# What do you think about Italy?



## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

Its just weird that thinking of going out with a girl has more body hairs than myself.


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## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

Yellow Fever said:


> *I actually think of wine*, super sport cars, water canals, tilted tower and big hairy women.


You should necessarily visit the annual Wine Fair Vinitaly


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## Marbur66 (Mar 1, 2009)

@Yellowfever

_Most_ women have more body hair than Asian men. :lol:


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

Marbur66 said:


> @Yellowfever
> 
> _Most_ women have more body hair than Asian men. :lol:


yeah me and my cougar share the same shaver.  we shave for each other. :lol:


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## _BPS_ (Feb 7, 2005)

Ew


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

^^ and not just the facial hairs we are talking about.


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## _BPS_ (Feb 7, 2005)

Your cougars have facial hair that require shaving?


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

Her hairs are so tiny and light color that they are almost transparent.


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## mithun.chakroborty (Jun 9, 2011)

Ducati,Aprilia,MV Agusta,Benelli,Moto Guzzi,Laverda,Piaggio Vespa,Bimota,Vyrus,Gilera,Ghezzi and Brian,Borile,Mondial,Beta,Moto Morini,Terra Modena, Magni



Italy is the bestest , favouritest country for somebody who loves motorcycles and scooters


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## Cerises (Apr 17, 2005)

I really enjoyed my travels there. Took in the architecture and the culture. Had some of the best gelato and pasta. Will definitely be going again. :cheers:


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## FREKI (Sep 27, 2005)

+ Awesome food and deserts!
- loud people who don't know how to stand in line
+ beautiful old buildings and lots of history
- crazy driving and parking culture
+ beautiful nature
- hairy women
+ nice climate
- lots of poverty
+ nice modern furniture design 
- Berlusconi
+ Galatto
- home of organized christianity
+ tomatos
- AnsaldoBreda 


All in all a nation I have had a good time visiting and wouldn't mind visiting again though I'm not in a hurry... and atleast the Italians in Italy behave better than they do when they are tourists abroad..


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## Tiaren (Jan 29, 2006)

Bunga Bunga


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## Dimethyltryptamine (Aug 22, 2009)

Favourite region? Lazio. I adore Rome. 

- Beautiful, historic cities. Rome in particular. Basically every corner you turn you stumble upon a landmark that has been there over 500 years.
- The food! Spaghetti, Pizza, Risotto, Gelato, Tiramisu, and Nutella etc
- Stunning countryside, especially the alps and Italian Riviera 
- The Architecture. Both modern and historic, is incredible. The Colosseum, The Pantheon, St Peters Basilica, Piazza San Marco/St Marks Square, Altare della Patria, Rialto Bridge, Duomo di Milano... I could go on forever!
- The language is so beautiful
- Some of the best coffee I've ever tasted
- Scooters
- Narrow and chaotic streets
- Quite superstitious 
- The Italian boys have big _____ :lol:


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## fbeavis (Feb 8, 2012)

My wife is Italian. When I think of Italy I think hot chicks, wine, good food, mafia, poverty, omnipresent Catholicism (bleh), fashion, hot cars, poverty, backwards politics.


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## Marbur66 (Mar 1, 2009)

^^
Apparently there is so much poverty that you mentioned it twice. :lol:


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## BringMe (May 7, 2011)

FREKI said:


> + Awesome food and deserts!
> - loud people who don't know how to stand in line
> + beautiful old buildings and lots of history
> - crazy driving and parking culture
> ...


What does Denmark has contributed to the world? Besides the little mermaid and of course FREKI


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## Marbur66 (Mar 1, 2009)

BringMe said:


> What does Denmark has contributed to the world?


Denmark has nothing to do with this topic. Don't start shit when there is absolutely no reason for it.


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## BringMe (May 7, 2011)

Marbur66 said:


> Denmark has nothing to do with this topic. Don't start shit when there is absolutely no reason for it.


ok.


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## Cratus (Jun 19, 2013)

All i know about Italia is: 

Great... Real great History! Roma is amazing in history heritage! 

Some cities in the South and some the north have a lot of history, castles and medieval things... I love it! 

The Adriatico Mar is surrounded by amazing little historic cities from the ancient and medieval ages. 

I also know the North is far more developed than the South, which is almost underdeveloped. I know that the Italian economy has been in recession for many years and the politicians are very corrupt. 

The geography and morphology of Italian territory is amazing, old and very attractive.


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

edit


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

My favorite region in Italy is Liguria, it looks gorgeous. And Genoa also looks awesome!


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## Marbur66 (Mar 1, 2009)

Italy has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to old architecture and historic sites. No other country can equal Italy in that sense, IMO. I wish I had the time and money to travel around the country for about a month.


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

Italy is like a perfect country - it has both First world industrialization and Third world warmth/hospitality.

Sadly, most of Europe lack the warmth of Italy and look dull and boring.
And sadly, most of Middle East are too much into Emotion , lacking order & discipline.

Italy is just nice, in between  

Other than Italy, I love countries like Spain, Turkey, Malta, Arabian Gulf ( except Saudi ), Malaysia, Singapore , Southern part of France....... these are countries that have combination of Industrialized economy + Warmth , the most perfect places to be IMO.


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## FREKI (Sep 27, 2005)

Skyprince said:


> Italy is like a perfect country - it has both First world industrialization and Third world warmth/hospitality.
> 
> Sadly, most of Europe lack the warmth of Italy and look dull and boring.
> And sadly, most of Middle East are too much into Emotion , lacking order & discipline.
> ...


What European nations have you been to that didn't have the warmth you found in Italy?


