What is Italian Epiphany?
On January 6 in Italy, as in other countries of the world, the Epiphany is celebrated. The epiphany is a party felt especially by children who on this day receive the stocking.
There are various traditions throughout Italy and the celebrations change from region to region; in some parades are organized, in others are traditional bonfires and in others, the streets of the cities are filled with markets.
The Epiphany is also the last day of vacation for children and the day to remove the Christmas decorations from the house. It is said that “L’Epifania che tutte le feste porta via” translated in " The Epiphany all the holidays take away".
Why is La Befana celebrated?
The Befana has very ancient origins to date back to the times of the Romans. For the Romans, the Epiphany flying over the fields should have brought prosperity in the harvest.
According to Christian tradition, the Epiphany celebrates the arrival of the Magi to the manger of Jesus with gifts.
For the most recent tradition, the Epiphany is a symbol of the past year, and that’s why it is represented old while bringing candy to children as a symbol of good luck for the new year.
How is La Befana?
The Epiphany is represented as an old lady with old, shabby clothes, broken shoes and on top of a broom.
In the night between the 5th and the 6th of January, the Befana flies over the roofs of the houses and fills the socks of the children with sweets for the good children and coal for the bad children. I must say, however, that I loved coal as a child because it was made of black sugar. This is the tradition that is now the same among all the regions of Italy from north to south; while traditions change in the way of celebrating this day. 
What are the traditions of Epiphany?Italian Traditions
In my little town, you burn the old one. From small to large, everyone gathers near the river; located in the middle of the river there is a high pile of wood and on top of it there is the Epiphany: it is called Pan and Vin. The divers swim in with the torches in their hands and light the bonfire. According to tradition, the direction of the ash tells whether it will be a good year or a bad year.
At the end of the bonfire, the stocking with sweets inside is delivered to children while for adults there is mulled wine and Pinza. Pinza is a traditional Venetian cake made with stale bread, milk and dried fruit. The tradition of the bonfire is very rooted between Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia where every small town has its bonfire placed in water or on land and its Befana to burn. 
Venice
The Regatta is typical in Venice. The regatta is a parade of boats in the Grand Canal and becomes special for the Epiphany because the people inside the boats dress like the Epiphany or Santa Claus.
Milan
Every year in Milan the Epiphany is celebrated with a parade. From the Duomo to the Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio a procession of people dressed as the wise men parade through the streets with gifts to be given to a living crib.
Rome
In Rome, the Epiphany is celebrated in Piazza Navona with stalls selling sweets and games and then people move to see the traditional parade "Viva la Befana".
Naples
In Naples, the Befana is celebrated in Piazza del Plebiscito that every year is coloured and populated with markets that sell sweets, toys and typical Neapolitan food.
Each Italian region is unique and different and for this reason, each one has its own traditions to celebrate January 6 the important thing is to find the stocking full of sweets.
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Festive Season: Christmas
Ah, Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year that saves the winter. I am not a big fan of winter, too cold, too dark and too many clothes to wear to stay warm but I have always found that the Christmas period cancels this opinion of the winter for like one month and a half.
What I love about the Christmas period are the decorations, the lights, the joy of finding the perfect gift for your dearest and the big dinner table surrounded by all your family with amazing, delicious food.
I wanted to write an article about the different traditions between Italy and Ireland but I found that we are quite similar on the celebrations so I thought why just don’t write about my traditions? So, here I am with a cup of tea, the Christmas tree turned on, thinking about all I do in this magic period.
What are some important traditions in Italy?1. Immaculate Conception 8th December
December 8th is the day of the decorations. It is very common in Italy to decorate the house on the day of the Immaculate Conception right on the 8th; we are home from work so it is the perfect time to pull out the tree, the lights and start decorating the rooms and balconies.
2. The tradition of the Nativity scene
In addition to the Christmas tree, we also have the crib. You can find Nativity scenes that are composed of a small hut with Our Lady Joseph and Jesus (which should only be placed on Christmas Day) or large nativity scenes with not only the hut, but also the houses of the shepherds, the sheep, the wrought iron workshops, the houses with the mills and I had (it was a source of pride too) a little man who made polenta in the cauldron and, of course, the three magi who every day advance a little 'more with their gifts.
