August 03, 2014

Culture Shock in Italy



Have you ever built up a place, a culture, or a country up in your mind to be one thing and been completely blown away (in a good or bad way) when you actually experienced it for yourself?  Upon arrival, you simply stand there, mouth agape and eyes slightly unfocused, with a variation of Inigo Montoya's "I do not think it means what you think it means" running through your jet-lagged, caffeine-addled brain as you try to wrap your mind around the fact that this place is not what you thought it would be like and you're not yet certain what to make of that fact.  That's pretty much what happened to me when I visited Italy for the first time a few weeks ago.

Italy was...breathtaking, in all senses of the word.  From the brightly-colored laundry hanging high above the streets of Napoli, to the cerulean depths of the Tyrrhenian Sea, to the dusty, mesmerizing lines of Roman ruins, the beauty of Italy captivates its viewer.  Alternatively, the dizzying traffic, the sweat-packed compartments of the Circumvesuviana train line, the undeterred advances of street vendors, and the absurdly expensive prices of Rome are also breathtaking.  I thought I had Italy figured out from the comfort of my living room couch, but the reality blew me away from the moment I stepped off that plane.

Three weeks later and I'm still sorting out my thoughts!

What I Adored:
The casual attitude towards history.  I was surprised at how many objects in the National Museum of Rome are not behind glass doors or roped off beyond arm's reach.  If you really wanted to, you could touch and feel many priceless artifacts.

The gelato.  I had the best gelato of my life at Tre Scalini Caffe on the Piazza Navona.  My mouth is watering at the mere thought of their chocolate and cream and tiramisu flavors.  Mmmm!

The attractions.  I still can't believe I actually saw all those famous sites with my own eyes!  Textbooks, pictures, and second-hand accounts can't do it justice.  You simply must go and see them for yourself.

The fashion.  Italy and Italians seem to be simultaneously formal and yet casual.  High-heeled ladies do their grocery shopping with the same ease and informality as if strolling along a pleasant beach pier, yet they're dressed as if they might meet a prince by chance.  The men are equally as well-groomed.  Why I couldn't have been born into a fabulously wealthy family (or landed a big paying job!) so I could afford all the beautiful clothing is beyond me.  While I don't have the budget to be a fashionista, I did my best to not be too obviously American in my clothing choices.  I'm sure Italians could still tell anyway!  When it came to wearing heels, however, I drew the line - at the end of the day, my feet were screaming and sore just from wearing comfy flats!

The wine.  Although I've been trying to cultivate a better appreciation for beer, wine is still my first choice.  It took a few tries, but I finally found some Italian wines that I enjoyed.  And compared to the prices of everything else, buying alcohol is the same price or cheaper than in the States!

The coastline.  Until this trip, I'd never seen crystal-clear water.  While swimming in the Tyrrhenian Sea, I could actually see the bottom even when it was nearly 20+ meters deep!  Our day spent in and around Sorrento could quite possibly be my favorite day of the whole trip.  Our only itinerary was to find the Roman ruins at Punta del Capo (about an hour walk outside Sorrento), lay out our beach towels, and splash around.  I rarely ever feel as relaxed as I was that day.



What Surprised Me:
The garbage.  An excess of garbage is more understandable in a big city like Rome, but I was disturbed at the trash left behind at the Regina Giovanna swimming hole in Punta del Capo.  I'm not saying that trash is a problem specific only to Italians (we certainly find plenty of it on our Chesapeake Bay beach combings or down at the Outer Banks!), but when a perfectly good trash can is eschewed in favor of throwing the trash beside it, then some lifestyle changes need to be made.

The stray dogs in Pompeii.  I took this fuzzy picture on our last day there.  Many of these pups live in the ruins themselves, and I can only guess that they subsist on scraps dropped by tourists?

A la carte dinners.  That's not to say I didn't like the food itself - I love Italian food.  But when you order, say, saltimbucca, you're not going to be offered any vegetables on the side unless you specifically order it.  Expect a good meal to cost quite a bit, especially in Rome!

The traffic laws (or lack thereof).  Let's just say that I didn't imagine my first experience with Italy would involve wheeling my suitcase IN traffic.  Not on a sidewalk, not on a shoulder, but IN traffic.  The shuttle bus from Naples airport to the main train station dropped us off in a little traffic island about 600 meters from the actual station.  We had to walk against traffic around a blind corner with mere inches between you and autos driving with reckless abandon.  It was eye-opening, somewhat frightening, but also a little bit exhilarating.  Still, I was thoroughly relieved to make it to the station in one piece!

My expectations and imaginations of Italy were far from reality in some ways, but I wasn't disappointed.  Just surprised!  But then again, when you're basically just expecting a warmer version of northern Europe, you're bound to experience a bit of a shock!  Southern Europe is so very different from the Germany that I love.  I did like Italy.  I just didn't like it as much as I thought I would.  I've read (and been told) that Italy needs more than one visit before you can truly figure out your feelings about it.  That sounds like a good reason to return someday!  But as more time passes since our trip, I find myself thinking more and more fondly of Italy and wondering when I'll return to her.

Have you visited Italy?  Did your expectations match reality?  




Linking up with the Sunday Traveler!

22 comments:

  1. I really liked Italy when I was there and would love to go back for a second visit someday. I had some of the best food and gelato there. So good! I had gelato everyday even though it was the middle of winter. I was pretty surprised by the garbage too and the a la carte ordering happens all throughout Europe I find. Annoying when you don't realize it. Thanks for linking up to the #SundayTraveler!