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## _BPS_ (Feb 7, 2005)

Denmark :troll:


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## anakngpasig (Jul 29, 2005)

my grandfather speaks fondly of it, he was born in Grumo Nevano


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## apinamies (Sep 1, 2010)

Most of things that I can think are already mentioned:

- Old beautiful architecture (and a lot of it)
- Mafia
- Corruption
- Alps
- Many great cities (Rome, Napoli, Venice etc.)
- Ferrari
- Football (two Milan teams, Juventus, As Roma)
- Berlusconi
- Food
- Old phrase "Others eat for living but Italians live for eating"
- Fashion
- Traditional lifestyle (Italians are quite religious for Europeans and think old fashioned way: womans need to stay home, gays are immoral etc.)
- Mussolini (most Italians still think very dearly of him that is what I heard)
- Amazing history
- Very high potential but is always stuck on old way of thinking
- Big differences on wealth in North and South
- Monica Bellucci and Asia Argento
- Italian horror films Giallos
- Spagetti Westerns


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## AmoreUrbs (Mar 6, 2013)

FREKI said:


> All in all a nation I have had a good time visiting and wouldn't mind visiting again though I'm not in a hurry... and atleast the Italians in Italy behave better than they do when they are tourists abroad..


It'll take time but Italians behaviour abroad are a recognizable trait even for many Italians, many of us are ashamed of that! Normally we are less loud than the stereotype at home..
As an Italian myself I can only think we need new leaders who bring this country in a better position since there's a lot of potentials, and Italian must wake up from the current brain drain we're having; we are a very bitchy bunch who complains a lot and say we want to improve, but we sometimes end up not doing much and accepting the situation.. also it's strange how here you end up with "good" areas and deprived or very deprived areas, there's a lot of regional instability; I wish we were like the French, where national identity is much more valued (instead of regional) with a focus on economical stability throughout the territory and much better bureaucracy which here is horrible


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## AmoreUrbs (Mar 6, 2013)

apinamies said:


> Most of things that I can think are already mentioned:
> - Traditional lifestyle (Italians are quite religious for Europeans and think old fashioned way: womans need to stay home, gays are immoral etc.)


That's one of many clichées/stereotypes, like the horrible Guido thing ; that may have been true one century ago, but now most educated/young Italians (even middle aged) have a normal European-way of thinking (so much that we despise lot of things we have, even the good ones).. religious people and attendance at church is decreasing more and more, and so the full family lifestyle; kids can't wait to go out of home.. gays are not seen as ill people by most (they would be considered ignorant) and many are fighting for more rights and women are independent; it's politics that are stuck, not so much the people



apinamies said:


> - Very high potential but is always stuck on old way of thinking
> - Big differences on wealth in North and South


The problem is that who represents us is generally old, so they stick to these ways; young people are different, but we are not much represented.. the second thing is true and sad..


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## LtBk (Jul 27, 2004)

> despise lot of things we have, even the good ones


Please explain this.


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## AmoreUrbs (Mar 6, 2013)

LtBk said:


> Please explain this.


Many of us are so into a Mitteleuropean way of thinking and want to reject everything "typically Italian" (except food :lol even when "Italian cordiality" (to say one) is concerned ; also keep in mind that Italians feel more Italian outside of home (or at football matches) than in Italy, as we are one of the less patriotic country and one of the less united in spirit (since unification has been "recent"); as a disadvantage you get that there is a general (very) pessimistic attitude around the Italian mindset, which hides under the typical jolly (even the jolliest) Italian ..


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## Paddington (Mar 30, 2006)

I think of the Mario brothers:


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## skraperguy (Oct 25, 2013)

Not much really. Food, fiat

stylish people also, don't know if it's just a stereotype


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## Vakai (Mar 27, 2009)

I associate Italy with some good food, fashion, art and architecture. Rome, Venice, Milan etc are certainly worth visiting. It's also the land of the bunga banga. :lol:


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## Kangaroo MZ (Feb 7, 2012)

I think of that Italian Guy who went to Malta


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## Jonesy55 (Jul 30, 2004)

Alps, skiing, grappa, polenta, speck ham.

It goes against the stereotype somewhat but most Italians I've known have been quite serious, conscious of own self-image, not really happy to let their guard down or poke fun at themselves etc. Maybe this is unusual I don't know :dunno:


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## AmoreUrbs (Mar 6, 2013)

Jonesy55 said:


> Alps, skiing, grappa, polenta, speck ham.
> 
> It goes against the stereotype somewhat but most Italians I've known have been quite serious, conscious of own self-image, not really happy to let their guard down or poke fun at themselves etc. Maybe this is unusual I don't know :dunno:


It depends on the person (like I said) and the part of Italy; some parts of Northern Italy especially are far to what could be considered typical Italian behaviour, but everywhere you can get (especially for the youth) respectful and "reserved" behaviours, it's just some idiots who behave bad abroad, but I guess the same can be said for other nationalities


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## Kangaroo MZ (Feb 7, 2012)

Some like to do monkey chants at black players.


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## Geborgenheit (Sep 9, 2005)

Marbur66 said:


> Denmark has nothing to do with this topic. Don't start shit when there is absolutely no reason for it.


If you can't take it then don't dish it out. Freki criticizes a lot other countries. In order to restore the balance his country should be criticized non-stop.


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## eklips (Mar 29, 2005)

I think of Baloteli playing pingpong and Napolitan neomelodic music


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## Marbur66 (Mar 1, 2009)

DarkLite said:


> Haha, ''unfortunately it looks like I will have to settle for Spain''. You make it sound like it's a terrible place.


No kidding, I'd be just fine with "settling" for Spain.


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

Sicily, Sardinia , Basilicata and Calabria r my fav regions of Italy

Though Ive only been to Lazio ( Rome )


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## Jonesy55 (Jul 30, 2004)

koolio said:


> I also want to visit Italy the next time I'm in Europe (probably next summer). Unfortunately it looks like I will have to settle for Spain.


