One of my college friends was in town this weekend with some of his law school pals passing through on a post- bar exam European tour. I went up to Rome to hang out with them Friday night-Sunday, and then they stayed at my place Sunday and Monday nights. It was actually a really good time. From that, though, I now have some ground rules that I would like to lay down for when you come to visit. Like I have said before, you're all more than welcome to come visit whenever you want. However:
-If you come to go siteseeing, do not complain about walking. Unless you feel like going and getting tickets for the tourist pick-up/drop-off bus, you're going to walk. It's how siteseeing works. Me, I like to walk. I could walk around Rome all day. In fact, I HAVE walked around Rome all day. It's quite nice. And if you're with a group of people going sightseeing at a place where none of them have ever been, you may end up getting off a couple bus stops too soon and having to walk a mile or two farther than you expected. So deal with it.
-Service at the restaraunts (or anywhere, for that matter) will not be what you expect in the States. For one thing, they don't all speak English here. Imagine that. And yes, it may take awhile to get the check, even if you ask. In fact, it may take awhile to get anything done. And when it does get done, it may very well be done half-assed. That's Italy. Relax. Enjoy it. Stay awhile. And stop whining about it every single time it happens. It's part of the charm.
-Guess what? Italians eat Italian food. Yes, it's nice to get a break every once in awhile if you're here for a long time, and they do have some other ethnic restaraunts here and there, but if you're looking for a good population of Mexican, Chinese, Thai and Indian places, stay in New York. (However, I'm more than happy to throw some burgers on the grill for you if you get tired of the local cuisine.)
-Guess what else? It's hot in Italy in the summer! If you come sightseeing in the summertime, expect to sweat. Don't complain about being hot all the time. Either tour around the city in an air conditioned car, or plan the timing of your trip a little better. Or just enjoy soaking up the sun. Nobody cares that you're sweaty and smelly, because so is everybody else. And not just the tourists.
-You know how it's more expensive to get a meal and a drink in NYC than in, say, Schenectady? Or more expensive in Boston than in Deerfield? Well, turns out Rome is the same way. Imagine that. Just because you can stay in a decent motel or pensione in Tuscany for 30 Euro a night, or get a full meal and all the wine you can drink for 15 Euro, doesn't mean you can do it in Rome. It's a big city, folks. Things cost money in cities. Don't whine about it.
If I'm coming off a bit negative, it's for a purpose. I want you to come and visit, but to really experience Italy, you have to let yourself relax and actually enjoy these little annoyances. It's really a part of the whole culture, and whining about it (besides pissing me off) just focuses you on those little aspects of the trip that just really don't matter.
Did I mention that I can stand in my backyard and watch the sun set over the Mediterranean? I'm going to go home and do that now.
-If you come to go siteseeing, do not complain about walking. Unless you feel like going and getting tickets for the tourist pick-up/drop-off bus, you're going to walk. It's how siteseeing works. Me, I like to walk. I could walk around Rome all day. In fact, I HAVE walked around Rome all day. It's quite nice. And if you're with a group of people going sightseeing at a place where none of them have ever been, you may end up getting off a couple bus stops too soon and having to walk a mile or two farther than you expected. So deal with it.
-Service at the restaraunts (or anywhere, for that matter) will not be what you expect in the States. For one thing, they don't all speak English here. Imagine that. And yes, it may take awhile to get the check, even if you ask. In fact, it may take awhile to get anything done. And when it does get done, it may very well be done half-assed. That's Italy. Relax. Enjoy it. Stay awhile. And stop whining about it every single time it happens. It's part of the charm.
-Guess what? Italians eat Italian food. Yes, it's nice to get a break every once in awhile if you're here for a long time, and they do have some other ethnic restaraunts here and there, but if you're looking for a good population of Mexican, Chinese, Thai and Indian places, stay in New York. (However, I'm more than happy to throw some burgers on the grill for you if you get tired of the local cuisine.)
-Guess what else? It's hot in Italy in the summer! If you come sightseeing in the summertime, expect to sweat. Don't complain about being hot all the time. Either tour around the city in an air conditioned car, or plan the timing of your trip a little better. Or just enjoy soaking up the sun. Nobody cares that you're sweaty and smelly, because so is everybody else. And not just the tourists.
-You know how it's more expensive to get a meal and a drink in NYC than in, say, Schenectady? Or more expensive in Boston than in Deerfield? Well, turns out Rome is the same way. Imagine that. Just because you can stay in a decent motel or pensione in Tuscany for 30 Euro a night, or get a full meal and all the wine you can drink for 15 Euro, doesn't mean you can do it in Rome. It's a big city, folks. Things cost money in cities. Don't whine about it.
If I'm coming off a bit negative, it's for a purpose. I want you to come and visit, but to really experience Italy, you have to let yourself relax and actually enjoy these little annoyances. It's really a part of the whole culture, and whining about it (besides pissing me off) just focuses you on those little aspects of the trip that just really don't matter.
Did I mention that I can stand in my backyard and watch the sun set over the Mediterranean? I'm going to go home and do that now.
posted by Chris at 5:22 PM
3 Comments:
oh the memories this post produces. i went to italy with my parents right before i moved to vegas. it was great!!!! although my dad doesn't like or eat italian food, my mom had just had recently had her hip replaced, and they found it proposterous that restaurants didn't have butter (i tried to explain the whole oil dipping thing...no luck). i may be the only person to see only irish pubs while in italy. in any case, there was a lot of walking and my folks kept asking me "where's this?" and "how much further?" and "how do we get there?" i finally had to make a DEAD STOP walking, turn around and scream "I DON'T KNOW, I'VE NEVER BEEN TO ROME BEFORE!!!!" after that, it was a little better. i basically hailed a cab got dropped off at a monument and then hailed another cab.
but the very best statement of that whole trip was on a day it was pouring rain. i met a friendly guard at the vatican and asked him for suggestions of where to go for sandwiches. so we go to this cool little coffee shop/cafe/wine bar that had newspapers and books and plenty to keep you busy on a rainy day of vacation. i was enjoying a great, inexpensive glass of wine reading a magazine when my mother says "what are we doing next?? i didn't come to italy to sit around and drink wine all day at a cafe." i could only think to myself, "that's EXACTLY why i came to italy."
so chris, i feel your pain. now if i could get your brother and half my friends to stop telling me how fucking hot it is in vegas in the summer i'll be alright. i understand that i've probably become a little more acclimated than most considering i drive around in an unairconditioned car, but for godsake, this IS the desert people!
On that note, Anne and I may be coming to Italy in December, for the week or two just before Christmas. You around?
I'm sure I will be, yes. And I'd be happy to have you here. I'll even have a futon by then so you won't have to sleep on an air mattress.
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