As the token American at my International School in Rome, Italy, everyone turned to me to bring the setting of the Harlem Renaissance’s Langston Hughes dream poetry, the infamous Manhattan, New York, to life. To grab my students’ attention, I innocently ask them if anyone had been to New York City before. As their eyes widened in excitement, 1 nervous hand inched up in the air from the back row. Anxiously awaiting every detail, the children begged to know, “What is it like!?” I’ll never forget the monotonous look on my 11-year-old students face when he grumbled, “Nothing special..all the streets look the same.”
But as I lose myself in Roman ruins with the ancient cathedrals, vibrant buildings, narrow cobblestone streets, and zooming vespas – I see his point. This insanely beautiful city, with its rich history is night and day from downtown Manhattan. And no, Little Italy does NOT do it justice.
When I first moved here, I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. Oh, how wrong I was. I hate to admit it, but before I learned to embrace all of Italy’s charm, I did not like it at first. Although I was no stranger to living abroad, this was my first time experiencing culture shock.
Here are the top 10 things I wish I knew before I landed in the Eternal City:
1. The Language Barrier
Before Italy, I tried my best to learn as much Italian as possible. I was practicing Duolingo on my lunch break, the bus, and every night before bed. Everyone wondered, “What are you doing!? You’re going to one of the most touristy cities on the planet, everyone will speak English!” Language learning myth #1 that all Americans think no matter where they go is that everyone already speaks English (or is learning it). In the likely event that you meet someone who doesn’t speak English, here are a couple of greeting phrases that will get you by:
- Hello (at any time of day): Ciao
- Good Morning: Buongiorno
- Good Evening: Buonasera
- Good Night: Buona notte
- Thank you: Grazie
- Your welcome: Prego
- Where is the restroom?: Dove e il bagno per favore? Pronounced: doh-VEH eel BAH-nyoh per fah-vor-ray?
2. Greetings
I’ll never forget when I went on my first blind date in Italy right before the COVID-19 pandemic and my date went in for not 1, but 2 kisses. Italians greet just like the Spanish do, planting a kiss on both cheeks. Now that that even hugs and hand shakes have been reduced to elbow bumps, I am waiting to see how this tradition evolves.
3. Coffee
If you’re anything like me and drink coffee like it’s water, you will be fairly disappointed to find that Italians do not do drip coffee. Here’s how to order coffee like the Italians do:
- Expresso: Un caffe per favore – This is the standard coffee order for most Italians. For Americans, on the other hand, this is like going to Starbucks and ordering a shot of expresso!
- Caffe Americano – As you can tell by the name, this is the most similar to American coffee. Or as Italians like to call it, “watered down coffee.”
- Cappuccino – A shot of espresso with milk and milk foam. While we’re on the subject of milk, don’t say I didn’t tell you so. If you order a latte, you will get a very strange look with a side of warm milk.
- Caffe latte – Is what you’re looking for if you want espresso mixed with your side of warm milk.
- Caffe macchiato – A shot of espresso with a splash of milk and foam.
- Decafinato – If you’re an alien and drink your coffee decaf, here it is; served up like an espresso.
4. All Things Breakfast
If you’re in Italy for big American style brunch, you came to the wrong place. Unlike American breakfast, Italian breakfast is actually the smallest meal of the day. You’ll want to order a croissant (cornetto) to cozy up with your caffe americano. Here’s how to order croissants like a pro:
- Plain: cornetto
- Cream-filled: crema
- Jelly-filled: marmellata
- Honey-filled: miele
- Nutella: no translation needed!
5. Riposo
After a hard morning at the office, get ready for your riposo, which is just like a siesta in Spain. After my mid-morning caffe break, I only had 1-2 more classes to teach until riposo! Although my school did not allow students to leave for lunch, many schools do. If you do leave for a late lunch, watch out! Many places close down anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours between 1 and 4 pm. Some places don’t reopen until dinner.
6. Dinner Time
Speaking of dinner, be prepared to eat late; dinner isn’t served until 8 to 10 pm! Pro-tip: you won’t find anywhere to eat before 7 pm earliest, and even if you do, be weary of tourist traps.
Another common tourist trap is the (*) after a menu item, which means that it is not fresh food, but frozen. Choosing the right restaurant can be overwhelming because hosts herd eager tourists like goats to their menus. My advice: do a little research and take a couple of laps around the square (piazza) before you decide. If you see people lining up to a full dining room, it’s usually a good sign.
7. Coperto
Similar to how some nice restaurants here include 18% service charge in the bill, do not be surprised if you get a 5 euro service charge on your bill. Some places charge a flat fee, but others will charge a small fee per guest eg., 2 euro. Not too bad if you ask me!
8. Tipping
Due to coperto, tipping is not customary across Italy, and many parts of Europe. However, I felt like most places almost expected me to tip because I was American. As a result, I always left a couple extra euros – especially for top notch service. Even just 5-10% was a sure way to get free rounds of the infamous limoncello at the end of every meal.
9. Transportation
So you just finished your classic Italian dinner consisting of an appetizer, 1st course of pasta, 2nd course of meat/fish, and gelato for dessert. Naturally, you can’t imagine walking the mile back. If you were in America, you could easily call an Uber. In Italy, they only have what’s called UberBLACK, which is a fancy luxury car service. Instead of being overcharged, hail a cab. Many cab drivers will see Americans and try to rip them off, so book a taxi with FREE NOW, the #1 cab service in Europe!
10. Elevators
At last, you finally arrive at your 10-story loft. The only problem is, at this point in the night taking the stairs just isn’t an option. You’re forced to take that medieval looking contraption that they claim is an elevator. Not convinced. Trust me on this one: just because it’s old, doesn’t mean it doesn’t work like new.
When in doubt, do as the Romans do!
