Fun article - Ten Things about Italy that Shock First-time Visitors

[lisiamc]

I enjoyed this. And I'll admit, some of these were a big surprise to me, especially the expectation that nearly every restaurant meal will be at least three courses. I managed to adjust quickly to that one though! :o

 

http://whenonearth.net/10-things-about-italy-that-shock-first-time-visitors

Edited April 28, 2015 by lisiamc

[cruisemom42]

A fun article (though most of these shouldn't be too surprising to anyone that reads a fair amount of travel articles or guides.....:)).

 

The one I only recently "got" was not ordering "espresso" but rather "un cafe". Because....duh.....an espresso IS the standard cafe in Italy. (And I love it.) Now I have started to order that way and often I am queried, since I am obviously not Italian, whether I really want an espresso. I reply "Certo!"

 

I remember my mother was very timid about going out for dinner in Rome. She thought it would be insulting NOT to eat three courses. I told her it would be fine, and it was. Unless the menu offers a standard "fixed" meal, you are free to order what you want to have, and in most larger cities even Italians may not order three courses!

 

Having just watched a show last night on food in Rome, I have to say that one of the unexpected things in Rome is how frequently you'll find offal on the menu in traditional Roman restaurants. Every area of Italy has its traditional foods, and one shouldn't expect to have delicious pizza in Venice, for example (order it in Naples), or steak in Rome (order it in Tuscany).

 

Might be fun to have others share things that surprised or shocked them during their first visit to Italy......

[Nayola]

Interesting article. Thanks for posting it.

[slidergirl]

I've seen quite a bit of trippa on the menus here in Rome, but not as much as in Florence. And, I don't want to try it or lampredotto, either. I've had tripe in local Mexican places and didn't care for the texture... Saw some liver on menus, too.

But, I WILL order pizza at a select few places in Rome!!!

 

 

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[lisiamc]

I've seen quite a bit of trippa on the menus here in Rome, but not as much as in Florence. And, I don't want to try it or lampredotto, either. I've had tripe in local Mexican places and didn't care for the texture... Saw some liver on menus, too.

But, I WILL order pizza at a select few places in Rome!!!

 

 

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I've eaten trippa a couple of times to be polite at friends's houses, but I don't love it much. Coratella (chopped up bits of lamb kidney, liver, lungs and heart in a yummy gravy) is very popular in our area, and I don't mind a few bites of it. I saw it translated on a menu once as "interior of lamb". :D

[electro]

I have to admit that I am guilty of ordering a latte the first time I was in Italy.:o

Was handed a glass of warm milk. :o

That's a mistake you only make once.:D

 

Lois

[buggins0402]

 

I remember my mother was very timid about going out for dinner in Rome. She thought it would be insulting NOT to eat three courses. I told her it would be fine, and it was. Unless the menu offers a standard "fixed" meal, you are free to order what you want to have, and in most larger cities even Italians may not order three .......

 

Might be fun to have others share things that surprised or shocked them during their first visit to Italy......

 

DH and I have always joke here when he orders his minestrone and pasta dish here in the states ..we always say Primi Primi!

 

On our first trip to Italy we ran very late touring one day and went into a small restaurant in a small Tuscan town. DH avoids meat, so usually sticks with a soup and a pasta ( sometimes a secondi fish dish instead of the pasta). When he ordered his meal, the woman who was the "matron" restaurant exclaimed to the entire restaurant ... Primi, Primi!

 

Perhaps your mother ran into this same woman on a previous trip....because I know on the second trip to Italy we made an effort to order a Primi and secondi!

[marazul]

You never know what you are in for until you have your first typical meal in the French or Italian Rivieras. You might see "merveilles" or "maraviglie" - "marvels"- in the menu and get sheep testicles as a main course!

[slidergirl]

I was shocked about how nice the Italian trains are actually. Something that shocked me this time: the proliferation of those nasty black mini vans used to transport tourists on "private tours" a la RIL. They clogged up the paths to the Pantheon area, stopped at corners so pedestrians couldn't see around the to look at traffic for crossing. They need to be banned or relegated to parking corrals away from highly-congested areas. They made walking around the Centro Storico even more hazardous than before.

 

 

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[Hlitner]

We have spent a lot of time in Italy (and driven about 10,000 miles within the country) and would agree with everything in that article :). We could also add a few more items. Really laughed at the comment on driving as DW tells people that her DH is crazy because he (that would be moi) loves to drive in Italy. A few years ago I figured that I could drive as crazy as the Italians and now I love it and feel comfortable on their roads. Although the Italians can be totally nutz on the roads we have also found they are very good (and usually safe) drivers. In all of our driving around Italy we have only seen on e serious accident and that was a car-motorcycle mess. We have never seen a bad accident between 2 or more cars.

 

Hank

[Steirisch]

Good article...wish I had read it before I went to Italy the first time. I was standing at the bar waiting to order a cappuccino and kept getting ignored. Finally, the barista motioned that I should go over to the cassa first and bring back a receipt. Haven't forgotten that one.

 

I was watching Anthony Bourdain in Rome the other day and the local guide told him you NEVER order a cappuccino after 10 a.m. Who knew?

Edited May 1, 2015 by Steirisch

[lisiamc]

Good article...wish I had read it before I went to Italy the first time. I was standing at the bar waiting to order a cappuccino and kept getting ignored. Finally, the barista motioned that I should go over to the cassa first and bring back a receipt. Haven't forgotten that one.

 

I was watching Anthony Bourdain in Rome the other day and the local guide told him you NEVER order a cappuccino after 10 a.m. Who knew?

 

I'm not an early riser, so I feel free to stretch that rule until 11. I've seen many locals doing the same. Evidently we're more laid-back in the countryside. If we're sitting down, the local bars prefer us to pay after finishing our last drink (after cappuccino time ends at 11, Prosecco time begins!) but paying afterwards is very much a small town thing. If I'm in a town where I'm not sure, I hang back and watch what other people are doing.

[marazul]

On the subject of coffee. The Italians and French (and most Europeans) consider it uncivilized to drink coffee with your lunch or dinner. That's what wine or water are for. Order your espresso (not cappuccino or caffe-latte) after dessert.

[slidergirl]

Watched more tourists make the mistake of not going to the "cassa" first and standing at the bar and getting ignored. One day, a man standing next to me got upset at me when the barman assisted me before him when I got there after him. Pointed him to the cashier and told him he had to visit there first. He slinked away. This was at Tazza d'Oro - for sure a tourist trap, but I'm a sucker for their granita cafe con panna (espresso granita WITH WHIPPED CREAM). It's a refreshing afternoon pick-me-up!