3. Christmas Eve
When I was a little girl it was tradition to go to Mass at midnight and after church stays out for a while to exchange greetings. When I grew up, my friends and I started going to alcoholic mass. It basically consisted of going to the square at midnight on Christmas Eve where there were stalls serving alcohol and a lot of young people spending a couple of hours with friends.
4. Christmas food in ItalyChristmas Lunch
We usually meet with the whole family on December 25th. When I was a child I used to go to my grandparents' house while now, since unfortunately, they are no longer with us, we go to the restaurant. I think we go to the restaurant because no one wants to take care of the food and cook on Christmas day anyway, except us, a lot of people here in Italy celebrate at home with delicious food, amazing wine and a lot of relatives.
Italian Cuisine
It’s impossible not to talk about food at Christmas. The food during this day must be a way to unite everyone around a single table. So it must be plentiful, traditional and accompanied by good wine. In my family, we usually eat fish on Christmas Eve and meat on Christmas Day. The dish that never missed in my Christmas? Lasagna
Christmas cake Italy
Number one of all the sweet of Christmas Pandoro. We don’t bake it anymore at home but prefer to buy it; you can find Pandoro at the supermarket or at the bakery and it can be traditional or revisited and more gourmet. Another must at Christmas is Panettone a soft dessert with raisins and candied fruit. Last but not least Torrone. Torrone is a rectangular bar of almonds and honey and glucose. My favourite is covered with dark chocolate.
5. Epiphany - La Befana
As per tradition, the 6th of January is the Epiphany. The popular saying says: “ L’epifania che tutte le feste porta via”, translated in “The Epiphany that all the holidays take away”. The 6th of January is the last day of holidays for children, is the day to remove all the Christmas decorations and in Veneto, and other regions in the north of Italy is the day to burn the witch. In my small town, we do a pile of wood in the middle of a river with at the top a witch (a fake one of course) and we burn it, accompanying the evening with mulled wine and pinza (a traditional cake). We burn the witch as a sign of hope for the new year and according to where it goes ash promises a good year or one, not really good.
What about the Christmas tradition in your country? Are they the same? Leave a comment and share your traditions.
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Do you know when you’re obsessed with a place and you have to go? This happened to me with Lake Resia. I saw pictures of this lake everywhere and I really wanted to go there.
Where is Lake Resia in Italy?
In the deep Trentino Alto Adige, in Venosta, lies the picturesque and unique Lake Resia and the only remaining part of the village: the tower bell. From Venice, it takes around 5.30 hours to reach Curon a long trip even if Veneto and Trentino are quite close. Moreover, I went in January and the streets, near the town Curon, were full of snow. Don’t get me wrong I am in love with the snow but that means driving really slow and it takes even more time to arrive.
Why Resia Lake is famous?
The lake has become famous all over the world with the Netflix series, I honestly knew this place many years before because I am Italian and I love to travel. Of course, the history of the lake is very famous but I think the most famous thing about Resia is the bell tower half immersed in water and half outside.
Why was Curon flooded?
This lake is the symbol of a cruel part of history with the inhabitants of Resia and Curone, two populations who have found their homes and their land submerged by water.
It all starts with an Austro-Hungarian project to build an artificial water reservoir to produce electricity. In 1920, after Venosta came under Italy, the Italian government decided to take over the project to produce electricity. All this was suspended with the beginning of World War II and the inhabitants of the place thought that the project had been abandoned but in 1947 it was announced the continuation of the construction of the artificial lake. A few years later, in 1950, the dam was closed and the water increased to form the lake. About 670 hectares of land were submerged and so were the houses and possessions of many families. Compensation for the loss of housing was very low, so most of the population was forced to emigrate to other lands. What remains of this story is the bell tower that comes out of the water as a symbol of that sad piece of history that has taken so much to so many families.
Leaving aside the story of this lake for a moment, I found myself in a spectacular landscape; as if I were looking at a modified photo. Blue sky, this tower half-submerged and half out surrounded by snowy and white mountains. A wonder!
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Travel guide to London
I went two times to London, the first time in August for my birthday and the second time during the Christmas period. In both periods it was raining, so I can't suggest the best seasons to visit it, but I know that with every meteorologic condition, London is fantastic and a splendid city to stop by.
