Italy was amazing, especially the food! It was such a good experience to witness the different foods and customs used when eating, compared to the United States. One of the biggest differences was breakfast. The breakfast usually consisted of some kind of bread (a roll, croissant, or donut) with a cup of coffee or hot tea. Another big difference were the hours that the restaurants were open! Many restaurants, and even stores, closed each day for a few hours and then reopened for dinner around 7 or 7:30 at night.

The meals were very different too. For dinner, every table got bread and a glass for wine. Then you would start off with antipasta (an appetizer) consisting of melon and ham, bruschetta, asparagus,etc. Then, it was time for the first course, which was usually one of the many different types of pasta, soup, or pizza. And then the second course would be some kind of meat and vegetable. But, we usually just had one course. Followed by salad, which in America we usually eat first, and a cup of coffee. Desert usually consisted of various sweets or gelato (ice cream). Speaking of gelato, I love it! There are so many different flavors and it tastes much better than ice cream, in my opinion.

After dinner, most Italians socialize and relax. Spending hours to take in all their food is not nearly enough, talking and sipping on wine is quite the norm. Not to mention, many of Italians were with families or in larger groups so meals seem more family orientated than what we are used to in the U.S. Actually, it's kind of funny because most times we had to ask the waiter for our bill because they would usually wait to give it to you since they don't want their guests to seem rushed.