- Pisa is a waste of time.
- The hill towns are amazing. We stayed in Orvieto and visited Civita Bagnaregio. Both awe inspiring.
- Pedestrians do not have the right of way.
- Italian drivers take lane markings very casually.
- Cars are tiny so they can drive down small alley ways that you don't think should really be streets.
- If you get just a little bit outside the tourist areas you are more likely to encounter people who speak no English.
- Trains work pretty well, buses are ok. We almost got stranded by a bus strike though.
- There's a 50/50 chance that anyone is going to check your train ticket. There seems to be a zero percent chance that your bus ticket will be checked.
- Sienna is pretty awesome.
- The train station with the name that's the most fun to say is Firenze Santa Maria Novella.
- Italians basically don't believe in washcloths.
- Do not use the small towels hanging above the bidet as washcloths. They are for your butt.
- Children spend a lot of time trying to kick pigeons.
- Restaurants do not server olive oil and vinegar with bread.
- The bread really isn't that good. The Italians could learn a thing or two from the French on appreciating good bread.
- Some words don't have an exact translation but are more of a general use like allora and prego.
- Many public restrooms don't have toilet seats.
- Wiener dogs are very popular.
- I met a lot of cats that seem to be just hanging out living their life in amazing settings. The cats (like the cars) are pretty small.
- Capri is beautiful but a total tourist trap.
- We had a nice kosher meal in the historically Jewish district with some fried Jerusalem artichokes.
- Romans will go out of their way to tell you that they're Roman. They consider that additive to being Italian.
- We had a tour guide that spoke Italian, English, Spanish, French, a little bit of German and could speak passably in Japanese.