Spain is awesome, just don't go to the mass market coastal resorts full of Brits and Germans


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## isaidso (Mar 21, 2007)

BringMe said:


> She's italian


Thanks for that, it was amusing.


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## AmoreUrbs (Mar 6, 2013)

Once you stay away from those gray places built for tourists in Spain (but the same can be said about parts of Italy!) that completely spoiled the coasts, you'll find that Spain is also quite beautiful


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

FREKI said:


> You didn't answer my question:
> 
> What European nations have you been to?


UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey

Didn't find UK & Belgium interesting overall, dull and grey in general , depressing atmosphere.
Had wonderful time in France, Turkey and Italy


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## Azrain98 (Nov 27, 2011)

Sicily & Tuscany


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## Guest (Nov 12, 2013)

Besides everything that has already been said.

I think that the italian alps are gorgeaous. I love the architecture of the italian alps.

But my favorite region, I guess is Lazio. Rome is stunning!


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## VITORIA MAN (Jan 31, 2013)

a competition with spain


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## NanoMini (Apr 15, 2013)

Where's Venice? I like Venice best.


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## Galro (Aug 9, 2010)

^^ Veneto.


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## bogdymol (Feb 4, 2010)

Check out my Italy travel thread (link in my signature)


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## weird (Feb 24, 2006)

I like aperitivo and vermouth too. It's a nice concept and a good moment to socialize with friends :yes:




BeepBeep said:


> Your brother country is Portugal, Italy is more like cousin...


But we don't feel like that :dunno:

Our history with Portugal has been far away from being friendly. We even invaded them and since then, we have been living back to back. Spain has always looked to France and Italy and Portugal, to the UK.

We are related and that's a fact, but I would say that Italy is the apple of our eye.



Skyprince said:


> UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey
> 
> Didn't find UK & Belgium interesting overall, dull and grey in general , depressing atmosphere.
> Had wonderful time in France, Turkey and Italy


I've never been to Belgium but looks nice. However, the UK is superb. And London is arguably the best city in Europe :yes:


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## Ribarca (Jan 28, 2005)

Great history, great architecture and great cities full of art. And a superb football league with legendary clubs of-course.

After that I think of corruption, an organized chaos and organized crime.

I voted for Sardinia.


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## Galro (Aug 9, 2010)

One question to the active Italians in this forum (primarily AmoreUrbs and IThomas I guess): Are there any plans to start renovating some the Sicilian cities? I think it is a huge shame seeing the some of the shape great Sicilian Baroque cities like Catania, Modica, Noto, Palermo, Caltagirone and Ragusa are in. I'm sure they could become even more popular tourist destinations if they had gone through a proper renovation program.


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## AmoreUrbs (Mar 6, 2013)

Galro said:


> One question to the active Italians in this forum (primarily AmoreUrbs and IThomas I guess): Are there any plans to start renovating some the Sicilian cities? I think it is a huge shame seeing the some of the shape great Sicilian Baroque cities like Catania, Modica, Noto, Palermo, Caltagirone and Ragusa are in. I'm sure they could become even more popular tourist destinations if they had gone through a proper renovation program.


It's difficult, because Southern Italy (but especially the Far South) has been affected by very bad politics ; you could not believe you are in the same country where Venice and Turin are located by seeing some of Sicilian cities in particular, which is very sad because there are lot of gems.. sadly, our politics are a bit biased (now a bit less since as a a whole we are going downhill) on particular areas of Italy, and others are forgotten; you can see this by looking at the heavy emigration, current and past, of these parts of Italy ; still, parts of them are in a better status than they were years ago..


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## Perseus26 (Jan 3, 2012)

Galro said:


> One question to the active Italians in this forum (primarily AmoreUrbs and IThomas I guess): Are there any plans to start renovating some the Sicilian cities? I think it is a huge shame seeing the some of the shape great Sicilian Baroque cities like Catania, Modica, Noto, Palermo, Caltagirone and Ragusa are in. I'm sure they could become even more popular tourist destinations if they had gone through a proper renovation program.


They've been funded for decades through many redistributive policies, which have been huge in terms of money but sh*t in term of efficiency. They almost all failed actually. It's so frustrating when you look at all the money spent without a solid strategy (or without strategy at all). By just being a bit more efficient on spending it, it all could have been so different now. I'm not talking about dreams or how things would have gone if we had more money, but just if we could use it a bit more properly, especially in the past. I mean, back in the day the Country was an industrial power (and still is, though it's strugglin' more than in the past) and the pontential was all there, ready to be used. It eventally was abused, though.


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## rafark (May 6, 2011)

Marbur66 said:


> Denmark has nothing to do with this topic. Don't start shit when there is absolutely no reason for it.


La PlaSa... Oh, sorry, SkIbar


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## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

Galro said:


> One question to the active Italians in this forum (primarily AmoreUrbs and IThomas I guess): Are there any plans to start renovating some the Sicilian cities? I think it is a huge shame seeing the some of the shape great Sicilian Baroque cities like Catania, Modica, Noto, Palermo, Caltagirone and Ragusa are in. I'm sure they could become even more popular tourist destinations if they had gone through a proper renovation program.


Well, Sicilian Baroque cities in province of Ragusa and Siracusa are gems: in this moment there are redevelopment projects in terms of urban design and improvement of tourist services. They are also opening up several design-luxury hotel and resort (an example is Verdura Golf & Spa Resort Rocco Forte).

