When I ask foreigners who've just arrived in Italy if they have any questions about their stay, the most typical response isn't "Where can I exchange money?" or "How do you say 'this word' in Italian?" but "What is that short, elongated sink next to the toilet in my bathroom?! Do Italians really wash their 'you know what' in it?" So to help demystify this mysterious contraption lurking in an Italian bathroo ...

One of the best parts about being in Italy is that everyday things are their own little adventures - even a trip to the grocery store can be a portal into a world of peculiarly pleasant new twists on seemingly familiar foods and flavors. So, point yourself towards the following, and pick up whatever else makes you say, "what is that?" along the way. Because, it's a fact that you can't discover your new favo ...

Italian coffee is so special it even has its own machine. Unless you’re some kind of cultural genius, you probably don’t have any idea what it is or how the heck it works. 1. Know what a Moka is. The strange metal teapot in the kitchen cupboard of your Italian apartment? That’s a Moka. [caption id="attachment_4303" align="aligncenter" width="243" caption="This is a Moka."][/caption] 2. Understand the parts ...