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SPRING

Six unmistakable signs that spring has arrived in Italy

March 20th was officially the first day of spring - but what does the new season typically bring to Italy? Expect to see delicious food at your local market, foreigners shedding layers of clothing while Italians merely reach for their sunglasses, and a healthy dose of quirky local festivals. Here are six tell-tale signs of an Italian spring.

Six unmistakable signs that spring has arrived in Italy
Wildflowers along the Amalfi Coast. Photo: Gene/Flickr

1. The clothing

We're being deliberately vague here, because choice of springwear often depends on whether or not you're a native. Italians tend to dress for the season, not the weather, so late March means swapping black and navy for white and pastel hues, and shedding the winter coat, while holding off from raiding the summer wardrobe.

Among expat communities, Brits and others from cooler climes show no such restraint, often opting for sandals and shorts as soon as the temperatures reach double digits.

According to reader Rochelle Ferreri, you know spring has reached Italy “when us British expats start wearing flip flops… to the Italians' horror!”

Photo: Pexels

2. The animals

Plenty of readers said the sounds and sights of the animal kingdom were a tell-tale sign of Italian spring.

“The sound of hundreds of bees on our blossom tree,” said Janice Mitchell, when we asked what were the surest signs of the new season's arrival.

“Battling against ticks on the dogs!” was another suggestion.

You can also expect to start seeing wall lizards – the small reptiles that come out of hibernation around this time of year and love to sun themselves in gardens, rocks, and Roman ruins. And look out for birds and baby farm animals too!


Photo: Andrew and Annemarie/Flickr

3. The flowers

If you visit Italy in the spring months, you'll see it in full bloom. Take a trip to your local garden, park, or flower market to take in the colours and scents of spring, from bluebells to crocuses, poppies to magnolia.

But there's no need to feel left out if you live in a city either. Most of Italy's urban centres can boast plenty of green space – which in the springtime turns red, yellow, pink and blue with wildflowers.

In Rome, the Spanish Steps in the very centre of the city are adorned with pink azaleas for one month each spring (not to mention the capital's Orange Garden and Rose Garden, both well worth visiting). And this year, for the first time, a huge tulip field has been opened just outside Milan, where you can pick the flowers for yourself.


Photo: Pedro/Flickr

4. The food

Watch out for the three 'a's of springtime cuisine: Artichokes, asparagus, and agnello (spring lamb – OK, we've cheated a bit using the Italian for that one). Each can be prepared a myriad of ways, with every restaurant and nonna swearing that theirs is the best, so try as many varieties as possible.

And perhaps most excitingly, after a winter of hibernation, the gelato shops start opening up once again.


Photo: Tim Sackton/Flickr

READ MORE: Six springtime foods you simply have to taste in Rome

5. The festivals

Carnival may be over, but there are plenty more opportunities to celebrate up and down the country. In April there's the anniversary of the founding of Rome, then Liberation Day on the 25th, and not forgetting the Easter weekend – what's more, most towns and villages will have their own traditional feste too.

For those who were disappointed at the lack of fuss over Valentine's Day, you could always check out the Festa di San Marco in Venice on April 25th. It's also called the Blooming Rose Festival and is known as a day to celebrate love and romance.

And then there are the quirky options to look out for: what about heading to the Snake-Handlers' Festival on the first Thursday of May in Abruzzo, or the annual Frog Race just after Easter in Le Marche? 

Photo: Christiano Cani/Flickr

6. The weather

The arrival of spring means more daylight, warmer weather, and less rainfall. Time for long evening strolls, outdoor dining, and perhaps even a swim if you live by the water.

It's also the perfect season to visit the country's lakes and beaches – just before the hordes of tourists descend, but while the locals still think it's too cold for sunbathing.

But be warned – Italian weather can be variable and spring still sees rain and even snow, so you might want to take your umbrella out as well as your sunglasses.


Photo: Jacopo/Flickr
 

This article was originally published in 2017.

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FOOD AND DRINK

Do Italians really eat pasta every day?

Pasta is the foundation of Italian cuisine and Italians have a reputation for eating it nearly every day. But is this reality or myth?

Do Italians really eat pasta every day?

Pasta is the cornerstone of Italian cuisine and an essential staple of Italians’ diet, hence the popularity of the adage Toglietemi tutto ma non la pasta! (‘Take everything away from me except pasta’).

But there is a widespread belief among foreign nationals that people in the bel paese eat it every single day of the week. 

Is this reality or myth?

According to a survey from research platform YouGov Italia, ‘only’ 17 percent of Italians eat pasta every day or at least six days a week. 

The majority of Italians (37 percent) consume pasta two to three times a week, while 30 percent say they eat it four to five times a week. 

Finally, 8 percent eat pasta just once a week.

While the survey seems to disprove the claim that Italians generally eat pasta every day (only a minority does), does that mean that they are not as big pasta eaters as we may have originally thought?

Not really. 

Italians are still the leading pasta consumers in the world as the average person in the country eats some 23.1 kilograms of it every year (that’s nearly two kilograms a month).

READ ALSO: Ask an Italian: How do you sauce pasta properly?

For context, people in neighbouring France and Germany only consume 8.3 and 7.9 kg per capita a year, whereas the average American eats about 9 kg every year.

Further, yearly per capita consumption in the UK stands at an average of just 3.5 kg, according to a report from pasta maker Barilla.

So, while they may not have it every day, Italians do eat quite a lot of pasta over the course of a year. 

But how do they never get tired of it? 

One of the main reasons behind Italians’ unbreakable bond with the high-carb food is variety. 

Italians are extremely creative when it comes to pasta and they rarely eat the same dish twice in a row as they like to experiment with a wide range of recipes and sauces.

READ ALSO: Ten golden rules for cooking pasta like an Italian

Further, there are over 350 types of pasta in Italy, which means that you could potentially eat a different pasta shape almost every day of the year.

Another reason why most Italians have pasta multiple times a week is that they tend to eat it in moderation, steering well clear of potential carb overloads. 

While they may have a large, high-calorie pasta dish (for instance, lasagne or pasta al ragù) on weekends or on special occasions, people in the country generally go for lighter recipes and sauces on normal days, with portions generally going from 80 to 120 grams per person.

Also, Italians very rarely eat pasta twice a day, with the majority of people having it for lunch and then opting for a non-carb-based dish in the evening.

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