Handy Dandy Random Italian Phrases and Words

So you're going to Italy... don't you wish you had a whole arsenal of completely random Italian words and phrases that you could use at your whim? Sure, anyone can teach you "Chi ha pigliato il mio portafoglio!?" or "Who stole my wallet!?" but how many people are going to teach you, "Diego e' un rompiscatole!" or "Diego is a real pain..." (lit. translation is that he is a box-breaker).

That being said, here are some random phrases and words that you may or may not have a chance to use.

Ho calpestato una cacca - I stepped in some poo (considered to be good luck in Italy... but not when you're wearing shoes with treads)

Questo antipasto misto e' buonissimo! - This mixed appetizer plate tastes great (a typical antipasto misto might have prosciutto, sauteed veggies, olives, etc.)

Lasciami stare! - Leave me alone! (handy when being pestered by gypsies)

Che noia!? - What a drag/bore!

Salve, Giulia. - Hi, Giulia. (Salve is not the typical "ciao" you learn in phrase books but you'll here it in Rome and other towns... more of a local way to say hello)

La banca non e' aperta - The bank is not open (...and if it is open, a line only two people deep will take 1/2 hour)

Che fregatura - What a rip off! (fregare is "to cheat" but can also used in other ways like...)

Che mi frega - What do I care (though it's not as polite as it sounds in English. maybe you should stick to...)

Non m'importa - It doesn't matter to/It's not important to me (ahhh... that's nicer)

Andiamo a spasso - Let's go take a little walk (particulary useful on evenings when you see a lot of people enjoying a walk around the neighborhood after a long day at work)

Questo telefonino e' scaricato - This cell phone is dead (As in no longer charged. Italians looove their cell phones... expect to see plenty)

Non c'e' niente da fare - There's nothing to do (If you can't find something to do in Italy, you're not looking hard enough)

Mi piace acqua liscia / acqua frizzante - I like still water / sparkling water (Bottled water is standard when eating in Italy - most Italians like their water sparkling)

Che freddo! - What cold!/It's cold! (Italians seem to be paranoid about catching a little cold and are notorious for bundling up. If you have an Italian relative, they've probably pestered you about putting on a jacket when you just don't need one. They'll prod you to wear...)

Cappotto / Sciarpa / Guanti / Golfino - Coat / Scarf / Gloves / Sweater

Ma fa caldo! - But it's warm (...and that might be your response)

Sei ingrassato - You've gotten fat (If you have, they'll let you know. Of course, once you lose weight, like I did, then you get...)

Adesso sei troppo magro - Now you're too skinny (There's no middle ground, is there? That's when you can use... "lasciami stare")

The Glass Wall in Houston

Just wanted to post a quick review of a local restaurant we visited with some friends last week. Now, I'm no restaurant critic, per se, but can offer up my opinion on what I enjoyed and can tell you that I'm not the only person who likes The Glass Wall. Located at 933 Studewood in the Heights, the surfer-themed restaurant offers a small but well put-together menu of tasty dishes that seemed to fit our varied tastes.

The Good:

• Great atmosphere - I really liked the surfer-themed approach... very subtle but by no means overwhelming or tacky.
  
• The food was great, albeit a little on the pricey side. As a starter, my wife and I had the night's special - a delicious stuffed tomato - light and tasty. For the main course, she had the rainbow trout and I had the tuna mignon. My tuna was a bit more cooked than I would have preferred but still excellent and the blood orange basil salad was original and tangy - you don't often see blood oranges on Houston menus (though you will in our house). For dessert, we had the pineapple carrot cake - an excellent suggestion from the waitress.
• Valet - Since the restaurant gets packed, the valet is a must. It's free and they're pretty speedy.
  

The Bad:

• The dining room can get a bit noisy but that just goes with the territory when visiting a popular restaurant. Case in point: Gravitas - great restaurant, vibrant scene, excellent food but L-O-U-D. Really, that's not a big deal unless you really want a quiet candlelit dinner.
  
