Americans in Italy
 

I have been to Italy several times and it has always been a fabulous experience. I plan to be in Venice, Florence, Rome and Positano in a couple of months. I'm just curious from those who have recently returned how Americans are received in Italy right now.

I returned last week. Not a problem in the least. The only thing I noticed in Italy that wasn't present the last time I was there were the peace flags everywhere I looked. But other than that, there was nothing to make me uncomfortable or even think twice.

We've been back a week and, as mentioned above, we noticed peace flags everywhere and there was a massive peace demonstration in Rome while we were there. We encountered no problems. Everyone was very friendly. We did avoid demonstrations but would do that anyway. I hate crowds!

Note that most of the peace flags are rainbow background. It took me a week to figure out the whole country hadn't turned gay.

I came back a little over a week ago from Venice and found everyone friendly, helpful and enthusiastic about America. I spoke to several Italians who had traveled extensively in the U.S. and were looking forward to returning.

Hot Stuff!!!

The Italians in America are very well received...cute, sexy, love wine, women and song...

Us girls and women LOVE Italians in America...can you send us more...soon?

They, the Italians LOVE us too...Ciao!

PATRICK: Too funny! I have a flag thingy outside one of our house porches (am I slurring???) and I put the rainbow colored flag out... clueless, even in the Bay Area that I had made a statement...I have lots of girlfriends, very affectionate...we played "it" up until hubby caught on.

One day, came home...flag was gone!
Hubby is still being deposed...

Back to my cocktail...
Oaktown Traveler

Thanks everyone for your comments. And thanks Patrick for a good laugh!

We were in Rome on the day of the big peace demonstration also. In the morning, the rainbow flags started showing up everywhere. There would be someone carrying the flag and a big group of people around them. I hadn't heard about the peace demonstration and I thought they were tour groups. I thought Saturday's in Rome must be real busy!

As we got near Piazza Venezia and saw the hundreds of guards in riot gear and thousands of demonstrators we realized it was a little more that tour groups!

sundowner--it might have been a bunch of those juggernaut Japanese tour groups.

RufusTFirefly - that would explain the riot gear!

I just returned from Rome and Florence and everyone was wonderful. I didn't feel any anti-American sentiment. I did see the rainbow "pace" flags but they weren't flaunted.

We also returned recently from Italy and France. We were in Rome on a Sunday when there was a huge peace demonstration going on. There were police in riot gear all over the city. Our hop on-hop off bus refused to stop by the Colloseum or Forum, and quit running entirely in the afternoon. By the train station the demonstrators had a big fire burning and were chanting loudly. It was very unsettling as we had to catch a train!

I just returned from Rome and Tuscany last week, and the sentiment seemed to be that there were not enough American tourists. The weak dollar has kept Americans home, and the Italians are feeling the pinch.
We were very well received.

ttt

Anyone bring home a peace flag? It's not a bad idea.

It might be a good idea to be cautious, though, if your visit to Rome happens to coincide with Bush's. Demonstrations and possibly other forms of trouble are expected. Of course, if you buy a peace flag and wrap yourself up in it, people will probably figure you're not a Bushie.


best regards,
Deirdré Straughan

http://www.straughan.com

Dierdre,
Do you happen to know when Bush will be in Rome? We are arriving there Wednesday afternoon. I too, have heard of planned demonstrations, and are hoping to miss them.
Thanks. minnie.

My 12-year old son bought a "pace" flag in Rome which he proudly displays in his room.

I just returned from almost three weeks in Italy living among the locals in an apartment.

The only anti-American talk I heard was from an American couple from Boston who were loudly ranting to a bewildered British couple at a bus stop how much they hated Bush, how stupid certain Americans are and how we deserve attacks from terrorists.

It was an unsettling experience for me and the Italians nearby.

My daughter just returned from a trip to Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan). She was with a group of about 20 (college students and professors). For the most part, they were treated wonderfully. However, they did run into a situation in Rome where someone started yelling, cursing and saying things about Americans in general. He then spit on one girl in the group with my daughter. My daughter said this girl went back to the hotel and cried. Other than that one incident, she said everyone was great to them