Didn't love Italy

The port of Lazise on Lake Garda. It's way pritt.

Honest truth about Italy: lots of pros, lots of cons.

Let's start with the cons.

Cons: Tourists up your wazoo, creepy hobos, don't Couchsurf here, you have to pay to get into almost everything, and train stations are crazy confusing.

Italy is a pain. Of all the places I visited, I felt the most unsafe in Italy.

First, you're constantly surrounded by people. I visited MILAN (not even Rome, which I'm sure is crazier) in the middle of freaking JANUARY (it was 40ºF) and there were tourists EVERYWHERE. It was frustrating because I like to avoid the crowds and experience the country as untouristy as possible, but I don't think that's possible in Italy. The crowds are huge and people are everywhere. Summer must be straight CRAY. (BUTT: I was able to escape the crowds in smaller towns like Verona and Lazise.)

Verona at twilight.

Second, you'd think you're safe because of all the crowds, but the hobos aren't afraid to single anyone out. I was walking with my host in Milan and I had hobos shove birdseed in my hands, try to tie a bracelet to my wrist, and try to "help" me buy a ticket at a train station. After doing stuff like this, hobos try to get you to pay for whatever they've forced on you ("Ten euro for the birdseed!" "You stole that bracelet! Pay me for it!" "You owe me this much for helping you buy your ticket!"). You have to be very assertive and just be like, "No, I don't want it, I'm not gonna pay for that."

In general, I tried to share my money and food with the homeless I saw in other countries, but these guys were so obnoxious I didn't want to give them anything just in case they tried to pull something on me.

Thanks to this hobo, I got this sweet picture of me being attacked by birds. Also, he tried to take 10 euro from me.

Also, the Couchsurfing options in Italy are iffy. Half the profiles I read while looking for a place to stay either said they were nudists or nudist-friendly, which isn't inherently bad, but can turn bad real easy (especially since you don't know these people IRL). So, unless you feel REALLY comfortable with naked strangers, stay in a hostel or hotel.

Another downside of the country is that the economy is based mainly on tourism (which makes sense --> see four paragraphs above), so it costs money to get into EVERYTHING. Take pictures in the Duomo? Three euro. Go to the roof of the Duomo? Six euro. Go into almost any cathedral and you'll get charged an entrance fee (UNLESS you're with a local -- then it's free). So be ready with a lot of pocket change to get into what you want to see.

On the roof of the Milan Duomo. That's my host up front with the hair.

Also, Italian train stations are worse than American DMV's. Get in line to get a number, get a number, wait for your number to be called (in Italian), then get your train ticket without any platform number or departure time printed on it (it's basically just a blank piece of paper). It's silly. I'd recommend getting a local to help if you can (but NOT a hobo -- remember).

So that's what sucks about Italy, but let's end on a positive note.

Pros: Everything is super old, there's lots of history; it's a very small country, so you can land in any airport and be in another part of the country in a couple of hours; and the food is fantastic!

A Roman arch in Verona.

Italy has had a huge influence on the world since before Christ was born. For over 2,000 years, this small country has influenced the ENTIRE world's art, government, food, education, architecture, and religion. That's crazy! Because of this, it's worth taking a little looksie at Italy if you're planning a trip to Europe.

Because people have lived in Italy for forever, there are cities built on cities built on cites and cathedrals built on cathedrals built on cathedrals. In some areas, you can see an older city's foundation under the streets of the current city. In Chiesa di San Fermo in Verona, one cathedrals sits on top of an older cathedral underground (that you can go down and look at), which is on top of another older cathedral! It's like a Catholic sandwich! (But old and made of stone, so don't eat.)

The foundation of an older city under the streets of Verona, Italy.

There are multiple cathedrals in every city you'll visit, and at least one of them is bound to take your breath away. The most amazing churches I saw were the Milan Duomo and the Cathedral of St. Anastasia in Verona.

The Duomo is legitly hugenormous outside and covered in intricate carvings and statues (you could spend hours looking at the outside walls of the Milan Duomo), but you don't completely appreciate how big and beautiful it is until you go inside. It's dark and cavernous, gives you Mines-of-Moria-esque feelings, and amazes the living butt off of you.

Milan Duomo

The Cathedral of St. Anastasia is also huge, but I mainly loved its architecture and paintings inside. The inside is full of arches and the ceiling is painted with a real cool floral pattern.

Inside St. Anastasia's.

**NOTE: I'm not usually an artsy person who appreciates things like architecture and culture, but Italy (one of the birthplaces of western art and architecture) straight-up knocked my socks off and made me notice things I'd never appreciated before.

Also, real Italian pizza makes a day in the country worth it. It tastes nothing like American pizza: the crust is thin and bubbly, the sauce is tangy, the cheese isn't greasy, and the toppings are completely fresh. (If you want a taste of authentic Italian pizza, visit Terra Mia in Orem).

It's really Italian and really pizza.

Overall, I'd say that Italy is worth a two-to-three-day stopover. One day to see a big city and get annoyed by tourists/freaked out by hobos, and one day to see a small town and appreciate the slightly less-touristy part of Italy.