First post on Differences and Similarities in Italy

The first difference I noticed upon my arrival in Italy was last Saturday afternoon was in the hotel elevator. After I checked into my room and unloaded by bags, I needed to return the luggage cart to the lobby. I also thought I’d visit the Mini-Mart next door to purchase a snack to eat in my room.

Imagine my surprise when I exited the elevator on the first floor and was unfamiliar with the surroundings. Fortunately for me, a nice gentleman was waiting for the elevator and able to clarify this extremely confusing situation. I was told to return to the elevator and press the “0.”

In appears in Italy the first floor of a building is NOT the first floor, it’s labeled as floor “0” or “GF” (Ground Floor), which I learned on Monday at my office.