Staying Trim While Eating Rich Italian Fares

Like France, Italy is home to one of the richest cuisine in the world, and it is fascinating to note that you will rarely find overweight individuals here as well amid all the goodness, the flavors, and the lavish portion sizes of dishes that they get each and every meal. Staying trim despite of the country's culinary thrills may be credited to the Italians's impressive lifestyle, which gives them the allowances to take in all the food that they want and still look gorgeous in front of the mirror. They keep a certain zest for food as French do and the choices they make on handling everyday meals play powerful roles that established Italy as a paradise for food-loving individuals who want only great dishes and not the extra pounds.

A customary Italian main grub taken around noon is composed of hams, olives, and salamis as appetizers; pasta, soup or risotto as the first course; meat or fish as the main course; fresh fruits as sweet treats; and wine as the aftermeal drink. Pizzas and cheeses are prominent snacks that are taken during late afternoons and even for supper simultaneously with coffee. The secret to staying trim then is by following the Italian lifestyle which is always mobile with no fancy breakfasts, no luxurious desserts, and rare in-between calorie-powered snacks of junk food.

An Italian Area I Never Wish to Miss

When I finally had the confirmation for my forthcoming flight to Italy, I hurriedly grew excited. This was not my first visit to the adorable country, of course, but my last trip there was many months ago. My exuberance was quite understandable because although I have been to Italy for countless times, I never had the privilege to view the biggest church in the whole world and this, to me, was a misery. So, I made a declaration that once I landed on the country's ground, I would make time to visit St. Peter's Basilica no matter what; if I would need to crawl out of my business arrangements I would.

Finally, I made it to Vatican after a few more arrangements and set off to St. Peter's Basilica. Good thing I was in my suit because had I dressed improperly, the building staff would have not let me in; you see they were precise on the dress code.

I felt a sudden divine power when I entered the building, maybe because of the wonderful and heavenly interior very unique to St. Peter's Basilica. The church building is a safe place for the most eminent works of art masters, which include Michelangelo's Pieta, Canova's Monument to the Stuarts, and Bernini's Throne of St. Peter. The dome was also crafted by Michelangelo, which is a magnificent view in itself because of its intricate patterns and huge size. The dome is surely the most gigantic in the entire world with a 42-meter diameter and a 138-meter height.

After seeing the central icon of Christianity, I immediately understood why I was always brought to Italy--an Italian trip is never complete without a visit to St. Peter's Basilica.

Serving Stew On A Snowy Winter Day

Farmers are currently facing a predicament today in Italy; it's getting snowy, and thus, their fresh products are threatened to be destroyed. But I know a sure-fire way to withstand the cold weather, especially in the mountains, by serving Italian stews.

First dish, we have the Capriollo alla Boscaiola or regularly called a beef stew, but of course with an Italian flavor! All stews in general are served the same way but this dish requires the meat, or should I say beef, to be drenched in sauce for at least 4 to 24 hours. Also, mushrooms, tomatoes, and butter are combined into the broth before fixing with polenta. For the second entree, we have the Pollastri alla Marengo which was first fixed in 1800. Dissimilar with the first entree we had, Pollastri has celery, carrots, and two clean, cut, and deboned chickens in it. Italians always strain the sauce before serving, but you may blend it to give a more "saucy" consistency. The last entree is the Impruneta Peposo which is just like our first entree but without the olive oil and the usual herbs used in Italian cooking. Peposo is a entree that dates prior to the 1400s in the town of Impruneta in Florence.

Fendi Stuff of Trendy Italy

Italy is well-known for its stuff more than the clothes manufactured by its stable of homegrown fashion designers and clothes makers. Fendi, an notable Italian brand of outfits and accessories that has been in the business since 1918, is living proof that the country makes a good stock of fashionable things, which are fit enough for international recognition.

Adele Casagrande was the brains behind the brand, deciding to turn the name of the fur and leather shop in Rome she formed singlehandedly to Fendi soon after she got married in 1925 to Edoardo Fendi. The family business was then transmitted to their children, compiling more stores and tying with a German designer, Karl Lagerfeld, eventually. Lagerfeld's addition to the business proved to be prosperous, giving Fendi its current double F logo and transforming its gears from being heavy to a light, wearable collection that has been popular to provide flattering outfits to the people of the world. By the 1990s', Fendi has become a famous brand for fashionable individuals who dig both furs and leathers in their gears, shoes, bags, timepieces, fragrances, eye wear, and even home furnishings and writing instruments. Its stable of shoppers remains satisfied with the new innovations and more signature products being unveiled every once in a while.

Caves Maintaned And Redone To Serve As Hotels

No one would surely think at the fact that Italy has the most number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. With regards to this matter, I am sure that most of you would think that these sites are mostly associated to the Roman Empire architecture found all over the big cities in Italy. You are definitely mistaken, I am going to take the honor of jutifying to you that there are actually many sites south of Italy that are included in UNESCO's World Heritage Sites which are not rather notable. I myself was staggered at first, but there it was, splendid mountains and caves (surprised aren't you?) as it can be.

You can move by train or by private wheels if you have one, to Cosenza from Reggio di Calabria, south of Italy. From there you can go onward Italy's largest national park in Pollino and aim for the town of Matera. In this small but attractive town, architectures like churches, buildings, and houses were built on rocks (a really clever idea!). If you plan to spend a holiday, you can savor living in the caves first-hand by checking in the Hotel Sant'Angelo. The 1400 meter caves were maintaned and redone to become a hotel including courtyards, dwellings, pathways, and stairways.