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Weird Things That Totally Make Sense In Italy

I first visited Italy exactly four years ago and one thing I was not prepared for is Italian culture and how different it was from Australia. In this blog, I will talk about the things I noticed that were totally normal over there, but would be absolutely weird in Australia. 

In Italy, if you stop on the highway to fill up for petrol, you can grab a bite to eat at an ‘Auto Grill’. In Australia, we often have basic food like McDonalds or a small grocery at the petrol station, but Auto Grill’s are on a whole other level.  Here, they have a whole array of gourmet food- from pizza to focaccia. Some Auto Grill’s even have a dine in area where you can order pasta or meat dishes- and the food is actually pretty tasty! You can also order a proper barista coffee or freshly squeezed orange juice to eat at the bar.

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Takeaway Coffee isn't A thing

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Italians don’t really have takeaway coffee the way we do here in Australia. In Italy, coffee is either served sitting down at a table or for those that are ‘on the go’, it is served standing at the bar. For Italians, dining is as much about the interaction and experience than the food and drink itself. 

In the age of social media where human interaction is becoming less and less, I think it’s great that Italians are embracing these dining traditions. When doing street photography, one of my favourite things to do is to stop in a bar and have a cup of coffee and small treat. The bar staff are always very friendly and often give me tips and suggestions on secret locations for photography in their neighbourhood. 

Different Price for Sitting vs Standing

Speaking of Italian bars, there are two ways you can enjoy your food and drink. You can either have it standing at the bar or sitting at a table. If sitting at a table, generally the prices will be slightly higher and may include a small service charge. When you order a coffee, decide first whether you want to stand or sit and let the barman know, as they will charge the relevant price. 

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Italian's are Slow Diners

 Italian service is slow. Don’t expect to be sat down to have your food ordered and arriving straight away. Italy is not like that. They love to sip, savour and enjoy their food with good company.  For lunch in Australia, you would whip down the office elevator, order a takeaway sandwich and coffee and if you’re lucky you get to enjoy it in the sunshine for a couple of minutes. Otherwise you’d take it back to your office and eat while your boss whips you about a deadline.

Ensure to give plenty of time surrounding your lunch or dinner plans, as typical Italian meals can spread out over 2 hours. If you’ve ever watched Emily in Paris, while it’s based in France, they share a very similar dining culture and you’ll understand the clash between how American and European’s take their lunch breaks. 

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They Don't drink Tap water in Restaurants

When first seated at an Italian restaurant, you’ll either be offered a bottle of still or sparkling water. Tap water generally isn’t an option and while it’s perfectly safe to drink it- if you ask, the waiter will look at you as if you’ve asked for toilet water. Sometimes Italians will use the words ‘naturale’ which means still, or ‘frizzante’ which is sparkling water. 

Don't cut Your Pasta!!

Italian’s don’t cut pasta! I am definitely guilty of this. While in a restaurant in Alba, where I asked for a knife to cut my ravioli, and the waiter playfully acted as though I was stabbing him in the heart. Italians don’t even use spoons to swirl their pasta onto their forks. To Italians, there’s only one way to eat spaghetti: twirl it around your fork.

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