I'm watching "Eat Pray Love," which many consider to be an unsuccessful film adaptation of the book, however I'm really enjoying it; especially the Italy section. And while watching the Italy section I felt a strange stirring within me and heard this soft voice in my head say, "how exactly do you order coffee in Italy?"
This lead me to do some online research about Cafe culture in Italy and what to expect and what not to. I've seen how hectic a Spanish coffee bar can get, so I'm assuming a place like Italy that has a bigger coffee-following will be that much more confusing. Be direct. Un espresso, per favore. I'm dreading the onslaught of numerous native Italians pushing their way to order too. Oh boy, I'm not good with crowds...
Another thing to note: When to tip and when not to. I read somewhere that tips aren't necessary, but rather a gesture of gratitude. Naturally if a meal service was particularly good then that would be an appropriate time to tip 10-15%. However some restaurants say things like "servizio incluso" meaning the the tip is factored in. I've also heard that when ordering coffee, especially, giving a Euro cent before hand is a nice way of getting the bartender's attention and also, perhaps, better service? Since I am a university student on a budget, I'll leave tipping for special occasions. That's okay, right?
I leave in 33 days...
