Advice from a traveler who planned/prepped nothing and therefore left everything up to a total surprise.
Turns out Florence
(i.e. Firenze) has heaps of
gorgeous statues and
mind-blowing architecture.
Who knew?
1. Acqua Frizzante vs Acqua Gassata
I swear, at some point, I realized that one of these gave you a branded, priced bottle of water, while the other was like ordering still tap water (but with bubbles), but now a month later from leaving, I cannot, for the life of me, remember which is which, and I cannot find confirmation online. Everything I read says they are the same, except for one is natural bubbles, and the other is adding CO2. Either way, I will admit that I absolutely love this part about traveling in Italy (and Europe) because I almost always order a soda water when I go to dinner. As someone who rarely drinks alcohol and is not a huge fan of sugary sodas, sparkling water is fantastic and abundant in Italy! Oh and note if you don’t order the water, they will ask, “Naturale o frizzante?” Pronounced nah-too-raw-ley, it means still water.
2. Crossing the Road as a Pedestrian
The cars will not stop. You need to start walking. Obviously, do this safely, but if you stand on the corner waiting for the cars to stop like you do in the States, you’ll be standing there forever. I never once had a close call and would wait for when there was a slightly bigger window to start walking, and the cars would then stop.
3. Offensive Driving
Driving in Italy is a bit notorious. So much so that a friend of mine recalled a family trip on the coast when she was very young and trailed off with a, “I think that might have began the divorce.” I found it similar to the pedestrian point above – you have to just go. No one is waiting for you and waving you on, but if you move into a lane or turn, they will slow down. You’re basically much more focused on where you need to go, and if someone pulls out in front of you. Once I sorted out the surprise and wonderful manual shift mechanism that required I push down to reverse, and therefore solved how to get into first, driving wasn’t too bad. I drive the speed limit or less everywhere, and enjoyed the windy country road. On and off ramps of the highways in Tuscany were much more clear than other highways I’ve been on. And worse case, if you miss your turn, just stay in the traffic circle, or make a u-turn at the next one which is probably 100 metres away.
4. Carry a Shoulder Covering
This would be more for females, as I don’t often see males wearing sleeveless shirts. If you pack anything without sleeves – a tank or a dress with thin straps – be sure also to have a shoulder covering if you plan to go into any church, cathedral, and most other museums and such. Keep it in your purse or backpack whenever you go sightseeing. If you don’t have one at home already, they sell them for tourists on the streets, but any light jacket, cardigan, scarf, etc. will do.
5. Reusable Bottles – Not a Thing
I barely used my water bottle when not back at the accommodation. First, everywhere you get a meal, pastry, or coffee, you are also given a glass of water. If you’re like me, you will stop at many places throughout the day, so there are many options for water. I saw very few people walking around with a pack with their own water bottles. I heard that there were water spigots around the city of Florence for people to refill bottles, but I never saw any. Plastic water bottles were still a thing. Maybe it’s different in other locations, but I was surprised, and it often felt a little uneccesary to lug my bottle around, even when I was walking all day long. Then, when I hiked the Bell Tower, I couldn’t carry my backpack, so when I needed the bottle most to stay hydrated, I couldn’t have it unless I carried it in my hands.
6. Dress + Stretchy Shorts for the Win!
I rarely have opportunities to wear dresses, so I was pretty excited when my friend said she was just going to pack four dresses. I grabbed hangers in the closet with glee, throwing dresses barely worn or not touched for years, on the bed, to choose the top few. Since I’d also hoped to go for a few runs and had recently scored a few amazing pairs of running shorts from REI, I packed two stretchy shorts as well, and had planned to wear them under the dresses on big walking days. The key to packing light is definitely multi-use garments! And it was a perfect idea. Wearing a dress (or a romper) each day made me feel beautiful and lovely, and fitting in better with my Italians, and having the shorts underneath allowed me to avoid the dreaded chafing from thigh rub. I also enjoyed it so much that I aim to wear my dresses much more often throughout the year. Thanks Italy!