While the three largest cities:
* Palermo is trying to improve public transport (like metro and tramway) and services, then there are small projects around the recovery of the historical center, and also urban decor, and open stores and shopping center. You can follow city projects on their urban city forum

* Catania is the most commercial city of the island, you will find major shopping centers, outlet, improvement of the historic center (with Baroque buildings built with lava stone by their Etna volcano and Roman ruins), the riconversion of old building in the multi-functional buildings, and the airport is one among the largest in Italy, and with a strategic plan, passengers growing up in next years.
























































































* Messina, have a great traffic in terms of cruise ships of national and international companies, one of the future project will be the conversion of the waterfront. With waterfront landmark, residential buildings on the sea and space for leisure and culture. The masterplan for the area is ​​80 acres. Planning to build a bridge over the strait (bridge with world's most longest suspended span), with buildings designed by Daniel Libeskind (but green activists are opposed and central government have cut funds, for the moment). 














































































And with the nearby city of Reggio Calabria, they are trying to create in the future the Metropolitan City of the Strait of Messina, and also this city has major projects in the drawer, such as the Museum of Mediterranean and Performing Arts Centre designed by Zaha Hadid.



























​Then there are many other small centers, which focusing on the rehabilitation of historic centers, with renovations of heritage and urban decor. I hope I've given you the idea. The main problem, however, remain the fundings, but the projects are there. Bye :hug:


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## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

Perseus26 said:


> They've been funded for decades through many redistributive policies, which have been huge in terms of money but sh*t in term of efficiency. They almost all failed actually. It's so frustrating when you look at all the money spent without a solid strategy (or without strategy at all). By just being a bit more efficient on spending it, it all could have been so different now. I'm not talking about dreams or how things would have gone if we had more money, but just if we could use it a bit more properly, especially in the past. I mean, back in the day the Country was an industrial power (and still is, though it's strugglin' more than in the past) and the pontential was all there, ready to be used. It eventally was abused, though.


We all know that local politics isn't good, but national isn't different. I'm the first to criticize that ruling class, but unfortunately politicians "eat" on the shoulders of the poor citizens. Southern Italy is good only to take votes: just to give an example, I think those sicilian politicians, who sit in the Parliament in Rome, return to their homelands only to recover votes, make promises and then once everything is finished, forget all. Another stupid example: why they blocked funds for the construction of the bridge across the Straits, if to build a metro line in Rome costs much more? And finally we can't say that things haven't changed, even if it's small projects. Certainly the timing is slow, but I don't think it's necessary to despise a part of our country. Still on the theme "Sicily", to make another example, the region each year pay (in billions of euro), through taxation of their refineries, the central government, which in turn redistributes to all regions. So it would be incorrect to say that the region takes only cash. Anyway, I hope for a real change in the whole country, waste of money is everywhere. When I think Italy, I think a country with a great potential, a country that does half run. I'm just saying that if the country was united and it is really driven by politicians who believe in it and know how to do things, Italy could be one of the great countries in the world. As someone once said: "Now Italy is like a girfriend in a coma".


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## Perseus26 (Jan 3, 2012)

^Sicily is notoriously a black hole. Undoubtely the worst region of the Country when it comes to corruption. Such a pity


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## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

I've found some funny articles. Now tell to you all if are valid or not for me.  

*Top 10 corniest Italian chat-up lines*
* "Posso offrirti una bevanda calda per sciogliere il ghiaccio?" ("Can I get you a hot drink to melt [break] the ice?"). Like most things, this line sounds better in Italian. Just in time for winter, it could be the perfect way to woo the object of your affections. *Yes I do* 

* “Ti faccio vedere la città, andiamo con la Vespa!” ("Let me show you the city, we'll go on my Vespa!"). What the users of this phrase lack in originality, they make up for in clichés, and reliance on Italy's image as a nation of Latin lovers. Many of our readers reported being offered a 'private tour' of their new Italian hometown, often on a Vespa by night. *Yes I do* 

* “Mi sono perso. Mi diresti dove abiti tu?” (“I'm lost. Could you show me where you live?”). This crosses the line from cheesy to plain cheeky, but is likely to elicit at least a smile. *If other ask me I do it, otherwise if I need help I don't ask. I've an excellent orientation* 

* “Distinguiti dalla massa, dimmi di si” (“Stand out from the others, say yes to me”). If you prefer to skip the gushy romance and get straight to the point, this line could be the one for you. Plus, it proves you're not a quitter. *Ok, I say only "Stand out from the others" just to support people* :rofl:

“Potresti aiutarmi ad imparare l'inglese?” Foreigners coming to Italy are likely to hear this request, which translates as, "could you help me learn English?" But what seems to be an innocent request for conversation practice is often anything but. *Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Sure!* :cheers:

* “Ma sai che la tua voce e bellissima?” In a similar vein to the last one; Italians aren't going to miss out on an opportunity for flirtation, so don't be surprised if what you thought was a simple phonecall, to book train tickets or pay a bill, results in this line. It translates as, “do you know you've got a beautiful voice?” Full marks for effort. *Mmmh...I say it if only the person has 'una voce bellissima'* 

* “Complimenti alla mamma, sei fantastica!” A classic in Southern Italy in particular, this line could go down well with family-orientated Italians. It means, “congratulations to your mum, you're fantastic!” *If you don't say if my mom is fantastic I don't care. At least you to be interested in me.* :rofl:

* “Sei quasi più figa di me” One Italian described this as his go-to line, meaning, “you're almost as hot as I am”, which shows no lack of confidence, but perhaps a certain misunderstanding of what women want to hear. *I not boast myself, but I do it with the pretty boys* 

* “Tuo padre farà di sicuro il pasticcere ...guarda che paio di bomboloni!” This won't win any prizes for subtlety, so we may as well get straight to the point. It means, "your father must be a baker...look at those buns!" *Ok I'm gay... no other explanation is needed* :rofl:

