From dressing well to celebrating each meal, a Rome-based author offers tips for living la dolce vita

The inspiration for Maria Pasquale’s latest book, “How to be an Italian,” came from a question that was (mostly) a joke: Doesn’t everybody want to be Italian?

Whether that grandiose claim holds water is up for debate, but plenty of people sure seem to want to go to Italy.

As travel trends emerge for 2022, Italy remains one of the most popular destinations in the world for Americans to visit, whether they’re honeymooning or on a budget. Expedia’s 2022 Travel Trends Report says Rome is the second-most-popular international destination for U.S. travelers based on hotel searches; Hostelworld says Italy’s capital city is in the Top 10 most-booked cities for Americans this year.

The landscape, the history and the food are all reasons Italy boasts such enduring popularity for European vacations, but for Pasquale, the nation’s appeal all boils down to one point. “The Italian lifestyle is the country’s trademark,” Pasquale said in her book.

Pasquale, an Australian Italian author who has lived in Rome for more than a decade, knows it is impossible to fit Italy’s diverse essence into one neat box. “How to be an Italian” explores some of the defining features shared within the country’s national identity. That includes a peek at how Italians live, eat, drink and travel. We spoke with Pasquale about how to embody some of those elements on your next trip to Italy so you can enjoy it more like an Italian.

Slow down and embrace spontaneity

It’s natural to want to see as much as you can when you’re away from home. But, according to Pasquale, packed agendas and rigid schedules are decidedly not Italian. “Italians often think the tourist program is kind of crazy,” Pasquale says. “If you’re going to seven cities, it’s just not perceived to be an ideal way to travel.”

Instead of trying to see as much of Italy as you can, Pasquale says, it is the Italian way to savor simple pleasures at a slow pace. She recommends travelers focus on the mantra “less is more” by ditching to-do lists.

“Generally, I think [Italians are] more spontaneous in terms of travel,” she says. “It’s now a theme of pandemic travel, but last-minute has always been an Italian thing.”

Dress the part wherever you go

In a country where police uniforms have been designed by Armani, style is important. It’s not about flashing designer labels, “it’s more in how they carry themselves,” Pasquale says. “It’s that seemingly effortless way of putting an outfit together.”

One common fashion faux pas Pasquale sees tourists commit is wearing clothes that don’t match the occasion.

For example, Pasquale says, Italians are more inclined to wear a city outfit to the gym or beach and change into the appropriate attire when they get there. Before leaving, they will change back.

Pasquale points to the principle “la bella figura” to explain the routine. The expression literally translates to the beautiful figure, but “what it really means is making a good impression,” Pasquale says.

Drink, eat, repeat

In “How to be an Italian,” Pasquale waxes poetic on how tourists are routinely blown away by Italians’ relationship with food: their high standards for it, their focus on the pleasure of eating.

“Quality and good food and that enjoyment of it is paramount to the Italian character and DNA,” she says.

Part of the process of savoring meals is having them at the right time and in the right order. Take dinner, for example. In America, dinner, on average, takes place around 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. In Italy, those are prime aperitivo hours, when you would gather for a cocktail and some light snacks to prepare your stomach for dinner. Apertivo is not about getting hammered before dinner, which is a mistake Pasquale sees tourists make often.

Dinner in Italy happens at 8 p.m. or later, starting with antipasti, followed by a primi first course (often pasta), a heavier secondi main course, potentially a salad course and then dessert.

“Once everything is said and done, then you order your coffee and then maybe you’ll order a digestivo or an amaro,” Pasquale says. “It’s all about the digestion process for Italians.”

That obsession with digestion explains a rule of the Italian diet: Pasquale says milk-heavy coffee drinks are consumed in the morning only, because an after-dinner cappuccino may unsettle your stomach after supper.

To tip like an Italian after your meal, don’t really tip. Pasquale says the practice is welcomed but not expected in Italy, and it is generally carried out by leaving a few coins on the table vs. a percentage of your bill.

Pay extra for a day at the beach

For many Italians, particularly those in the south, summer means getting away to the beach.

While free beaches (la spiaggia libera) do exist, Pasquale says “doing the beach like an Italian is definitely going into a beach club, a stabilimento balneare or lido.”

Beach clubs offer customers a lounge chair, umbrella, showers, a bar and access to additional amenities depending on the establishment.

Whether you end up at a beach club or find a spot in the sand free of charge, break for a proper sit-down lunch. Once you are finished and head back to the water, you may notice it relatively empty after mealtime.

