6 euros.  Along with the Tuscan red wines, the Cantina also has Tuscan white wines, Grappa, dessert wines, and olive oils to sample.  You can purchase wines there by the bottle and the case.

If you need a break from drinking, you can sit at tables in the cantina or leave for a meal and to take in the town.  We opted for a lunch al fresco and a little shopping in Piazza Matteoti, the town’s main piazza.  Also in the piazza is the tourist information center where they will help you with winery visit reservations, bike rentals, and even with horseback riding reservations.  They will help you find and book lodging in the area.

Here's a little of what I learned about Chianti:

• Sangiovese is the grape used to make chianti wines.  Its name is said to come from sangue di Giove (the blood of Giove).
• To be called a Chianti Classico, the wine must come from the Chianti Classico region.  This region is roughly based around the Via Chiantigiana, which produces the richest and fullest chianti.
• Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Riserva must be made up of 80% Sangiovese.
• To be a Chianti Riserva, the wine must age at least 2 years in wood barrels and 3 months in the bottle.
• Brunello di Montalcino uses sangiovese grapes that grow in Montalcino.  Montalcino is about an hour south of the Chianti Classico region. The extra warmth of the region makes a bigger and bolder wine.  Although there has been much debate over the issue and tampering with the purity of the wine, to be called a Brunello di Montalcino, the wine must be 100% sangiovese and aged for 4 years, a minimum of 2 years in oak barrels. 
• To be a Brunello Riserva, it must be aged 5 years, 2 1/2 of which in oak barrels and another 6 months in the bottle.
• The Super Tuscan wines:  They also use sangiovese grapes but do not follow the DOCG guidelines.  Here winemaking becomes more of an art where the winemakers can experiment and blend different grape varietals (possibly Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Cab Franc, etc.) to make wine taste how they feel is best.  There are no restrictions as to what percentage of sangiovese is in the wine.

 

 

Greve-in-Chianti and the Cantina are great places to start your exploration into the Chianti wine region and a drive along the wine trail of Via Chiantigiana.  You can sample an abundance of wine, find the ones you really like, buy some and/or make reservations to visit those wineries. 

 

Although it’s most convenient to have a car, you can easily reach Greve-in-Chianti by bus from Florence.  SITA (their main depot is next to the Santa Maria Novella train station in Florence) has buses going to and from Greve-in-Chianti regularly.  Greve is about an hour from Florence. 

 

Every Saturday is market day in Piazza Matteoti.  Greve also has an annual Chianti Classico Wine Festival the second weekend in September (Sept. 10-12, 2010). They also have an Antiques Fair on Easter Monday, and a Flower Festival in May.

 

 

Useful websites for Greve and the Chianti region: 

 

www.greve-in-chianti.com

 

For information about getting around Greve and Chianti go here.

 

 

Best Picnic Spots and Picnic Fare in Rome

 

Picnics are as much a part of my culinary travels as restaurants, outdoor markets and cooking lessons from locals.  I get to choose my dining location while trying street food and local specialties from artisan shops.  Even if you're not a culinary traveler, picnics are great for the budget traveler, families and those couples seeking romance.  They are also a way to slow down and relax after a hectic and heavy dose of taking in the sights.

While Rome is known as one of the greatest food cities, it isn't as popular for having ideal picnic spots.  Yet, not so hidden among the the great monuments, fountains and churches, are many lush green gardens, parks and hilltops with beautiful views of Rome's rolling landscape.  Here are seven of my favorite picnic spots in Rome.

 

Monte Gianicolo (Janiculum Hill)

Buses: 115, 870 (or walk and have your mom yell at you about the climb)

  

The original city of Rome sat on seven hills.  Janiculum Hill, not one of the original seven, is east of the Tiber river and is a perfect place to look out onto those seven.  Gianicolo Park provides lawn and shade along with a glorious view of Rome's hills.  Your dining view will be filled with domed churches, ruins, piazzas and grand buildings that jut out from waves of terra cotta tiled rooftops. Be there at dusk when the setting sun casts hues of pink and purple upon the city. 

  

 

  

Villa Borghese 

Metro: Spagna or Flaminio  Buses: 2, 3, 95, 491

  

This is a green haven in a city that sometimes feels like its all marble, stone and cars racing at you.  It's in the northeast part of Rome next to the Piazza del Popolo.  Little ponds and lakes spot the green landscape, making it an ideal setting for a picnic.  One of my favorite museums Galleria Borghese, where you can find some of Bernini's most elegant sculptures, is in this park. 

 

  

Giardino degli Aranci 

Bus 122

  

This garden sits atop the Aventine Hill (one of the 7 hills of Rome) and has arguably the best panoramic view of Rome and the Tiber River as it weaves its way through the city.  The name (translated as garden of oranges) is from the orange trees that line the park.  Nearby is the Piazza Cavalieri Maltese, where from the keyhole in the Maltese Embassy you can see a framed view of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica.

