I recently returned from an unforgettable trip to Italy. We went to Florence, Rome, Sardinia, and Cinque Terre, and we barely scratched the surface of all the places to see in this beautiful country. And while I’m just going to have to write a separate post about all the adventures we experienced, especially the incredible one we did with Vertical Sailing Tour, I do want to share some of the surprising things about Italy that jumped out at me while we were there.
About the atmosphere…
- Italy is stunningly gorgeous. The towns, history, countryside, Mediterranean Sea, the people, the food, the big cities… all of it.
- It’s hot. Like very hot during the summer. It was common for daytime highs to be around 100°F/37-38°C, and it can be pretty humid. And before you judge me like, “Hot? You think that’s hot? Have you ever been to blah blah blah in the middle of July blah blah…,” I’m from southern Arizona, so I’m no stranger to the heat.
- Italy felt incredibly safe, and I would feel comfortable traveling there solo as a female.
- The people are impossibly beautiful and chic. They also look remarkably fit for how amazing the food is. I don’t know how they manage to be all dressed up and not sweat through their gorgeous outfits, but I need to know their secret.
- Rome is just as busy in the middle of the night as it is during the day. Bring earplugs if you plan to sleep with the windows open.
- It’s even more beautiful in person than it is in the photos, even though it doesn’t seem possible.
About drinking and dining…
- You sit down and drink your coffee or stand at the bar and sip it like some classy, civilized human being. You do not ask for it in a to-go cup like the uncultured swamp creature that you are.
- On that note, coffees are small. Savor them slowly or you’ll go bankrupt ordering enough cappuccino to caffeinate a small army. Alternatively, do what I did and bring a collapsible coffee cup and a handful of instant coffee packets. Look, I never said I wasn’t a ridiculous person.
- It’s normal to eat dinner at 10:00pm. Don’t complain about it, just accept it.
- Different cities have their own specialty dishes. Try them all, even if they sound weird. All the ones we tried were excellent!
- Dining is an experience not to be rushed. Prepare to take your time.
- Risotto with squid ink is black as night and tastes something like wonderful buttery risotto.
- Order the house wine. There is no need to order the expensive stuff. This was definitely a pleasant surprising thing about Italy for us!
Random surprising things about Italy…
- They didn’t check our passports at any point when we arrived at the airport. This was one of the most surprising things about Italy for me. We got off the plane in Florence, grabbed our bags, and were waved out the door without ever going through customs.
- It’s normal for places to not have air conditioning even when it’s 100°F out. Deal with it. Stay hydrated and wear a top that doesn’t show sweat.
- People don’t seem to be in a rush, and many were relaxed about what being on time means. If you’re super Type A like me, you might want to calm the f*** down a smidge and just go with the flow.
- Although European public transportation is excellent, the trains can be very warm and bathrooms might not be available for hours. Plan accordingly and bring a Euro to use a paid potty at the train station.
- A lot of people smoke. I guess this is true for most of the European cities I’ve been to, but it always surprises me. And please note that this is not a judgment, just an observation. If you smoke, that’s your business.
Amazing food with an incredible view!
- There might be a ridiculous number of jellyfish in the sea where you plan to swim, so watch out because you may discover the hard way that you’re allergic to them. It’s me. I’m the one who discovered I have a jellyfish allergy. I’ll spare you the disgusting photos.
- Hotel and AirBnB rooms are tiny if you’re used to American hotels. But I also have to say… they’re really lovely and comfortable!
- The bathrooms have bidets. To be honest, I’m wondering why this isn’t just a thing in the USA because they’re a quite nice way to clean your backside.
