Thoughts on Italy

[Mike-san]

Just got back ( Rome, Florence, Venice ) Beautiful old architecture and streets. Attractive, well dressed people-- despite the carb laden food, I hardly saw any overweight Italians I didn't see one Ferrari (or Lambo or Maserati ). The most common car I saw was a thing called a "Smart" which basically looked like someome cut a minivan in half and made it a two seater. Rome had the most awe inspiring monuments, Florence was the most "artsy" ( I saw Michalangelo's "David"-A lifelong dream ), and Venice was simply amazing in its uniqueness. World's best ice cream ( Gelato ). This was easily the most expensive vacation I ever took. Our Dollar doesn't buy that many Euros ( maybe that's why the Italians are so thin-their food is so damn expensive !!! ). All in all, a very beautiful place. If anyone is planning on going there, feel free to PM me for advice. Ciao everyone. P.S> It was very cccccc......cold there

 

[zahntech]

Did you pick up a new Lambo Mura?? it's only 750,000$

 

[Osiris_x11]

cheats!

*cough* pics *cough*

Gratsis! :biggrin:

 

[ediddynsx]

Welcome back Mike! Now tell us what you really did over there :tongue:

 

[gheba_nsx]

The italian food is very carb laden but they use not very processed carbs. Also the fat is a lot healtier (olive oil) than what is used in northern Europe or US... it tastes great and it doesn't make you sop fat. What is the drawback then?

Production cost... But I prefer to pay more and not eat fastfood if I can.

On the other side I have to admit that every time I go in the US (and I liked every stay there) I remain scared by the incredible amount of very fat people. I mean very fat, over 260lbs... here you may see one very 2-3 days on the street. There it is probably one person out of ten. The children doesn't look much better either... I imagine it will be a problem in 10 years with the health insurance. Is something happening to prevent that?

PS: Smarts are the only way of surviving in those overcrowded narrows street. I know Rome very well (I used to have an apartment near Coliseum until 4 years ago) and to drive a nice car there is suicide. Most rich italian have second and third houses on the sea/mountain and the nice cars remain there most of the time. The only exception being the incredibly rich soccer players... they drive their Zonda/Enzo to the restaurant and park it poorly half on the sidewalk...

 

[710]

On the other side I have to admit that every time I go in the US (and I liked every stay there) I remain scared by the incredible amount of very fat people. I mean very fat, over 260lbs... here you may see one very 2-3 days on the street. There it is probably one person out of ten. The children doesn't look much better either... I imagine it will be a problem in 10 years with the health insurance. Is something happening to prevent that?

Yes, I saw that too and all my friends that return from the States tell me that too! What is happening?

We drive through the Alps every year (enter near Mont Blanc but sometimes decide to go through Switzerland, we have friends in Chur). Beautiful. Nice roads too! I love Italy and would like to learn Italian. Mike-san, I’m jealous.
Peter

 

[rickysals]

It's interesting to hear that perspective from foreigners... because I live in the USA, and see it everyday, so it's normal to me. So I guess I don't notice it as much as someone who doesn't see it everyday. (I could use a diet myself lol )

I have been meaning to go to italy for a while, but money sucks in college, so no trip yet. I wanna go sooo bad

 

[nsxpilot]

Gotta agree with everything you wrote.......I just got back from a motorcycle ride in those same places.......Americans are getting obese and we all are gunna be paying for it. I wanted to bring the "sport" version of the smart car home in my luggage.

 

[Klayton]

Been to Italy dozen of times. Its like.. a 3 hours drive to the border.

Jep the food is kinda expensive, especially for you because dollars are 'cheap' right now. Also the food is only for tourists expensive.

I have to agree with gheba_nsx, driving an expensive car in italian citys is suicide. Same is held for french citys for example.

I've not been to the US in the last 5 years but just like the other European guys written above me I'm pretty shocked by storys about how "fat americans have become".