* "Ciao, bella!" They say the old ones are the best, and this line has certainly stood the test of time. Just take it with a pinch of salt - it seems to be delivered to every female, regardless of how 'bella' or not she might be. *So and so, but to all* 

*Five reasons to date an Italian (and five not to)*

* Why you should: 1) They're beautiful.
Italians live up to their reputation as being some of the most beautiful people on earth. As well as being descendants of Roman Gods, modern-day Italians know how to look after themselves and will always look good on your arm. *Ok, I leave to you say this * 

* Why you should: 2) It will never be boring.
Ruled by passion, Italians are - like their beloved Mount Etna - constantly ready to erupt. Your relationship will likely be unpredictable and have more peaks than the Dolomites. Luckily after every raging argument over who put too much salt in the pasta, you get to make up. *Yeah!* 

* Why you should: 3) You get great holidays.
Romantics have flocked to Italy for centuries, drawn by the stunning landscapes, the wine and the sunshine. Whether you’re dating an Italian while living in the country or get to visit together, you will be treated to a private tour of one of the most captivating countries in the world. *You can have all this, and not only: starts with s and ends with x, and in the middle there is a vowel * :rofl: 

* Why you should: 4) You get to speak Italian.
Let’s face it, Italian sounds better than any other language. Dating an Italian means you’ll soon be singing the Romance language fluently, in addition to learning the all-important hand gestures which usually baffle foreigners. *Ok, but it's no so exaggerated* 

* Why you should: 5) Delicious dinners.
Italians are born cooks and express their love through food. This means regional specialities whisked up in minutes and dates at the best restaurants in town. Italians are also excellent at picking the perfect wine and are always on hand to make the morning coffee. *Yeah baby! I'll prepare for you, all the food that you want, and I'll also put the 'secret ingredient'* :hug:

* Why you shouldn't: 1) They will always complain about the food you make and the wine you choose. 
Nobody will be able to make lasagne as good as their mamma, so don't even try, and definitely don't suggest that your national cuisine is on a par. *Hey! At my home, lasagna it's made by me* :colbert:

* Why you shouldn't: 2) Family lunches and dinners. 
You have to attend and they last longer than the Queen's Coronation. Don't forget the added pressure of meeting their (many) relatives, who will take a lot of convincing to believe you're good enough for their darling. *No problem! I hate this* 

* Why you shouldn't: 3) The drama. 
Dating an Italian means you'll be expected to indulge their constant rants, outbursts and mood swings, often food-related. It's exhausting. *Partly true (but isn't food)* :rofl:

* Why you shouldn't: 4) You'll always be on a catwalk. 
Italy didn't get its reputation as fashion capital of the world for nothing, and if your outfit isn't up to scratch, they'll have no problem letting you know about it. *Yeah! But no problem, if you aren't up to scratch, I'll help you* :hug:

* Why you shouldn't: 5) The cheating. 
Italians aren't exactly known for being the loyal type. Most Italians see this as the norm and don't even bother to hide it, but it may come as a shock if you took them at their word when they declared their undying love for you. *Hey! I'm loyal*  *(and I consider my guy like a prince: "courtship is everything")* 

Ok, now I don't comment, but as you will read, everything is sex-linked or almost :lol:
*10 most embarrassing mistakes to avoid in Italian*
Italian can be a minefield for well-intentioned tourists or expats. Just an out-of-place 'o' or 'a' , for instance, can have potentially disastrous consequences. So, don't make yourself a laughing-stock - check out our list of ten of the most embarrassing mistakes to avoid.

* Conservanti/preservativi – Hate to break it to you but not all Italian words mean the same thing as their English counterparts. Unfortunately, “preservativo” is not Italian for preservatives - it actually means “condom”. So if you’re the kind of person who insists on eating organic food that’s free of preservatives, do yourself a favour and learn the word “conservanti”. 

* Pisolino/pisello - It’s a warm summer afternoon and you’d like nothing better than to curl up and take a nap. But when you inform your Italian hosts you want a “pisello”, they look at you with a mixture of horror and amusement. The word you were searching for is in fact “pisolino”. “Pisello” means *****.

* Scopare - You’re doing a spot of spring cleaning - so when an Italian friend texts to ask if you’re free for a coffee, you text back to say you need to finish sweeping first. It’s only when your friend calls back, incoherent with laughter, that you realize she thought you meant something else. Confusingly, "scopare" can mean both "to sweep" and the vulgar word for having sex. Take a tip from us and stick to generic verbs like “pulire” (to clean).

* Penne/pene – Penne is most people’s favourite pasta. Leave out a crucial “n”, however, and you’re once again referring to male genitalia. So next time you tell your boyfriend about your favourite Italian food, make sure he doesn’t get the wrong idea...

* Scoraggiare/scoreggiare – This is possibly the best example of how even the most innocent and well-meaning of Italian phrases can be misconstrued. All you wanted to do was comfort your tearful neighbour, who’s just lost his job - but instead of saying “Non ti scoraggiare” (Don’t give up) you said “Non ti scoreggiare” (Stop farting).

* Pecorino/pecorina – Food is probably the most common topic of conversation in Italy, so you should beware of this trap. Let’s say you want to tell friends how much you love “pecorino”, a famous cheese made from ewe’s milk. Tell them you love “pecorina”, however, and you’ve just revealed that you enjoy having sex doggie-style.

* Fico/fica – If you’ve tasted Italian figs, you’ll know they are second to none. But many foreigners are so scared of mispronouncing “fico” as “fica” (the c-word) that they avoid them altogether. Just to confuse things, "fico" is also Italian for cool or trendy. 

* Fon/telefono – This mistake is not so much embarrassing as extremely frustrating. If you’re staying with an Italian host family and need to use the phone, remember the word “telefono” - or you’ll find yourself presented with a “fon” (hairdryer).

