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Italy!
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phantomdragonz
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Jun 16, 2004, 09:26 AM
 
So on monday i will be leaving to go to italy for a little more then two weeks, if anyone has been to italy before, what are some things you have learned? what should I watch out for and what are some cultural things i should be careful of? I plan on taking lots of pictures, hopefully i will have them online within a short period of time, I will post the good ones when I get back

P.D.
     
Oisín
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Jun 16, 2004, 09:35 AM
 
If you go to Pisa and see a big tower that looks like it's about to fall over, don't tell people to "get away from the tower, the tower's falling". People will not find it funny.

Also, don't tell the Italians that you think American deep-pan pizza is so much better than their crusty, hard plates. They will do horrible things to you.

Sorry, never been to Italy (yet), just muckin' around
     
badidea
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Jun 16, 2004, 09:36 AM
 
Originally posted by phantomdragonz:
...if anyone has been to italy before, what are some things you have learned? what should I watch out for and what are some cultural things i should be careful of?
Where in Italy do you go to??

Do not order Spaghetti Bolognese or Pizza Salami, that's tourist food for Germans!!
Do not wear white socks with sandals!!
Do not talk spanish with Italians!!
...
***
     
djohnson
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Jun 16, 2004, 09:36 AM
 
Awsome! One of these days, once our student loans are paid off..., we want to visit some different places around the world. I would like to visit Italy, Spain, Germany, England, maybe France, Australia, Japan, Brazil, and Egypt. Basically at least 1 country from each continent. Get some pics and post them!
     
Developer
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Jun 16, 2004, 09:39 AM
 
I have been in the Toscana twice and have learned that the people in Florence are rather unfriendly and outside that city are much friendlier. I didn't notice much cultural differences except in driving style. If a street in the city has 4 tracks expect 6 cars driving side by side. Extra vigilance at the zebra crossing is advisable as well.

You need to be careful with stealing allegedly, but I never had a problem with this in northern Italy. I knew a guy from Naples and he told me it is more dangerous for strangers in the south, but I haven't been there yet.
Nasrudin sat on a river bank when someone shouted to him from the opposite side: "Hey! how do I get across?" "You are across!" Nasrudin shouted back.
     
gorickey
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Jun 16, 2004, 09:48 AM
 
Have fun P.D.!

Very jealous.
     
paully dub
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Jun 16, 2004, 09:50 AM
 
Depends on where you're going obviously. Venice, Florence and Rome are the big three WOW cities- as in they should be first on anyone's list. Naples is up there as well, and well the whole southern coast-it's just spectacularly beautiful.

Couple things:

Eating is done differently in Italy. Don't go to a restaurant, order a plate of pasta and get the check. Avoid places where the menu is in English, and they advertise "Real Italian Food".

Start off with pasta, risotto or polenta, as a primo. Then you'll get a secondo - usually some kind of meat or fish dish, and be sure to get a contorno - usually veggies or something to go with it. Then if you have room, get dessert, and maybe a caffe or a digestivo.

Eat the specialty of the region! Get squid in its ink in Venice, pizza in Rome and Naples, Florentine Steak in Forence, ect. Most people are surpised to see what the locals actually eat.

I could go on and on and on... but be open to the culture, the people and how they do things and you should be fine.

Adopt-A-Yankee
     
mitchell_pgh
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Jun 16, 2004, 09:52 AM
 
Don't drink the water...

Oh, wait, that's Mexico. I hear "never pay the pricetag" with reference to street venders. You should haggle with them a little.
     
djohnson
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Jun 16, 2004, 09:54 AM
 
So... Anyone know of a good place to stay at in Rome?
     
phantomdragonz  (op)
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Jun 16, 2004, 09:59 AM
 
Jeez! I am not used to the traffic this site gets! anyways we are going to Florence, Tuscany, and Umbria. so mostly central italy. we have been warned about the theft issue. We are going to rent bikes for most of the trip and bike around, which should be fun, I hope. I have never been outside the country before so, I can't wait.

P.D. (Zach)
     
   
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