• While our waitress mostly did a good job, she had a really tough time figuring out how to split our bill. Everything was straightened out but it just took longer than it should have. Also, while we dug the "bread waiter" idea, getting him to our table was like pulling teeth.

If you visit, be sure to go with a reservation. Otherwise, you'll probably be out of luck.

Dining in Tamarindo

The surfer town of Tamarindo has changed over the years. The influx of expats has brought a whole host of dining options to the town. Here are some of the restaurants that we visited in Tamarindo:

El Jardin Del Eden - Wonderful outdoor atmosphere overlooking tropical gardens and very good food. We would consider this hotel next time as the pool/gardens were gorgeous.

Lazy Wave Cafe - Reminescent of an Asian or Moroccan hideaway. Outstanding seafood with an exotic twist. Some seats are traditional dining tables while others are couches and low chairs in a red-tinged outdoor dining area (see above). The restaurant and the Delice Del Mar is highly recommended.

Nogui's - A good beachside restaurant on the circle. I'm not quite sure I see why so many people fall all over themselves for this place.

Nibbana - Probably my favorite restaurant in Tamarindo. The restaurant had an Asian feel - we sat under a large polynesian style covering. Outstanding pork loin and the tuna tartare was delicious!

El Coconut - An expensive but elgant restaurant. Norwegian-run and a good choice for a fancier dinner. Prices are far from Costa Rican.

Kahiki - Very cool tiki-themed bar with a good local vibe and tasty mojitos. Located next to the Iguana Surf shop.

Pasatiempo Hotel and Bar - Good if you're looking for an American-style hangout - a total gringo place. More of a party place than anything else.

Panaderia de Paris - French-run bakery attached to Laguna del Cocodrilo. Good pastries and coffee... comes with authentic French "service" ;)

Witch's Rock Cafe - Located at the Witch's Rock Surf Camp, the cafe has good casual hangout food and is gringo friendly. Defnitely not gourmet but if you're craving some "bad" food (nachos, chicken tenders, etc.) this is a good choice.

Quick Tips on the Mittelrhein

A stroll through the tiny village of Rudesheim and the nearby Niderwald monument during the summer can be anything but a stroll. It can be more of a crawl as scores of tourists scour the town's lilliputtian streets along the banks of the Rhine River. I first visited Rudesheim and the Niederwald monument in November of 1998. I was in Mainz visiting a business partner. After our meeting, he was kind enough to drive me along the Middle Rhine region. Despite the late season, the weather was clear and crisp and the towns were remarkably devoid of tourists. Yet, such is not the case during the tourist season.

If you're visiting closer to the summer, rather than fighting the crowds in Rudesheim, start your tour of the Rhine a little further north of the river. The second time I visited the Rhine was in May of 1999. We mostly skipped over Rudesheim and took a train from Bingen up to Bacharach, a fascina ting and tiny medieval town with charming architecture, plenty of history and a trail that takes you up to one of the Rhine's countless castles. Bacharach has a population of roughly 1,000 but has more history than some states in the Union.


From Bacharach (or from most of the towns along the Rhine), one can catch one of the frequent boats (Fahrgastschiffahrt!? I love how some German words have fahrt in them) that travel up and down the river to visit nearby towns. Worthwhile stops include the well-preserved Oberwesel and the charming St. Goar and St. Goarhausen. Along the way, one can encounter the famed Lorelei and listen as the boat pipes in a song known to schoolchildren all across Germany. Also worth visiting is Burg Rheinfels.

Trains also offer flexibility along the Mittelrhein as you can use them, for example, to travel from Bacharach to Trechtingshausen (site of the neary Sooneck castle) or to/from other towns. May is a wonderful time to visit as the weather can be sunny and pleasant and crowds have yet to overtake the region. September begins to thin out a bit, as well. You can take a chance, like I did, in November but weather can be risky. Of course, I would imagine December is wonderful once the Christmas markets are all set up.

