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Stephanie Howell

reading, organizing, shopping, momming too close to the sun. Home is wherever the Army sends us.

Veneto Life

Happy Monday morning, y’all! Today I thought I’d share some photos I took this weekend…and pepper some interesting Italian facts throughout the post.

Note: this is just my experience in the Veneto region of Italy so far. I know that not every part of this country is the same, but these are just some fun and quirky facts about the part of Italy I live in. Or at least what I have noticed!

1.Italians don’t touch their produce. There are special gloves at the supermarkets that you have to put on.

          

2. When you eat at restaurants in America, they bring out everyone’s food at once. In Italy, they bring it out plate by plate. You are not to wait until everyone receives their food…that is considered an insult to the chef. You are to enjoy it immediately, the food is made with that intent.

3.You can find baby wipes here, but they don’t really use them. That’s what bidets/sinks are for, I suppose.

4. You don’t say “Ciao” to great someone you don’t know. You use the more formal bongiorno or buona sera. Once you “know” someone or see them regularly, ciao is just fine.

5. Italians don’t really wait in line. They kind of just cluster. It can be frustrating at times, not gonna lie.

6. The highways here are called the “Autostrada”. Pretty sure no one observes the speed limit, and I’ve never seen anyone get pulled over here.

7. Wine and water only with meals here, nothing else is really available. Coffee after. Strong coffee.

8. No one in this part of Italy wears color in the fall/winter. I’m not exaggerating. Lots of beige, black, gray, camel, and brown. I stick out like a sore thumb in my red, green, and blue.

9. There is no |h| sound/ h in the Italian language. Hospital is “ospedale”, Chinese food is “Cinese” and Harper Howell is “arper owell!”.

10. To take a shopping cart into the store, you have to insert a euro coin to unlock the cart. When you return it to the proper place/re-lock it…you will receive your money back. Hence no errant carts!

11. You have to pay to use many public restrooms here.

Have a beautiful Monday!

xoxo

S

Comments

  1. Wow!! Lots of interesting facts!! So what is the milk like there? My kids would die without having milk at their meals. But I have to say that the Italians are pretty smart as far as the shopping carts go and also wearing gloves to handle the produce at the store!! Um, why don’t we do that here in the U.S.??!!!! Gross! LOL!!! Thanks for sharing, I love to learn more about Italy from you. 🙂

  2. Love this post! Well, let’s be honest, I love all of your posts!! So fun experiencing Italy with you, thanks!

  3. Thanks for sharing the pictures and facts. You do such a great job. Aldi’s (grocery store – based out of Europe) here in the states have you insert a quarter to get a cart and you get the quarter back when you return the cart.

  4. Thanks for sharing! You seem to be having such an amazing time in Italy, and are so open-minded to the experience. That a great display for your chicks. You inspire my scrapbooking, but I’m glad you share other stuff too. Thanks!

  6. ‘arper ‘owell is Miss ‘ashion. Works for me! LOVING your adventures. Love that you are embracing it all (even the clusters.)
    Maggieb!

  7. A lot of this is so similar to Portugal! The dark colours in winter depress me too although we wait for everyone to get their food before we start eating. As for the baby wipe issue, you can find them easily here and we do use them, but nothing like water to wash a baby’s bottom, especially when they have nappy rash. Much better than wipes!

  8. We do the shopping cart thing in Canada! Well, at Superstore we do – not all grocery stores do it though. It helps for sure!

  9. My husband and I always used to joke about the European lack of queuing! We’re so used to getting our spot in line and sticking to it! No butting in! Ha!
    Also – try ordering decaf!
    What a great experience! We loved living abroad!

  12. Love reading these, how fascinating! We do the $ for shopping carts here too. There are even fake coins you can buy to use in them, that have a hole through them so when you get them back you just put it on your key ring, and never have to scramble for the right coin 🙂 Some here take .25, others $1.

  14. When I was in Paris several years ago with my sister, we were so surprised by the “pay to pee” culture. We made a game out of finding free public bathrooms so “no pay to pee” became our motto! Love your insights into the Italian culture as you are experiencing it!!

  16. Hi Stephanie, just a little warning, don’t think they don’t watch you on the autostrada. We did get speeding ticket on our way to Lucca, Only it came a year later. Love reading about your Italian live. Can’t wait for next year when we are going back for our summervacation to Toscane.
    If you ever come to Holland and you want to visit the north part ( like Groningen), i would be happy to give to you some ideas.

  17. Thank you for the picture of Basilica di San Vitale, I have studied it in books but it’s much nicer to see your personal photo.
    I think most traffic signs in Italy are merely suggestions, as the locals seem to not pay much attention to them at all.
    Thanks again for the wonderful photos.

  18. Lovely list and photos! Be careful with the speed limits. Some sections of the autostrada have cameras! You remain unaware until the hefty fine arrives in the mail. There are some between Vicenza and the airport. I speak from experience, unfortunately.
    D

  19. Beautiful photos and some interesting insights. We have the shopping trolley thing here in some places – it tends to be in the areas where the trolleys wander off more. I hope Harper likes being called Arper Owell! No aitches in France either. Have a good week Stephanie.

  20. T*anks for s*aring the ‘owells adventures wit* us 🙂
    I do like the idea of using gloves with the produce!

  21. I love reading your blog and seeing what you are up too, I feel like I’m in Italy too. PS your girls are adorable xxxx

  22. After visiting Italy this past summer, I love reading your blog. It’s just brings me back. We found this video to be hysterical after visiting Italy.


  23. My daughter and I are going to be in Rome in March 2014 so this whole post is VERY INTERESTING! How far r u from Rome?
    Patricia
    the PaperTemptress

  25. What a great post!! My mum is from Ravenna(my dad from Sicily) I would love to visit one day. I was 11 months old when we left bound for Australia it took my parents 25 years to go back. I may go when the kids have moved out …lol!

  30. I love this post! I was wondering if you’d experienced the fruit glove. We encountered that this last summer while in Arezzo. I couldn’t stop chuckling- some people kept it on the entire time while in the store???? Keep the Italian fun coming!

  38. It is so interesting read your experience with the italian culture..
    It made me laugh that you said “Italians don’t really wait in line. They kind of just cluster.”…it is frustrating also for us!

  39. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that you take the time to share your Italian experience with all of us. I’m really enjoying the experience with you.

  40. Oh, I hope you’ll do more of this – very fascinating to learn about the little quirks and customs. Gorgeous photos, too!
    p.s. Dear Lucy – I don’t think I’d like my bottom hanging in a sink being splashed with “code water” either!! 😉

  42. I loved seeing your photos…they made me lonesome for my trip. the duomos were my favorite part! One thing I was surprised by in Italy was how well-stocked the gas stations were. With real food, you know, not like here where it’s chips and nuts and candy and beer.

  44. Have really enjoyed the last few posts. We, too, in England have trolleys that need a pound for use. I have a little pound sized token on my key ring just in case I haven’t got the correct coin. You wold love England then, Stephanie, because we Brits LOVE a queue…and woe betide anyone who tries to jump it! Long live your Italian adventure. X

  46. We were in Greece, not too long ago, and we were in a bank and the whole “clustering” thing is so true! No lines, just bump on through.
    I love the picture of Dante’s tomb 🙂 Very interesting post!

  47. I love reading your take on Italy. We live in England but have had many holidays there. It does get me with the queuing thing when your chn are quietly waiting in a queue and others just jump in but that is life. Makes me laugh about the wipes too. We are loving it that you are enjoying many of the places we have loved over the years with our family. Tuscany is by far our favourite – enjoy Florence.
    jacqui