Generally speaking, we aim for an early start and then a big lunch around 1 PM with a light dinner. Usually, we are beat by the close of the day so getting dressed and going out for dinner is hard. On the other hand, the big lunch makes for a slower afternoon so when planning, I try for less strenuous sites after lunch. Every now and then I feel like the tail is wagging the dog and I'm planning the day around lunch rather than vice-versa. I am curious how others plan their days in this regard.

This is a major, major problem for us Americans when in Italy. So much deliciousness, so little time.

But to be serious for a moment: When I am staying in "the countryside" I generally opt for a big lunch in whatever town is nearby. I think in a city like Rome (which we are both to visit shortly ) I might opt for a smaller lunch and then a nicer dinner. But who knows?

Why not graze all day? Better for you to eat a little every so often instead of a big meal.

Lunch in Italy would be breakfast EST. Could you handle a large Italian lunch for breakfast? I can't.

quote:

Lunch in Italy would be breakfast EST. Could you handle a large Italian lunch for breakfast? I can't.

You see, yet another reason for SLOW travel. You need to stay in Italy long enough for your digestive system to adjust to local time.

whatever the right answer is, if there is one, I have had memorable lunches and dinners. But I far enjoy a spot of sightseeing, powered by expresso, gelati and more during the day with a panini taken within range of a famous site (much nicer) and thinking ahead to that 5 course dinner ending with Tirimasu! also during the day on your rounds, you can spot that restuarant where you want to eat that evening, something to look forward to!

There's no one right answer to this--it's different with everyone. Personally, I like a good lunch and light, early dinner. I need to re-charge my batteries for the next day, which is always packed with things to do and see.

Yes, a big lunch can slow you down, especially with that glass of vino. But I like the break and the chatting about the morning's sights and those waiting in the afternoon.

Much as I like large, long lunches, they tend to interfere with my sightseeing/travel plans. Because of this I tend to snack at lunchtime, and eat any major meal in the evening. In addition, if I am driving then I cannot have a drink to accompany a meal. In the evening I normally eat withing walking distance of where I am staying so this is not an issue.

As food constitutes one of my major Italian attractions, time spent lingering over an evening meal is never considered wasted.

TimW

Depends where we are. In the countryside, I prefer a lighter lunch to maximize our touring time. If we're driving it's even more important to us to have our big meal at night so that we don't have wine and dessert that would tend to make us drowsy.

In cities such as Rome and Florence, we tend to have our big meal during the day to compensate for so many attractions being closed during siesta time.

But what a wonderful quandry....where and when to eat in Italy!

I prefer the larger lunch, especially if my accomodation is a convenient place to eat dinner (I usually get picnic takeout). First to get up early, I need to be in bed early and cannot tolerate a large late (by American standards) dinner. Second, many sites, stores etc. close at noontime, so that's a good time for a long break. On the other hand, if you are in a place like Florence that caters to tourists, you may be able to get a large dinner earlier (say, 7) and some sites may be open at noontime. ---Marlene

Lunch. we can't get used to eating late. Here we we eat dinner very early like 6pm at the Latest. RR

Great question Professore. I'm enjoying the replies.

My only addition is to say, BIG doesn't happen for us very often anymore. We share just about every course, so I am hungry again for dinner on most travel days. And I've often identified a few places I want to try wherever we are, so I have to reserve and plan my day around that.
But if you rent a villa/apt, it is likely you'll have one meal a day there, no?

That said, there have been a few times where we've been more indulgent at lunch and were not able to go on anywhere for anytime. Those are some great memories.

Interesting replies. We say, "Dinner." After a long day of sightseeing, we often take a nap in preparation for a late dinner. Sometimes we actually go to bed for an hour or two; sometimes we just read or update a journal before dressing for dinner. That way, in addition to a late dinner, we're able to enjoy a long, leisurely stroll to and from the restaurant we've chosen. I don't think anyone has mentioned napping as another luxury of slow travel. Or is it our age?

We don't have a set rule. Like Marian, if we are staying in the countryside wemight have a large lunch in a town we're visiting and a small dinner made back at our villa. If we're on the go in the city we might grab a slice of pizza, eat on the run, and go out for one of those delightful Italian dinners that goes on for hours! It doesn't take long before our system is on 'Italian time'!