Speaking of Tours in Buenos Aires...

A while back I had mentioned some private tours you could arrange in Buenos Aires. One other way to visit Buenos Aires is with one of the volunteer guides provided by Cicerones de Buenos Aires. The organization, created by Argentine law in 2001, is a non-profit volunteer-run group dedicated to offering complimentary tours to visitors. A simple application form allows you to list your contact information, the number of people in your group and your interests and they will hook you up directly with a Porteño.

We used the service during our first visit to Buenos Aires in 2005. Cicerones put us in touch with Dany, an attorney who was roughly the same age as my wife and I. We met him at our hotel and spent the next three hours walking around, chatting and getting to know him and BsAs. It made for a great experience and, best of all, it didn't cost us a cent. At the end of our tour, we joined our guide for the Almacen Suipacha, just a few short paces from our hotel. We had a filling meal (there I am in my fatter days) and our fair share of Malbec. Overall, well worth it and something you should check out.

Finding Yourself in the Lost Pines

We headed to Austin this weekend to visit with some friends and do a little bit of pre-baby outlet shopping in San Marcos. For some reason, rooms in Austin seemed to be either scarce or expensive. Our first choice, the Hotel San Jose, was sold out. We first opted for the Stephen F. Austin until I realized we could stay at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort for the essentially same amount.

The Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort is located just west of Bastrop and the actual "lost pines" (maybe twenty minutes from downtown Austin). The resort opened up less than a year ago adjacent to McKinney Roughs and is well marked from the highway. Once you turn down the main road, you'll have a windy two mile drive ahead of you. If you can plan it, stay in the spring when the drive is absolutely gorgeous - the trees are covered with bright green growth and the road's twists and turns are lined with bluebonnets, indian paintbrushes and other wildflowers. Driving a sports car makes it all the much nicer. The wildflower shot above was taken on the property.


The drive eventually leads you past the resort's golf course to a sprawling ranch-inspired hotel complex. While a two mile drive might lead some to expect a grand and opulent resort, what you'll find fits well with the surrounding area. Our room looked out towards the Colorado River (see left) -most rooms had balconies but we were on the third floor so we missed out. That didn't keep us from opening our windows and enjoying the spring air.

The room was relatively standard although the large LCD TV and large bathroom made for a nice touch. What we really liked was the resort itself. Since we didn't plan for any pool time, we didn't get a chance to enjoy any water activities but the area (with a beach and 1000 ft. lazy pool river) looked great. Next to the pool is full-service bar and a small casual cafe. There are activities on the river, lots of hiking trails, horseback riding options and other "impromptu" fun things to do. The firepit closest to our room was the scene of a big smores cookout. The other firepit seemed to be popular with couples snuggling with blankets. By the pool, kids were enjoying an outdoor screening of "The Jungle Book". More adult options included several restaurants (we ate the the Firewheel Cafe), a bar (Sheller's Barrelhouse Bar and Grill... where we had dessert), a lounge and a breakfast/coffee shop.

For the most part, the whole scene reminded us of an "upscale camping" experience... the secluded location, the quiet atmosphere, the nighttime "campfires". It was tranquil and enjoyable. We just didn't get to enjoy it that long but I'm certain we'll go back. That's why we've listed the hotel on our recommended list on the right.

Sunday was a quick trip to Prime and Tanger outlets in San Marcos and a nice speedy drive home.

Travel threads

How many great T-shirts do you know that allow you blend your love for travel and lawnmowing? You'd think there would be a ton out there but, ironically, I've only found one (and I happen to be wearing it). Defunker has several unique designs... some wry, some very artistic and others just plain goofy. This shirt caught my eye as soon as I spotted it.

While you're at it, check out Threadless T-shirts. There's nothing truly travel related there but you're sure to find one you'll love. We just order a couple different shirts (one for me, one for her) but there were others that were tempting.