Ah, that hissing! Not just in Italy. Years ago I experienced this in Greece and in Paris but not, actually, in Italy. But in Paris it was frequently done by men who followed single women around, especially in museums...

I was college age & travelling with friends & we'd often split up in museums as large as the Louvre to see what we wanted. But, it was tough going. These men were quite intrusive and downright creepy, although I never felt any of them were about to become violent. However, they did not stop if you ignored them. We were told by the French family who ran our hotel that these ever present pests who leered, hissed, got too close, etc. were "Algerians." We don't of course, know whether that was true, but these little guys (yes, they all were on the short side) really could spoil a museum day! I guess we were their entertainment and they were very good at not allowing you to concentrate on what you were in the Louvre (or elsewhere) to see.

I'd nearly forgotten them till this thread! lol

cigalechanta--

Omigosh, your post dredged up a memory from my travels in Paris many moons ago when I was young and gorgeous (like 30 years ago, LOL.) I was in Notre Dame for the first time, I was mesemerized but its magnificence yet I had this nagging feeling something wasn't right. Sure enough, I turned to see a man about 10 feet away; he was leering at me maniacally while, uh, he pleasured himself with gusto! Right there in the cathedral! This never happened in St Peters, LOL.

Vivi and cigale- I used to work at Brookstone in the mall (massage apparati and other electronics) and at least once a day we got a masturbator. At first I would go and get my manager (male) to make them stop but then one day a woman came in and did it and I was so shocked that I actually called over the store "normally we only get guys in here masturbating. This is a new one." She dropped that so fast she left her shopping bag behind and obviously did not return to get it.

I only got catcalled in Italy when I looked really put together. Oh, and that time that I wore a really flowy skirt and a strong wind in San Gimignano blew it up to reveal my panties. That got a lot of attention.