Italy is known as the place where great art treasures were created and stored. History and art enthusiasts would be assured of a rich and rewarding experience. However, things can be less frustrating and more rewarding if we know more than a few things about the country. As with any foreign places, there are traditions, ways of doing things and local customs that can be quite strange to visitors. However, it is our responsibility to know about this thing beforehand, so we won’t risk causing unnecessary offenses. One of the more peculiar things is that there are some places in Italy where we pay to sit. As an example, in Milan, vast bulk of patrons in coffee shops are often seen stand casually, while consuming their cup of coffee and biscuit. We could assume that they are simply in a hurry. However, they choose to stand for some clear reason. With little investigation, we could find that we are required to pay extra if we choose to sit. Another unusual thing we see in Italy is that many places are closed on Monday. If we plan to visit a museum and other attractions, it is probably a good idea to not do it on Monday.
Monday is the day of the week where staff would clean and perform light renovations. Monday should be a good day to do some shopping and look for the best eating places in the town. Italy is a developed country with good level of prosperity among its citizens. However, the country is plagued by some beggars and vagabonds. They seem to originate mostly from East Europe countries and they will do anything to get a few Euros from every tourist they see. As an example, some of these people could stay near a ticket machine and when they see tourists struggle with the machines, they will show the way. They would ask for a couple of Euros for the service and they’ll be extremely grateful if we agree. However, we should be aware of the tricks that some of these people use. They could suddenly dump babies in our arms while asking for help. When it happens, we should keep our distance with everyone in the area, because these people will try to rummage around our handbags and pockets. One thing that we may need to be aware is that restaurant staffs can be somewhat aggressive.
The restaurant staffs would stand outside restaurants each evening and they have a mission to ask tourists to try their menu. This can get quite tedious if we are walking along streets full of eateries. However, we should go only to restaurants that offer good foods. In fact, good restaurants won’t use this technique, because they are confident enough that people will go to their places. We should hire a guide when travelling in a historic city. This could sound like an unnecessary expense, but guides could bring us to interesting places around the town and provide us with insightful information about the area.