L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2015 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 17 ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES B orgo di Babbo Natale N o v e m b e r 2 9 – December 13): Are you t r a v e l i n g w i t h y o u n g k i d s ? Don't miss out the opportunity to experience all the magic of C h r i s t m a s a t R i c e t t o d i Candelo, province of Biella. E v e r y y e a r t h i s s t u n n i n g medieval village in Piedmont turns its town center into a fairy tale setting where kids can meet and greet with Santa and, most of all, they can drop off their letters at Santa's Post Office. Artisans, musicians and local wood workers will entertain the g r o w n u p s s h o w c a s i n g t h e i r artifacts and performing tradi- tional Christmas carols. Make sure you stop by the fair for lunch or dinner: the veal stew and the roasted herbed goose are a must try when in the area and beloved holiday delicacies. B i g D e a l ( e v e r y S u n d a y f r o m N o v e m b e r 2 9 t o D e c e m b e r 2 0 ) : C r a z y a b o u t shopping but bored with the same old chain stores and shop- ping malls? If you are traveling in the Rome area in December, check out Big Deal, an open air flea market that will surely sat- isfy even the most jaded shop- per. Around the beautiful streets and piazzas of downtown Rome you will find, literally, a bit of everything: from handmade cro- chet doilies to design clothes, from ancient paintings to old comic books, from used books t o v i n y l r e c o r d s a n d m u c h , much more. The ideal place to f i n d s o m e p r e t t y u n i q u e Christmas gifts for your loved ones. C h r i s t m a s B e e r F e s t i v a l (December 4 – 6): beer lovers should definitely check out this festival celebrating all things beer and Christmas related in Imbersago, province of Lecco. For three whole days the festi- val will showcase special edi- t i o n d r a f t a n d b o t t l e d b e e r s coming from several European countries and, of course, from Italian micro breweries. Food too will be plenty and good: the traditional pork shank braised in b e e r i s a l o c a l s p e c i a l t i e s , s e r v e d w i t h s a u e r k r a u t a n d French fries – the ideal dish to k e e p w a r m e v e n o n a c o l d December night. Superzampone (December 6 – 7): the zampone di Modena is a n I t a l i a n f a v o r i t e w h e n i t comes to Christmas and New Y e a r ' s t r a d i t i o n a l d i s h e s . A delicious fresh sausage made of pork, fatback and pork rind, it is said to date back to 1511, when the inhabitants of the town of Gavello, while under siege, had to find a way to preserve meat and use the pork's less tender cuts. Since 1991, the town of Castelnuovo Rangone, province of Modena, detains the record f o r p r o d u c i n g e a c h y e a r t h e biggest zampone in the world: a "monster" of 942 kilos – that's m o r e t h a n 2 0 0 0 p o u n d s ! Needless to say, on December 6th and 7th there will be plenty to eat (and drink) in this quaint l i t t l e t o w n i n E m i l i a Romagna… F i e r a d i S a n t a L u c i a (December 10 – 13): Did you know that there are some towns in Italy where kids look forward t o t h e n i g h t o f S a i n t L u c i a instead of Christmas morning? Beautiful Verona, along with most of Sicily, is one of those places where little ones receive their gifts from Santa Lucia on the night of December 12th. The Saint is said to arrive each year riding her donkey, handing out sweets to those who have b e e n g o o d a n d c o a l t o t h o s e who have been naughty. For three days, central piazza Brà in V e r o n a w i l l c e l e b r a t e t h i s ancient tradition with local spe- cialties such as frittelle, a sort of funnel cake, hot mulled wine a n d n o u g a t . D o n ' t m i s s t h e nativity scene exposition held i n t h e n e a r b y R o m a n Amphitheatre. F e s t a d e l l a z e p p o l a CHIARA ASSI (December 28 – 29): If you are s t i l l h u n g r y a f t e r C h r i s t m a s lunch and dinners, head down to Positano, the quaint coastal gem of the Amalfi Coast, and take part in the traditional Festa della Zeppola, a street festival entirely dedicated to one of the most beloved sweet specialties in the area. The smell of zep- pole wafting through the air in Spiaggia Grande will welcome you as local pastry chefs will compete in a series of culinary challenges that will make your mouth water. Of course, once t h e c o m p e t i t i o n i s o v e r , t h e fried pastries will be ready to be enjoyed by visitors along with good local wine. Things to do this December if you are traveling to Italy Since 1991, the town of Castelnuovo Rangone, province of Modena, detains the record for producing each year the biggest zampone in the world (2000 pounds)

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