Photos Erica Berman – cappuccino Genova
I’m back in Paris after 2 months of learning Italian in Genoa, Italy. The cool Paris weather is a shock after the heat of Italy, but I’m excited to be home.
Naturally, I can’t help comparing the (Genovese) Italians to the (Parisian) French with whom I have cohabited for almost 18 years. Little differences and similarities between the daily life in both countries are entertaining, endearing and often surprising.
Doggy love Italian style
Things I have noticed: Life in Italy vs France
- You will be scoffed at in both countries for ordering a cappuccino in the afternoon. Mind you, I do it anyway. How gauche is that?
- Both Italians and French cut lines with zeal. Little old Italian ladies are surprisingly cunning. Be alert!
- Taxis in both cities can, and will, try to rip you, the foreigner, off even if you speak the language. Be aware.
- Both Italians and French love their doggies and bring them in trains, restaurants and just about everywhere they can physically go. In both countries you will see many a person out and about deep in conversation with Fido.
Parisian doggy
- In Italy every respectable home must have a bidet. In France the bidet is mostly a thing of the past.
- Every worthy French kitchen is equipped with a Ginette Mathiot ‘Je Sais Cuisiner’ cookbook and a cocotte minute (pressure cooker). In Italy every respectable home has a fettatrice (cold cut slicer) and a Bimby (an incredible machine that does everything from mixing, steaming and cooking a perfect risotto in 14 minutes… Along with focaccia, ice cream, bread dough, pasta sauce…)
- The train is a source of pride in France. Trains are fast, sleek and modern. In Italy, one cannot quite say the same. In both countries however, to the surprise of many, one can actually take the train just about everywhere.
Train and doggy in Italy
- In Italy clothes are hung out to dry for all to see. And that means all clothes, no matter how intimate! In Paris, there are strict rules against hanging laundry where it is publicly visible.
Laundry in Italy/ 1972 law against hanging laundry in Paris seen in a friends’ building in Paris!
- In Italy, it often feels like there are more scooters then people. The French scoot, but to a lesser degree than their pasta-eating counterparts.
- In Italy everyone has a cell phone. It’s the same in France. The Italians yak efficiently on their phone while doing everything from driving, scooting and eating to walking and working. The French appear more disciplined about not using cell phones in moving transit. It could be that it is illegal in France. Then again, it is probably illegal in Italy too.
- In Italy you can use cafe restrooms even if you are not a customer, without sneaking in like a criminal. Ask politely and admission will be granted. In Paris I have had some desperate moments of urgent need and adamant refusal. I have now resorted to the technique of « don’t look, don’t tell » when entering a café in need of a toilet. I have learned to keep my head down and to beeline straight to the bathroom as if it were the most natural thing in the world. And it works!
- Italian couples on the beach, are, well, comfortable with PDA (public displays of affection). I almost never go to the beach in France so I can’t comment on what it is like.
Need I say more – Beach in Italy this July!
- In Italy I have rediscovered how to be chatty and smiley with shop owners and restaurant staff, something I had forgotten in France.
- In Paris I have perfected the art of pretending not to see people I recognize as they are pretending not to see me. In Italy they look at you, smile and say hello! I’m gonna try that in Paris and see how it goes….!
To be continued with my observations on differences between Italians and French themselves! What about you? Tell us your personal experiences on life in France, Italy, Europe and beyond …
Life in Italy vs. Life in France part 2
Some links you might enjoy:
- How to order coffee in Italy
- David Lebovitz’ favorite coffee spots in Paris
- Parisian doggies
- How to use the bidet
Written by Erica Berman for the Hip Paris Blog. For our amazing rentals in Paris, Provence & Tuscany check out our website Haven in Paris.
WRITTEN BY
Erica Berman
Erica Berman grew up in Lexington, Mass. After graduating from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Journalism and an intensive summer at Middlebury College (Vermont), Erica went to Paris with hopes of submerging herself in French culture and perfecting her French — and she stayed 20 years. Erica is the founder of the HiP Paris Blog and Haven In her former company. She now splits her time between Paris (Montmartre) and Maine (Midcoast). She recently started a non-profit growing organic produce for the food insecure in Maine called Veggies to Table. In her all-too-rare free time, Erica likes to travel off the beaten track, explore Paris and Maine, read, take photos, cook, kayak, hike and enjoy long Sunday brunches with her friends.
It’s definitely impossible to compare Paris with Italy as there’s not just ONE Italy!
