I would tell an Aggie who is considering taking a CIBS study abroad in Italy that the restaurants are very different. Some of the things that I could list off the top of my head are sitting fees, water and refills cost money, and no required tipping. When you go to a restaurant in Florence, it is typically a 1 euro sitting fee compared to American restaurants where there is none. The most baffling cost to me is how water and refills cost money. In America, water is free and refills are too. However in Florence, if you get a lot of refills, it takes up your tab. Also, in America, tipping is a common theme when going to a sit-down restaurant but in Florence, it is just a 1 to 3 euro service fee and no additional tip is required. The restaurants here typically have 1 to 2 waiters because they have a livable wage and do not have a sense of urgency to serve you. Dinner in Florence is a longer outing compared to America. Here Dinner is a time to catch up and bond with friends and family. The culture in Italy is different but a good difference. I would love for America to adopt the longer dinner time as I enjoyed bonding with classmates and becoming closer with roommates.
