Go Brazilian For Land
Buying land in Brazil is proving to be a sound proposition as prices are low and availability high, even beachfront land plots are being sold for the price of a small car.
The types of land available can make this area of South America an exciting investment opportunity. According to a recently released study, prices for agricultural land in Brazil are heading upwards. The average price for a hectare has risen more than 16% over the past year to 4,135 reals ($2,500) .Since 2005 the price of such land has increased 35%.
This seems to add to the good news for the Brazilian economy which is going from strength to strength. November 2007 saw the Brazilian government announce huge new oil reserves discovered off its coast. Experts predict that it could turn the country into one of the biggest oil producers in the world. Petrobras, Brazil’s national oil company says it believes the offshore Tupi field has between 5bn and 8bn barrels of recoverable light oil.
The worldwide spike in food prices, spurred by a drop in food stocks, and the growing interest in crops that can produce biofuel are behind the demand for land. Large Brazilian and foreign companies are leading the charge to acquire land. Foreign firms already own 5.5 million hectares.
Buying land to build residential property is a fairly simple process but one that needs an independent lawyer to manage. Lawyers should check that the people or the company selling the land actually has full title. You don’t want a disgruntled relative turning up a few years down the line claiming its their land. A good lawyer will also:
1.)Check for any charges and liabilities still owed on the property
2.)Advise you on the purchase agreement and the obligations for both parties.
3.)Register the land to you.
One of the first things a determined buyer should do is to obtain a Brazilian ID called a CPF you can obtain one of these by submitting a copy of your passport with a request for a CPF signature card. Once you receive the signature card you simply sign it and send it back with a small fee, and your CPF number is assigned to you at the Receita Federal. This can then be included in any purchase agreement. A formal copy of the CPF card will be posted out to you at an address in Brazil – usually your lawyer’s address for ease.
Brazilian real estate is causing quite a stir at this time, Brazil’s economy and housing market will make Brazil one of the largest economy in South America. The time is now to buy land in Brazil
My top tip when buying land in Brazil is to buy land with zoning and planning permission, it will be easy to sell when the time comes to reap the benefits of your investment.
North America Travel Experience
As a person who love travelling around the world and I would like to share some experience of my recent trip to North America. I have spent 14 days in the USA and 7 days in Mexico. It was a really impressive trip. Ive ever had and you should be able to find several indispensable facts about North America. However, if there’s at least one fact you havent know, imagine the difference it might make. Firstly, lets get to know more about the North America. Before I go, I have made some more study about it and here what I have the summary for you. North America is the region that consists of three large countries and one island, which are 1) The USA 2) Canada 3) Mexico and Greenland. Apart from that, there are some smaller islands and territories. Once I decided to go to the Mexico first then to the USA, but I have to change my plan I was suggested that I should spend more time in the USA than Mexico, and that was not make me disappointed. May of major attractions in the USA are very spectacular, it has all kind of attractions that suit to all style of travel. Grand Canyon for people who love adventure, Niagara Falls the greatest sight seeing, you will never believe that I spent almost four hours at the Niagara Falls!!.
However, for anyone who loves to travel and see city life, the USA also has very unique cities to visit. The very renowned ones such as New York and San Francisco, which have their own attractiveness and environment. I also had a chance to visit the east coast down town, Manhattan. It was really terrific in terms of I have never seen any city that never sleep and there are millions activities to do. I also had a chance to visit the Statue of Liberty, which is the landmark of the USA and the visit was really impressive. How about the food, well, many people think that there is no unique style of cuisine in the USA, but that was wrong.
The food from many shops that I visited are very fabulous, I had a chance to taste some Indian foods in the shop around Frisco downtown. The Friscos atmosphere makes me fell more relax even though it has a very busy downtown and superb nightlife the west coast city certainly stands up well when compared to the Empire State’s main attraction.
After I spent a week only visiting cities and then turned to visit some of natural attractions such as many of national parks and my most favourite one, the Grand Canyon, where I was very impressed with the sunset view and I took hundreds of pictures at the same time the lush greens and cascading waterfalls of Yellowstone National Park are also impossible to beat.