The first time I went, I fell so in love with this city that I decided this would become the city where I wanted to live. I don't know why, maybe the atmosphere, people running everywhere, a multitude of black cabs and the famous red buses was something that fascinated me. I thought that my life here would have been perfect. Today, even If I chose Dublin, I still believe that London is fantastic and I love to go also just for a couple of days, especially in the Christmas holidays.
Things to do in the city of London
Trafalgar Square is a must, the famous large square with two fountains at the sides, Nelson's column at the centre and four bronze lions that seem to protect the columns.
In the beginning, there was the royal mews, and only in 1844, it open as a public square after a work of redeveloping. Its name recalls the Battle of Trafalgar, a British naval victory during the Napoleonic Wars with France and Spain which took place on 21 October 1805. Today the Trafalgar is not only one of the main attractions of London, but also the place where many events take place such as the Chinese New Year, the large and colourful Christmas tree, the Pride and many more. I loved seeing the square during Christmas; it is full of lights, colours and of course the big Christmas tree, amazing! 
I'm pretty obvious, but my favourite attraction is the London Eye, first of all, the view of the city from above is fascinating, second, the wheel is gorgeous at night with all the lights changing colour, and as the last, I always loved the scenic wheels. The London Eye was inaugurated in 2000 in the Thames, and was the largest wheel in the world until 2006; originally it had to stay only for five years, but since it became trendy it has never been dismantled. The ticket is a bit expensive, but the view will compensate you.
Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament are the main attractions of London. Honestly, I have to say that I like them a lot; and when I like something it means taking hundreds of photos: with the Thames, with the red bus, at night, during the day...
In 1934 the House of Parliament was destroyed by a fire, and it was decided to add a tower with a clock. The official name of the tower was originally the Clock Tower, and Big Ben technically is the name of the massive bell inside it. In 2012 the House of Commons announced that Big Ben was to be renamed the Elizabeth Tower in honour of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. The clock tower is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. Unfortunately, it is not possible to visit the tower, but even from outside, it is lovely, especially in the evening when all the façades of the clock are illuminated. 
Buckingham Palace is another top attraction in the capital, it is the official Queen's house and for this, only in the summer, when the Queen is in other residencies, is possible to visit some rooms at its inside. The first time I saw the Palace surrounded by a high gate, I thought it was elegant, impressively large and showing all the greatness of the Crown.
It was acquired by King George III in 1761 as a private residence for Queen Charlotte and became the official residence in 1837 with Queen Victoria. During the years it changed a lot, it was renovated multiple times to add other rooms. Today the Palace counts 775 rooms in total and during the remodelling was also added the celebrate balcony used in special occasions from the Royal Family. If you’re around Sunday morning, you can’t miss the Changing of the Guard. It’s a formal ceremony to change the guard group to another group. The change begins at the Wellington barracks and arrives at Buckingham Palace accompanied by a march and horses. At least once you see the changing of the guard. 
In London, we can find many beautiful green parks, and Hyde Park is one of the best, when you are at its inside you will forget that you are actually in the heart of London. In the park, you can find any type of plants, flowers, some animals, lakes with boats, monuments and of course coffee shops. If you have half a day to spend in relax I recommend coming for a walk to Hyde Park with a nice cup of coffee or a hot chocolate in winter. Funny Story?? I remember this park very well because I was with my dad, we were walking and a squirrel very cheeky, it wasn't afraid at all about humans, it started to climb my dad's leg looking for food; it was hilarious.
Piccadilly (which is often described as the "Times Square" of London) is another top and well-known attraction. It’s a crossroads of busy streets, and if you stop here for a couple of minutes, you’ll see a multitude of people walking and crossing these streets, a real mess. Picadilly is primarily known for the neon video and light signage displays mounted on corner buildings.
My favourite part of London is Soho. Soho is close to Piccadilly and is a creative and extravagant area of the capital. Soho is originally a trendy neighbourhood that you can discover on foot, you can find special and original clothing shops, designer shops, nightclubs, bars and restaurants. I especially like the lively nightlife with live music and good entertainment.
