Whether or not you have had the opportunity to travel abroad, you surely have heard about the many differences in European culture compared to our daily lives here in the US. I myself had the wonderful opportunity to travel in Italy for nine days and noticed many unique aspects of Italian culture which I never would have known about before.
Let us start with something everyone can relate to: Italian cuisine. Walking throughout the cities, you will find people eating all different types of food at all times. For instance, when I myself was enjoying a breakfast of a croissant and a cappuccino, I walked past families enjoying gelato. I also would find restaurants fairly empty at the time we eat dinner here in the US, but filled and followed by a huge line when heading back to my hotel room for the night.
However, without a doubt, the ingredients in Italy are extremely fresh; in Venetian restaurants in particular, the fish being sold was caught that morning and when it was gone, you could no longer order it. Also, an Italian bar is actually a coffee shop. You might find some lunch food like sandwiches and pizza, but they are completely different from American bars.
The coffee found on these bar menus is extremely different on its own. There are not as many options as on a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts menu regarding flavors and sizes. Most places sell one size of each drink and may have two or three different syrups that can be added. When menus have extremely extravagant options—for instance some gelato shops sell unicorn ice cream—they are really tourist traps looking to sell to travellers. The quality of the products is less authentic and honestly not great while being more expensive.
“You definitely have to be careful,” said BHS junior Sarah Higgins. “London is known for phones getting stolen, France is known for passports being stolen, and Italy is known for wallets/purses being stolen.”
Unfortunately, tourists often fall victim to pickpockets, but a great way to prevent this is by utilizing anti-theft bags. The zippers on these bags are hidden and the straps cannot be cut.
Moving on from cuisine and safety, transportation was quite different. For the most part, in the big cities at least, people mostly walked everywhere as long as it was possible. However, there were lots of Vespas and taxis for people travelling longer distances. The streets were not very wide which meant tourists needed to be very alert and careful when crossing busy streets. Also, in some places, like in Venice, people on bikes have the right-of-way. It’s easy to get used to a lot of these changes, but they definitely can take first time travellers by surprise.
An extremely convenient way of getting from one city to another is the high speed trains. Without even feeling it, the passengers travel at 150 mph, making it possible to go from Rome to Florence in only 1 hour.
“I only had the opportunity to take the Frecciarossa high speed train once in my travels to Italy, but it was a memorable experience that I would do again in a heartbeat. I have to be honest and say that apart from the LIRR, I don’t have much experience traveling by train in the US, so it’s hard for me to give a clear comparison. Taking the train is a very common means of transportation chosen by Italians and tourists in Italy, so I have a lot of experience in general. The one time I took the Frecciarossa was about 15 years ago when I was visiting my sister in Bologna. After we spent some time in the north, we decided to take the Frecciarossa down to the Amalfi Coast for the remainder of our trip. The tickets were extremely reasonable, the comfort and service was excellent, and the trip to Sorrento took about 4-5 hours versus the 8-9 hours it would have taken by regular train,” said BHS Italian teacher Signora Sagarese.
“ The only negative aspect (for me personally), was that the Frecciarossa takes underground tunnels through the mountains and countryside at times in order to maintain the speed. One of my favorite things to do during long trips is admire the scenery, so that was the only downside (and a reasonable/cool one, at that). One of the big takeaways I had after taking the Frecciarossa was that I wish we had the same kinds of opportunities to travel throughout our country in this way. To think about how many countries I have been to, I have barely scratched the surface of the United States. We rely so heavily on driving or flying, so taking the train is an option I never truly consider. I highly recommend to anyone traveling through Italy to take advantage of both the regular and high speed trains.”
While it may seem overwhelming to experience such a different culture, upon visiting Europe, you will find beauty in all the similarities and differences alike. Visitors admire the beauty of the cities and find themselves in awe at the historic significance of nearly every place they visit. So, my advice is to embrace these new experiences and acknowledge the importance of each step of your journey.