And last but not least, I was back to the city and visit the capitol of the USA, the Washington DC. It has worldwide reputation of its unique history of the USA politics, where the white house locates. That make me feel very excited as this is once in a life time and I think I may not have a chance to visit it again.
Tatiya T.
www.namericaguide.com
Maryland- Eastern State by the Nations Capital
Maryland is a densely populated state of about 12,000 square miles and a population of over 5.6 million. Maryland’s economic activity includes the Port of Baltimore and its related rail and trucking access. Other jobs come through the fact that much of Maryland surrounds the nations capitol, Washington DC. This includes many government agencies in Maryland and administration of defense, aerospace and other government activities. Leading biotech activities are carried out at and around John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. It is the largest single employer in the Baltimore area and the university is also the center of a biotechnology park. Consider if these fields are appropriate to your Maryland Incorporation.
Many Federal government agencies are located in Maryland, including the Census Bureau, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Maryland has a large food-production sector. Commercial fishing is a major industry in Chesapeake Bay and off the Atlantic. Maryland oysters and crabs are famous and other species caught include striped bass. There is quite a bit of agriculture and dairy production in Maryland, and the counties around Chesapeake Bay still grow a tobacco cash crop. Salisbury Maryland is a home of Perdue Farms and other chicken farming operations.
There is manufacturing, such as steel production but a lot of it has been shut down over the last 20 or 30 years. Baltimore City is the eighth largest port in the nation and has a population of over 600,000, with over 2.5 million in its metropolitan area. Computer industries mainly for the purposes of the Federal Government are another source of employment. The Washington Metro subway and bus system connect Washington DC and Virginia to Montgomery County and Prince George’s County. Baltimore also has a developed subway and bus system. The Baltimore Convention Center was opened in 1979 and was renovated and expanded in 1996. Harborplace was opened on the waterfront in 1980, followed by the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland’s largest tourist destination.
Marylands capital, Annapolis goes back to the Revolutionary War. Annapolis is also home to the United States Naval Academy and St. John’s College, the third oldest college in the nation. The capital city is an outstanding city to few Colonial, Victorian and Federal architecture without hi-rises or other disturbing distractions, while watching Chesapeake Bay and the Severn River. The entire city center of Annapolis is a national Historic District. Annapolis has a large number of Georgian-style buildings. Water sports and sailing are also widely enjoyed in the warm weather at Annapolis are widely available.
Ocean City is a popular summer resort on the Atlantic Ocean, with a popular boardwalk and ten miles of white sandy beaches. Wild ponies roam the beaches and dunes of Assateague Island National Seashore, a 37-mile long barrier island south of Ocean City. Ocean City is known as the Marlin Capital of the World, but the bay and ocean waters offer many other fish as well. Ocean Downs Racetrack is 10 minutes away and features a summer long racing season.
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Missouri Business- From Cities to Springs and Caves
Missouri has a fairly large population of 5.5 million and a diverse economy. The two largest cities are Kansas City on the western border of the state, with Kansas, and St. Louis on Missouris eastern border with Illinois. There are lots of opportunities for your Missouri Incorporation.
Kansas City is the headquarters of the privately-owned Hallmark Greeting Card Company that has also been involved in building retail and residential projects in the city. The Kansas City Board of Trade is also a trading center for the wheat used to make bread, hard red winter wheat. Kansas City is also the headquarters of one of the Federal Reserve Banks.
St. Louis, Missouri is the states largest metropolitan area, which includes portions of Illinois, for a total of 2.7 million people. St. Louis has been known as the Gateway to the West, and is on the Mississippi River. St. Louis is the headquarters of Anheuser Busch Breweries and also Monsanto, the maker of genetically modified crops. Purina, the food and pet food manufacturers was bought by Nestle, but the Purina division is still headquartered in the St. Louis area. St. Louis also has a Federal Reserve Bank. This is a central area to form your Missouri Incorporation.
Major industries include transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, and beer. Also, Governor Matt Blunt of Missouri is making an effort to improve health care in the state. He recently applauded the State Assembly bill to expand state expenditures to keep up with the costs of managed health care, hospice and Clawback. The state Attorney General is suing the Federal Government over part D of Medicare, which he claims will leave senior citizens without drug coverage, or forces the state to pay the bill.
