Things Italy is good at

• Italy is great at having everything looking and feeling like it’s about to fall apart, but it never actually does. Everything manages to just keep running and moving along. Buildings look so old they might crumble, and things in my bedroom shake a bit when I step in certain bits of it. But it’s rare to see building works and my room is just fine with its uneven-ness. Let’s call it ‘charm’. The same goes for the buses - when they hurtle down old uneven roads, they rattle and shake and the doors look like they might fall off. But this is just normal and nothing seems to actually break. Mind boggling. Some businesses seem similar too. There are so many tiny independent shops in this little city and maybe I’ve just gone in at odd times but some of them are so quiet every time I pass, and it’s hard to work out how they make money. But they must do, and everyone seems to just pootle on and get by.
• It is also great at public transport. The train lines all have pretty standard prices and routes (no more spending hours on eastcoast or thetrainline trying to figure out the easiest and cheapest way to get around England), and bus tickets are the same price for wherever you want to go. Which is great, because buses in England confuse the life out of me, whereas now I just go into the shop and ask for ‘two tickets for the bus please’. Simples!
• Sometimes, in my opinion, Italians have a great way of sounding a bit rude (to English ears) when they’re not actually being rude or annoyed with you at all. For example, when the woman at the Conservatorio shouts (what sounds like) abuse at someone down the corridor, then is perfectly nice and calm with them 5 seconds later. Or the way the shop staff rarely put money in your hand, and instead just slam it on the counter with your receipt, while you’re stood there, awkwardly holding your hand out…
• Italy is also amazing at driving. At first, in the taxi on the way from the airport to my flat, my thoughts were based around the phrases ‘bloody hell he’s going a bit fas- wooah that’s quite close… eek’. The driver texted and took calls for pretty much the whole journey, he even got a calendar out to show me something at one point. And I couldn’t believe it when he drove right up my tiny street, with (what felt like) a few inches space on either side. But now I have seen other drivers around the city I realise this is just their way of driving. I have seen countless near-misses yet despite my gasps and curses no one ever crashes. They always stop inches next to something, but there are no scratches or dents. At first it does seem they are just being erratic, careless and too fast, but they always manage the tightest of spaces and the most awkward of manoeuvring situations (just) and it’s actually quite impressive.
• And finally, food. We all know Italy is good at that.