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Practical Italy

A guide to navigating the practical things in Italy such as bus stops, road signs, buying tickets and shopping. From a beautiful Lake Como perspective.

​And also from a Padua perspective.

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Bus timetables revisited

25/10/2017

 
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​I know I am a bit anal about timetables, but a recent trip to Lake Como out of season and I realise there is a whole new vocabulary out there to learn.

Feriale is workdays (and can include Saturday – on the more detailed timetable Fer5 = 5 days Mon to Fri, Fer6 includes the Saturday).

Scolastica is school days (as many schools operate on Saturdays, you need to check the note). Si Effettua al Sabato means it operates on Saturdays. Soppressa al Sabato means it doesn’t run on Saturdays.

​Don’t get caught out by the note (Si Effettua nei giorni non di Scuola – Soppressa al Sabato). In other words it operates during school holidays but not on Saturdays.

Festiva is Sundays and holidays (but we knew that).

Gornaliera is daily.
​
But beware. If in doubt, try asking… 

Beware August timetables

4/3/2015

 
Always double check timetables in August. This is the month that Italians traditionally take their holidays and you will find that there will be fewer buses running. Particularly ones that are for getting people to work.

Post Office - days it's not open

3/9/2014

 
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This is a sign from the post office in Tremezzo. It is warning customers that it will be closed (restera' chiuso) on 22, 24 and 26 July (luglio).

The nearest (piu' vicino) open (aperto) post office is: Menaggio

con orario (with the hours): Monday to Friday (lunedi'-venerdi') from (dalle) 8:20 to (alle) 13:45, Saturday (sabato) from 8:20 to 12:45.

Ci scusiamo per il disagio (We apologise for the inconvenience)
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Che ore sono? - what time is it? (or literally 'what are the hours?). That is why you have da le ore = dalle ore and a le ore = alle ore. With ore often left out - dalle due alle quattro (from 2 to 4 o'clock)

September 10th, 2013

10/9/2013

 
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That's me back from Italy where I had a chance to snap a few signs. There are so few words in this one, yet it is positively brimming with interest.
Lunedi Chiuso = Mondays closed. Notice that there is an accent on the end of Lunedi. This means that you need to put the stress or emphasis on the end of the word.
da Martedi al Venerdi 9.00/19.00 = from Tuesday to Friday 9am to 7pm.
Sabato orario continuato 9.00/16.00 = Saturday open all day from 9am to 4pm.
Remember the term orario continuato, you often see it with supermarkets. Most smaller shops shut from 12.30 to 3.30pm in Italy but stay open until about 7 or 7.30pm. But Saturdays they often shut a little earlier.
Don't be tempted to pronounce Chiuso as Chooso. The ch combination in Italian represents a k-sound. The Italian alphabet does not include k. That is why you see chilo written instead of kilo (though international signage means that the word kilometre is spelt with a k rather than the Italian chilometro.
Listen to the word chiuso here. It sounds a bit robotic but you get the sound.

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