The agriculture products of the state are beef, soybeans, pork, dairy products, poultry, and eggs. Missouri also promotes its wine industry.
Missouri has vast quantities of limestone and also lead mines. The state of Missouri has two major airports St. Louis International Airport and Kansas City International Airport. The only light rail/subway system in Missouri is the St. Louis Metrolink which connects the City of St. Louis with suburbs in Illinois and St. Louis County. St. Louis is a major port for barge traffic on the Mississippi River.
Tourist attractions abound in Missouri, especially around the Ozark region. Mountain View, Missouri is centrally located in Howell County, in the south central part of Missouri. It is located in the heart of the Ozark vacationland with some of Missouri’s most famous natural springs nearby. Fishing is a favorite on Jack’s Fork River, Eleven Points River, and the Current River. Bass, Goggle-eye and other fresh water fish are plentiful in these streams. The area also provides deer, wild turkey and quail hunting in season.
There is also 18-hole golf available. Nearby, Van Buren, Missouri is the home of the Current River and Ozark Mountain springs. Eminence, Missouri is located in the heart of the Ozarks and is in the heart of the Ozark National Scenic Waterway. Eminence has a fine 9-hole municipal golf course. Other attractions are the regions abundant caves and waterfalls. Big Spring is the largest spring in Missouri and in the United States, as a freshwater spring. Some 278 million gallons of water gush from this spring every day.
Your Oklahoma Business in the Oil Patch
Oklahoma is a large state in the American heartland, with almost 3.5 million people. Of those, 1.1 million live in the capital and largest city, Oklahoma City, on the Oklahoma River. It is also the largest city in the Great Plains Region. The other large city in Oklahoma is Tulsa, which is along the Arkansas River, and has a metropolitan area which is home to 900,000 people. Both cities are involved in the oil industry, even though they have been trying to diversify their economies in recent years. So, you have the oil and gas industry, plus regional transportation hubs. These may be some ideas for your Howard Giske writes about how to get your
Oklahoma Incorporation. Agricultural products from Oklahoma include soy, wheat, cattle, poultry, dairy and eggs. It is a major wheat production area and also for the production of beef. Other prominent products of the state are pecans, peanuts and peaches.
Oklahoma City has become the headquarters for companies in the new reorganized and deregulated natural gas and oil production sector. One of the independent oil and gas companies that have made Oklahoma City its headquarters is Devon Energy. Devon produces 3-percent of the natural gas consumed in North America. Its operation focus is primarily on North America though it is expanding into other parts of the world. Devon has approximately 4,600 employees worldwide and is a Fortune 500 company.
Also headquartered in Oklahoma City is Chesapeake Energy, which is the third largest independent producer of natural gas in the U.S. They are an active driller of new wells in the U.S. and one of the leading consolidators of onshore U.S. natural gas assets. They are involved in exploratory and developmental drilling and corporate and property acquisitions in the Fort Worth Barnett Shale, Fayetteville Shale, Permian Basin, the Texas Gulf Coast and other U.S. regions.
Tulsa is another economic center of the state. The city has the nation’s most inland sea port and Oklahoma’s only connection to the ocean, the Tulsa Port of Catoosa, which connects the state with the Gulf of Mexico through the Arkansas River and Mississippi River. Tulsa has a number of oil and energy related company headquarters. Tulsa is also home to an extensive aircraft and airlines sector, with American Airlines maintenance center located there.
Because of Oklahoma’s central location it has parts of the traditions of the West, South and Mid-West. In Guthrie, Oklahoma, the Lazy E ranch is a place where rodeos take place. Other than the rodeos, it is primarily a working horse ranch. It is involved in breeding horses and producing race horses. In the town of Shawnee, there is the two-day Christian Cowboy gathering. This event takes place in October and includes Christian music, cowboy poetry, kids events and yes, rodeos. There are many areas of Native American displays of arts and dance. In February, in Tulsa the Indian Art Festival takes place. In November, there is an Indian Pow-wow in Pryor, Oklahoma, that is opened to the public. This event and similar events feature native art, food and dancing. The corporate tax rate in Oklahoma is only a flat tax of 6-percent. There is also a significant state property tax.
