L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 8 FRANCESCA BEZZONE M y experience with tourists started when I moved to Ireland, in a city known for its all- year-round, endless flux of visi- tors: certainly essential for the economy, they also brought a col- orful touch here and there, with their awkward requests, strange dress sense and endless photo- taking sessions in the middle of the street. Back in Italy, I found myself living in yet another touristic location by sea; here the Fall and the Winter are relatively calm, but Spring and Summer get crazy, to the point that even going to the supermarket can turn into a titanic adventure. As much as chilling and living life at a slower pace is understandable when on holiday, I just wish tourists walked a tad bit faster. Or kept the side of the road, just like slow vehicles do on the motorway. Whatever your idea, in a country like Italy tourists are an enormous resource and, in the end, we love them. And there's more, because after years and years of careful observation, we can safely declare the Italian peo- ple are experts in tourist-type identification. You don't know what I mean? Here, read on and you'll get the gist. The fake connoisseur It's a hard start because this is one of the most annoying among all categories of tourists visiting Italy: those coming over and thinking to know the country bet- ter than those born here. They usually have a very basic knowl- edge of Italian, but think to be fluent and never miss the occa- sion to show off; they think to know real Italian cuisine because they read a couple of blog articles about it, but end up buying over- priced, mass-produced stuff from tourist trap places. Once home after the holiday, they speak of the experience by stereotypes, probably describing how Italy is filled with Vespas and everyone speaks Neapolitan. The Foodie There are three types of food- ies visiting Italy: the original, the converted and the hipster. The original foodie just loves good food from the bottom of his or her heart: there is nothing better than experiencing whatever the country has to offer on the table and everything, provided it is authentic and the way "Italians eat it," is fair game: from street food to café toasties, from high end restaurants to family run trat- torias, the original foodie just wants to experience the food of Italy (or any other country) the way locals do, even if the ingre- dients are uncommon and not tra- ditionally used in their home cui- sine. These are the people who make us happy, when we meet them around, and even more so when we have them at our table: adventurous and open, always polite and respectful of food, they usually return from their trip with a notebook filled with recipes and a couple of kilos more around the middle. The other foodies we love are the converted. The converted came to Italy on holiday with the idea of eating pizza and gelato, only to realize that's just the proverbial tip of the iceberg; pos- sibly tempted or advised by an original foodie, who may or may not be traveling with them, the converted Italian food lover tries new things carefully and may stay away from the stranger con- coctions (they may not jump on a pani ca meusa quite yet, but it may be on the try-it list for their next trip), yet their appetite for Italian grub is endless: every meal is a three course affair, if they eat at home they always say yes to second helpings and they immediately get into the habit of having merende and pause caffé with food. We love them because looking at them eating is a plea- sure: they pile their plate high, and their eyes smile when they sit at the table. Hipster foodies are a different thing. Usually younger and peren- nially online, they take photos of everything edible in front of them, provided it has the words "organic," "gourmet" or "artisan" in the name. They may also com- plain endlessly because their restaurant of choice doesn't have enough lactose/gluten/grains/soy free options, yet they came to Italy to experience the food: they just didn't think it was so differ- ent from what they usually have at home. Usually, they are also appalled by the lack of Starbucks. The dreamer These type of tourists open our hearts: dreamers because they have always wanted to come to Italy and they may have been sav- ing for years to finally manage to afford the trip. They may or may not speak the language, but they are in awe of Italian art, food and traditions: once they land here, they feel at once at home and overwhelmed by all that they have to see, experience and visit, and all in such a short time! And time, indeed, may become a prob- lem, because the dreamer needs, nay, has to see as much of the Bel Paese as possible in 10 days or less, so there is not a moment to waste: it's all a hush hush of planned visits, plane and train trips and getting mad at museum queues, because "if I wait another minute, my whole weekly sched- ule'll be ruined." Ah, the dreamer!As rightly said Stephen Carruso of the The Local a bunch of years ago, these travellers may see everything on their Italy bucket list, but could end up missing on one of the country's most loved treasures: its lifestyle. … And these are only a bunch on the type of tourists we meet in our streets every day here in Italy. Mind, though, they are by no means exclusive to us: every country has them. And even those we kind of low-key dislike are, in the end, moved by a positive and beautiful feeling: love and appre- ciation for Italy, its culture and, let's hope, its people, too. So, may they keep on coming and returning to Italy, to enjoy whatever they love the most. Italy and its tourists: a little guide to the many types of visitors you'll find in the Bel Paese LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Selfies on front of an artistic landmark? Check! Tourist will behave like tourists, always! We may complain about them, but in the end, we Italians love tourists: they fill our cities with colors

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