Maitaitom,sorry not my perception they came right out and told me ,well they told there friend next to them in Italian. And Iam glad you had a good time and I must say in the hilltowns I drove around the smell of a clutch burning is still present!

Howard thanks but I must say we bumped into many couples and they also remarked the same as myself,Ithink if we went on a tour with a group we would have been a bit more insulated and that may have been a good thing .

That's sad tale to hear. I 've heard that about the French and I say like Tom: where we in the same country?
I suspect there could be a misunderstanding or a case of one idiot who was anti-American. It happens I know, but not often.

cigalechanta,Iwould have been so happy if it was only one misguided so but thanks so much sometimes Ithink when you look so forward to something you make it impossible to obtain what you build it up to be so you get a let down,Ithink I did that, but Iwill tell you it was the most beautiful place I have ever seen!

lilminkey, I've been reading threads on this board about Italy for over 3+ years. Of all the trip reports that have been posted, I have never run across anyone who has ever painted such a bleak political picture of Italy as you have. I'm hoping you don't have some sort of political agenda, but my gut tells me you might. ((b))

lilminkey

I am always in the midst of everyday Italian life when I travel there, as I am often working and I am never on a tour. What surprises me the most is that many people I meet in Italy are not pleased by my way-liberal politics, and often defend the US president when I state that I am not a fan or supporter. This never fails to surprise me.

Our experiences are certainly different. No one I meet ever seems to mind that I am an American. Roman cabbies try to rob me, and sometimes do, but that is as bad as it gets.

I understand some spoken Italian and I've never been insulted or talked about negatively. In fact, I've never heard anyone talk about me at all. My mother did hear someone say they wanted to pinch her. :>

Something I had not expected was the general reserve of Italians. Many Italian Americans that I know are warm, effusive, and not reserved. My experiences with Italian Americans, and the stories I heard from my parents, led me to expect something different than what I find in Italy. Personal dignity and some reserve seem to be the case a lot more than the jolly grape stompers of I Love Lucy.

However, I am almost always treated politely, sometimes people are friendly, and they are occasionally warm.

I am really sorry that you had a less than pleasant experience with the people you encountered.

About 20 years ago, I had a few unpleasant encounters in a city in Europe that will remain nameless. I really disliked the place and the people, and it was a long time before I went back again. But in the last 5 years, I've been back three times and have had no problems. I think they may have adjusted their attitudes, but I'm sure I went back with much more knowledge of the country, the city I refer to, the national habits and character. It made a lot of difference.

I just returned from 18 days in Italy (Venice, Florence, Siena, Pienza, Rome, plus other Tuscany towns) and also did not run into anything like this. Only one person even mentioned Bush, and he certainly wasn't cold or rude towards me. I was traveling alone, without any tour, and found people very friendly and happy to get into conversations and had a wonderful time!

As far back as when Clinton was President, we had people try to start discussions with us in London about our President.
When my daughter was in Belgium this past spring, she had the same "problem"...because we all refuse to discuss politics with strangers in any country :)
I don't see this as being any different in Italy. Europeans like to discuss politics!
I am sorry you were unhappy, lilminkey, this is so out of the usual for what I hear about Italians..
I heard stories about the French before we went to Paris the first time, and dreaded being treated rudely, it has not happened yet.
I hope this does not stop you from traveling ~

I actually look forward to talking to Europeans about politics - I end up making lots of new friends over our mutual disdain for BushCo. My friend and I went on an anti-Bush rant in an Amsterdam bar and a couple at the end of the bar brought us drinks.

Oops, bought us drinks.

Well lilminkey, your experiences certainly have not been my experiences. And I would assume from most posters that write trip reports regarding their time in Italy that it has not been most other travellers experiences. Strange situation IMO.

We spent two weeks in Italy (Tuscany and Rome) in May and felt completely welcomed.

The Italians we came across were very polite everywhere we went. We were never asked about our President or the political decisions he has made. I'm curious to know how they knew you were American.

In any case, as ThinGorjus said, when I travel I enjoy the scenery, the food, and culture. I wouldn't let anyone or anything (like the stinky B&B we stayed in in Rome) ruin my vacation. It's what you make of it. :)

Don't you think there is a real love-hate relationship with America? I am an American, and I am going to Italy -- my choice. I will treat those I meet as gratiously as I can, and if anyone is rude to me, well, I hope I can continue to respond gratiously. Should I make excuses for my being an American? Should I make excuses and apologies for Bush being my president? I believe not. I am traveling to promote better understanding and to have a blast.

I have a feeling that another Italian man might want to have a political discussion with an American man who is wearing a Sons of Italy shirt because your shirt is opening a conversation.

I have had one or two incidents where my being American has caused me concern but that was during anti-war demonstrations in Rome.

I would not discuss politics but that is my own personal decision so I never continue a discussion if one is offered to me.

One funny incident happened to me in Ravello, I was sitting at a cafe on the main square when they were celebrating their saint with fireworks. When the fireworks started and they were going haywire and landing all around us, the waiter said to me, "oh your President Bush must be here." I just laughed as it was meant in fun.

When traveling for pleasure it is for your own benefit to not let other people's actions get to you or put a damper on your trip unless they are wielding torches and chasing you down the street!

Bravo SeaUrchin. Gratzie mille

Frankly, after traveling to Italy since the 1960's and having to deal with terrorism to and from the US since Mr. Klinghoffer's body was on my Pan Am Jet to NYC from Rome in the 1980's,(the results of a terrorist event, the results of which I had first hand experience ) The Italians have had to deal with terrorism from the terrorist influence we are dealing with now. A few weeks after our not uneventful flight from Rome, there were many people gunned down at the Rome ticket counter in a following terrorist attack.
The rest is history. My personal and not official opinion is that CNN, BBC and most generalized TV and other news sources are completely responsible for these attitudes and leanings.
I was just in Italy last month and dealt with some of this opinion but also noted that complete disgust with the existing Italian government and also the wholesale sell- out to tourism is frosting the Italians. MOnster cruise ships are gutting the cities, like Venice, Rome and Florence with the most obnoxious of our US culture.
Many tourists forget when they leave our shores( US)! Other cultures have their ways, and travel and cruise companies would serve the American culture to require firmly required sessions on the differences before disembarkation, especially if the ships hold 3,000 passengers!
I have personally seen the results of the disembarkation of such an obnoxious
passenger ship on Venice and its very small streets.But then, the Italians allow it....?!!

Too funny SeaUrchin, LOL!! And also, as you know, most Italians do not like their Prime Minister any better then they like our President. Lilminkey did seem to have a time of it in Italy.

Most Europeans don't like Bush, Berlusconi and Blair (they have 3 "b" words) because of Iraq and its consequences in their own country. They don't have a problem with American tourists. However, they do have problems with individual tourists (doesn't matter which country) that invite friction.

Sorry lilminkey...if you got cold stares then you asked for it.

My perception is that the way Italians see Americans is very influenced by the Sgrena/Calipari episode. For the whole story see: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/ma...iraq-07m.shtml

I wonder if the negative comments about his t-shirt was more a reflection of the italian sense of style...