If you've not been to Italy before this, you're going to find that there's a lot of interesting things that will seem very different from what you may be use to... Our advice: Be patient, give it some time, try to understand the culture and learn to embrace the differences...
#1. Their culture and traditions are thousands of years old, and nothing you say or do is gonna change them ...#2. You didn't spend thousands of dollars and travel half way around the world to experience something that's exactly the same as it is in your hometown!
If you're like most people, you've come to Italy to truly experience the uniqueness, and the beauty & charm of The Old World... And they do things differently... and it's actually pretty cool once you get used to it...
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| Buongiorno... Benvenuto in Italia |
Ice in drinks is usually sparse... Maybe one or two cubes... This is because they're just not used to drinks as cold as we typically enjoy them here in the US... As much as we think electricity is expensive here in the US, electricity in Italy is typically 5 times what you pay here in the US... So massive amounts of refrigeration is rare... To give you an idea, a 10kg bag of ice (22 lbs) that we might pay $3 to $4 for here in the US, often runs about $14 in Italy. They also feel ice cold drinks are not good for digestion... (if it's really hot outside, and you really need a drink poured over a whole glass of ice, find a McDonalds).
Italians tend to order off the menu and accept the offering as it is presented on the menu... They don't typically ask for substitutions as we might here in the US... Your waiter may not understand if you ask for French Fries instead of a baked potato, and you may end up with both (and be charged for both). Most all Italians have olive oil and a light sprinkle of salt on their salads... sometimes a tiny bit of vinegar, and hence many restaurants will not have a whole assortment of what we call salad dressings... They'll just usually have olive oil and vinegar... (at the Villa, our Chef Angela usually pre-dresses the salad, and guests go crazy for it! ~ her recipe is amazingly simple and she's happy to share it)
In their bars, (what we call coffee shops) they usually have different pricing structures... one for standing at the counter, and another for sitting at a table with waiter service... A caffe at the counter is typically 1euro, and at a table it's typically 2 euro... We suggest you do one or the other... Often, a frequent American faux pas is that we order at the counter and then carry our drinks to the table... If the establishment has waiter service, this is considered a no-no... and while they won't throw you out for this, it will get you some dirty looks. (this issue is much more casual & relaxed in smaller villages, but in the cities it's pretty much a rule).
At their outdoor markets, you shouldn't touch the fruit and vegetables... Tell the vendor what you want, and they'll often ask you: quando vuoi mangiarlo? (when do you want to eat it?) and then they'll pick the appropriate fruit for you based on it's ripeness...
In a larger grocery store, you can handle the fruit and produce yourself, but only with the disposable plastic gloves that will be on a roll near the end of isles... This is not a pandemic thing, it's been this way forever in Italy. If you don't use the gloves, you'll get nasty looks from everyone around... and you'll need to note the id# to weigh it and price it yourself on the little scales at the end of the isles. Both the gloves and the scales have gradually worked their way into the US market over the last 10 years, but it's been this way forever in Italy...
In most all of their trattorias, osterias and ristorante there will be a "Coperto" added to your bill. Typically it's 2 to 3 Euro per person. This is a "cover charge" to sit at the table... If you ask, often it's referred to as "the bread charge", but it will do you no good to tell them you don't want the bread... you will still get charged the Coperto... Think of it this way; if you've been following along on the BLOG, you might remember that tipping in restaurants is a lot less in Italy... Most Italians don't tip at all... So you're really not spending any more... but know that the Coperto does not go to your waiter... We'll have more posts on "Tipping in Italy" later in the Blog...
Life is just slower and more relaxed in Italy... In the US, when we sit down at a table in a restaurant, we expect immediate service... Not so much in most of Europe... Dining out is considered a magnificent event, not to be rushed... You may be shown to a table and given a menu, but it may be ten minutes till someone comes to ask for your drink order... They don't want to rush you and they're just much more casual...
