bits and pieces: Helpful? things we learned last week in Venice pt. II

Hi Tracy: It's nice that you came back to the Helpline, after your trip, to share your impressions and things you learned. Many travelers don't, they just use us and throw us away after their trip. :)I like the way Rick generalizes the specifics you've noticed: he says something like, Welcome to Italy, where they don't buy into the American concept of efficiency. American efficiency is good and I sure appreciate it when I'm on business travel in the US, as I am right now (writing from the Hill Country of west-central Texas). But part of the pleasure of being in Italy, and other places in Europe, is the very fact that it's--different--from here. We can celebrate both America, Canada, and Europe. Differences don't have to be upsetting, they can be fascinating! Isn't that part of the reason we keep going back? That and the fact than when you go to Europe and take time to look around at what's going on, you start to see clues to the riddle of why we and our culture are the way we are. Before you go to Europe, you may assume Europe is pretty much like here--and then you go and see the differences and it gets you to thinking....we are actually quite different in important ways, and how and why did that happen?

Kent, the "official" guidelines for the Travelers' Helpline read: "If you do not have a question but would like to share a travel tip, browse our other boards at www.ricksteves.com/graffiti." I happen to think that's an unfortunate guideline, but it's no wonder we don't get much in the way of "I'm just back from Italy and here's what I learned" except as it pops up in the form of answers to questions.

I know I happen to enjoy posts like this one, as opposed to the questions that blur together into "shorts / travelers checks / pickpockets" (^_^)

I wonder if the helpline would benefit from a little more structure, since so many of these questions are just repeated over and over by newer people.

Michael, Thanks for your support. I thought about posting this on the grafitti wall, but didn't even know where to begin to post it. It was sort of my way of saying "thanks" for all of the useful tips I gleaned from reading the helpline, moreso than the wall. I mean come on. potty training 101? It was good to know about the existance of squat toilets (and I was somewhat surprised how often they popped up, even in "nice" places, but come on, if your lilly white bottom can't handle European toilet paper, then I guess you'll never go camping. Some of those posts make we wonder if people aren't planning a trip to another planet rather than another country! I was just trying to share the love.
Kent, I'm glad the Euros are different. It wouldn't be any fun visiting if they weren't, but that still doesn't explain why they won't put ice in glasses of water. It's almost as if they're afraid people might discover how good their water really is, and stop buying so much "aqua naturalle."

Tracy: Ahhhh, the good ol' days when squat toilets gave a very real meaning to the phrase "going local."

Regarding the "no ice" question, I think it may be a couple of things. Italians are notorious for having definite opinions about temperature, stomachs and food. They may believe that drinking ice water with food will mess up your digestion. (They do believe that a draft of cool air on your stomach after you've recently eaten can make you sick. So says my Italian instructor from Pisa.)

The other thing to remember is that it takes electricity to make ice and electricity in Italy is VERY expensive. (That's why you hardly ever find clothes dryers in people's homes.)

Michael,
I doubt the temperature thing, becasue the bottled water is always refrigerated. I really do think it's just a way to get you to BUY water. Afterall, when it's 90f out, who wants to drink anything at room temperture?

I agree with Michael on the "ice" thing. I lived in Italy for several years and ice was a luxury. They have plenty of refigerators but not freezers. You always have to ask for ice and you usually get 2 or 3 cubes.

I think it's a cultural thing. Here in Israel, it's really hot for at least 6 months of the year, and Israelis want their beverages served very cold but they never put ice in them. And they come back from the U.S. laughing at the Americans who pay for a huge drink that's 60-80% ice. Here it isn't because the electricity is so expensive - it definitely is, but no one stints on air conditioning. In restaurants, if you ask for ice, they'll bring it, but in small quantities. They just think that's all you want!

The Germans are freaky about ice too. One: they believe cold things cause stomach cancer. I had old ladies begging me not to give my daughter ice cream when she was little and the daycare used to get the milk out of the fridge in the morning so it would be room temperature by lunch time. By son was grossed out by that. Two: Since many Germans also believe that their water is not so wonderful, they also do not want to have ice cubes made out of it. When I first moved over here, I could not believe how small the refrigerators were with tiny mailbox size freezers and dryers were seldom seen. One reason is the tiny size of the apts. here, second, moms were still expected to stay home, shop everyday and make a hot lunch for everyone. So, who needs a big fridge and freezer? Now, it is a different story. Dryers are frequent (but little) and a big fridge and freezer are normal. There have been a ton of changes here in the last 20 years, the shopping hours, women working, even television being on in the daytime. It truly is astounding, but all those things help contribute to the differences that make travel interesting. I am kind of guessing that many of these things might be similar in Italy. Hopefully an Italian resident will chime in and give us some clues.

I found that you won't get your bill because once you sit down for your meal, that table is yours for the evening. You are their to relax, and it is expected that you will be there for hours. Unlike here, where the waiter/waitress wants to get you out fast to get more people in so they can make more money in tips (because here in US this industry is notorious for low pay from the employer, some restaurants make the waiter/waitress pay the employer rent for their section of tables!!!). Time is valued and spent differently in other parts of the world--and I like that.

On our first European trip, to London, when we finally asked the waiter if we had to ask for our check, he explained that for them to give the bill when it was not asked for is considered rude. They don't want to give an unspoken message of "you're done eating, now leave".

Regarding the issue of ice in drinks, about a year ago, a colleague, who is originally from Romania, but now in Frankfurt, came to our Chicago office for 2 weeks. Shortly after he got back to Frankfurt, he came down with a cold. He was convinced that it was from drinking so many beverages with so much ice in them. Never mind that if that were the case, then the whole country would have a perpetual cold. We just chalked it up to one of those cultural differences.