ENJOY

You only live once. Have fun.

Treat yourself. Eat the best food and drink the best wine. Life is not only work, but you should enjoy yourself because you only live once! Do it the Italian way.

TIMES

Orari

Schedules depend on where you live in Italy. Most people usually get up at 7am and then start working at around 9. Meals are very important, so get the timing right otherwise you will have to deal with some angry Marios and Luigis. Lunch is eaten no earlier than 1pm (2pm in the South) and dinner has to be eaten after 8pm (9pm in the South). Italians hate people who eat at 5pm and will scream at you if you do. To help waiting, you can have a classic "Aperitivo", a ritual in the boot shaped country. You meet up with friends and you have a drink with snacks, chatting about the day or gossiping about Carlo. Cin cin (cheers)!

FAMILY

Famiglia

This is a big one. Italian living is based on food, drinks and family. Nothing matters if you are alone. Friends usually count as family and everything you do involves other people in order to have more fun! Whether is having a meal, drinks or chilling out, company is the most appreciated thing for a real Italian. Festivities are great to bring everyone together and enjoy the time off. They're also great to eat those five lasagna trays that Grandma Maria started cooking in October.

RELAX

Relax

Last but not least, the most important outcome from this guide is RELAX. Life is too short to stress about everything, enjoy every moment! Eat that pizza, drink that extra wine glass and go to that beautiful Tuscany villa for your holiday. Something loved by Italians is Spas: the luxurious QC Terme has locations all around northern Italy, and offers day breaks to unwind from busy lives. The free alternative to that, is visit one of the many beautiful parks that you can find all around the country. Especially great in the summer for a picnic with your loved ones, they are perfect to have fun and maybe work that food off your body.

Lifestyle

Quick life rules to live like an Italian.