“You’ll probably see tourists in the water,” Pasquale says. “Italians do not go straight in the water after eating again. It blocks their digestion.”

Take a winter break

Yes, it’s a tradition in Italy to take a ton of time off in August — at least a week, but maybe a month. But Italians enjoy winter escapes as well.

“Settimana bianca translates to the white week,” Pasquale says. “People will take a week in winter as well for skiing.”

Even if snow sports aren’t really your thing, there’s a case to be made for visiting Italy in the winter. Traveling around the country in the offseason means seeing highlights without the summer crowds.

To stay healthy, it is important to stay fit both physically and mentally. Most people miss managing the right time in their busy routine and compromise their health. Maintaining fitness, following a skin care routine and being mentally happy are not always possible due to the hectic routine. So today we are telling you some easy tips for you physically and mentally fit.

Right diet: For better health, it is very important to follow a good diet. Include vitamin and mineral rich food in your diet. At the same time, along with taking a balanced diet, do not forget to drink plenty of water.

Try to be active: To be healthy, it is necessary to be energetic. Try to do household chores on your own, so that you do not only feel active but also stay away from problems like obesity and body pain.

Make exercise a part of the daily routine: Do not forget to include exercise in your daily routine to enjoy a fit and healthy life. You can also do yoga for a while in the day so that you will feel stress-free and active.

Focus on cleanliness: Cleanliness is the secret to a healthy life. Apart from maintaining hygiene, you can avoid infections and many diseases by taking care of everyday tasks like bathing, keeping nails clean, brushing etc.

Do routine check-ups: To stay healthy and fit, you must keep getting your blood pressure, sugar level, dental checkups and blood tests done from time to time and follow the advice of doctors to stay healthy.

Don’t stay in the sun for too long: Avoid exposure to direct sunlight to protect your skin from the UV rays. At the same time, do not forget to use sunscreen lotion while going out in the sun. Go in the sun only after covering the skin properly with a cloth.

Abstain from smoking: Smoking is harmful to your health as well as your skin. The blood circulation is greatly affected and the amount of oxygen in the skin decreases significantly when you smoke. Following this, the face starts to look dull and wrinkles also appear.

Take care of skin: To keep the skin beautiful, keep every part of the body clean. Do not take bath with very hot water. This reduces the moisture from the skin. Use only beauty products that suit your skin according to your skin type.

Stress: Generally, stress has a direct effect on health as well as skin. Due to this, dark circles, nail-acne and hair related problems may also arise, so try to be stress-free. Include plenty of sleep and yoga in your lifestyle to reduce stress.

Maintain Mental Health: To stay healthy, try to be happy not only physically but also mentally. For this, give yourself some time in the day and if possible follow your favourite hobby.

With more travelers ready to take to the skies this season, the Transportation Security Administration predicts a summer of record-breaking proportions.

According to the agency, it could screen more than 3 million people in a day with the summer surge demand.

Airfare, ticket prices soar

Scott Keyes, who dedicates his life to helping travelers find cheap flights with his brand, Scott’s Cheap Flights, told “Good Morning America” that “It’s not just your imagination — summer flights right now are indeed extraordinarily expensive.”

His suggestion? Book sooner than later.

“Don’t wait to book your flights until the very last minute, because last-minute flights are generally going to get more expensive, not less expensive,” he said.

One family said their recent cross-country trip to California was astronomical compared to years past.

“A flight [to] the San Francisco for us would typically be about $1,600. And it was about $2,800,” Karen Brennan told “Good Morning America.”

Brennan said she saved and paid for the flights, “but then all the hotels and everything else that would normally be in our usual budget just added into it.”

According to experts, the July 4 holiday is the most expensive summer weekend to fly with domestic airfares averaging $412.

When to Find Cheper Summer Deals

Waiting until the end of summer can save travelers.Hayley Berg, an economist for the flight savings and booking app Hopper, told “GMA.”

“If you’re willing to wait until late August to take your summer vacation. You can save as much as $118 off of domestic airfare and more than $100 off a three-night hotel stay,” she said.

Destinations That Don’t Break the Bank

Berg also said that some of the most expensive stays include Seattle, San Diego and Portland. But some less expensive places include Houston, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.

Other Money Saving Tips

For families, try booking just one ticket at a time, rather than all together, Keyes suggested .

“A few months ago, we had a flight from Portland to New York, and we were searching for four tickets. And those tickets came back at $187 per person,” Keyes said. “When I reduced it down to one ticket, all of a sudden the price dropped to $113 per person.”

