Random info about Itlay

I didn't know where to add this information so I'm just gonna give it its own post. There are two major things I need to mention.

1) Validating tickets
2) Grocery stores

1) Luckily, Sohae and I learned very early on that while the Italian train system may be wonderfully cheap, they are also kinda stupid. When we bought our tickets in Bergamo, we noticed that everybody was putting their tickets into little yellow boxes and it seemed that the boxes stamped the tickets or something. So we decided to do that, just to be safe. Turns out that stamping or "validating" your ticket is VERY important. All tickets for all forms of public transportation must be validated. Then once they are validated, they are only good for six hours. (So really, you can buy a ticket and use it any time in the next year.) And they must be validated because the trains and buses have inspectors that come by and check your ticket and if it's not validated, you can get a ticket anywhere from 5 to 150 euros. So Sohae and I only got in trouble once, when we forgot to validate ours in Cinque Terre. But we saw lots of Americans get in trouble all throughout Italy. We even heard a story about a group of kids who got caught and each of them got fined 150 euros and the inspector made them get off the train and go directly to the ATM and pay. Brutal.

But come on. Why would they use this system? Why can't the tickets just come with the date and time of departure on them already? They just waste money paying the inspectors when it wouldn't be necessary if the tickets came with the time on them already.

The same thing applied to the bus tickets. You could not buy a ticket on the bus from the bus driver. You had to buy it ahead of time at a machine or tobacco shop. But how were we supposed to know that?? So we had some minor panic attacks when inspectors got on the bus and we had to quickly get off. And I guess we abused the system a little bc we were so frustrated with the system. We bought tickets but didn't validate them unless an inspector got on. But really. The Spain transportation system worked just fine. In Spain you had to buy a ticket at the front of the bus. But in Italy, people just got on. How hard would it be to make people come through the front of the bus and make sure everybody paid? They'd make a lot more money and not have to pay inspectors. Really, the system was so stupid.

2) To save money Sohae and I frequented grocery stores throughout Italy. Mainly it was for breakfast and snack foods. So we got some delicious fresh bread a few times. Along with iced tea for me and Sprite for her. It really did save money. And it was kinda like the water fountains, it was a happy surprise every time we found one. It was like stumbling on a treasure. You know, it's the little things in life that make me happy. And so often, the fresh bread was SO delicious! So utilize the grocery stores if you go to Italy.