St Paul’s Cathedral is another must-see in London; it is an Anglican cathedral dedicated to Paul the Apostle. It is the largest church in London and has played an important role in many state functions such as the celebration of the Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, the funeral of Winston Churchill and even the royal wedding. The Cathedral burned, like much of the city, in the great fire of 1666 and promptly rebuilt as today, a large white church with an imposing facade. I first saw the Cathedral on a bus and I was amazed by its size and beauty that I immediately jumped off the bus and visited the interior.
Another "must see" in London is the majestic Tower Bridge. I know I’ve already said that for almost every attraction, but this is, for me, the best place in town, not just the bridge but the whole area with old and modern buildings that make everything more attractive. Tower Bridge was built between 1886 and 1894 and is a suspension bridge to allow ships to pass. Today is possible to visit the engine machine that permits the bridge to move, not only that; you can also visit the high-level walkways, which initially allowed people to move across the bridge when the bascules were raised. The people always preferred to wait rather than climb, so the access was closed in 1910. In 1982 it re-opened as part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition. Curiosity?? The Tower Bridget changed many colours in its history from red to the last white and blue chosen for Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee.
Everyone has heard at least once about the gigantic Harrods store and all the nice things you can buy here. And even if you don’t want to buy anything go take a look.
Charles Herry Harrods established it in 1824 in a different location and in 1849 the famous shopping centre was moved to its current location in the lively Knightsbridge district. Harrods has eight floors connected by 146 elevators, lots of escalators and 300 departments of food, fashion, shoes, expensive jewellery and much more. The exterior of the building is illuminated by 11,300 lights and has ten entrance doors. Today it is owned by Mohammed Al-Fayed since 1985. Curiosity • Since 1989 there is a sort of dress code for everyone to enter Harrods as not to wear skimpy clothes... • the first escalator in London was built here On the ground floor, there is a statue in memory of Lady Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed, son of the owner. • Since 2000 Harrods is no longer an official supplier to Buckingham Palace after the accusation of Al-Fayed against the royal family.
Day trip from London1. Greenwich
In my opinion, Greenwich is something you should visit, not only for the meridian but also for the fantastic, large green park. It is about 40 minutes by bus from Westminster, but worth a visit, especially if you want to escape the chaos of the city centre.
For a day of relaxation: start with a walk in the large green park before arriving at the hill where the Observatory is located and a long line of gold and silver on the ground that represents the meridian of Greenwich. In 1884, the Greenwich Observatory was chosen as the zero meridians by the Washington Conference, which decided to adopt a single meridian, instead of one for each country, to unify time and geographical measures. I spent a day in Greenwich, not only at the Observatory but also throughout the neighbourhood for a nice sunny day outside the chaotic city.
2. Stonehenge
I went to Stonehenge as a birthday present, and I can say that I could not ask for better, I went on a tour arranged, and it took about 2h 30 minutes from Westminster to reach it.
When I arrived I was surprised; I found this place almost magical, full of mystery and things to discover. I took an audio guide to satisfy my curiosity behind Stonehenge and I must say I was very happy because I knew the story but also some funny legends. Stonehenge has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986. The most reliable hypothesis is that Stonehenge was an astronomical observatory, especially for the solstice and equinox. The legends instead tell several stories; the funniest tells that some giants were playing with these massive stones as if they were Lego, and after the game, they forgot to tidy up. Another fine legend behind Stonehenge is tied to King Arthur, but I’ll let you find out for yourself. I highly recommend visiting Stonehenge because it is an unusual thing to see the thought that they have moved those massive stones without technology and truck is amazing. 
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In my first year in Ireland, I decided that all this green land deserved to be visited and since the distances are not so bad I started to travel by train or bus. My first stop was Cork.
Cork is located in the southwest and is the second-largest city in Ireland, from Dublin I took the bus and after a couple of hours, I arrived in this beautiful city. I do not know why, or perhaps why, with the exception of Dublin, we do not hear about many other Irish cities, but I honestly did not expect to find such a beautiful, lively, colourful and young city. The city centre is medieval, crossed by the River Lee and numerous bridges that give the city a beautiful atmosphere during the day and even at night where the reflection of the lights in the water colour the city. The nightlife is very lively and lively thanks, of course to the multitude of pubs and restaurants, but also and above all because it is a very young city. 
How many days should you spend in Cork?
I went to Cork for a bank holiday weekend so I arrived Friday night and I went back to Dublin on Monday evening so I spent two and half days and they are necessary if like me you want to go somewhere outside the city centre. I took the bus in front of the Connelly station in Dublin and in 2h and 30 I was at the bus station of Cork.
