http://bcclist.com/2008/07/04/italian-observations-part-2/ "If you are influenced by the opinions of others, you will have no desire of your own." Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:41:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ http://bcclist.com/2008/07/04/italian-observations-part-2/#comment-155 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:18:15 +0000 http://bcclist.wordpress.com/?p=199#comment-155 I take it back. Only people in Florence and Tuscany know how to drive. People in Naples and the surrounding areas are fcking crazy. We are definitely NOT driving in Rome. Our hotel is near the airport and they offer shuttle service to and from the center.

]]> http://bcclist.com/2008/07/04/italian-observations-part-2/#comment-151 Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:33:38 +0000 http://bcclist.wordpress.com/?p=199#comment-151 I am loving reading your accts. from the trip. Do not drive in Rome! Even Italians from other regions will not drive in Rome. The expert in the driving doesn’t exist, it’s all about me first in Rome. If it means a moped needs to go on the sidewalk at an intersection in order to gain 30 seconds, they WILL. As you have probably seen, the mopeds in Italy don’t follow the same driving laws as the cars, they drive between cars in traffic jams, turn on red lights if no one is coming, etc. It’s still seems funny for us to see a motorcycle staying in line in highway traffic jams here. Also, watch your pockets / bags in Rome. We never had a problem, Jim wore the backpack on the front and I always stood in front of him in line. But there are a ton of pick pockets and they know you are a tourist. How? are you wearing white tennis shoes? yeah, you’re a tourist. They will literally push you against someone else on a crowded bus, take your wallet or bag, and get off at the next stop before you can even start to object (in a foreign language no less). Be prepared to see lots of people on the streets begging to, you have to remember that tons of people come to Rome as a religious pilgrimage… hence, lots of Euros thrown at these pitiful souls. One of our Italian tour guides said the ladies with the small children on the sidewalks make 6 figures a year – tax free We still ended up tossing a Euro or two here and there. Just don’t be shocked. Have fun, enjoy the food (much better on the mainland than it was in Sardinia), and know that you can survive off lots of 5 Euro pizza if the money starts to run out

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