Keyes said what’s happening is “the airline will only sell you four tickets if they are in the same — ‘fare bucket’ — so maybe they only had three tickets available at that $113 rate. And so by searching for four tickets, I got bumped up to $187 rate.”

Another savings option is to try searching for one-way ticket fares. While one airline may have a good offer for your departure, another airline could have a good option for the return flight. Once you book, travelers can periodically go back and check the flight’s current price, so if it drops you can call the airline and ask to get a credit.

In the 146 years since Levi Strauss riveted together his first pair of jeans, denim trousers have been reworked in every shape, colour and style imaginable. Which makes for a lot of choice. Some are universally flattering. Others are not. There are jeans that you can wear anywhere, and jeans that only work in a handful of very specific looks (denim short-shorts, we’re looking at you). It can be, on the whole, a tad confusing. So we tapped our expert stylists to break down how to wear each of the most popular cuts, from spray-on skinny to tent-like wide fits.

How to wear skinny jeans

What are they? Jeans cut tight. And we mean, really tight. They should cling to your skin, tapering aggressively from the top of your thigh to your ankle. Often, they’ll be slightly stretchy, to make wearing them slightly more comfortable.

Who they suit: Skinny jeans are so unforgiving that it’s astonishing they remain as popular as they are. They tend to work best on equally skinny frames, as bigger thighs especially can make them bunch in weird ways. Rock stars and teenagers can look good in skinny jeans. For everyone else, it’s a struggle.

How to wear them: At the extremes of fit, you need balance. Chunky trainers and boxy tees will throw out your silhouette, so stick to slim everywhere. On your feet, that means things like sleek Chelsea boots or minimalist trainers, while above the belt tailored shirts and figure-hugging jackets always work.

How to wear slim-fit jeans

What are they? The skinny jean’s easy-to-wear cousin. Slim-fit jeans still taper, but less, so there’s a little bit more fabric and every lump and bump isn’t on show.

Who they suit: Pretty much everyone. They create a long, lean silhouette that looks good on men of almost any physique. The only exception is if you’ve got really huge thighs – if you’re a Premier League footballer, or you can deadlift a Nissa Micra, then slim turns back into skinny.

How to wear them: Slim is, by a distance, denim’s most versatile cut. If you get a pair in dark indigo, then you can dress them up with a blazer (Ralph Lauren, king of smart-casual, even adds a shirt and tie) but they’ll still look good with a hoodie for lazy weekends.

How to wear regular-fit jeans

What are they? The original cut, as you might have guessed from the name. These tend to have only a very slight taper, which means they’re much wider at the ankles than the fits above.

Who they suit: The extra fabric means they’re ideal for bigger guys, because you won’t have to squeeze in your thighs and buttocks to make them fit. They’re also good if you tend towards a fairly classic style – this cut’s endured for more than a century, so it won’t be going out of style any time soon.

How to wear them: Regular-fit jeans rarely feel as smart as slimmer variants, which means they’re best worn casually. The originals were designed for workers, and they still look great with other rough-and-tough pieces, like work jackets, check shirts and boots.

How to wear straight-leg jeans

What are they: Jeans with no taper. These drop straight from thigh to ankle, which means they’re roomy and, currently, very on-trend.

Who they suit: These are great for guys with bigger builds, because they balance your top and bottom halves. If you’re slimmer, you can still wear them, but be extra careful about the fit of the rest of your outfit. If you go too big, you’ll disappear inside your clothes.

How to wear them: Straight-leg jeans have a 90s feel (and, before that, a 50s vibe) so they’re perfect with other clothes that nod to that era. Like skinny jeans, we’re nearing the edges of the fit spectrum, so balance is key – think chunkier shoes and looser tees and knits.

How to wear wide-leg jeans

What are they: Fashionable, but not necessarily that functional, these are oversized and tent-like jeans that exist mostly as a middle-finger to the dominance of skinny jeans.

Who they suit: You need to have a bit of heft to pull off jeans like these, otherwise they’ll drown you. Whether your build has been honed by spending hours in the gym, or avoiding the gym, wide-leg jeans can create a nice counterweight to a bigger torso.

How to wear them: They run counter to most things you think you know about jeans. Because of all that extra fabric, they’ll often come with a higher waist-band and pleats, which means they work best worn on your actual waist with a white tee or shirt tucked. You also need shoes with a bit of weight, or they’ll disappear under the hems.