Italy Italy is a beautiful country but is one of those countries which you probably have some questions and preconceptions, before your coming to this special country. A place of olive oil, pasta, wine, mafia and sunshine, roman ruins and renaissance palaces, Italy has a lot to give its tourists. Although some of these conceptions are amazing and interesting, it would be a shame if that was the only thing you come away with. Italy is certainly much more complex and stimulating than these concepts. EATING & DRINKING IN ITALY Italy is a country full of interesting things for the casual tourist and the educated tourist, it has deep Roman Catholic roots. The tourists can stay weeks in important tourist centers without reason to feel bored, but it is equally simple to get off the beaten track. In the north, next to the Alps and the landscapes of the Po river, many cultural gems and highly developed industrial cities fascinate. In this exciting country the people live the "la vita Italiana". Italians are very proud of their cuisine and rightly so, for their food is renowned throughout the world. Italians trace their gastronomic heritage to Romans, Greeks, Etruscans and other Mediterranean peoples who elaborated the methods of raising, refining and preserving foods. Italian cooking is still very regional with the different towns and regions having their own traditions and specialities. Many mouth watering dishes await the intrepid traveller, hundreds of gastronomy specialities, a lot of truly tasty typical products, and all kept very much alive by a modern agricultural system that is careful about preserving the traditional flavours and nutritional values. The persons obtain time to travel and dis...
