Culture and Romance in Italy
Italy is the home of Ovid, known for his wise counsel to lovers everywhere, to legendary Latin lover Casanova and of course to fictional lovers Romeo and Juliet.
Photo: A kiss in Rome. GMS
It has always been a romantic destination, the very word is derived from the name of its capital city, and it is easy to see why.
Whether strolling through the cities of Rome, Florence or Verona with their beautiful and historic buildings, exploring the the beautiful landscape of Tuscany, floating on a gondola through Venice or soaking up the rich cultural past of Trieste it is impossible not to be overtaken by the romance of it all.
Lifestyle & Culture
Italians are friendly people who enjoy relaxing and socialising with friends and family, very often over food either at home or in a restaurant.
How they look is a matter of great pride to Italians, and both men and women who pay a great deal of attention to their appearance. The love of good design extends beyond fashion to home design, ceramics, jewellery, glassware, even cars.
In most cities and towns you will find boutiques and small shops with breathtakingly lovely clothes, jewellry and household items, and many of them thronged with people who look as though they stepped from a magazine.
The Italians are mad about soccer, parading through the streets with flags and painted faces - or even cars - when the local team is playing. A national celebration follows any victory by the Italian team and a national depression descends if they lose.
Italian Driving!
In sharp contrast to the normally easy going way of life is the Italian approach to driving, which is fast, furious and dismissive of rules and regulations - and truly terrifying for the uninitiated!
Except in towns, where it often comes to a standstill. A feature of the streets is the ubiquity of the scooter, weaving though often stationary traffic - and occasionally even mounting the pavement and startling pedestrians!
While the people are laid back and determined to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, they seem to change completely once it comes to anything official. Their bureaucracy is legendary and the police - particularly the military police or Carabinieri - can look, and be, quite terrifying.