 

[satan_srv]

We have Smart cars in Canada too through Mercedes-Benz..they're becoming very popular here.

 

[710]

Parking in our cities requires, luck, skill and…a very little car. Try Paris, London, or Amsterdam. Or Torino. There they park on top of each other almost.
Peter

 

[schuey1010]

I didn't see one Ferrari (or Lambo or Maserati ).

You obviously missed out on Lake Como. That's where the fun and cars are.

 

[NsXMas]

I'm jealous. Rome is one of my favorite European cities.

There's something to be said to be able to stand near the Coliseum or the Forum, where human history (Caesar, etc) actually happened over 1-2 thousand years ago.

 

[710]

One of these days, I’m going to visit the Lambo and Ferrari factories and some car museums in Northern Italy…
Are there any other NSX people in Western Europe that would like to meet up sometime and go there? Maybe in May? I usually go to the Alsace that time of the year. Maybe I could continue south. Last time we got to Torino before going back.
Peter

 

[Klayton]

[..]Are there any other NSX people in Western Europe that would like to meet up sometime and go there? Maybe in May?[..]

Uh no. But if you want to give me a ride? :smile:

You could visit the Porsche factory here.

 

[710]

Uh no. But if you want to give me a ride? :smile:

You could visit the Porsche factory here.

Last time we went to the museum in Sinsheim, it was really good. Where are you? This side of Stuttgart or the other side?

Anyway, I’ll only give you a ride if you bring back your avatar with Kate on it, oder?

 

[Mike Hughes]

Major coastal cities have fewer fat people. It really depends on where you go, some areas of the country just don't emphasize healthy lifestyles and overly emphasize eating unhealthy foods. America is a very large place, no pun intended.

On the other side I have to admit that every time I go in the US (and I liked every stay there) I remain scared by the incredible amount of very fat people. I mean very fat, over 260lbs... here you may see one very 2-3 days on the street. There it is probably one person out of ten. The children doesn't look much better either... I imagine it will be a problem in 10 years with the health insurance. Is something happening to prevent that?

 

[redshift]

Awesome Mike, I'm very jealous. A few years ago I also went to Rome, Florence, Venice, and many other cities and countries as well. I didn't see any exotics while in Italy, but I did see John Paul II in his motorcade driving into Vatican City. St. Peter's Basilica was truly awe inspiring! There were so many David replicas scattered about the country, but the real thing left me speechless. Is it still being shown in the louvre?

If you really want to see some exotic cars you have to visit Monte Carlo - Monaco in France... especially the casinos. That's where the players play. :smile:

Glad to hear you had a good time Mike! :biggrin: :biggrin: I know the memories from my trip and the friends I made along the way will last a lifetime!

 

[DocL]

I've been to Italy twice and loved every minute that I was there. It's geat to see all of the historical sites that I learned about my western civilization and philosophy classes. The collections of art are truly amazing. I can't wait to go back to Italy, it's been five years since I've last visited.

 

[Mike-san]

The italian food is very carb laden but they use not very processed carbs. Also the fat is a lot healtier (olive oil) than what is used in northern Europe or US... it tastes great and it doesn't make you sop fat. What is the drawback then?

Production cost... But I prefer to pay more and not eat fastfood if I can.

On the other side I have to admit that every time I go in the US (and I liked every stay there) I remain scared by the incredible amount of very fat people. I mean very fat, over 260lbs... here you may see one very 2-3 days on the street. There it is probably one person out of ten. The children doesn't look much better either... I imagine it will be a problem in 10 years with the health insurance. Is something happening to prevent that?

PS: Smarts are the only way of surviving in those overcrowded narrows street. I know Rome very well (I used to have an apartment near Coliseum until 4 years ago) and to drive a nice car there is suicide. Most rich italian have second and third houses on the sea/mountain and the nice cars remain there most of the time. The only exception being the incredibly rich soccer players... they drive their Zonda/Enzo to the restaurant and park it poorly half on the sidewalk...