Heck, some days we throw caution to the wind and have a big lunch and dinner!

quote:

getting dressed and going out for dinner is hard

Embarrassed to say that I wear the same shorts or blue jeans to dinner that I've worn during the day...have always loved the casual approach to life in Italy (although we would never be accused of fine dining).

Truth be told, we usually eat simple dinners at our house, so lunch at restaurants is the bigger meal of the day.

I'm not a fan of late dinners (grew up in a town where we ate dinner when the factories blew the 5:00 whistle and all the dads came home).

When we are out for dinners with friends, the meals are not so much "large" as they are "long"...lots of small courses that never seem to leave us "one thin mint" from disaster.

We pretty much mimic Jerry's response. Usually, one big meal a day but it varies based on where and what we're doing - though sometimes we do splurge on two big meals - c'mon, it's just soooo good.

quote:

Originally posted by Kim:
We pretty much mimic Jerry's response. Usually, one big meal a day but it varies based on where and what we're doing - though sometimes we do splurge on two big meals - c'mon, it's just soooo good.

Kim sort of sums it us for us, too. But, the other question is what is considered a big meal?

We seldom, very seldom have both primi and secondi. Our usual meal is antipasti (sometimes shared), primi or secondi and maybe dulci--always espresso. So, often we do that twice a day. If we know we are going all out at night, then it's light at lunch.

Then, of course, sometimes we eat in one of the meals, particularly if we have ensconced ourselves somewhere.

We do follow Italian timetable for meals. We have a greater problem readjusting to earlier meals here.

Indeed a very fine question.

It is very easy to get caught up in having two big meals per day. On some days this is good, but as an exception rather than the rule.

I think part of the issue, is we tend to walk the leather off our shoes, and hence rather than a normal sandwich lunch, we're more inclined to see lunch as a chance for a longer sit down (and hence a larger meal).

Then when we get to evening, we're expecting our normal evening meal and can't break the habit.

We find the following can help
1) Try to slot the odd break from standing/walking into the day. It may help avoid the need for a 1-2 hour stay in a restaurant

2) If having a coffee outside, spend 30 mins or more over it, watching the world go by and resting.

3) Aperitivo hour. If you've had a big lunch, go out for an early evening drink and graze on the nibbles (Torino is stunning for this).

4) Use apartments to allow you the freedom to eat when you want and how much you want.

5) Use the bars to grab a toasted sandwich / panino / etc. which can fill the gap nicely.

... but still enjoy the food, which always offers some real gems.

regards

Ian

We're with JDeQ, that's just the right approach. Make your lunch work for you instead of predeterming how much you will eat.

Even if sit down at a lovely restaurant to rest your feet, you needn't have a huge meal. It's always wise to order less food than you think you will eat,(everything looks good when you get your menu and you're hungry!). We often update our travel journal while sipping wine or espresso without ordering so much food we are stuffed or sleepy.

You are not obliged to order lots of food. You can share your dishes, so you can taste more things without over-eating. Tell yourself you can always order more if you need to. You're also giving yourself the excuse to stop for a snack at the "bar" or gelateria later.

Even if we're not that hungry at dinner and we have reservations, again, we just order light and enjoy it slowly. That means we share our antipastis or ensalatas, then choose between a primi or an entree. No one gives you stink-eye for this.

I mix it up. I seldom do two big meals on the same day but whether the big one is lunch or dinner depends on what I'm doing that day, where I am, what the weather's like, and how my feet are holding up.

For me it depends on (1) where I am and (2) who I'm with.

By myself, I usually opt for a nice lunch and a quick snack at night.

With a companion, it depends more on what we both want.

Last October in the countryside with a friend, I think we only had a big dinner out twice in the week, and ate at home once. Other than that it was mainly grazing at night.

I think Ian is right on track with the idea of stopping for coffees and moments to regroup throughout the day. It helps to keep things from becoming a blur.

One other consideration for us is that many restaurants in Europe open later for dinner than here in the States which can make for a later evening. So trying to sample the nicer places at lunch works a bit better for us as a rule.

After a long day of touring, once I slip those shoes off it is really hard to get them back on to head out for dinner. But, of course, I will force myself to soldier on for a really good restaurant!

Being a couple of old fogies, we tend to be tired by the end of the day and hate going out again. So we usually have a big lunch, then a light supper in our apartment. Our favorite last May was scrambled eggs and asparagus. I think we had it twice a week for 3 weeks.

