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Italian Gift Ideas - Dagli Nostri Amici

There are holiday gift ideas everywhere we look during this time and more specifically - Italian gift ideas are no exception.  We thought we would gather these ideas for you to make gift-giving a bit easier and enjoyable for you!

1) If you or someone you know has a bit of an adventurous side, take a look at whaiwhai Tour Books, which New York Times is calling "a high-tech Italian touring game that is part 'Amazing Race' and part treasure hunt, with a bit of DaVinci Code-style storytelling mixed in."  Allowing you to learn more about the city's history, culture, and architecture, whaiwhai Tour Books currently feature one city in the U.S. (New York City) and five Italian cities including Milano, Verona, Venezia, Roma, and Firenze.

Learn more about whai whai Tour Books here.
Price: $16.95/book
Suggested by: Select Italy
Find more of Select Italy's gift ideas here.

2)  The Italian language seems to be increasingly in demand.  Italian Children's Book: I Grandi Libri Tocca e Senti con Topo Tip Big Books is a way to engage your child with the language.  Don't worry, we won't tell anyone if you choose to use this for yourself!  

Please click here for purchase information.
Price: $21
Suggested by: La Piazza di Carolina
Find more of La Piazza di Carolina's gift ideas here.




3) Fiasconaro Panettone - Who needs fruit cake when we have a wonderful panettone? Panettone (a type of sweet bread loaf originally from Milan) comes in so many varieties nowadays, it would truly be hard to not find one to like.  A small piece of advice: dunk it in your coffee!  Try Fiasconaro Panettone this year.


Please click here for purchase information.
Price: $24
Suggested by: All Things Italian Specialty Food Store
Find more gift ideas from All Things Italian here. 


4) Michelin Atlas Italy (Atlas Michelin)

Nowadays a GPS seems to be a must for travel anywhere in the world, but for the moments in which technology may fail in providing the smallest locations (as in Italy's tiniest streets), Michelin Atlas Map may really come in handy for the next trip to Italy.

Please click here for purchase information.
Price: $15
Suggested by: La Tavola Marche
Find more gift ideas from La Tavola Marche here.

I Proverbi da Ricordare - Proverbs to Remember

These proverbs have been passed down such a long way.  That's why their classic nature is worth preserving and sharing because they still teach us how to be wise!

Ogni riccio è un capriccio!

Literally - "every curl is a caprice." This refers to curly hair, said to be a sure sign of a capricious nature (red hair would have a similar connotation for an Englishman).

(Grazie a Li Iacobacci who also provided the history behind this - molto interessante!)

Nella vita - chi non rischia - non rosica.

Translation: In life: who risks nothing - gains nothing.
Equivalent meaning: In life: nothing ventured - nothing gained. 

(Grazie a Debbie Biamonte; shared via Facebook)

Tra il dire e il fare c'e di mezzo il mare.

Loose Translation: Talk is cheap.

(Grazie a Osama Mohy; shared via Facebook)

Tanto va la gatta al lardo che ci lascia lo zampino.

Loose translation: Curiosity kiled the cat.

(Grazie a Emma Running; shared via Facebook) 

Non è tutt'oro quel che luccica.

Translation: Not all that glitters is gold.

(Grazie a Rosanna Costanzo for sharing via Facebook e a Li Iacobacci for the translation.)

Rosso di mattina la pioggia si avvicina. Rosso di sera buon tempo si spera.

Literal translation:  Red sky in the morning, await rain.  Red sky in the evening, hope for good weather.

(Grazie a Virginia DiGirolamo for sharing; via Facebook)

Chi non stima la vita, non la merita. 

Literal translation: He who does not value life does not deserve it.

(Grazie a Frank L Varrica for sharing; via Facebook)

Please feel free to share these on our Italian Proverbs page on Facebook.   Not a fan of Facebook?  No problem, feel free to also submit some via email (modernitalian@modernitalian.org) and your proverb may get published in our next newsletter.  Grazie!

Happy Birthday to Italy - 150th Anniversary is Almost Over!