And the table? It's your's until you decide to leave... Here in the US, waiters are trained to turn the table as often as possible, and they typically ask us, is there anything else, and then give us the check... This is often the signal that they want you to leave so they can give the table to the next party... This will almost never happen in Italy... You may be asked if you'd like anything else, but rarely will they bring you the check until you ask for it... you usually always have to ask for your check; (il conto, per favore = the check please...) It's not at all unusual for an Italian family to occupy a table for over 3 hours...
We could go on & on... but you get the idea... these are just a few examples, you'll experience many more... The cultures are different! And unlike a lot of mass market bus Tours, your Adventures to Tuscany Tour is designed to deeply immerse into this authentic culture, not shield you from it... Again, be patient, slow down, try to understand and embrace the differences... It will make for a much better vacation experience, and of course, you want the memories to be positive! We'll keep writing & giving you the tips, and by the time you get to Italy you'll have a much deeper understanding of Italy then most tourists do after they leave... Get excited! It'll be here before you know it! (ps: if you haven't bought your air tix & booked your rental car yet, we strongly urge you to get on it... Demand is high... Prices have been going up and we expect them to keep going up...)
In their bars, (what we call coffee shops) they usually have different pricing structures... one for standing at the counter, and another for sitting at a table with waiter service... A caffe at the counter is typically 1euro, and at a table it's typically 2 euro... We suggest you do one or the other... Often, a frequent American faux pas is that we order at the counter and then carry our drinks to the table... If the establishment has waiter service, this is considered a no-no... and while they won't throw you out for this, it will get you some dirty looks. (this issue is much more casual & relaxed in smaller villages, but in the cities it's pretty much a rule).
At their outdoor markets, you shouldn't touch the fruit and vegetables... Tell the vendor what you want, and they'll often ask you: quando vuoi mangiarlo? (when do you want to eat it?) and then they'll pick the appropriate fruit for you based on it's ripeness...
In a larger grocery store, you can handle the fruit and produce yourself, but only with the disposable plastic gloves that will be on a roll near the end of isles... This is not a pandemic thing, it's been this way forever in Italy. If you don't use the gloves, you'll get nasty looks from everyone around... and you'll need to note the id# to weigh it and price it yourself on the little scales at the end of the isles. Both the gloves and the scales have gradually worked their way into the US market over the last 10 years, but it's been this way forever in Italy...
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| America has a deep relationship with Italy... Older Italians, (over 80) are especially aware & grateful that America sent over 16 million troops to Europe fight in WWII... millions of them to Italy. If not for America's involvement, we'd all be speaking German! Sometimes when you interact with an Italian senior citizen, they'll thank you... To truly understand the depth of this subject; click here |
Life is just slower and more relaxed in Italy... In the US, when we sit down at a table in a restaurant, we expect immediate service... Not so much in most of Europe... Dining out is considered a magnificent event, not to be rushed... You may be shown to a table and given a menu, but it may be ten minutes till someone comes to ask for your drink order... They don't want to rush you and they're just much more casual...
And the table? It's your's until you decide to leave... Here in the US, waiters are trained to turn the table as often as possible, and they typically ask us, is there anything else, and then give us the check... This is often the signal that they want you to leave so they can give the table to the next party... This will almost never happen in Italy... You may be asked if you'd like anything else, but rarely will they bring you the check until you ask for it... you usually always have to ask for your check; (il conto, per favore = the check please...) It's not at all unusual for an Italian family to occupy a table for over 3 hours...
We could go on & on... but you get the idea... these are just a few examples, you'll experience many more... The cultures are different! And unlike a lot of mass market bus Tours, your Adventures to Tuscany Tour is designed to deeply immerse into this authentic culture, not shield you from it... Again, be patient, slow down, try to understand and embrace the differences... It will make for a much better vacation experience, and of course, you want the memories to be positive! We'll keep writing & giving you the tips, and by the time you get to Italy you'll have a much deeper understanding of Italy then most tourists do after they leave... Get excited! It'll be here before you know it! (ps: if you haven't bought your air tix & booked your rental car yet, we strongly urge you to get on it... Demand is high... Prices have been going up and we expect them to keep going up...)