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    1. We actually only ate gelato once during our whole week in Italy. It's one thing I wish I could go back and change! Oh well, I'll have to make up for it whenever we finish our tour of Italy in the future. :)

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  2. Expectations are always tricky business when traveling!! Especially if you've dreamed and fantasized about a location for ages before actually going. That's what happened to me on my first visit to Paris. But, I'm thrilled to say, that city does live up to all the hype, in my experience at least. But that's the thing with travel - it opens your eyes to everything that is new and unexpected. :)

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    1. It certainly does! Italy had always been a dream of mine, and I think I built up this fantastically idealistic expectation of how it would be, what we would do, how our trip would play out, etc, that I was bound to be surprised in more than a few ways. But the more time elapses, the fonder I think about Italy - even the parts I didn't like. As for Paris? I am not overly familiar with France so don't have any unrealistic expectations (other than a few stereotypes! :P).

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  3. That's probably one of the best write up's I've read from a visitor. Italy has such a split personality - the trash on the streets / immaculate houses, basically being able to touch antiquities / getting evil stares if you touch clothes in a shop... it's very odd and something I still struggle with. I have such a love hate relationship with the place yet it calls me...

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    1. Yes!!! I think I expected to fall in love with Italy the same way I did with London and Germany, especially since I know a LOT more about the ancient history than I do for the other locations. I think I built up a fantastically idealistic expectation of how Italy would be that I was bound to be surprised/disappointed. I think when I return to Italy I'll like it a lot more since I know how it is and won't have unrealistic ideas filling up my head. The longer it's been since we've been there, the more I like it and want to return. Our next visit will begin in Rome and then we'll head north and see what northern Italy has to offer!

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  4. Love this article! Traveling to Paris was similar. Loved so much, but bothered by the guys Hawking mini Eiffel towers so insistently. Food was so good but so much money! And everyone was dressed fabulous of course.

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    1. Oh, I forgot to say something about the hawkers! I actually wasn't too bothered by the guys selling things, but the ones who were "giving" away roses and then pestering tourists for money for their "gifts" really annoyed me!

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  5. I also visited Italy just a few weeks ago and agree with you on so many things. I can't believe that I accidentally stumbled upon Tre Scalani when I was in the mood for gelato. I just randomly picked it, and now this is the 2nd blog post this week I've read that mentions it. I'm an American who's been living in SE Asia for the last few years, so things like the crazy traffic, litter, and stray dogs seemed rather normal to me. I will admit to being intimidated by all the fashionably dressed Italians as I just had my ultra-casual SE Asia outfits with me. We were in Sorrento, but I didn't know about Punta del Capo. Too bad as your description of it makes me wish we had visited there.

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    1. Ahhhh!!! Glad to find another Tre Scalani fan! We actually stumbled upon it by accident. I really needed a bathroom and figured it'd be a good opportunity to get gelato (it was the only time we ate it during our whole time in Italy - tragic, isn't it?). Yes, the fashion really was intimidating, but after a day or two I just kind of stopped letting it bother me. I spend my money on trips, not clothes, and I wasn't there to impress anyone!

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  6. Thank you so much for posting this! Our plans are to travel to Italy next May and I'm trying to read as much as I can. I'm not sure what my expectations really are, other than I really want to see all of the history and beauty of the country. I realize things are going to be expensive though, that's why I'm saving as much as I can at the moment! :) I also haven't heard of Punta del Capo, but I want to go there now!

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    1. Glad to help! I hope I didn't sound overly negative. It's truly a wonderful place, but I want to be realistic as to some of the "quirks" of the place. I'll be writing more in depth posts about each place we were so check back for a post about Punta Del Capo! I should have something out within the next week!

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  7. I loved reading this 'expectations v reality' list. I've never been to Italy, but it seems like from your list the good definitely outweigh the bad, so it'll stay as a future travel plan :)

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    1. Oh, the good most DEFINITELY outweighs the bad! I hope I didn't scare anyone off Italy with this post - that was not my intention. It was my first experience with southern Europe, and I was just surprised at how different it is from northern Europe. Then again, since there are differences between the north and south in the US, I guess I really shouldn't have been so surprised!

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  8. So delighted that your favorite day was in my adopted hometown of Sorrento and yes, we shudder at the sweaty days spent on the Circumvesuviana. Life in Italy, as anywhere, has its ups and downs but it's always what you make/dream it to be. PS - while you were off exploring Italy, this yr I was in Chesapeake. LoL

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    1. How funny! We just swapped worlds for a little bit. :) Our brief time in Sorrento and Bagni Regina Giovanna was sublime. I'm struggling to write a post about it; some places and experiences can be too magical for words!

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  9. Hey, on behalf of Christa, Host of The Sunday Traveler, I was stopping by to check out your article. Good read. Italy is part of my heritage and definitely amongst the top three on my 'List. Just the picture of that Gelato makes my mouth water. I've had some in Sweden and I'm curious to see how they compare. The picture of the Tyrrhenian Sea has me longing since my hubby and I are scuba divers. Crystal clear visibility is always appreciated and at 20+ Meters, sounds wonderful! The situation with the garbage is rather surprising and saddening. Thanks for all the info. :)

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    1. Glad you enjoyed! Italy had been on my bucket list since middle/high school, but I feel like I can't yet cross it off until I see more of it! You would really enjoy diving in the Tyrrhenian! It's so beautiful!

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  10. I've been a few times now, and the thing that always catches me off guard is the cost of food. Yikes. 11 euro for a cheap pasta... that hurts. Thanks for linking up with us for #SundayTraveler

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    1. Those prices really do hurt! Is Croatia any cheaper? We're thinking that'll be our next trip!

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  11. I had written a comment but it didn't go through.. I really noticed the garbage too, and what I loved most was the free cold water everywhere!

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    1. Yes, the free fountain water in Pompeii and in the Forum part of Rome was great for the budget! (Although the water in Pompeii didn't taste all that great...)

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