Italians around the world and non-Italians who simply love the country and culture are joining together to wish a Happy 150th Anniversary to Italy commemoration the Unification of the country in 1861.  This project is dedicated to celebrating Italy by allowing users to sign an electronic birthday card.  This free service allows users to share their Italian surnames and Italian cities & provinces of origin in order to connect with long-lost relatives.  This service is optional if you wish to keep your privacy.  There are only a couple months left to wish Italy a Happy 150th!

Learn more at www.happybirthdayitaly.com.

Property in Italy for Sale at Low Costs - Here is What to Look Out For

If you are interested in buying some lesser expensive property in Italy, here are some useful tips to help you decide on where to buy!  Our friend Jos Deuling scouts out the best regions in which to buy property.

Please visit affidata.co.uk to find houses in Italy for sale.

House-hunting in Italy, regions with low house prices.

Tuscany, Umbria and Marche are popular Italian regions for buying a house or second home. On the map of Italy, they lie in the middle. A house in Tuscany is quite pricey. In Umbria and Marche houses also are not cheap. Experts say that Apulia is an upcoming region. For me, Apulia is not a region where I would go on vacation but acquaintances of mine have been there twice last year.

Regions, which are further from the center, are less popular than Tuscany and Umbria. Examples include the Abruzzi, Molise, the Valle d'Aosta, Friuli-Venice Giulia, Basilicata and Calabria. However, these regions are particularly attractive for foreigners who want to buy a holiday home :

1. These are disadvantaged regions with little industrialization, pollution and tourism.
2. Local government focuses on protecting the environment. It focuses on small-scale tourism and promoting local products.
3. Traditions of architecture, cuisine, folk customs and dialects have been preserved. They are real, authentic Italian regions.
4. There is a rich variety of local building styles and materials.
5. Of many cities and towns, the old town center survived. Much has been restored. These restorations are partially funded by the European Union.
6. It welcomes the arrival of foreigners. People think it is beneficial for the local economy.
7. Houses and land are still cheap.

Price Fighters like RyanAir and EasyJet have unlocked these regions with cheap airfares and many regional destinations. RyanAir, for example, flies to Pescara (Abruzzo, Molise) Turin (Aosta Valley), Trieste (Friuli-Venice Giulia) and Lamezia (Calabria, Basilicata).

House prices by region

The prices in Abruzzo are 30 to 70% lower than in Tuscany. Inland a farm or village house with 3 bedrooms will cost around 100,000 euro (plus 100,000 euro in renovation costs). Homes closer to the coast are 2 or 3 times as expensive.

Molise is extraordinarily cheap. There is hardly any tourism. Interesting for buyers seeking the authentic Italy. O You can own a beautiful and comfortable village house for around 100,000 euro. A farm with sea view and olive trees cost around 200,000 euro.

The Aosta Valley is attractive for people who want an apartment in the Alps. The region borders the premier ski resorts in France (Chamonix) and Switzerland (Verbier). Compared with France and Switzerland, house prices are low. A basic flat is for sale from 150,000 euro. The ski season runs from November to April. Just an up and down weekend for skiing is no problem. Fly to Turin with Rynair and from Turin, a one hour drive to your destination.

In Friuli-Venice Giulia, the houses are fairly cheap. Many Italians from the Veneto region buy a second home here. There are more and more foreign buyers from Germany, Austria, Croatia and Russia. They buy mainly apartments with air conditioning, balcony and close to the beach. These apartments cost around 120,000 euro. Friuli-Venice Giulia faces competition from nearby Slovenia, where prices are much lower.

Basilicata is in southern Italy located just above Calabria. It is a sparsely populated region famous for its cave dwellings in Sassi di Matera. The local government provides 50% subsidy on a renovation of a cave home in late Sassi di Matera. The houses in Basilicata are also cheap. A renovation object in the interior costs as little as 50,000 euro.

In Calabria, there has been an increase in prices in recent years. There is a strong demand for holiday apartments on the coast with air conditioning. Quite a lot of tourist complexes have been built in the last couple of years. An apartment complex in a complex costs between 100,000 euro and 200,000 euro. It is said that you have recouped your purchase within 10 years if you rent your apartment in high season. In the mountains, you can still get a bungalow or cottage from 70,000 euro, but it can also be quite cold up there.

Grazie a Jos Deuling for providing this useful information.  Follow her on Twitter @PropertyTuscany