to not want to go on holiday with DH as he’s taking Pot Noodles?

LTB

A tavern in hell.

There's nowt as queer as folk.
Nuff said.

It isn't. It is political and social suicide to be corrupt in government.

You cannot deduce that I am proud of the British government, I did not say that, I said the British (actually I said the English) are more worried about government than about food. That statement has no correlation even, with what you said I might be proud of - though having a country that rooted out corruption in high places during the nineteenth century, when others did not bother, is something to be proud of. Only the British middle-classes despise their own country. And having a government which is reliably not corrupt all the time is something of which to think well e.g. when the scandal over procurement of covid protection broke it was a major furore and also a shock - because our governments are expected not to do this sort of stuff.

I'm sorry OP but I just don't think I could be with someone like that. Not because you're right and he's wrong (he is though - imagine being that tedious and rubbish - the food and enjoying nice meals is one of the absolute best things about going on holiday, especially to Italy of all places) but because it just seems so vastly incompatible in terms of just approach to life / joy.

Sigh. So, you’re proud of the British government because it’s not as corrupt as some governments? That’s the extent to which you feel the English care more about good government?

Your bar is so low it’s a tavern in hell.

Yeah, that makes sense to me. I love sitting down to a really fancy meal with lots of courses, but if you are eating out lots on holiday, all the sitting around can get really boring. Street food is great.

I agree. Is he a cheapskate in other areas of life?

Sigh. Was it obviously and egregiously corrupt as opposed to some people being corrupt and caught out? Does corruption seep through all the civil service (not just the anti-Brexit bits)? Do corrupt officials exist at every level and do you need to bribe them to get anywhere?

I agree with you, most English people care about food. Sadly, pot-noodles have become a thing, for some reason. Why tasteless cardboard flavoured with too much salt should be so popular is beyond me (I tried one once - cannot remember why - and never again). I like English breakfasts, however, though probably not in Spain, Italy? Part of the experience is to try the local food, surely?

Corruption is not a thing in the UK, righto.

Johnson was a good PM, who did what he said he would - a rarity. Partygate (strangely written up by the person now on the staff of Keir Starmer) was nothing to do with Johnson, and lots to do with civil servants in No. 10 who hated Brexit. Starmer had a party with beer, pizzas and a quiz, and that was fine.
My point, however, was not about PMs, who come and go, but about quality of government i.e. corruption is not a thing in the UK in the way it is in Italy, where it mires every layer of government.

Ahem.

Looks at last 20 years of British government and laughs hysterically

Possibly the English care more about good government.

I’m not sure there is anything like Bolognaise in Italy. There is a ragu which is made of pork and beef with only a tiny bit of tomato and added milk.
I think that Bolognaise is actually a British concept a bit like onion bhajis- in India they have pakoras but I did not see bhajis. However Italians adapt for the British and make bolognaise.

In my experience pasta is eaten as a first course. There is then a meat course and you can buy additional vegetables to accompany it. Alternatively you can choose fish or they can make up a vegetarian dish. It’s pretty feasible to have quite plain meat and saute potatoes and a veg.

A simple salad there can be delicious with mozzarella avocado strawberries nuts and rocket etc or artichokes.

When I get taken out my family members to a proper restaurant I have had all sorts of vegetarian dishes. However that’s the type of restaurant where the chef comes to speak to you and shows you the raw ingredients before cooking.

My favourite dish is a proper risotto made with fresh truffles picked that day.

pizza is regarded as a social and cheap night out. Away from the tourist areas they only cost about 5 euros each.

What might work is to go for a drink or aperitif in one of the bars that accompany it with food. This tends to be small bites or street food eg arancini or small bits of toasted bread etc Some places provide food free with drinks. They almost amount to a meal in themselves.

My mother in law referred to ‘foreign food’ as it disgusted and somehow it was alien. However most food in the UK is foreign extraction even potatoes for chips. It felt like a form of racism to me at the time but she was quite happy to eat over processed shop bought cakes with added palm sugar. She and her husband died before the age of 80 - he had diabetes and heart issues.

In acciaroli they have such a great diet they can live to well over 100.

Nothing is true of everyone, but many things are generally true.

Great update @Astridastro

I simply said Italians care more about good food than the English

Please don't tar all English people with the same brush @OldScribbler. I care about good food, as do DH and DD.

It's unfortunate that the all day breakfast/pot noodle holiday makers in touristy resorts give the rest of us a bad name.

Exactly; Italian food IS food. Have an affair with the waiter.

I did not say English food was boring. My parents ran a restaurant which was in the Good Food Guide from the year they opened till they closed down. I simply said Italians care more about good food than the English.

I am struggling with all the "I only go to Italy to sightsee, not for the food"

So am I. It's like visiting Greece and avoiding Greek food, or going to Turkey and avoiding Turkish food.

To me a holiday is exploring, sightseeing, walking, maybe cycling, swimming, reading, some lazing about and immersing myself in the local culture - which involves eating the local food and drinking the local wine. It isn't one thing or the other.

I am struggling with all the "I only go to Italy to sightsee, not for the food" nonsense. You're going to eat something when you're there! Why not eat something nice?

And socks and sandals and a hankerchief knotted on his head.

if he doesn’t want to eat like a local then why go on holiday? You said you are all inclusive but he is taking his own food? You may find AI is a buffet?

i do find the multi courses frustrating with the Italians. Steak came on it’s own and we had to ask ( and made to feel bad for doing so) for our salad to be served at the same time.