As I bid Rome ciao, I have four Italian observations.
First, from the moment I took the costly cab from the airport to my hotel, to my afternoon wine and cheese at the wine bar last evening, I’ve been surprised by the music that I hear commonly playing in Italy. Very often it is not Italian music, but American music. Even more surprising is that it’s music largely from the 1980s, much of it which has been altered with a kind of techno-dance beat. This is surprising for two reasons. First, since it’s the music I grew up with it’s rather difficult for me to understand it as a high point culturally in music, and secondly, it’s just odd. Imagine, if you will that you were from Mexico or Russia, came to the U.S. for a visit, and most of the music you heard was music from Mexico or Russia from the 1980s. It shows, I suppose, the American cultural influence, whether they want to admit it or not.
Second, no matter how hard I tried, I could not get used to restrooms that had a common or shared washroom. It happened to me twice, once at a restaurant, and the second time at the Augustinianum, where I walked into the washroom, which is separate from the toilet area, to find women. I realize this is common in Europe, but it was still surprising to this American.
Third, an Italian needs to explain to me the tendency for motorists to straddle the lines separating the lanes. At first, I thought it was an indication of a desire to change lanes, but then I noticed cars straddling the line for no apparent reason. Is it to allow for the vespas to go around them on either side? If you’re Italian and can explain this practice in the comment box below, you would satisfy my curiosity.
Finally, Italy has a pace all its own. I was reminded of this most especially last night as I took the shuttle bus home from downtown Rome to my hotel. The bus was to leave at 9 p.m., but the driver was talking on his cell phone and seemed in no particular hurry to end his conversation and begin the drive. So, there the 10 of us on the bus sat, waiting for him. Some may describe the Italian way as lazy, but I don’t see it that way. It’s simply a relaxed way of life - a way of “letting God,” if you will. Italians are generally not so rigidly tied to a schedule. It’s an attitude which seems to say, “There are things unseen beyond my control. Come what may, all will work out in the end.” To this rather rigid American, it’s a pace and a way of living that are most welcome.
Thank you Italy for the beauty and pace of life these past few days. I pray that it’s not another 17 years before I return again.
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What I most appreciated about Italy in general and Rome in particular was the laughter, the humor, most of it self-directed. Like the Irish, they find life funny, and their own behavior ludicrous.
My family was stationed in northern Italy for 6 years. This reminds me so much of what we observed. American rap music was big. I walked into a grocery store one day to the thumping beat and all the “bad words.” These poor people had NO IDEA what they were actually listening to. I was absolutely mortified. Italian bathrooms have left me scarred. A hole in the floor—really?? My husband and I left the country after driving two vehicles for six years and we praised God we each left unscathed. The “invisible third lane” is terrifying to navigate. I am convinced it’s how they get around in Purgatory. But we LOVED our time in Italy. The pace of life, the priorities on family and gardening and eating together were wonderful life lessons for us.
I am an Italian American who has never been to Italy, but let me take a shot at your question. All the Italians I know are possessive; whatever portion of the lane their vehicles occupy is theirs and theirs exclusively…So they are the ones who create the lanes, not ‘the lines’...Secondly, they must never have been altar boys (servers)otherwise they would be prompt for everything…NEVER LATE…I guess this is what is meant by ‘AMERICANIZATION’...!!!
Thanks for these notes as one day I hope to travel to Italy, mostly to visit the Vatican, and I sure wouldn’t have known about these things either. Great information - have a fantastic rest of your trip!
When I visited relatives in Italy bqack in 1997, I had similar experiences. The popular music was rather a strange combination of familiar American songs and techno. On the radio, this was interspersed with arias from various Italian operas. When I was there, the train conductors went on strike and the system immediately shut down for about an hour or two. Crossing an avenue is also a treacherous undertaking as no one stops for pedestrians. I refused to drive there because no one follows driving rules. I actually saw a car drive up on the sidewalk and around another vehicle because he didn’t want to wait! The policia were there but did nothing. I loved Italy, but when I got back to America I wanted to kiss the ground!
We drove into Turin to see the Shroud. Ooh lala! One of the traffic rules has to be: ‘DO NOT LOOK BEHIND YOU. If you need to switch lanes, just do it. Either they’ll hit you from behind or they won’t.’ Well, they never seemed to. We did not see any traffic accidents. It was hair-raising for us, even though we drive in Los Angeles traffic daily. When we returned, we both commented on how slow and lumbering the traffic was here. (It is NOT).
We loved Italy. Christ permeates the country, from the wondrous art to the architecture to the people themselves. They loved my (Spanish attempts at) Italian, we laughed a lot, talked to so many people, enjoyed the food and wine—just felt so welcomed. I could have spent the next decade visiting the very old churches in Rome.
