Reading the news today about the rising death toll from the Coronavirus in Bergamo, one of our favorite cities in Italy is so overwhelming. Debbie and I traveled there from Bologna in 2016 and enjoyed taking the Funicolare di Bergamo Alta to the upper city where we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Ristorante Lalimentari. It is a beautiful place. The people of Bergamo have suffered the most deaths in this crisis in Italy. Please read the story on the attached link below:

https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-italy-army-transport-coffins-bergamo-morgue-crisis-video-2020-3

Traveling to Italy? Don't be an Ugly American!

   You've probably heard stories about Americans being loud and obnoxious while traveling abroad. We've witnessed that type of behavior first hand more than once while traveling in Italy. Debbie and I are fairly quiet people, so this is not a problem for us, but we do try to be excellent ambassadors for the US while we travel. While our Italian skills are very limited, we rarely start our conversations in an osteria or a shop with "Do you speak English?" We've taken a couple of night school courses like "Italian For Tourists" and have language apps on our phones which really come in handy. It's always fun to make an effort to speak the language, and most of the time it is appreciated. Don't be surprised if the server corrects your Italian a bit, usually with a laugh or a smile. How else will you learn?

   A few other quick notes on how not to be an Ugly American: Don't ask everyone for the price in dollars; know the exchange rate and try to figure it out yourself. Try to be respectful in the way you dress. Saying things like "That's not how we do it in the States," gets fairly tiresome to hear.  Most of what happens in Italy won't be how you do it at home, so the best thing to do is get out of your comfort zone and enjoy the wonderful culture. And, there are so many great coffee bars in Italy, that there is no reason to go to McDonald's or Starbucks. Come on, you're in Italy, after all.

Photos below are mostly places you'll miss if you only seek out familiar restaurants...

If you get a chance, check out Smarter Travel's blog for a lot of useful advice and information.

La Stella Ristorante in San Gimignano.

Lucca dining al fresco.

On the Rialto Bridge in Venice.

At the Duomo in Florence.

Off the beaten path in Florence.

Off the beaten path in Florence 2.

Having snacks and a glass of wine in Cinque Terre.

Lucca lunch.

At Cane e Gatto for lunch in Siena.

Aperitivi and cocktails in Milan.

Lunch in Bergamo.

Wine and snacks in Bergamo waiting for the funicolare.

Trattoria, Osteria and Ristorante - Finding A Place To Eat

   Half the fun of our trips to Italy has been finding and enjoying good places to eat. Whether you choose a trattoria, osteria or ristorante for your next meal, a great way to choose a restaurant is just by reading the posted menu and peeking in the front window. We've found most of ours that way. We have rarely been disappointed. Asking the hotel staff, concierge or your self-catering apartment/villa owner is also a great way to find a restaurant with good food and Italian atmosphere. Some say to look for places that seem full of locals and places without photos of their food on the menu board.  
   Many restaurants in cities like Florence, Rome and Venice exist because of the tourist trade, but if you choose to eat at a place with a tourist menu in English that is offering a complete meal with a glass of wine for 10 euros, you might not be disappointed. We have eaten at several "tourist restaurants" and found that the food and wine were more than adequate. Everything depends on your dining expectations and your budget.
   Several of our best dining experiences have occurred when we headed down a side street or alley and came upon the perfect little trattoria. Three restaurants that come to mind were all found a little outside the main tourist haunts, but still within walking distance of city centers.
 One we discovered on our second in Florence visit, when the four of us were starving after a long day of sight-seeing in Rome, so we headed out of our apartment on foot to find a place for dinner. We decided to try to stay in our neighborhood and were fortunate to find Il Cavaliere Ristorante on Viale Spartaco Lavagnini 20. This small, family owned restaurant exceeded our expectations with its delicious traditional Tuscan meals and excellent wine. I ordered Ravioli ricotta e spinaci (spinach and ricotta ravioli) and Debbie had Spaghetti alle vongole (spaghetti with clams). Both were delectable. What a delightful evening!  With a bottle of Vernaccia di San Gimignano, our dinner check was about 45 euros.

Il Cavaliere Ristorante, Florence

   On our most recent trip in November 2015, Debbie and I found two more excellent restaurants. Since we were having supper at our apartment some nights, we enjoyed seeking out little trattorias for lunch in each city we visited. Two favorites stand out: the first, Trattoria da Giampi e Ciccio at via Farini 31/B, was in Bologna, where we both had wonderful pasta meals and house wine for 34 euros.

Trattoria da Giampi e Ciccio, Bologna

    The second, in Bergamo (a city that we loved that wasn't even on our itinerary), we ventured down a side street after seeing a sign on the corner for Ristorante Lalimentari, via Tassis, 3a, Bergamo Alta. We were very pleased. The service, atmosphere, food and wine were excellent. Our total for lunch with wine was 44 euros. Be sure to ride the funicolare up to the old city to get to this restaurant.

Ristorante Lalimentari, Bergamo

Ristorante Lalimentari, Bergamo