When you moved to Italy what was the thing(s) that most surprised you or shocked you? Something you never really expected.
For us it was for how long winter could be, and then launching straight into summer with just a passing nod at spring. Ferocious cold, then ferocious heat. One keeping us in shivering, the other keeping us in out of the melting, withering heat. Makes you understand why we were taught at school that the U.K. had a " temperate climate" . Autumn can be good though, except for those Autumns when it seems to never stop raining in October & November.
In fact it rains quite a lot in Spring too..

It was the odd little things that surprised me. I remember going to post a letter soon after we arrived and realising that there aren't as many post boxes. No pavements was another one.

Aperitivo snacks are a positive and free scuola materna. My children are all the youngest in their year group by Italian rules and our nearest materna is a Statale one, so they all started before they were three and I only pay for meals.

The thunder storms are amazing here. We were in Ireland last week and saw a rainbow. Can't remember ever seeing one in Italy. Has anyone else?

ah, well now - we had some amazing rainbows out in the Golfo di Salerno about 10 days ago. The late afternoon sun out to the West, and some heavy thunder showers breaking out to the South West. There were in fact several spectacular ones over a period of about 90 mins. Some amazing streaks of lightning too, as it became dark. Makes you realise just how insignificant we really are.
ciao for now,
'o nonno

The sun has to be shining while it rains to get them. We get them here too!

Dog crap all over the pavements and the huge amounts of graffiti even on some well known buildings. Constant building works to keep monuments up and running.

Love of kids! You hear about it but you have to experience it! Even the disapproving is concern most of the time! I can't think of any other nice surprises, not because there weren't any but because I chose to live here because of the good stuff not the bad!!

That Italians "Do work to live" . I found this refreshing after being in a business where you worked long hours and were expected to do more and more for less and less.

That many (perhaps most) Italians don't know how many weeks there are in a year.

Ciao tutti, getting back on topic. It was a long time ago, but remember being surprised at the degree of adult illiteracy, especially amongst women. It was considered a waste of time sending girls to school, and boys only went to learn to write so they could send letters home when doing the 'naja'.Remember the TV programme 'Non e' mai troppo tardi'?.
ciao for now,
'o nonno

The driving...was the biggest shock, still shocks me....

Not there yet but I hope it's the price of a good vino !!

I was initially surprised :

that soft drinks cost more than a glass of wine.

at blue and pink bows and other decorations on houses when a baby is born - but I think it's cute.

No receptionist, no appointment system and a first come first served way of seeing the doctor.

The electricity going off during each and every storm.

The price I had to pay Telecom to get a phone installed in my flat.

The size of the open air swimming pools.

The speed with which Italians ate huge pizzas when I struggled to eat more than half of one.

Horse meat and birds being sold for cooking and eating.

You needed "gettoni" (tokens) to use the public phones. They didn't take normal coins.

The hypocrisy of many so called Catholics.

The beauty of the place

Customer services

The old Fiat 500.


............... and loads more

When visiting our doctors in the village it's best to go on market day cos everyone is busy at the market and having a chin wag in the bars. Although there seems to be no waiting system in our surgery they all know who is next in the queue, even if you don't!

I'll second the open air swimming pools...and add to that the fist time I saw seventy fully grown Italians jump into a mass exercise routine in the pool to dance music.....

had to be there really...

Attended an "Extraordinary" council meeting and was surprised by the shouts of "Vergonia", and the councilors that were being denounced, those that had been instrumental in a very unpopular and Illegal (some say) planning approval storming off the rostrum...great fun to watch but slightly unnerving as the police were there. Very loud cheering from the floor and then all off to the local bar for a prosecco!

The windows open inwards so you can clean both sides from in the house!You don't need a window cleaner with a ladder but I have just found out that elf and safety have stopped all that and now it's a sponge on a long stick.

New laws like this!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010...-boozy-beaches