Piazzas
Not many things in the world encompass so much of a country’s culture quite as the piazza does in Italy. Of course, other countries have their version of the piazza, which would translate roughly to “public square”. However, the Italian piazza is quite a unique place and a place I miss every day while in the United States. Piazzas in Italy are as old as the cities that they belong to, serving as a daily meeting place for its people for generations and generations. Piazzas are the epitome of social life in Italy, where people gather daily to eat, drink, laugh and live. There is usually a fountain of sorts in the center of the piazza (or multiple, such as the Piazza Navona in Rome) or other architectural art, with the open area being surrounded by stores, restaurants, and perhaps a stunning church or two (after all, this is Italy). It’s true that here in the United States we have public meeting places. However, these seem more of an afterthought in our cities, and possibly serve as a meeting place to gather before going elsewhere as a group. While the Italian piazza is a place to gather at any time of day, no matter the season, no matter the meal, to spend quality time with friends and family. Piazzas also tend to be lined with bars, which leads me to my next point…
The Bar
The Italian bar is quite the place, and is much different than bars in the United States! Unlike the American bar where you consume mainly alcohol, burgers, sandwiches, and fried foods, the Italian bar is a place to get your daily coffee and breakfast (I also miss the brioche), but also lunch, aperitivo, and dinner if you so desire. Most bars in Italy open in the morning to serve coffee and the typical Italian breakfast pastries, and then stay open and switch over to serving the other meals of the day, as well as the precious aperitivo food and cocktails. The bar is really the place to go no matter the time of day, where you can get a coffee at any hour, satisfy your hunger with a variety of meals, and enjoy a glass of wine, cocktail or beer in good company of friends and family. I miss being able to go to the bar at any time of day, it really makes finding a place to meetup with friends so much easier!
Water Fountains (free water everywhere!)
This is a simple thing, but I really miss the public water fountains that are pretty much everywhere! It’s so nice to be able to stop and fill up your water bottle whenever you need to, without having to run to the store to buy more water or use a sink faucet. Thankfully more and more buildings in the US have water bottle refilling stations, but, nothing beats the traditionalness of the water fountains in Italy!
Aperitivo
Many people think that the American Happy Hour and the Italian Aperitivo are the same things, but that couldn’t be more wrong! It’s true that Happy Hour is the American version of the aperitivo, but, the aperitivo is a different thing entirely. While Happy Hour is geared more towards providing cheap alcohol for a certain period of time, Aperitivo is an occasion to socialize and spend time with friends and/or family while enjoying some small bites of food and sipping a beer, cocktail or glass of wine or prosecco. Personally, I view Happy Hour more as a reason to drink alcohol at a good price and get intoxicated, while Aperitivo is a reason to spend quality time with loved ones. Thankfully I can have my own aperitivo at home, but nothing beats the real thing in Italy!
Cleaning Your Butt (the bidet)
For some reason, Americans are afraid of the bidet. I don’t quite understand why. Maybe it’s because it’s a foreign concept and doesn’t seem normal? Whatever it may be, I wish my country would change its ways and adopt the bidet! I admit that prior to my first trip in Italy, I always thought that the bidet was weird- but of course I would use it if given the opportunity! And after my trip to Italy, I purchased a bidet sprayer attachment for my home (TMI?) and my life has been changed for the better! I always like to ask people who are skeptical of the bidet “if you had poop on your forehead, would you wipe it off with a paper towel and continue with your day?”. Where is the line drawn?
Girls, Girls, Girls (ragazze!)
Oh, do I miss the Italian girls! Italian women are different than American women and dare I say in their own class entirely. Personally, I find Italian women to be more attractive than American women on average, and I personally am very attracted to the Mediterranean appearance. It seems that everywhere you go in Italy, there are cute and attractive women swarming, it’s quite amazing! However, my fondness for the ragazze (Italian for “girl”) goes beyond the aesthetics. I find that Italian women are incredibly passionate, and it can clearly be seen in how they talk and act. They also come from a different culture than mine, which also happens to be a culture that I adore. Put it all together, and it’s no wonder I both like and miss them so much!
Fashion & Presentability Of Everyone
It’s refreshing to walk around in public in Italy and see how everyone is well-kept and dressed. Italians take pride in their appearance and it definitely shows. While Americans tend to dress for comfort over style, Italians definitely dress for the latter. I’m not saying that every Italian on the street looks like they just walked the runway, but, everyone at least is wearing something decent and presentable. Though while saying that this is something that I miss, I am definitely guilty of dressing for comfort here at home and going out to run errands in gym shorts and a T-shirt!
Have you been to Italy before? Let me know what things you miss about the Bel Paese in your country in the comments below!
