Notes, and Notable Differences

Burkenstocks
Birkenstocks are everywhere - even on little kids! Definitely a good choice, as far as shoes go. I'm already getting a rad tan line from them. It's going to be insane by the time I leave!

Gelato
So far I've tried the following flavors. Here are my thoughts....
Coffee - excellent.
Caramel - not really what I was expecting...definitely caramel flavored, but I'm not a big fan.
Melon aka Cantaloupe - I should have known that this was cantaloupe, but for some reason that didn't register. Next time I'm going to try melon verde - I hope it's honeydew.
Strawberry - so good! Probably tied with coffee.
Melon verde (honey dew) - so I'm not sure this is actually honey dew, but it's much better than the melon flavor. I paired it with strawberry - a refreshing combination.

An interesting note about gelatto. Getting a cup instead of a cone is either more expensive OR the same price as a cone, but you get less ice cream. Scandalous!! I think in the future I'll be getting a cone and just won't eat the cone. Also, when you order a small gelatto you get 2 flavors!

Driving
So anything that drivers do in the U.S. that constitutes honking, Italians do every .25 seconds. Basically cars just drive randomly in the road and then sort themselves out into a few lanes, sometimes, when they near lights. You can also do things like turn from the outside lane. If there are cars coming, you would either just go and expect them to stop, or just stop in your lane until the lane you're trying to cross is clear. Also, motorcycles/mopeds go in between the lanes or on the outside of lanes, such that they can conveniently zoom past cars.

Eating
It basically takes forever. Although Italians drink their coffee in one or two swift gulps, they have absolutely no agenda when it comes to eating dinner! I'm talking about on the magnitude of hours, especially if you order appetizers, first and second courses and then dessert. We did this as a group and it took 3 hours, granted there were almost 30 people, but still!

Water Fountains
So water fountains in Rome constantly have water flowing out of them. And, it's actually good water! This water is brought to the fountain via an aqueduct, making it very cool and crisp. In order to take a drink you have to cover up the end of the spout so that the water is forced in an arc (like what we're used to), through a hole in the spout. Funnily, Italians order bottled water at restaurants, despite their fortunate supply of cool, drinkable, tap water.

Stay tuned for pictures from today, to include the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Arch of Titus and more!