Panama Real Estate: Evictions
Introduction – Our law firm, Panama Legal, occasionally gets queries about the eviction process in Panama for residential real estate. Below follows a brief summary of the process and time frames involved. This is not legal advice, just an overview of what is involved.
Applicable Law – Law #93 dated 1973 is the law that covers residential real estate leases in Panama. Some leases that would be excluded from coming under this law would be leases with following attributes:
* leases of rural property
* leases of property in the reverted Canal Zone
* leases where the rent is calculated by the day such as a hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, boarding house, Inn, etc.
* leases of property primarily designated as vacation property where the term including any existing renewals of the lease is under 180 days
* leases whereby the government of Panama or its municipalities are parties in the lease agreement. However if they do appear in the lease agreement as the property owner or landlord they can utilize the eviction provisions of the applicable law we are dealing with here.
Rental Values – If the residential real estate in question has an initial rent in excess of $150 per month, the agreement can incorporate rental increases as agreed to by the parties of the lease agreement.
Lease Term – There is great freedom allowed in selecting a term for the lease as long as the rental value is in excess of $150. There can also be provisions for extensions of the lease term as well.
Lease Cancellation – The tenant is allowed to cancel any residential lease on 30 days written notice.
Security Deposit – Normally a security deposit equal to one months rent is submitted to the Panama Housing Ministry, which is returned at the end of the lease unless the landlord files a claim for damages.
Eviction Proceedings – This is generally going to take 120 days. The collection of the unpaid rent (if any) is going to take about 270 days. If the workload of the court is high legal processes could take longer. Do not plan on it going any faster.
Conclusion – The eviction process is a fairly long one. In many other countries it can even take longer. Some countries that are known for their large amounts of homeless people do have more abbreviated eviction procedures. If you are renting to an expatriate one needs to bear in mind that they may up and decide to leave Panama someday. If they do this discretely and not pay rent for their last few months here the landlord would suffer. They could have their funds out of the country along with all of their assets. They could also have their assets secreted in foundations and corporations that you know nothing about therefore keeping them immune from your attaching them.
If you are a landlord and are concerned about leasing to foreigners contact our law firm and we should be able to design some protective measure for you that are lawful.
If you are a landlord never engage in any self-eviction practices. Never disconnect the electricity or water, never change the locks and do not decide that their front doors or windows need painting on a Saturday night and remove them for painting. Tenants could file counter claims against your legal action and further extend the time frames for eviction. Do seek competent legal counsel.
The History of Florida
American Indian history in Florida can be traced to as early as 14,000 years ago, when it is believed the first Native Americans entered the region and established settlements. Prior to the last ice age, Florida was an island separated from the North American mainland by a body of water that sat over the top of what are today the northernmost sections of the state. During the last ice age, waters receded and the Florida peninsula was actually about twice the size of the modern state.
During the period when the waters were lower, the first land mammals and humans made their way into the region which had a drier and cooler climate than does the modern-day Florida. There were few rivers and other larger bodies of water. For this reason, most of the early human inhabitants of the region established encampments around sinkholes and basins in order to have access to water. Paleolithic peoples left behind a multitude of artifacts later discovered by colonists, settlers, and scientists.
As the last ice age came to a close around 8,000 B.C.E., the climate in Florida changed. It became more similar to that with which modern Floridians are accustomed — warmer and wetter. The sea level rose as glaciers around the globe melted and large portions of the Florida peninsula were once again covered by water, creating the modern land mass that is the present-day state.
People continued to occupy the region in the years following the last ice age, frequently establishing full settlements near the ocean, fresh water ponds and lakes in the area. Most of what is known of the early inhabitants of Florida is surmised by archeologists in the study of dig sites found throughout the state.
Recorded history of the region begins with the arrival of the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon who made his way to Florida in 1512. He recorded encountering native populations of people living in villages and towns.
At the time of the first European contact, it is estimated that there were nearly 350,000 people belonging to a variety of tribes in the area. The Spanish recorded the names of the tribes they encountered, and these tribes numbered nearly 100.
