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 Typical ladies room toilet in
Rome by Lacristina
Things are so much easier in Amsterdam (for men, anyway) where there are public outdoor urinals everywhere.
But in Rome, the first rule of touring is: never leave a museum without using the bathrooms just before you leave!
Some solutions:
1. Just like the US, you can always use the bathroom at any of the McDonalds. There are a couple dozen spread around the city...train station Spanish Steps, Pantheon, etc.
2. There are public bathrooms at the department store La Rinascente (the floor with women's clothing), on the Via del Corso (not far from the Trevi. I have a tip about it on my Rome page under shopping) and also across the street in the Galleria Alberto Sordi (used to be the Galleria Colonna) an indoor shopping mall.
3. Every bar and restaurant is required to allow anyone to use their bathroom, not just patrons. Still, if I use their facilities, I almost always get an espresso or something. That said, I have seen some restrooms that I would rather not have seen! A few nearly required gymnastics to enter (because the buildings are so old, and toilets came only in the last century, they were often put in small, cramped spots.)
4. Most of the 4 star or 5 star hotels will have a lobby bathroom that they will let you use (most of the three stars I know, don't have a lobby bathroom.)
Most of these bathrooms don't have hot water and many won't have soap. TP might not always be available either, so it wouldn’t hurt to bring along some tissues and hand sanitizer.
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 by icunme |
Well, anyone who lives in the U.S. has either given or been given "the finger" - a local custom particulary well-known among irate U.S. drivers - and, even more common during rush hour's road rage.
So now, Italy has "the finger" also - and a few signs are customary. Among them and probably one of the more common and certainly more civil, is this sign (with two fingers as shown rotate back and forth) used to let you know that "its not working" - "its broken" - if used when in the area of one's head, it means the guy is "not 100% there."
Note for drivers - If you're approaching a toll booth and you see this sign being waved out of a car window, look for the next toll booth with a green light because either this one is broken or the guy ahead of you is not paying and waiting for a person to issue a printed ticket (we're talking about a considerable amount of time if we're dealing with real people here).
We'll be adding a couple more here on "the finger" just for fun...........
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Hey - I can't believe this - Its St Patrick's Day so, of course, I want to go out and celebrate at an Irish Pub. My nephew refuses because it is "Friday the 17th" and THAT IS BAD LUCK DAY in Italy!!! Da ya balieve it???
*Note this is classified as "Religious travel" Other Contact: someone call my nephew
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 by icunme
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There are four of five so-called talking statues in Rome, but I've find this one only. Locals use them for various motiffs today, someone to attached his thesis, the others to present their poems or novels, while some to complain about problems they faced living in the city of Rome. I was in particularly attracted by this graphities, which are aimed against Vatican and some priests who have been discovered as a pedofils. There was big scandals recently in Italy about that issue. Leave a Comment
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A few weeks later, one of the girls in the previous Local Custom Tip came in to my office in Rome. She was in tears.
"What's the matter, Suzanne?" I asked (not her real name).
"I can't be myself here," she replied.
After some discussion, I figured out what she meant. As one of the three girls in the previous tips, Suzanne was open, honest, and, well, "what you see is what you get". She was totally unprepared for an urban environment full of all sorts of people, including hucksters and con men and wolves (the two-legged variety).
At home (a town in Texas), she was taught to smile at strangers, be friendly and outgoing, and, in general, exhibit the same personality in public as in private.
In Italy - as is true to a greater or lesser extent in all European cities - people have two faces: the public face that may be polite, but reserved, and the private face that is unreservedly friendly.
In Texas, when a male stranger asks a woman for the time, she is likely (if from a smaller town) to smile and answer the question. If she turns away after that and minds her own business, the man should, too. But in Italy, if the woman smiles at all(!), it's considered a come-on, even if she turns away. The man keeps pestering her, because by HIS rules, she come on to him, even though by HER rules, she was simply being polite, not asserting any interest.
This is very hard to teach people, but for many Americans, the biggest culture shock is learning that the unwritten rules of how strangers interact just aren't the same - and this leads to so much misunderstanding and mistrust... Leave a Comment
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 by rexvaughanLeave a Comment
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 Citibank Italia - a Roma by Krystynn
There are many banks where you can withdraw cash from via their onsite or offsite ATM machines. Again, remember - it is cheaper to withdraw cash using your ATM card vs using your travelers' checks or withdrawing cash against your credit card (that is known as a "Cash Advance" and you are charged exhorbitant fees for this service).
Why is it cheaper to withdraw cash using an ATM card?
Simple. The interbank exchange rates used by the respective banks are lower (read: attractive). You'll be charged a little fee for using this service and yes, even if you hold a Barclays ATM card or any other lesser known bank ATM cards, you can still withdraw from any ATM machines here in Rome - provided it contains the following logos:
- Cirrus
- Maestro
- STAR
- The Exchange
If you work in a bank (any bank - in your country), you can withdraw cash without having to pay a fee.
If you're in a hurry and need to visit a big, reputable international bank, then I'll recommend my ex-company: Citibank/ Citigroup. They are located at: Via Abruzzi 2, Rome. I hope they have not changed their address!
Again, please bear in mind the "riposo" (siesta) timings.
To reiterate again, most stores are open all year round - from Mondays to Saturdays; from 9am to 1pm..... and again from 3:30pm or 4pm to 7:30pm or 8pm.
Most shops are closed on Sundays.
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 by icunme
Sales in Italy have fallen since the government enacted a law banning smoking from all enclosed public spaces in 2005. In that year alone cigarette consumption dropped by more
than 6%.
One of the reasons smokers may be turning away from cigarettes is the rising cost of tobacco. The price of a pack of 20 cigarettes has gone up by 1.20 euros in the last five years - an increase of around 40%.
Generally, people refrain from smoking inside restaurants; however, it is not uncommon to be seated next to people smoking at the outdoor cafes.
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- Abitazione Pigneto
Via Perugia, 16, Rome - La Maison Royale
Via G. Vitelleschi 34, Rome - Relais Le Clarisse
Cardinale Merry del Val, 20, Rome - Fiume Hotel
Via Brescia 5, Rome - CasaLina
Via Enrico Bondi n.42, Rome - Ibis Roma Magliana
Via Arturo Mercanti 63, Rome - Dell'Urbe
Via dei Mille 27/A, Rome - Hotel Ranieri
Via Venti Settembre 43, Rome - La Residenza
Via Emilia 22-24, Rome - Valle Hotel
Via Cavour 134, Rome - Grand Hotel Palazzo Carpegna
Via Aurelia 481, Rome - Hotel Villa del Parco
Via Nomentana 110, Rome - Regno Hotel
Via Del Corso 330, Rome - Luciani Hotel
Via Milazzo 8, Rome - Marconi
Via Giovanni Amendola, 97, Rome
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