* Guardare/guidare – Confusing the two is a seemingly innocent mistake - but in the wrong situation, it can have disastrous consequences. Imagine you’re in a bar with a sleeping baby and you need to go to the loo. You ask the barman to watch over her. Except that instead of asking him to “guardare” (watch) your baby, you’ve just asked him to “guidare” (drive) her away!

* Sono caldo/ho caldo – You’re stuck on a bus crammed with people in the middle of Rome on a boiling hot summer’s day. “Sono calda!” you mutter in exasperation. But instead of talking about the temperature of the bus, you’ve just proclaimed to a busload of people that you find yourself hot - as in attractive. For future reference, the adjective “caldo” always takes the verb “avere” (to have).

:rofl: I hope you enjoyed :hug:


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## Marathaman (Jul 24, 2007)

Our Queen is Italian.


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## Prosp (Nov 4, 2012)

Espresso
Pellini
Food
Friendly people.
Culture (almost everything)
Nice design (furniture etc.) including fashion.
Umberto Eco
Small villages/countryside
_ et cetera_
However, there are things I don't like or let's say it accurately - things which i do not understand /I am not used to them, but I base it just on very subjective basis:
Italy is too hot for my ass
Sometimes you see to much of _trush_ on the streets.
Some Italians cities really lack of green places. Sustainability?
People are nice, but they talk very loudly 

On the other hand, I feel sort of warm feelings towards Italy. For instance, my hometown was built (majority of buildings designed) by Italian architects, therefore, I always feel a bit of Italian spirit.


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## FastDriver (Aug 7, 2011)

FORZA JUVE!


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## Galro (Aug 9, 2010)

@ Perseus26, AmoreUrbs and IThomas:

Thanks for your answer. I not suggesting nor expecting to see any large-scale redevelopment schemes with massive building sites akin to what IThomas just presented. Quite honestly there is no huge need for any need landmark buildings as Sicily already got a great looking building stock. What I'm primarily calling for is better maintenance of buildings, a upgrade of the public sphere, and perhaps the removal of cars and pedestrianization of some inner city streets. The somewhat nearby south-Italian city of Lecce shows how it could be done. The old city of Siracusa looks to be in nice shape too. 

I looked at the blog it was linked to I found this render of Quattro Canti in Palermo very interesting: 










Are they planning to pedestrianize Quattro Canti or will it be a shared space concept? Will the whole historic city of Palermo go through a similar transformation? Is there similar projects underway elsewhere on Sicily? That is just exactly what I'm hoping and looking for. :cheers:



Perseus26 said:


> They've been funded for decades through many redistributive policies, which have been huge in terms of money but sh*t in term of efficiency. They almost all failed actually. It's so frustrating when you look at all the money spent without a solid strategy (or without strategy at all). By just being a bit more efficient on spending it, it all could have been so different now. I'm not talking about dreams or how things would have gone if we had more money, but just if we could use it a bit more properly, especially in the past. I mean, back in the day the Country was an industrial power (and still is, though it's strugglin' more than in the past) and the pontential was all there, ready to be used. It eventally was abused, though.


I'm aware of the history with southern Italy and your attempts to develop it further. We have the same problem here where I live - Norway - where the northern portion of the country never properly developed and we have since trying to subsidize the development of it to no avail, so it is not a problem only Italy suffers. Many of the cities there looks equally as run-down and deprived as parts of southern Italy if it's of any reconciliation. Here are some streetview links if it is of any interest. 


Perseus26 said:


> ^Sicily is notoriously a black hole. Undoubtely the worst region of the Country when it comes to corruption. Such a pity


Is it worse than Calabria and Campania? Does the government do anything concrete to reduce corruption?


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## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

Galro said:


> I looked at the blog it was linked to I found this render of Quattro Canti in Palermo very interesting:
> 
> Are they planning to pedestrianize Quattro Canti or will it be a shared space concept? Will the whole historic city of Palermo go through a similar transformation? Is there similar projects underway elsewhere on Sicily? That is just exactly what I'm hoping and looking for. :cheers:


Yeah, many cities (especially the touristic little cities) are considering to building, gradually, pedestrian zones or at least to create areas into the historic center with limited traffic. Certainly urban renewal and improvement of services, enhancement of all the historical and artistic heritage, it is important for the development of tourism. What I always say, southern Italy, a large secret box: before dusting it and then discover. There are many treasures unknown to foreigners. As for Sicily, should remove that stain (Mafia) who has made known itself, in negatively way, in the world (thanks to Hollywood). Surely Sicily is also as far as I know, one of the largest centers of technological excellence: Etna Valley, such as Silicon Valley.



Galro said:


> I'm aware of the history with southern Italy and your attempts to develop it further. We have the same problem here where I live - Norway - where the northern portion of the country never properly developed and we have since trying to subsidize the development of it to no avail, so it is not a problem only Italy suffers. Many of the cities there looks equally as run-down and deprived as parts of southern Italy if it's of any reconciliation. Here are some streetview links if it is of any interest.
> 
> Is it worse than Calabria and Campania? Does the government do anything concrete to reduce corruption?


In recent decades, the State has opposed and oppressed Mafia, Camorra and 'Ndrangheta. Italy has recovered billions of euro, many real estate properties, captured powerful bosses and criminals. Not to mention that sense of moral redemption, by the citizens. Especially young people every year, remember the bombing attack in 1992, in which Mafia killed two judges symbol of the fight against organized crime: Mr. Falcone and Mr. Borsellino. Since then, hundreds of organizations have been created, such as "AddioPizzo" to counter this cancer. However, nowadays, the Mafia is no longer interested in small local southern Italy, but to "great money" such as prostitution, drugs, major projects ... If nothing else, the south of Italy is trying to go in another direction. Most striking example, in the recent months, I read that 3rd largest city in Sicily (13th in Italy for population) Messina, has elected as mayor, a physical education teacher from one of the city's middle school: he has launched an electoral campaign without money, and has swept over the old political lobbies. He's by decades a green and social activist, and when he was elected has refused privileges for himself: things that many "old politicians" would never have done. There are so much little stories like this: by ordinary citizens to local businessmen.


