Top Ten things Mariella learned while visiting Venice...

Top Ten things I, Mariella, learned while traveling in Venice, Italy:

1. DON’T TOUCH!
There are signs everywhere, but somehow your tourist eyes will glaze over these signs and you will find yourself being yelled at by a man waving his hands and shouting “no toche, no toche!” A bit embarrassing.
2. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE STRONG TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR WOMAN; YOU HAVE TO HAVE LOT’S AND LOTS OF MONEY!
This, by the way, must be said while waving your hands and opening your own personal wallet and patting your back pocket in reference to your giant, money-filled wallet. We heard this several times while in Italy, so … we thought you men should know this bit of information.
3. ITALIAN MEN SPECIFICALLY, NEED “AMOR”.
Not referring to love as in feeling loved, but sex. “I know that men everywhere want sex, but Italian men have a passion and NEED more sex than normal.
4. DON’T WORRY,
they aren’t yelling at you, that’s just how they communicate.
5. THE CUSTOMER IS…
Don’t expect your typical Southern California customer service, the customer is not always right, in fact, your aren’t even really important in a city where tourists flock to year around, you are totally dispensable. Every now and again, you might be sweetly surprised by someone’s kind and generous customer service skills, be grateful.
6. EAT ALL OF THE GELATO YOU CAN, WHILE YOU CAN.
No joke guys, this stuff is…totally unique. Believe us, we’ve had ice cream in many countries now, it’s what we do, and Gelato in Venice, near the Bridge of sighs, is perhaps why the prisoners sighed, because never again, would they enjoy the wonderful gelato-seriously!
7. CAFÉ CON PANNA MEANS COFFEE WITH CREAM-LOADS OF IT.
Don’t ask this question, especially if there is a sign saying “Café con Panna” and directly below it “Coffee with cream”. This really annoys the servers, and I could see why, they get a ridiculous amount of tourists a year and I am sure I am not the only one to ask this question, hence the clearly posted sign I failed to see. 
8. DON’T FREAK OUT, EVERYONE IS LOST.
9. LADIES, WORK OUT THOSE QUADS.
It would be wise to work the legs out a bit, or else you have to touch the scary walls surrounding the scary toilet. The toilets are lower than at home, so prepare for that too. You could go to regular WC’s around the town, instead of in restaurants but it doesn’t come cheap, about 1.50 Euro, that’s about 2.25US…to go pee. INSANE!
10. YES, YOU HAVE TO SOMETIMES BE LIKE THE ITALIANS.
While standing at a bar, waiting to order your cappuccino, don’t wait for someone to politely ask you what you would like. Be fierce. You might even have to shout out a bit. It’s kind of like training camp for the first day of junior high, to toughen you up a bit.