Being one in only 300 million, I can't speak for all Americans, but as a Southern Californian, I can guess that part of the weight problem in America has to do with the fact that we don't walk as much as we should because of the large distances we need to cover in our daily routine, hence, our time spent behind the wheel is more than our European counterparts. Furthermore, we live by the clock. Punctuality means that meals are often large quanties of fast food shoved in quickly during abrieviated lunchtimes. These fast food lunches come in large portions because each fast food chain strives to better its competitor by offering more product for the dollar. As far as children go, when I was a youngster, I would skateboard or do BMX after school. Today, kids have 500 T.V. channels, internet, video games, etc...They ( kids ) are not nearly as active as the previous generation. I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

 

[Mike-san]

Re: cheats!

*cough* pics *cough*

Gratsis! :biggrin:

I'm still learning about my new camera, but I'll see what I can do.

 

[Mike-san]

Welcome back Mike! Now tell us what you really did over there :tongue:

Ha Ha. Actually I took my daughter for her combination birthday/Christmas present, so there weren't opportunities to "work it". The Italian women were very attractive-not so much that they are physically more attractive than other nationalities, but they are definetely more stylish and elegant than most.

 

[gheba_nsx]

You obviously missed out on Lake Como. That's where the fun and cars are.

That doesn't count!
It is 1 mile from the Swiss border... and 20 miles from Lugano (Switzerland), were I am originally from. Of course there are nice cars

Anyway I agree, Lake Como ia s very nice place!

 

[gheba_nsx]

Major coastal cities have fewer fat people. It really depends on where you go, some areas of the country just don't emphasize healthy lifestyles and overly emphasize eating unhealthy foods. America is a very large place, no pun intended.

I agree on that, I have been several longer stay in SoCal (San Diego area) and there are definitely less fat people than, for example, in Florida or Nevada. But still are in far more number than any European city I have been in...

Being one in only 300 million, I can't speak for all Americans, but as a Southern Californian, I can guess that part of the weight problem in America has to do with the fact that we don't walk as much as we should because of the large distances we need to cover in our daily routine, hence, our time spent behind the wheel is more than our European counterparts. Furthermore, we live by the clock. Punctuality means that meals are often large quanties of fast food shoved in quickly during abrieviated lunchtimes. These fast food lunches come in large portions because each fast food chain strives to better its competitor by offering more product for the dollar.

True about the car part, but only when we speak of ainst cities. Here if you do not live in a city you drive everywhere and never walk. Inside the city, since parking is hell, you walk a lot more. But I guess it is the same in NY city for example (I never walked so much as when I was there ).

I think that the problem with the fast food over there is that in general they are very low quality, they use lare amount of fat and refined sugars to make food cheap and easily stored/distributed. Of course for 4.99$ they can give you an incredible amount of (bad, maybe not for the taste... but healty bad) of food. On the long term unfortunately this doesn't work.

It seems that here the fast food chains have a harder tiem convincing the people that "cheap/a lot" is beautiful. Pizza Hut lasted only three years in Switzerland and they closed down last November for example.

 

[Joel]

Being one in only 300 million, I can't speak for all Americans, but as a Southern Californian, I can guess that part of the weight problem in America has to do with the fact that we don't walk as much as we should because of the large distances we need to cover in our daily routine, hence, our time spent behind the wheel is more than our European counterparts. Furthermore, we live by the clock. Punctuality means that meals are often large quanties of fast food shoved in quickly during abrieviated lunchtimes. These fast food lunches come in large portions because each fast food chain strives to better its competitor by offering more product for the dollar. As far as children go, when I was a youngster, I would skateboard or do BMX after school. Today, kids have 500 T.V. channels, internet, video games, etc...They ( kids ) are not nearly as active as the previous generation. I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

Wow. That's a pretty damn good summary.