Italy is one country where every little bit of the language that you can use helps, not only in understanding, but in making friends. The language is phonetic, that is, once you know the sounds letters and letter combinations make, you can usually come pretty close to sounding things out correctly. Unlike English where words like "through" and "would" could sound very odd if you didn't know the strange ways of English. Also, most every letter is pronounced.

Here is a list of books and tapes designed to help families have fun learning Italian.

• Learn Italian Together: For the Car : A Parent-Child Activity Kit: 16 fun language games centered on things you see when driving.
• Learn Italian in the Kitchen: A Parent-Child Activity Kit: What could be more appropriate? Sixteen games and songs about food, cooking, tableware, and cleaning up.
• Italian Picture Word Book: Learn 500 common words in contextual pictures. Aimed at kids, it will help any visual learner.
• Teach Me More Italian: Popular songs in English and Italian.
• Bravissimo! A Little Book of Italian: This is for kids and adults, essential phrases.
• Language Survival Guide: Italy: Take this book with you for essential language paired with pictures of the situation when you will need it such as driving, shopping, banks, and so on.
• Dictionary of 1000 Italian Proverbs: With English Equivalents: This book leads you inside the Italian soul showing the creativity, humor, and philosophy of the culture through the proverbs that every Italian learns and applies to life.
• Berlitz Kids Italian Language Pack
• Teach Me Italian: A Musical Journey Through The Day

Here is what some customers have just written to me about the Italy Discovery Journal:

"Our girls loved the journal--it was helpful before the trip to give them some ideas of what they might see and things to do, and sparked some lively dinner-time discussions of the impending trip. During the trip, it made time on the Autostrada, on trains, and waiting in restaurants go by much faster. They especially loved the idea of keeping track of all of the kind of transportation we went on, and counting everything up became part of the game. Thanks!" Lisa S.

"Just wanted to tell you our kids, ages almost-15, almost-12, and 7, all enjoyed their Italy Journals on our recent first trip to Italy . We spent most of out time in the hill towns south and east of Siena , with a day in Florence and Rome . All 3 of the kids (2 girls and a boy) were amused by different parts of the journal, and enjoyed informing their parents of interesting facts we would have missed. I read the Journal before we left for Italy , and much of the interesting everyday information in there I found no where else in my EXTENSIVE pre-trip reading! Also, my son enjoyed filling in his Euro coin card--he had all but the smallest coins by the time we arrived back at the airport to come home, and a very helpful cashier at the food area gave him the rest!" Laurie S.

Italians are famous for their hand signals. They can have whole conversations without opening their mouths.

While you are in Italy, you can make a collection by drawing or describing the hand/body positions and what you think they mean. There is a misconception that Italians only say rude things with their gestures. Not true at all. That said, there are a few rude gestures, so before you make a gesture you aren't sure of in public, save yourself much embarrassment and ask an adult what it means.

I have heard that these universal hand signals developed when all the little countries were joined together in 1860 by King Emmanuele to form what is now Italy . The Italians, who spoke many different dialects, had to fight in the same army. They couldn't understand what each other was saying, but they could all understand the hand/body signs.

Here are some signs from the collection in the Italy Discovery Journal:

• Cute - close hand and grab your cheek between thumb and pointer and twist back and forth, "piccinia/o." Use this when you see a cute, little child.
• Crazy - point at side of forehead with pointer and twist, "pazzo/a."
• Sort of - hand flat in front of you, rock back and forth, "mezz' mezz." Sometimes accompanied by a shrug. You would use this if you thought something was okay but didn't like it a whole lot.
• What do you want? That's the way it goes. - Shrug shoulders, arms held up, palms up, "che ci vuole."
• Wow - flat palm towards you, horizontal, chest high, shake hand up and down, "mamma mia."
• I forgot - flat palm, slap your forehead and then pull hand out a foot, "ho dimenticato."

And here is a web page with some even more hand signs with drawings.

I'm sending many happy families off to Italy this time of year with my vacation rental business Excellent Europe. Many have heard about pickpockets in Italy and ask me for advice. There are pickpockets and theives that prey on tourists. They are after cash and credit cards, that's all. Just take a few precautions and you will be fine. Here, is what I suggest:

• Leave your jewels at home.
• Lighten your wallet, take only the things you need. Visa and Mastercard are the credit cards that are accepted.
• Keep just a little cash in your wallet or purse.
• Put the rest in a waist wallet where it will be safe if a little sweaty. Waist wallets are definitely a fashion no-no and you will embarrass your teenagers and your stuff will be safe!
• Keep your hands on your luggage.
• Don't keep anything really valuable in your fanny pack or backpack.

You can get the decidedly unfashionable waist wallets and other useful gadgets at Magellans.

We just had a customer lock herself out of her apartment in Florence . She didn't have the phone number to call, so she went to an Internet shop where you can buy time on the internet, accessed her email account where she had her travel documents and voila! So, scan all your travel documents, passports, tickets and credit cards and email them to yourself at an email address you can readily get to.

If you plan a trip to Italy this summer and your reservations aren't set. Or if you have booked a hotel for your family and want to consider the greater comfort of a vacation rental, you're in luck! I do have some very nice places available.

For example:

• Via Veneto, Rome - one bedroom, sleeps 4, near Via Veneto
• Carina, Rome - one bedroom penthouse with terrace near Spanish Steps, sleeps 3, one on the sofabed
• Lucia, Florence - two bedroom family apartment, sleeps 5
• San Miniato, Florence - three bedroom luxury townhouse, sleeps 6
• Gallo Nero, Tuscany - two apartments on wine estate, sleeps 4 or 6 or 8

Most of these rentals require a week's stay but a few will take less. And if you are considering traveling to Italy in the autumn or winter, now is the time to make your reservations for your best choice of properties.