The native populations of Florida decreased after the arrival of the first Europeans. As in most of North America, the arrival of Europeans also brought new diseases to which the natives had no natural immunity or resistance. Between the 1500s and 1700s, Florida’s native population dropped sharply as a result of illness and conflict.
In the 1500s, the French and Spanish were both busy exploring Florida. Both countries established minor settlements in the region. The Spanish eventually won out over the French though, taking possession of the region by the mid-1560s, establishing Spanish dominance in the area that would last for nearly 200 years.
From the early 1700s through the early 1800s, Florida was a battleground. The Spanish, French and British all vied for portions of the territory. Colonial settlers and American Indians from other regions moved into the area. Following the American Revolution, American settlers also invaded the region, some of whom did so of their own accord, while others were granted land plots by the absent Spanish rulers.
As a result of the increased conflict among a population already previously decimated by disease, many Floridian tribes became extinct during this period. One of the few exceptions is the Seminole Tribe of present-day Florida. The Seminoles welcomed runaway slaves from the British colonies into their tribal fold, establishing a unique culture and population of mixed Indian, African and Black American heritage.
Florida was an organized territory of the United States in March of 1822. Between 1837 and 1842, the Seminole Indians and the United States were at war, with the Indians attempting to maintain their lands in the region. Though the Seminole held out longer and better than most tribes in period, most of the Seminole Indians were forcibly moved to what is present-day Mississippi in 1842, though a few hundred were allowed to remain the Florida Everglades.
In the 1850s, the Seminoles fought another war with the United States. Though it lasted for nearly four years, the end result was that very few of the natives remained in the Florida Everglades. In spite of this, the present-day tribe is strong and has remained a rich part of Florida’s ethnic and cultural heritage.
In March of 1845, Florida was granted statehood, becoming the 27th state in The Union. At the time, nearly half of the state’s population was enslaved and working on large sugar and cotton plantations. During the American Civil War, Florida sided with the southern states against the North and suffered similar losses as other southern states. Florida was readmitted to the United States after the Civil War in 1868.
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Billionaire Yachts Go Green For Monaco In 2007
Tax haven Monaco is a natural meeting place for the world’s elite, and her tax haven status ensures that as well as visitors the second smallest country in the world has a high share of full time resident millionaires and billionaires.
Along with the obligatory Aston Martins and Ferraris dotted around Monte Carlo’s Casino Square, multi million Euro yachts are two a penny in Monaco’s harbour, but her annual yacht show is leading the way in the fight to reduce CO2 emissions.
The Monaco Yacht Show is part of the attraction for the super-rich, and has firmly established itself as the leading super yacht show in the world over the last fifteen years. For Monaco itself the Yacht Show is second only to the Monaco Grand Prix for visitor numbers. Combined with the Hotel de Paris and other Monaco hotels the principality has successfully secured her position as a natural environment for the wealthy to live or visit.
Monaco is showing that cuts in carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases are possible in a land of plenty, and the Monaco Yacht Show has successfully achieved carbon neutral status for the 2005 and 2006 events, with plans to repeat this for 2007, establishing itself on the map of Monaco as an environmentally friendly event.
To attain carbon neutral status last year, the organisers sponsored various projects in Europe and further afield to offset carbon emissions generated by the show.
The show paid for wind turbines In New Zealand, generating enough electricity for 45,000 homes and in Brittany France paid for a heath to be planted with chesnut and oak trees to protect water catchments and provide a recreational area, while in the USA paid for a methane capture system, reducing the amounts being emitted by some 95 per cent.
Greener Monaco
The leadership for the move to a greener Monaco has come from Sovereign Prince Albert, who has been successfully campaigning among world leaders since his inauguration two years ago to move the environment up the political agenda, and it has brought the issue to the fore at home.
Prince Albert signed Monaco up for the Kyoto Protocol shortly after becoming Sovereign, and a few months later left behind the comfort and glamour of his palace and Casino Square for the wilds of Antartica to see for himself the damage being caused to the glaciers because of global warming.
Upon his return he set up a foundation with his own money to study the impact of rising sea levels, and since then has been active in the attempts to publicise the need to cut CO2 emissions in the industrialised world.
In recent months he has met both Prince Charles and President Chirac of France to discuss global warming. Although he spent some time in the US in his early years and speaks English fluently, he hasn’t had to learn French and can converse with leaders the world over without the need for a translator.