If we are not in an apartment, then a light supper in the nearest little trattoria we can find. Right across the street is preferred.

One (often great) option for light but very tasty meals are wine bars (enoteche). Usually a light and limited menu using simple fresh ingredients packed with flavour.

We've had some fantastic light bites in these places (as well as some very good wine discoveries as well).

regards

Ian

My approach is a little different. For me food is a BIG part of travel. If great food is pleniful I have been known to have 4 to 6 meals a day. I eat like its my last meal on Earth. However the constant pain of being stuffed to gils can be a downer.

We have a one course lunch and the same for dinner. With all the walking, we often have pasta twice a day with salad.

If we are at a relative's home, it is a big lunch and lite dinner. I love their dinners with all the fresh tomatoes, homemade meats, cheese and great bread!

I guess no one really mentioned budget...its not cheap to eat out these days anyway! Any meal goes down well with vino and coffee I find...

I tend to use street food at lunch wherever I go, and take advantages of finer restaurants at dinner.
But I have also ate out at lunch and made up something at dinner.

I guess only answer is...depends

For me it's hard not to have a big lunch. Italians don't eat anything at breakfast! Those microscopic rolls, hardly compares to pancakes,eggs and potatoes! RR

I agree that "it depends."

On a bad weather day a nice indoor lunch can be a great option. And sitting at an outdoor cafe if it's nice out may mean eating lunch, but may be our best chance to enjoy good weather,
especially in the seasons when it gets dark and cools off early.

I guess my best choice is a not too big lunch AND dinner. We won't be in Italy forever and want to enjoy it as much as possible.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kim,

I let the day plan the meal rather than the meal plan the day. If we know we are in for a lot of touring, for the whole day then we go for the big, long, leisurely dinner. If we feel like a lazy day we usually do a big lunch and fruit/wine and chocolate for dinner. Or sometimes the meal plans the day. If we know we are having dinner with friends we have a light lunch.

The primary reason for making a decision is time pressures. If you spend 4 hours a day eating then that is 4 hours you aren't seeing Italy. One of the true joys of staying a month in Italy is to not feel the time pressure. So if you have 2 long meals and sit in the afternoon drinking prosecco you don't feel like you should be doing something more "important". Of course then we end up the last week running around like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off because "we can't miss xyz, or abc".

You could be truly italian. Have the 2 hour lunch. "Work" (aka tour) until 8 or 9 p.m. and then go for the dinner that lasts until 2 a.m.. Which we have done. BTW this works best the first week in Italy when the jet lag has you up until 3 am anyway.

People talk about these long 2 and 3 hour meals and to most americans that would mean a calorie consumption in the range of 5000 calories. Yet I find that I actually eat way less per meal in Italy than in the US. We sit, we talk, we sip wine, nibble, talk, sip, nibble. Every so often the nibble changes in a lovely progression. And the vegetables!!! My gawd the vegetables. Prepared every way known to man, yet not smothered in sauces, spices. This versus 2500 calories of a whopper, fries and coke (Supersize me) gulped down while driving between different appointments.

An interesting thing about jet lag. Since mine either wakes me up at 3 am or keeps me up until 3 am we have started touring at that time of night. It is fantastic. You can visit the great fountains of Rome and not be shoved, pushed or crowded. You can walk through deserted streets in centro and see all the little things you miss when you are obsessing about the crowds around you or trying to find a particular destination.

The wonderful little alcoves with pictures of the virgin, the gargoyles carved in discreet cornices, a complete facade of a building instead of just the stuff above people's heads. The via conciliazione (sp?) with the great Bernini colonade, you can actually hear the fountains splashing, the seagulls, Rome maybe not asleep but quieted. But I digress.

Do what feels right for you. Calm yourself with the thought that you will never see it all anyway so don't obsess if you do spend 3 hours at lunch AND 3 hours at dinner. There is alway next year in Italy.

I agree with the joys of walking around a city early in the morning. I have done this many times in Asia and there is something really nice about watching a city wake up. I haven't done Rome at 3 AM but now I think I might try it. Your description sounds lovely.

On the topic of calories, I always end up losing weight in Italy even though the food is wonderful and I don't stint on the courses. But with so much walking, putting on weight has never been a problem. I took a pedometer last time and we were walking about 8 to 10 miles a day. I wish I could keep that up at home!

Mary, well said!