Sicily for instead is pretty different from Neaples (altough they’re both Southern cities).
Bari is totally different from Florence which is different from Venice and so on…
Rome and Mialno? They’ve nothing in common; the same goes for Bologna and Genova!
All these places have different habits, food, landscapes, architectures. People are physically different and if today we speak the same language (with MASSIVE differences in the accent and prounciation), that’s due to the televition as since less than fifty years ago each city-town-village had got its own dialect that was a real language. Landscapes and architecture are also very, very various.
I’d say Italy is the result of a mix of many nations in one.
The reason is easy: we don’t share the same History. An example: Turin is much closer to Paris in the architecture than to Florence…
Plaermo looks rather like an arab city than an european one. This variety has no comparition in the world: not even in the HUGE China!
you compare paris to Italy which is the wrong thing to do, Paris is dfferent form the south of France or the rest if the north of France; It simply does not work. What you have noticed in Paris is different in Lyon, Marseille, Nice which are much more italans than french, especially for Lyon and Nice
Hi, very true points..
Some more points about food:
1) You will never find a vegetarian (and consequently vegetarian meals) in France, compared with Italy where lot of original recipes are by themselves vegetarian (that’s in contrast with UK, where “vegetarianism” is new and trendy and vegetarians are addressed with food “designed” for them – and only for them-, put on separate shelters)
2) In France every lunch, even at the canteen, must ends with a dessert
3) You spoke about ordering a cappuccino in the afternoon. Did u try ordering some meal in the middle of the afternoon? An Italian ristoratore would look you very down!
Some other comparations:
4) Both countries like to have parties at someone’s homes. That’s in contrast with UK where parties are typically hold in pubs or even hotels
5) Both countries have a city that is a “symbol” of mafia: Marseilles and Naples
6) Both countries have huge public sectors, huge taxes, huge union’s powers and… huge red tape (but sorry, France exceed on this)
bye…
Thank you. It definitely helps to understand some things now :D.
Love the simplicity of the comparison between Italy/France.
Great review! I’m going to my first trip to Italy soon and after reading your article have a few things to keep in mind travelling to this country. Unfortunately I’ve never been to Paris but hope to go there some day so that I could compare 🙂
Very funny!!! Only one thing: the machine that someone of us have in their kitchen it’s called “affettattrice”, not “fettatrice”. 🙂
A bientot! 🙂
Hi there!
I’m coming in a little late on this scene but I definitely wanted to put in my two centimes…
I’ve been living in France for a little of 4 years now and it’s definitely ‘home’ now…
I live in the south suburbs of Paris in Antony and I know a good part of the shop owners workers in the centre d’Antony along with most of the bus drivers on my line and people who work in the train station (can you tell I don’t drive here?) Anyhow.. I’ve made a great number of friends and acquaintances just by being me- my outgoing, smiley self– talking to everyone around me- (yep, I’m one of ‘those’ people). But, I’m from California so my ‘sunny’ personality pierces through the gray skies here!
I have spent time traveling all around Europe and found that the French are similar to the Italians in the ways you mentioned and similar in other ways… Anyhow.. I really liked this post and I glad to have found your blog…
I refuse to break myself of the habit of ordering cappuccino in the afternoon, no matter how gauche it may be. Life is short and I like foamed milk on my coffee — that’s the look I give to combat the barista’s look of “I knew you were a tourist.” And yeah, those Italians are just cuckoo for their bidets – my sisters and I thought for years that they were foot-washers, because that’s all we ever did with them.
Great list. On PDA – it’s been my experience as a voyeur in Paris that PDA can be pretty darn affectionate there, too. Pick any public park on a warm sunny day – weekends work best – and watch lovers go at it. Through my American eyes, it’s pretty shocking! You see PDA in the States, but nothing like you see in Europe. Be it Paris, the French Riviera, Italy …
I just shared a link to this blog with the community at bleditor.com.
Hi Kasia,
Glad ‘your Italian’ agreed with my post. Can’t wait to meet him and chat Italy a bit. Part 2 coming later today. Hope your vacation is fabulous and the weather wonderful! Love the idea of the ‘best of’ …!! Erica
Great list! If only we could combine the two cultures and create the ‘best of’ 😉 I feel very lucky to consider both countries my home.
I reviewed this with ‘my Italian’ and he mostly agreed, having lived in Genoa for many years. We can discuss further in person 🙂
great fun
your photographs are always stunning