Close to the Fontvieille harbour where the yacht show takes place, a new island is to be built, and the bidders have been told that a successful application must be environmentally friendly, and some proposals indicate that the island will be a floating one to avoid any disruption or damage to marine life.
With real estate in Monaco the highest priced in Europe, the new apartment buildings will be welcomed by the property sector as there is a very real shortage of property for new residents, forcing prices even higher. One bedroom apartments are currently exchanging owners at over a million Euros.
The environmentally friendly island will also include new Monaco hotels, a university and possibly a museum, with the winning bidder due to be announced towards the end of the year.
The environmental design of the island could have positive implications far beyond Monaco if the plan works out.
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La Musica Sposa i tuoi momenti speciali
Il team di Matrimonio in Musica offre soluzioni originali per cori da cerimonie, rinfreschi, feste private o in piazza, ricalcabili sui vostri sogni. La musica appartiene ai sogni perch ogni sposa, ogni bambino, ogni persona che ami lo spettacolo, ha nel proprio intimo la propria melodia, canzone, genere musicale, che pi si addice a fare da sfondo ai suoi ricordi pi intramontabili.
I professionisti di Matrimonio in Musica comprendono questa esigenza, amano la musica ma sono innanzitutto degli esperti, che sanno come fare musica, organizzare, fare spettacolo, in qualsiasi ambiente e davanti al pubblico pi eterogeneo.
Lo spettacolo non fatto solo di musicisti, ma di ballerini, clown, equilibristi, animatori, presentatori, giochi, a seconda dei singoli desideri ed esigenze. Per chi si vuole scatenare alla festa di laurea, improvvisarsi cantante, dilettarsi nei suoi balli preferiti, organizzare feste a tema, la nave musicale di Matrimonio in Musica trasporta artisti, strumenti e spettacoli attrattivi a piacere.
Da anni, oltre a rallegrare chiese, rinfreschi e pranzi, gli amici di Matrimonio in Musica hanno riempito di novit le piazze di citt e villaggi, raggiungendo la cittadinanza con la loro musica e voce. Perch la musica ha un singolare effetto magico, tutto suo: coinvolge e travolge anche chi si astiene dalla vita di piazza, dalla socialit. Dalla piazza si diffonde nei vicoli, nei paesi, entra nelle case, rasserenando non solo chi la segue fino in centro, ma anche chi dalla finestra o dal salotto di casa la ruba gelosamente. Matrimonio in Musica sa che la musica, larte dello spettacolo, la creativit dei suoi artisti sono salutari per chiunque e una vera festa non comincia finch non si innalza la prima nota.
Le offerte vantaggiose del portale sono una rivelazione per i visitatori: finalmente la festa, lo show comico o la serata chic non sono pi unesclusiva dei film o delle soap opera del nostro immaginario. Il festeggiamento personalizzato abbordabile per fasce diversificate di acquirenti. Matrimonio in Musica ha soluzioni allettanti per tutte le tasche.
Musica per tutti e anche sogni per tutti. I suggerimenti del portale vanno oltre la musica e lo spettacolo, presentando offerte noleggio auto, con la Ferrari tanto sognata, la Spider, Lamborghini, e altre mitiche vetture.
Nel sito spiccano poi link ad hotel rinomatissimi, con pacchetti vacanza, last minute, programmi per terme, tour in citt darte, naturalistici e tante altre opportunit.
Per il vostro matrimonio o una ricorrenza speciale, non vi accontentate del primo coretto o gruppetto di passaggio: pretendete dei veri artisti. Ricordatevi che la musica e lo spettacolo regalano tanto ai nostri ricordi, alla nostra anima.