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## Walbanger (Jan 10, 2006)

A Nation overflowing in beauty
Beautiful Architecture
Antiquity
Arts
Fashion
Design
Beautiful bold women
Cheeky mumma's boy men
A Cocky attitude that is endearing if you like the person and off putting if you don't (I normally like Italians)
The quintessential mediterranean temperament
North/South differences
Curly hair (don't know why I think of that)
Gamesmanship over Sportsmanship
Diving in Soccer
Corruption
Awesome Food
Catholicism
Italian diaspora overseas and the value it has added to the likes of America and Australia.
Sabrina Salerno

A take on Italian film from some University of Adelaide students


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## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

^^
OMG I've never seen :rofl:


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## erbse (Nov 8, 2006)

_Bunga Bunga_ is all I can think of for now.


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## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

^^
Narrow mind. You let yourself influence by media and tabloid as Der Spiegel :lol:


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## AmoreUrbs (Mar 6, 2013)

erbse said:


> _Bunga Bunga_ is all I can think of for now.


Very few people in Italy want Berlusconi, and if you wouldn't be influenced by German medias you would know it (by looking at many Italian websites)..


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## Nijal (Mar 8, 2007)

I am always shocked by the contrast between southern Italy and northern Italy (which is almost Germany).


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## AmoreUrbs (Mar 6, 2013)

Nijal said:


> I am always shocked by the contrast between southern Italy and northern Italy (which is almost Germany).


Well, it's not Germany (I don't know what you mean with this), at most, it's similar to France.. Southern Italy wouldn't be so different if it was for the crimes committed in the past by Savoy / Piedmont dynasty (not the people of course) after the unification, and further political centralisation, which caused huge emigration, but that's a different story..


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## Jonesy55 (Jul 30, 2004)

AmoreUrbs said:


> Very few people in Italy want Berlusconi,


Maybe not now, but they did re-elect him several times in the past....


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## Jonesy55 (Jul 30, 2004)

Nijal said:


> I am always shocked by the contrast between southern Italy and northern Italy (which is almost Germany).


I have never been to Southern Italy, not beyond Rome.

I've been to Andalucía though a few times, does Southern Italy have many similarities with that region?


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## AmoreUrbs (Mar 6, 2013)

Jonesy55 said:


> Maybe not now, but they did re-elect him several times in the past....


Yes, but what some international newspapers report is a panorama where there's no opposition to his politics and where everyone is content the way things are with him, that's what I oppose


Jonesy55 said:


> I have never been to Southern Italy, not beyond Rome.
> 
> I've been to Andalucía though a few times, does Southern Italy have many similarities with that region?


Not dissimilar


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## Avientu (Jul 12, 2007)

^^ You reckon? I think they are quite different actually, apart from the obvious similarities. It's the same about northern Italy and northern Spain, quite different as well. To me Italy is closer to France in many ways, while Spain and Portugal have less of that Central European feel. Not that is a bad thing though, just different.
Spain then is very diverse, different regions, climates, culture, food, is much less uniform than most other countries.


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## AmoreUrbs (Mar 6, 2013)

Avientu said:


> ^^ You reckon? I think they are quite different actually, apart from the obvious similarities. It's the same about northern Italy and northern Spain, quite different as well. To me Italy is closer to France in many ways, while Spain and Portugal have less of that Central European feel. Not that is a bad thing though, just different.
> Spain then is very diverse, different regions, climates, culture, food, is much less uniform than most other countries.


Italy is not uniform either from North to South ; parts of the Far South have a big Greek influence (historically part of Magna Grecia), the center is more "Italic" while the North used to be Celtic, so you get some differences even after the Latinisation ; I agree that Spain and Portugal are different, and quite varied and very interesting (I like the fact that you have Galicia, Basque, Catalan influences etc), but I was talking more about economy


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## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

Jonesy55 said:


> Maybe not now, but they did re-elect him several times in the past....


I'll put the main candidates

*Italian general elections*

Before the election, Berlusconi appear in his national tv channels, with a video message and announces his intention to run for Prime Minister, because he want implement liberal reforms, that he deems necessary.

*1994* 
* *Silvio Berlusconi* 16.585.516 (He wins for the first time, and gets +3,2 mln votes than his principal challenger)
* *Achille Occhetto* 13.308.244
* *Mariotto Segni* 6.098.986

*1995*
Berlusconi resigns, and is created a government led by Lamberto Dini (former Minister of the Treasury, during the first Berlusconi government).

*1996*
* *Romano Prodi* 16.265.985
* *Silvio Berlusconi* 15.772.203 (He lose, and gets about -1 mln votes)
* *Umberto Bossi* 3.776.354

*1998*
Prodi government ends, because there is a crisis into the Left Alliance, caused by Communist Refoundation: which also suffered the split. Is created a new government led by Massimo D'Alema.

*2000*
Giulio Amato, became PM, in substitution of Massimo D'Alema.

