Italy Trip: Day 1

(Monday 18, 2012) It is a widely known fact that different countries have different ways of doing things. Whether it be their manners, the way people dress, the way people act, what they eat, anything. And after my first full day of being in Italy, those differences are starting to become more and more apparent. One of the major differences that I have noticed in my short time here is that Italians love their food, but in a very different way then back in the States. After our wonderful tour of Rome with our excellent tour guides Mary Anne and Umberto, me and eight other students were looking for a place to eat while we wondered back to our hotel. We ended up stopping at this cute little café restaurant (I am hating myself for not remembering the name or where it was located). While we were there, they were EXTREMLY friendly to us with giving us recommendations and describing what some of their dishes consisted of. One of the dishes that they were trying to push on us was their special of the day, which consisted of a creamy mushroom sauce over some, I believe, penne pasta. We ended up turning it down because we all wanted something light so we could stuff our faces for dinner. Anyways, you can tell that they loved our company because as the meal went along, the owner came out occasionally to see how we were doing and to also give us all kinds of free stuff. One of the first things that he brought out to us was their special of the day. Even though it was a small dish, we were shocked at how gracious this man was being to us, because this has NEVER happened to me in the United States. It was so delicious and we all felt guilty that we ordered salads instead of that. Then at the end, when the meal was winding down, they brought out this dessert, which was some kind of toasted bread with some chocolate and strawberry sauce on it. We were all speechless at how nice these people were treating us and still, when I think of it, I cant really put into words how important they made us feel. Even though we were all pretty full, we somehow found room in our stomach for this interesting, but still delicious dessert. One of the main concepts that professors at Cal Poly Pomona are teaching us is that the world of the hospitality industry is changing. People are seeking more than just great food and good service, they now want all of that while being provided a diverse and exciting environment. I, along with some of my other colleagues witness this first hand. I feel that Italians are more passionate in their food and providing that new experience that everyone is seeking, then they are with money. Back in the United Stats, the only thing that really matters is how many rooms you sold, how much you made and the end of the day ect, but here, they just want their customers to have a good time.