International Etiquette | Tiffany Nielsen

Vatican dress codes My upcoming trip to Italy presents an exciting opportunity to see this culturally rich country through the eyes of its residents. I wonder to myself, what is it like to live in Venice? How do they manage the hustle and bustle of the tourist in Rome without becoming overly annoyed? What can I do to avoid the stigma of the “Ugly American”?

When David and I traveled through Northern Europe in 2007, it was in Russia that I learned the meaning of “Ugly American.” I’ll avoid providing details of the experience we found ourselves facing there in order to remain civilly thoughtful regarding this matter, warning only that the scene was ghastly, embarrassing and yes, ugly. I couldn’t help but take a photo of the Ugly American because life’s little lessons become opportunities to help us all present ourselves at our very best.

My mother taught me to dress nicely when I travel and frequently reminded me that we are an extension of our family and our country everywhere we go. She further instilled the virtues of adorning ourselves appropriately for church and when visiting religious sites, which will come in especially handy this time since churches, including St. Peters Basilica, are a part of my itinerary. I hear dress codes are strict there. The last thing I want is to be escorted away from St. Peters by a Swiss Guard for not being properly dressed! No wonder I am thumbing through guide books and etiquette articles written by others as well as by me, eager to be pretty rather than ugly in Italy.

What to Wear to the Vatican

If you are looking forward to an opportunity to visit Italy, consider these style tips for visiting Vatican City. They come in handy also for respectful appearance at any religious site:

Religions sites request decency while avoiding risqué, revealing attire.
Covered shoulders are a must and avoid showing cleavage. Save that for date night!
No shorts please. This applies to both men and women.
Skirts to the knees or longer.
Reasonable shoes, yes. Loud noise makers, blister makers and show stoppers are a “no-no.”
Choose class over trend and style over leisure wear.

I look forward, on my return, to sharing what I learn, this time, about the pleasures of traveling as an attractive American.

Ciao!

In addition to being a fan of all things “etiquette,” I love to cook and travel. In 2003, I took a forced sabbatical after being laid off by one of my favorite employers. Once I got over the shock of joining the ranks of the unemployed, I did what I had to do – buy an airplane ticket to Ireland.

Who does this besides me? If you’ve traveled to Ireland or any other country, I

International Travel, Etiquette, Relationships, Pen Pals

Pen Pals for Life! Tiffany and Louise from Ireland

would be glad to hear what you enjoyed. My first stop on what became an etiquette stepping stone to my International Etiquette business was Cork, Ireland to meet up with my 5th grade pen pal, Louise. Since I’m still friends with Louise –not to mention with my former boss who had to painstakingly hand me a “pink slip” – it’s no wonder I encourage everyone to join the fun of building and keeping relationships along life’s highway.

International travel not only opens our minds to how different yet similar we are to other cultures, it develops our taste buds. Irish luck landed me a delicious bowl of Louise’s real Irish stew (to die for!) when we settled into her home. From there, I fell in love with custard sauce over Irish blackberry pie, carrots and turnips.

I don’t have the fabulous custard recipe, but I searched and tested a comparable Irish lamb stew recipe that I’d like to share with you. It is a hearty, wholesome dinner and the beer and barley guarantee it to be a crowd pleaser! So, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, help yourself to this treat at http://www.gumbopages.com/food/irish/stew.html.

Sláinte (“To your health” Irish Gaelic).