  

  

Parco Adriano 

Buses 40, 62 or 280 and cross the Bridge of Angels

  

In this park that surrounds the Castel St. Angelo, you can sit beside the circled walls of the castle and look onto the Tiber and the Bridge of Angels.  Summer evenings in the park are festive and filled with food and various other stalls.

  

  

Villa Doria-Pamphili 

Buses 710, 870

  

The largest public park in Rome includes the villa and manicured gardens that once housed the Pamphili family, and it's popular with Romans on the weekends. Here you can easily forget that you are in one of the biggest and most chaotic cities of the world.

  

 

  

Isola Tiberina  

  

The banks of the Tiber are pretty isolated except when there are festivals along it, but on this island you can look onto the river and both banks of the Tiber while enjoying a meal in the sun.

  

  

Gardens around the Catacombs of San Callisto

From Metro San Giovanni, take bus 218

  

Yes, I am suggesting a picnic in a cemetary, or above one.  We arrived at the catacombs during lunchtime (and of course the catacombs close for a short 2-hour lunch break).  We followed other Italians to a patch of lawn nearby and watched each group unpack their feasts.  Since we had two hours, we bused back, got our own feast, and returned for one of the most peaceful lunches among cypress and palm trees, and well yes, above the tombs.

  

  

  

 

 

 

There is much Roman fare that is perfect for picnics, especially pizza bianca.   It's a thinner crispier version of foccacia with a light brushing of olive oil and sprinkling of salt.  Porchetta means "little pig," and it's a suckling pig that has been deboned, stuffed with seasoning and herbs, rolled and roasted.  Artichokes cooked Roman style (carciofi alla Romana) are steamed and marinated with herbs and olive oil.

  

  

  

  

Here are some of the best places to pick up picnic-friendly delicacies where you can feast like an emperor even if you're on a pauper's salary:

 

 

Volpetti (www.volpetti.com - via Marmorata 47 in Testaccio)

Buses 3, 23, 30, 75, 280, 716

 

When you enter, your eye is drawn straight to the line of pork legs on the counter positioned for easy slicing of paper thin prosciutto. There’s also pizza bianca, fried goodies, cheese, baked goods.  It’s all high quality, and everything you need for a romantic picnic, even the wine, is there.  The guys in the shop are exceptionally friendly.  If you are so confused by all the scents and sights, one of the employees will direct you to their tavola calda (Volpetti Piu’) around the corner, where you can sit and have a snack or meal, while calming your taste buds before shopping. 

 

 

Antica Caciara Trasteverina (www.anticacaciar.it - via San Francesco a

Ripa 140A in Trastevere) 

Tram 8 or Buses 3, 121, 780

 

In business since 1900, it feels as ancient as the ruins, but the window filled with bread and baskets of freshly made ricotta cheese beckons you to enter.  Huge drum-sized rounds of "vero (real) pecorino romano" cheese are stacked high, and they have burrata (soft cheese even fresher than mozzarella) from Puglia.

 

 

 

Antico Forno Roscioli (www.salumeriaroscioli.com - via dei Chiavari, 34 near Campo de’ Fiori)

 

Delicacies from this high-end deli include one of the best pizza bianca or rossa (with tomato sauce) in the city, handmade salami, cheese, breads (the olive bread is especially tasty), pastries and any other picnic fare you could want.  The adjacent tavola calda serves porchetta sandwiches.  They also have a sit-down restaurant around the corner.

 

 

Il Forno Campo de’ Fiori (www.fornocampodefiori.com - Campo de’ Fiori 22 north end of the Campo de’ Fiori)

 

At the north end of the Camp de' Fiori, the "forno" above the doorway is all you have to go by.  The long line of Romans and tourists running outside the door is the clue that the food is good.  They serve pizza bianca and a wide variety of other focaccia-style pizze.  I would usually get a slice of bianca and another of eggplant.  Usually one slice would be gone before I made it to my picnic location.  They also have a variety of cookies and pastries to add a sweet end to the meal. 

 

Testaccio Covered Market (Piazza di Testaccio - Testaccio)

Buses 3, 23, 30, 75, 280, 716

 

This working-class food market filled with a variety of food vendors also has one vender that specializes in pork, namely porchetta. It's Dal Norcino and is in the north corner of the market. 

 

These picnic spots and eateries are some of my favorites, but the list is not all inclusive.  Where is your favorite picnic spot in Rome and/or picnic fare?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related Links:

 

 

Roman Pasta Dishes and 10 Best Places to Eat Them in Rome

 

Pizza al Taglio at Pizzarium in Rome

 

Rome with a View - Five Favorite Spots for Photo Ops in Rome

 

Food in Rome - Taste of Testaccio is Offal

 

Campo de’ Fiori

 

Caramel Gelato and Favorite Gelaterie in Rome

 

Villa d'Este in Photos - A Day Trip from Rome

 

Favorite Parks in Paris to Picnic