Reflections On Italy
We have now been in the UK for a week (we will get to those posts soon!) but we wanted to wrap up Italy with a few final thoughts, musings, and mutterings. It felt like our time there really flew by! Here is what we found most impressionable overall.
1. Italy is more beautiful than you can imagine.
The pictures, movies, and stories really just don’t do it justice. Everywhere we walked or traveled felt like we were on a movie set. Even though our travels were pretty diverse here (beaches, mountains, cities), every place seemed strikingly familiar yet still so unbelievably amazing. After a while, we almost started taking it for granted. From the picturesque towns with their narrow streets and ivy-clad houses, to the rich Tuscan countryside, to the bustle of the city centers, each view could have been a painting. We kept pinching ourselves just to make sure we weren’t dreaming!
2. The people and service take some getting used to.
We quickly found that, overall, interactions with Italians can be surprising if you don’t know what to expect! Having just come from a very friendly Greece, we were caught off guard by what seemed to be a much more apathetic approach to customer service. Everything was just a transaction and there was little, if any, intent to connect or provide service that was anything better than adequate. The pros here include never feeling rushed while at lunch or dinner but it can certainly feel like you are being ignored. (That said, there were a few places that had EXCELLENT service).
Additionally, make sure you’ve staked out a solid claim while standing in line or else someone is likely to cut in front of you. (This issue was even more prevalent if you are female!) There seemed to be a much smaller regard for manners as we know them.
However, on the other hand, we greatly admire how proud the Italians are of their heritage. They are certainly proud of their beliefs and customs, proud to be different, and proud of where they came from. Most locals seemed to have stayed near to where they were born and were very protective of their local recipes and traditions. It is through this pride and authenticity that we gained a lot of respect for their very deliberate way of life.
3. Yes, you can get tired of Italian food.
This sounds like the most inconsequential problem ever because the food in Italy is simply world class, but after a few weeks of a very glutinous diet involving a traditional pastry for breakfast, a panini or sandwich for lunch, and pasta or pizza for dinner, it was easy to get overwhelmed by wheat-based products. We were careful to mix in some seafood and lighter options from time to time, but the most affordable options start to all taste the same! We were definitely missing the strong flavors and spice we are used to towards the end of our time in Italy. It will be a while before either of us eat pizza again.
4. Point-to-point travel is very convenient here.
Not having a car, we were very impressed with the ready availability of public transportation throughout Italy. Traveling by bus, metro, or train is by far one of our favorite ways to travel because we gained an appreciation for the all the daily journeys that took place in the city we were visiting. It also meant we didn’t have to deal with navigating unfamiliar territory with sometimes nonexistent traffic laws or risk getting swindled by taxi drivers. It was very easy throughout Italy to just hop on a train to the next town or find a bus that would get us close to a city center, all for a very reasonable cost. The methods were clean and reliable and allowed us to work or relax between destinations.
5. We are not going to miss the cigarette smoke.
Another surprising takeaway here was the amount of smokers. We definitely take our clean air in Austin for granted because it was impossible to walk for too long or eat lunch outside without having to deal with cigarette smoke everywhere. For a developed country, it was surprising how unregulated the tobacco industry seemed. I remember several times getting off the train and wading through a platform filled with smoke from all those who needed to get their fix in between stops. It seems sad to me that even though the food is incredibly tasty and fresh, most people are going to have the flavors clouded with a not-so-subtle taste of ash.
6. If there is a tower, we will climb it.
Italy has great views from above! We have climbed towers in Florence, the Cinque Terra, Milan, Verona, and Venice and each one was worth it. In addition to working off the gelato, looking over the rooftops adds a whole new perspective to the towns we were visiting. It’s tough to get tired of the beautiful Terracotta rooftops and interesting terrain in the distance. We look forward to climbing many more towers as our travels progress!
GP