You can't travel without learning a thing or two. What I leanred about Italy while I was there:
The David
Rent
Restaurants
The Slaves
Walking
Wine

The DAVID
The statue of David is undergoing restoration all the time. One thing that should be removed however, is his foreskin. David of the Bible was a circumcised man. But Michelangelo decided to leave the statue with all his bits and pieces.

RENT
Rent prices are insane in Rome…if you’re a foreigner. If I were to rent a 1 bedroom, 1 bath apartment, I’d pay at least 1400 euros a month. Here’s what the Romans do. They sign a contract to pay the same amount and then go to the city hall area. There’s a list of what each and every property is worth in Rome. The list was made some 40-50 years ago and has not been updated. The Roman will then make a copy of their apartment’s worth and take it to the landlord. They will then only pay what it’s worth and the law’s on their side. Instead of 1400 euro, it will only be 200 euro. Not a bad deal, eh?

RESTAURANTS
If you go to a restaurant and sit down, you’ll be charged a sitting fee. It’s as though you’re renting space so they charge you. It has nothing to do with tipping and you get nothing more from the fee other than a table to sit at. If you decide to stand and eat your food as most Italians do, you won’t pay anything extra.

THE SLAVES
Michelangelo was a busy guy. The life expectancy in his day was 43 years. He, however, managed to stick around until he was 89. He didn’t get all of his sculpting projects finished. The Galleria in Florence (where David lives) has several of these “slave” statues. They look as though they’re trapped in the marble, trying to escape, muscles bulging and all.

WALKING
If you think pedestrians have the right of way, dream on. Even if it’s a go for you in the crosswalk, better run for it, praying all the way. The drivers honk at you, gesture wildly if you’re the slightest bit in their way. If a car’s backing up and you don’t move out of the way, they’ll continue backing up until they hit you (slowly) with their car. It’s charming, isn’t it?

WINE
I didn’t have any wine while I was abroad, but Rachel did. She doesn’t like the stuff in general but gave it a whirl. And she liked it. It tasted much different than the stuff back home. That’s because there aren’t any sulfides in the wine. America forces Italy and other countries to put sulfides in the alcohol as a preservative. That’s what causes the hangover effect.