Things to do in Cork city
The best way to visit Cork city centre is by walk starting from the principal square you can reach the top attractions with a beautiful walk between shopping street, traditional pubs all of these surrounded by bridges, hills with colourful houses and street artist that will escort you in this tour.
The first stop during your walk has to be for breakfast at the English market. In the principal street, inside a big 700’ building you can find a really nice, always open, gastronomic market. It was opened around 1788 and it has a long and troubled history, an example? it survived a civil war and a couple of fires. We can find every type of food, from traditional and local food to cuisine from all over the world moving to meat, fish, vegetables and fruit: a true paradise for gourmets.
And why this should be the breakfast stop? Well, I fell in love with the cafe upstairs. This cafe has a view over the entire market to enjoy the breakfast and also the people at the market moreover I had the best scones ever, it was tasty and absolutely delicious.
Up and down the hills you have to stop at the Cork City Gaol, it was the penitentiary, even if it seems more like a castle, and for a couple of euros, you can visit the inside and learn more about this place. The City Gaol has been renewed and now it gives you a really excellent idea of how it was in the past.
On top of a hill, we can find the Church of St. Anna and its tower. I recommend not only to visit the church but also to climb the tower because the view of all Cork from above is incredible, a complete view of the city and all its streets and while you climb you can also ring the church bells.
Curiosity? The tower has four clocks one for each facade and, as the people of Cork say you don’t have to trust them because all four clocks mark different times. 
At some point in your walk, you will be thirsty and what better place than the Franciscan Well Brewery? The pub was built on the site of an ancient Franciscan convent dating back to 1219 and today is a really nice brewery with a garden where you can stay outdoors, lots of tasty beer types, but also a delicious pizza. This is the perfect stop after a day’s walk.
Things to do in County Cork1. COBH
After visiting the city of Cork I decided to take the train and in about 30 minutes between beautiful landscapes and small towns, I reached the city of Cobh.
The city is a small jewel built on a hill with in the middle of it a large majestic cathedral, all-around small and colourful houses and an incredible blue ocean; it is thanks to this ocean that the city is also famous. In fact, in the port of Cobh the Titanic sailed in 1912 as the last port before sailing to the Atlantic, 123 passengers embarked in this port and only 44 survived. Aside from the sad story of the Titanic, I really liked this town. I have to admit I was lucky also because I found a sunny day and I think it is very important to visit this city with the sun both for the colours and because with the sun and everything is more beautiful. I suggest you stop and have lunch in one of the many restaurants with ocean views and good fish food. If you like to reach Cobh by train check https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/ 
2. BLARNEY CASTLE
I liked everything about this short trip, but my favourite and the curious thing I did was the Blarney Castle. It is located about 8 km from Cork and is easy to reach by bus, the castle is famous for the huge colourful and beautiful garden with mazes, waterfalls and strange stones that have the nose and face of a witch, but it is mainly well known for the Blarney stone in fact the legend says that if you kiss the Blarney stone you will get the gift of eloquence. To reach the stone you have to go to the top of the castle and you will not only find the stone but also a beautiful view of the landscape all around the castle; to kiss it you have to lie on your back, hold on to the iron bars and tilt your head; a person of staff will help you. I know kissing a stone is not very hygienic, everyone kisses the same stone and everything but, in my opinion, this was a strange but nice thing to do and try and who knows, maybe it can work.
If you like to reach Blarney Village by bus check https://www.buseireann.ie/ 
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Hidden Places of the Venetian Lagoon.
The Venetian lagoon is huge; it counts around 60 islands where 30 are the principal. It counts many different types of birds and plants forming a unique and rich ecosystem. Of these 60 islands, some are really small others are bigger; fortunately today thanks to some no-profit associations some of these islands, which are a huge lagoon heritage, are being renovated and reopened to the public. One of these islands is the Lazzaretto Novo.
How to get there?
If you are in Venice, from Fondamenta Nove the line 13 of the ferryboat will bring you to the island. Remember to ask for the stop otherwise, the ferry will not stop. Situated around 30minutes navigation from Venice this island was very important during the splendour of the Serenissima.
When to go? |