7. Yes, You Sound American
You know how when someone from another country shows up at the checkout where you work? They may speak English amazingly well, but there is still an accent. Even though an American-English accent might sound indistinguishable to those who live in the States, to others, it is very obvious. Okay, maybe they think you’re either Canadian or American, but they know your native language is English, so they will start speaking to you in English. I found it a bit frustrating and sometimes jarring, because, first, I was trying, and I did want to speak in Italian. Second, my brain was working in Italian, so sometimes when someone would respond in English it actually took me a moment to bring my brain back. On the other hand, when a hostess, waiter, or accommodation front desk person read my last name, they often assumed I spoke Italian. Then I was sent in a tailspin of eyes bulging and mouth gaping open, unsure how to respond, fumbling over a sentence like, “Parle Inglese?”
8. Italian is More Melodic
Listen to an Italian speak English and you will quickly learn why are accents are so different. Even when speaking the, well let’s be honest sometimes bland, language of English, Italians connect each word, as if singing the sentence. Also, although I feel a stereotype is a loud fast speaking Italian, I noticed they spoke much slower than say, those that are speaking Mexican Spanish. Once I began focusing on slowing down, and connecting my words, like a melodic wave rolling from my lips to the other person’s ears, it really helped with my accent. It feels like a ballet of words, and it feels really good in the body to slow down one’s words and sentences. I almost feel like I need a conductor’s wand while speaking to move my words at the right pace.
9. Breakfast Buffets Are the Greatest
A breakfast buffet in Italy is nothing like what we receive in the States. Yes, there may still be some scrambled eggs and sausage. However, there are also numerous different delicious breads, sweet and savory pastries, sliced oiled and spiced tomatoes, sliced cheese and prosciutto, more pastries, cappuccinos, fresh jams, and more pastries. As my friend and travel partner told me, choosing a place with a breakfast buffet, and paying for it, is definitely worth it here. Just make sure you get a preview of the breakfast. I got duped at one place that claimed to be a B&B, but really just made you pay extra for a coupon that gave you two sweet pastries at the cafe across the street. I was very disappointed. Our absolute favorite was at Podere Benintendi in Tuscany.
10. Taxis Won’t Stop for You When You Wave
This one was quite the frustrating discovery. We walked most of the trip, but Noelle smartly booked our rental car outside of town so driving out of the city would be easier. Rather than walking a few miles with all our luggage in smoldering heat, we tried to get a taxi. That morning, I’d overheard where to stand to wait for the taxis, and it was around the corner from where we were staying. Easy! (We thought). After a solid 15 or more minutes of standing and waiting, and probably 20 or more taxi cabs driving by, with many of them empty, we were baffled.
We tried holding up a hand to signal we weren’t just standing in the middle of a large painted yellow rectangle that said “taxi” with all our luggage, just because we thought it looked cool. Yet, no drivers cared. So we started walking, tried calling phone numbers on the side of cabs, and stopped at other taxi stations. After some Googling, we did learn that taxis in Italy will not stop anywhere on the street. According to our research, they will only show up at an address that called for a ride, or they’ll pick up at designated taxi stations. We made it all the way to the taxi station outside the main train station and saw multiple taxis parked but no drivers. So we waited and waited. One driver walked out and waved us off like they were off duty. Finally, another walked out, opened their trunk, and waved us over. In the end, it would have saved us time to walk, but it wouldn’t have been as safe walking certain busy streets, and it wouldn’t be anywhere near as hilarious and outrageous. Well, maybe it would have, but I’ll never forget how challenging it was to get a taxi that morning, especially since I grew up riding in my dad’s taxi.
BONUS: Ordering Coffee at the Bar
Let me keep this simple – you order your coffee directly from the barista. Yes, you’ll get your food from someone else, but the barista is pumping out coffee nonstop. Tell the barista (or bartender) directly what you’d like, and they’ll make it up and hand it right to you. At some spots, I paid afterward, and at others, I paid before, but I had to tell the barista directly all the time, and when I didn’t, there was massive confusion. I quite enjoyed it. Remember how Italians stand with their coffee at the bar to enjoy? What does that remind you of? Yes, the coffee culture mimics the bar culture here. Order from the bartender, and enjoy at the bar.
