A little knowledge goes a long way.  And can gain you instant respect from waiters and locals in Europe.  Take for example a simple item like water.  Here in the USA we drink tap water regularly and now a lot of us are into bottled water (one of my pet peeves for people driving – please stop).  The concept of bottled water actually started in Europe out of necessity since tap water in a lot of places was, frankly, awful and sometimes unhealthy.  Each locality had it’s own brand or favorite.  And now it’s commonly a source of pride and in most upper scale restaurants a measuring stick for diners.  If you want instant respect you gotta know the right water to order!
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When you travel to a European country do you learn a few words of their language? Why not? If someone from France comes to California (probably to visit wine country, not Disney) do they expect us to greet them in French? Or even expect us to understand what they are asking for unless they speak English? So then why do most American travelers view people in France as rude and unfriendly because they refuse to communicate with us?  Hence the term “ugly American”.
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Rome, and most European cities, have very charming sidewalk coffee bars and cafes.  Locals use them a lot.  On our very first trip to Europe in 1993 we decided we would become a local.  Along the Via Veneto is a famous place called the Cafe de Paris.  It’s a small coffee and snack place with a stand-up coffee bar and cute tables along the Veneto that’s been in many Italian movies over the last century.  Good looking pastries and authentic Italian coffee, including espresso.  We wonder in trying not to look like tourists, and point out 2 pasties for our pleasure.  And we order 2 cappucinos to wash them down with.  Can’t quite get into the espresso habit just yet.
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