Thanks, Tim, for your blogs this week. It’s been a lovely dip into my favorite of all destinations.
Tim: In North Carolina, my doctor’s building has co-ed, individual bathrooms. It is a new things being started in this country. [I guess]If it is locked you just don’t go in. I personally do not like it because invariably the men will leave the seat “up”. I had heard of holes in the floor in England and other countries….guess it is a European thing. I have also heard that driving in Italy is horrendous. Funny that whenever anyone travels to Europe, “they are always glad to get back to the good ole USA”. Let us keep it the way it is and not let this administration change things.
If you really want to see interesting Italian driving , go to Naples.
If Italian drivers concerned you,you would be terrified in Sicily. At the NATO base we were billeted at one location and had to transit to the airbase over the local narrow roads. Very often we were passed by the tiny tin cans called Ciats. One day with traffic approaching from the other direction a Ciat was passing us while on that cars outside another car was passing it. Close calls were a part of life in Sicily. Also a small group of us had possession of a hand-me-down car (from one leaving squadron to the incoming squadron)which had need of some new tires. We took it to a tire shop in town and when we went to pick it up discovered that they had not replaced the tires for which we were being charged. The tire shop simply cut new grooves into the old worn out tires cutting right into the cloth layer of those old tires. Missed communication no doubt because when it was brought to their attention it was quickly corrected.
I like Rome and being the artist type it is all wonderfully appealing and enjoyable, the art in the churches, plazas, buildings and the music. First trip to Rome was before and after a cruise with Catholic Answers. Marvelous spring time in Rome and the Eastern Mediterranean. The next time our son in was singing in a chorale group from the States during the Musica Sacra Festivale Internationalle in Rome. He with his chorale group sang in the Church of San Ignatizio. It was November and it was marvelous to walk about with a light jacket in the middle of the day. Evenings brisker but very nice compared with the Rocky Mountain region. Will be back again in Rome in May with Catholic Answers and a cruise to the west and around. Yes, I do like Rome. But sharing a washroom with a lady is nothing, try sharing the bathroom (slit) with a Vietnamese lady. Done that. No problem at all. We seem to be a bit too fussy.
My husband is from Florence and explained the straddling of lane dividers as follows: Italians consider the street as one big lane (Is this a surprise? Have you seen Italians stand in “line?”), so that there is no need to observe the division of the actual driving lanes. The only time it matters is when you need to change lanes and/or turn when there is heavy traffic. In those cases, the driver seeking to turn or change lanes gets the right-of-way from the lane straddlers.
It’s funny that you didn’t mention the shock over lines- the first time I was old enough to care and was standing in line in Vicenza, I was shocked to find out that if you don’t literally smash yourself onto the person in front of you, someone will just cut right in front of you. It doesn’t matter where you are. Heck, during Mass, receiving the Eucharist is a free-for-all rush to the Priest distributing the Eucharist.
Hi Tim. My husband and I live in Italy (very happily, I must add) and have gotten quite used to the oddities you note. We always tell friends who are going to rent a car when they get to Italy, you must understand that to Italians it is not ‘my’ lane and ‘your’ lane. It is ‘our’ road, and each driver will use that part of it that seems necessary. There is an unspoken rule of driving in Italy: no one may be in front of you, especially on autostrada. :-) Another practice, not observed in the States, is that slow drivers will frequently make an effort to let faster drivers get past them. One of the rules of the road there is that we are not supposed to impede anyone else’s progress. We think that by and large, for all their quirks, Italians are very good drivers. I got my driver’s license there (in Italian!) and can attest that the driving regulations are logical and elegant. But as my husband says, there is no place in the world where the theory is so completely different from the practice! It is a beautiful country, and you are correct about a different attitude; according to Italians, Americans live to work; Italians work to live.
When I was in Italy on a pilgrimage in 2003, when crossing the street on foot we were told not to look at the drivers of cars when crossing as they would take it as our telling them to go. To avoid getting hit when we’d cross the street we’d all chant, “don’t look, don’t look, don’t look”. The only one who got hit was our Italian tour guide! Then it was just a gentle tap—oh yeah, her foot got run over but she was ok.
first 2 are wrong: havent seen a single unisex bathroom in the entire country. what you WILL get is a single bathroom in many places (they’re too small for more). as for non-italian music, maybe 1 or 2 stations. the rest are constantly italian music and (even more) talk.
but yes on the next 2. i think they have an inner rebellion against anyone trying to charter their lives. so many years of catholic or fascist rule will do that to a national psyche, so any way you can get around the system is legit - even if it merely means refusing to place your car in between 2 guiding lines.
and no, they’re not lazy. it’s just that work is a 4-letter word. when we first came we were told that one italian saying goes: “if you feel like working, sit down a moment - it’ll pass.”
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