Circondatevi della simpatia degli artisti, ma fate attenzione, se li chiamate per la vostra cerimonia, sappiate che sul sito c anche un intrigante pagina intitolata Scherzi per Sposi…
Piazza my-own-a
Travelling to Rome, especially from the UK is so easy these days that anyone, on almost any budget, can spend a few days or a few weeks experiencing 2000 years of history and culture. Thanks to La Citta Eterna (The Eternal City) of Rome is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, full of diversity with something for everyone. My favourite part of Rome is Piazza Navona. In the day this square is packed tightly with some of the worlds most beautiful modern independent and armature art. Grab yourself a bargain with an oil paint original, (they could be the future Botticelli or Del Drago), squash your family onto a folding chair for a group caricature or simply slow down your pace and get lost in the art, wandering from stand to stand and flicking your way through the racks. Almost all of the artists/sellers speak even a small amount of English and many are willing to barter regarding prices, however if a price is set, (e.g.: caricatures are usually 10-20EUR and prices are generally on signs next to the artist’ stand), these are generally non-negotiable.
At night, Piazza Navona becomes a Roman HOT SPOT for dining and Socialising. As the sky darks, the lights of the fountains shine and the restaurants and bars, lining the square, fill with the sound of violins, accordions and romantic Italian love songs. Piazza Navona is also the home of the Brazilian-Italian Embassy and occasionally you will here the sound of Brazilian World music escaping through the high windows into the hustle and bustle below. Piazza Navona IS busy at night; with a mixture of evening tourists passing through to visit the fountains on there way to the next tourist attraction, and the restaurants which are always full; but the busyness is part of the attraction.
There are also some fantastic restaurants very close by to Piazza Navona only one street away, containing some of the best food I have tasted in Rome and they are generally less busy and much less expensive than those located directly inside the Piazza. These restaurants are also often popular with the locals, (always a good sign that the food is quality). Most of the restaurants speak a basic English, but, (as with any country abroad), are always grateful, (and often more helpful), if you are polite and try to use even the most basic Italian words or phrases in your questions and answers. Below I have included some basic information about asking for things in Italian, regarding please and thank you.
Of course there are hundreds if not thousands more restaurants in the centre of Rome, including plenty of other foreign foods: Chinese, Japanese & Sushi Bars, Irish Pubs, Kebab Bars and Other World Foods. Do not be afraid to try smaller restaurants located in side streets and don’t be afraid to take a walk around before choosing a restaurant. Eating out abroad can be VERY expensive and VERY cheap; you just have to be prepared to look around. Check out the menus outside the restaurants, (usually enlarged and pinned on a board), and compare the prices against others near by. Italian Food IS fantastic and the more authentic the restaurant the better. So find one you like, sit down with some house wine or a nice cold Peroni, enjoy a taste of Italy and bask in finding a PIAZZA OF YOUR-OWN-A.
Some Things I have picked Up on My Travels.
It is not entirely necessary to say please, per favore, in Italy. Instead Italian’s more frequently use Thank you, Grazie. For example: When asking for something in English we would generally end the sentence with May I…please? In Italian, it is more common for people to simply state I would like… Then when the seller/waiter (tress)/assistant responds OK or Si to confirm that they have understood you, then you will say Thank you, repeating this again when you receive the item. In my experience, getting a per favore onto the end of your question, before the person has walked away is almost impossible; very rare. However, this is not because they are being ignorant, it is just not expected. Just make sure if you are not using Per Favore when asking things that you are polite and say Grazie at least combined with Ciao when you are leaving. I have included an example situation/conversation below, including VERY basic Italian.
E.g.: YOU: Salve (hello)
SHOP ASST: Salve. Prego (What do you want? OR how can I help you)
YOU: Vorrei un gelato con Stracciatella? (I would like an ice-cream with Stracciatella (a flavour)
SHOP ASST: Una coppa? (An ice-cream cup)
YOU: Si. Grazie. (Yes. Thank you)
SHOP ASST: OK. Due Euro. (Assistant hands you the cup of ice cream. Two Euros)
YOU: Grazie. (You give them the money and thank them)
SHOP ASST: Prego. Grazie. (Youre Welcome. Thank you.)
YOU: (As you leave…) Grazie, Ciao. (Thank you. Bye.)
SHOP: Grazie a Te. Ciao OR Buona Sera/ Giorno (Thank you to you. Bye OR Good Evening/Day.)
From this short example you will also have noticed that Prego can mean several things. When you first enter a shop it usually means I’m ready to take your order. / How can I help? / What do you want? As a response to Grazie (Thank you) it means You’re welcome.