I get many, many questions about Italy, and have some observations of my own, and I’m going to take a shot at answering those here. If you have no interest in Italy, this is your cue to keep scrolling!
1. I physically feel better when I am here. A quiet day with a few errands here in town means you walked 3 miles. I’m out in the sun daily (hello vitamin D). There hasn’t been a single day when I didn’t leave our house, and I often sit on our balcony to read. I am more social and connected here. No “plans” have to be made, you just have to step outside your door. You’ll run into people you know, you’ll stop to chat a moment, and the next thing you know, it’s three hours, a glass of wine, or two cappuccinos later, and your errands still aren’t done. Va bene. It’s okay, you can do them after nap time.
2. Food: Food is so much higher quality than what we get at home in the US, but you do have to plan better, as fridges are not as cold, food isn’t full of preservatives, and produce isn’t sprayed with things. I pretty much figure I have three days to consume something, four if I’m lucky. If I’m not cooking meat within 24 hours, it goes straight in the freezer.
3. Air Conditioning: Nowhere we go is air conditioned, except large stores in the bigger town down the mountain. In Arpino? Nope. Carry a church lady fan like every lady here does, because it’s all the AC you are going to get. There are hotels here that are air conditioned, and a few friends have it in their houses, but rarely seem to use it, once they have acclimated. We have 3 portable units and haven’t used them at all this summer.
4. Men: Men are more connected, more social, and WAY more affectionate with each other than they are in the US. Handshakes aren’t something I see often among them. It is more apt to be hearty bear hugs, or the two cheek kiss. They talk, they share, they connect. You might see a group of them sharing a beer or a bottle of wine in a shop late in the afternoon….not in a bar, but a tobacco shop, or hardware store. Someone pulls out a bottle of something, and it instantly becomes a social gathering. They seem more relaxed and joyful though. There is no need to be stoic.
5. Mr. Steal Yo Girl: Ladies, they LOVE women here. They look, and they don’t hide it. If you are with your chap, it is more covert, but on your own, or with a group of ladies, get ready to be appreciated. No catcalling, or anything weird, but you know you’ve been seen. It can be unnerving, initially, when we are conditioned to men behaving badly while oggling us. If you know them, they will flirt shamelessly (especially the older ones). It is all in good fun. Draw your boundary line where you are comfortable and just roll with it. You’ll likely walk away smiling.
6. Babies: If you roll up in Italy with a baby (especially in a smaller town), you are about to meet EVERYBODY. Nobody walks by a baby without speaking to said baby. You are optional. The baby is the star of the show. This applies to everyone from young children, to nonnas. They all love the babies. The same is true for a dog. If you have a dog, you are about to make friends.
7. Dress: One of the number one questions I see in travel groups is about what to wear to blend in and not look like a tourist, and often. more specifically, what are teenagers wearing, so moms can advise their kids on what to bring. First of all, you cannot disguise your tourist status. You just can’t. Italians are effortlessly fashionable. Women STRIP DOWN in the summer here (cue half the men in my friends list Googling flights to Rome….), and I guarantee you they will look more effortlessly chic when they literally rolled out of bed, threw yesterday’s sundress back on, and shoved their hair up in a bun, than you would after a whole glam team worked on you for 2 hours. It just is what it is. Internet “know nothings” always chime in that everyone dresses up in Italy or France, nobody wears sneakers/leggings/shorts, etc. It’s all a lie. Trust me. They have either never actually been here, or haven’t been here in 30 years. I see leggings, sneakers, and shorts on EVERYONE, locals and visitors alike. On teenagers and 20 somethings, lots of cutoff denim shorts…often short and tight enough that you wonder how they breathe….with cutoff tanks, or corset tops. White sneakers with dresses, wide legged pants, etc. are super common, and lots of sandals in the summer. Men are often in linen, and I see young guys in basketball shorts and soccer type jerseys a bunch. Wear what you are comfortable in.
8. Driving: If you know me, you know I am not high anxiety….but I don’t drive here. Traffic is insane, rules get ignored, and you get camera activated tickets for just breathing, if you are in a rental car. If you are going to Rome/Naples/Amalfi go ahead and abandon your road trip dreams right now. Take a train or bus, or hire a car service. Nobody needs that stress in your life. If you do rent a car, get ALL THE INSURANCE. James picked up a rental car in Rome and drove it to our house. It was several days before we went anywhere, we parked in 3 different places that day, and when we got home, we realized someone had scraped the passenger side doors, likely pulling in or out. We have yet to turn in a rental car that was unscathed. It’s crazy. If you want to road trip through Tuscany, where towns are more spread out and traffic is less crazy, that is more doable, but absolutely avoid the high crowd areas.
9. Naptime: If you are in a high tourist area, some places will stay open, but be prepared for things to close during the hottest part of the day. The hours aren’t universal, so you have to check. One place might close at 12:30 and reopen at 3:30. A different one might close at 2:00 and reopen at 5:00. Restaurants often won’t open until 7:00 or even 8:00 (I only see 8:00 in large cities). Think about it, if you are going to sit outside, or at an indoor table in an un-airconditioned space, you want it to cool off a little first.
10. Speak to people: Make an effort with the shopkeepers, and other locals you interact with. A few badly pronounced words of Italian are your keys to the kingdom, along with genuinely expressing interest in them. Ask them how they are, where they are from, their favorite food you can get locally, or whatever. They are curious about us, too. If you make half an ounce of effort, in Italian, they will bend over backwards to help you, and you will get a much richer experience for muddling through conversation in Itan-glish, aided by Google translate.
Vagabond.Belle 