*2001*
* *Silvio Berlusconi* 18.398.246 (After the last failure of Italian Left, he becomes PM for the second time, he holds the office for the duration of the term, ie 5 years. He gets +5,3 mln votes than his principal challenger, and +2,6 mln votes than 1996 Elections)
* *Francesco Ruttelli* 13.023.651
* *Fausto Bertinotti* 1.868.659

*2006*
* *Romano Prodi* 19.497.354
* *Silvio Berlusconi* 19.357.217 (He lose for few votes)

After 2 years, Prodi government is broke

*2008*
* *Silvio Berlusconi* 17.403.145 (PM for the 3rd time but lose about 2 mln votes)
* *Walter Veltroni* 14.099.747
* *Pier Ferdinando Casini* 2.138.246

*2011*
Behind the request of President of Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano, Berlusconi resigns, because there are no more conditions to continue. Is created the technocrat government, led by professor Mario Monti, to cope the problems and implement austerity reforms imposed by EU.

*2013*
* *Pier Luigi Bersani* 10.353.275
* *Silvio Berlusconi* 10.074.109 (For the first time, he lose great part of his electorate than 2008 Elections, - 7,3 mln votes, due to general discontent and scandals)
* *Giuseppe Grillo* 8.797.902 

There are no conditions to create a government, there isn't a large majority. Is created Government of the grand coalition, led by Enrico Letta.



As you can see Berlusconi hasn't win so much, he had only his "faithful" electorate, except for 2001, when he made a strong and hard electoral campaign and "killed" his political opponents. However now, Italians ask a strong renewal (like the change of our electoral system, we want maybe a presidentialism or semi-presidentialism), and in the last elections the votes to Five Star Movement, are votes of protest, in fact, the old political parties are frightened.


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## Tinchake (Jun 23, 2013)

luv italy


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## Motul (Nov 8, 2003)

Negative: corrupt and legislatively backwards for Western European standards, religion still holds a place of power, somewhat dirty south, lack of serious politicians (Berlusconi nuff said), 


Positive: Everything else <3. Cradle of the greatest empire known to man, home of the renaissance, beautiful men, Opera, sexiest cars on earth, weather, FOOD. 

L' Italia me piace molto.


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## Paddington (Mar 30, 2006)

Them Italian people is scary. hno:


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## BeepBeep (Sep 10, 2010)

weird said:


> I like aperitivo and vermouth too. It's a nice concept and a good moment to socialize with friends :yes:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Denmark and Sweden invaded and ruled Norway and I dont think norwegians see swedes and danish as an alien people. Spain and Portugal share the same history, the same genetics, similar culture (or the same considering Galicia and Northern Portugal), and a similar languages. I admire Japan, but I dont think we are similar...


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## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

Paddington said:


> Them Italian people is scary. hno:


You have a closed mind about Italians: intoxicated by Hollywood :lol:


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## Galro (Aug 9, 2010)

BeepBeep said:


> Denmark and Sweden invaded and ruled Norway and I dont think norwegians see swedes and danish as an alien people.


Norway have never been invaded by Denmark. We went into a union with them voluntarily along with Sweden, although you could argue that it we were forced due to our weak standing as large parts of the Norwegian establishment had died in the black death and we were incapable of maintaining a functioning state. 

I'm not sure why you mean with "alien" though, but there are some ressentiment against Danes at least and a large part of the reason behind the creation of Nynorsk was to remove Danish elements in the language and make it more authentically Norwegian.


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## BeepBeep (Sep 10, 2010)

Galro said:


> Norway have never been invaded by Denmark. We went into a union with them voluntarily along with Sweden, although you could argue that it we were forced due to our weak standing as large parts of the Norwegian establishment had died in the black death and we were incapable of maintaining a functioning state.
> 
> I'm not sure why you mean with "alien" though, but there are some ressentiment against Danes at least and a large part of the reason behind the creation of Nynorsk was to remove Danish elements in the language and make it more authentically Norwegian.


Portugal was also an "independent" kingdom under the Spanish Habsburg rule, but in reality we were a spanish colony... 

Norwegians might dislike the danish and the "party swedes", but do you really consider them different?


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## FAK (Jan 23, 2008)

Just to focus what we are talking about:


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## onosqaciw (Feb 13, 2011)

for me : Juventus......., curious i see italian seems used hand gesture a lot while talking


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## ArtZ (Feb 17, 2006)

IMO, Italy is absolutely amazing country: awesome landscapes in every region, beautiful and nice people, excellent cuisine (incl. delicious wines), rich cultural and historical heritage, world´s best designers and, of course, a lot of sun and light! This is ITALIA! :bow::applause:


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## ArtZ (Feb 17, 2006)




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## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

*From an interview to Mika*

What is the biggest flaw of Italy and Italians?
"For me, is the best country in the world, because it manages to maintain its own identity. Take Lebanon: a suspended country; or France: money but with a serious identity crisis. Italy yet cultivates its myths, the cultural and popular heritage, and this is a good antidote to the crisis".

source


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## Cerises (Apr 17, 2005)

I could do with a Ferrari!


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## _BPS_ (Feb 7, 2005)

Beautiful place, would visit again and again.

As per my experiences, I did not encounter a lot of the negatives I was warned about.


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## Manitopiaaa (Mar 6, 2006)

The 12 largest cities of Italy ranked in terms of beauty, class, arts, culture, people, nature, etc imo

1 is best, 12 is worst
1. Rome
2. Florence
3. Venice
4. Naples
5. Palermo
6. Milan
7. Bologna
8. Turin
9. Verona
10. Genoa
11. Catania
12. Bari

If I could stay in Italy in 10 places for one week per place, I'd probably pick these places:
Amalfi Coast, Capri and Sorrento
Florence
Italian Riviera, Genoa and Portofino
Lucca, Pisa and Cinque Terre
Naples, Pompeii and Herculaneum
Rome
Sicily
Siena, San Gimignano
Umbria
Venice and Verona


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## ArtZ (Feb 17, 2006)




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## ArtZ (Feb 17, 2006)

7 out of 10 world´s most expensive clothing brands are Italian.

http://www.therichest.com/luxury/most-expensive/the-top-10-most-expensive-clothing-brands-of-2013/


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