Here are your Do's . . . 

• Learn some basic Italian phrases such as hello, goodbye, please, thank you, where is . . ?, etc.
• Locate a restaurant where it appears you are the only tourist and use a menu decoder to help you order.
• Be gracious.  Remember you are a visitor in their country.
• Find time to sit in a cafe and people-watch--soak in their culture.
• Count your change after a purchase to keep the merchants honest.  Get a receipt and hold onto the receipt until you are away from the establishment.  Note:  In Italy it is the law that merchants give you a receipt and that you retain the receipt until you are clear of the establishment.
• Reserve museum admission times  at www.italy-museum.com. to avoid long queues.       

                        NOTE:  Reservations for The Last Supper in Milan need to be made months in advance.

• Validate your train tickets prior to boarding as you can be fined heavily if you don’t.
• Expect an odd expression from the waiter if you order cappuccino after 11AM—in Italy this is almost unheard of. They will make it for you, but don’t ask them to enjoy serving it to you.
  
  

. . .  and your DON'Ts!

• Don't expect everything to be the same as "home"—if it was the same, it would be no fun!
• Don't order food/drink from the counter and take it and sit at the table.  Table service is just that, its service at the table.  Or, if you prefer, you can stand and eat at the counter and order the same food for less money.
• Don't speak and laugh loudly in restaurants.  This is considered very disrespectful.
• Don't be demanding--it may actually get you less--not more.
• Don't raise your hand or snap your fingers at the waiters.  Fast service is considered poor service in Italy.  Wait to make eye contact with your waiter if you need his attention.
• Don’t expect the first floor of the hotel to actually be the first floor.  In Italy, their first floor is actually our second floor and their second floor is actually our third floor.  You get the idea!
• Don’t expect eggs for breakfast.  Italian breakfasts consist of yogurt, bread, cereal, fruit and sometimes local cheeses.
• Don’t believe that Americana coffee tastes like our coffee, as it is usually watered down espresso.  Rather try acappuccino or drink tea if you don’t like espresso.

Just a short distance from the ever popular Cinque Terre and the glitz of Portofino, lies a place that is so breathtaking that you have to see it to believe it.  Only accessible by boat (although some claim you can hike in) San Fruttuoso is a wonderful day trip on the Italian Riviera.  The main attraction is the Abbey of San Fruttuoso, an 11th century fortification that dominates the small cove.  Other than several eating establishments, the well preserved inlet offers few activities, but that’s what makes it so attractive.  The sandy beach, appreciated by mostly European tourists in the summer months, is a welcome relief to the bustling crowds of the Cinque Terre and Portofino.  As you sit in a beach chair, it is difficult to keep your eyes off the transparent blue-green water which seems to have a hypnotic effect.

San Fruttuoso can be reached by boat from Santa Margherita or Portofino, but for a fully unique round trip day experience, take a train to Camogli (5 min train ride from Santa Margherita). After exploring the quaint town of Camogli, board a boat to San Fruttuoso.  Then return by boat to Santa Margherita via Portofino.  In this way, you see the entire peninsula of this Liguria area.  If your home base is in the Cinque Terre, take a train in the direction of Santa Margherita, about 45 minutes from Monterosso (one of the Cinque Terre towns) and Camogli is the first stop after Santa Margherita.  What a wonderful day trip!

For snorkeling and diving enthusiasts, this is a great area to do some underwater exploring.  The clarity of the bright blue and green water here is hard to describe or capture in photographs.  You really must visit and see for yourself!

And don’t forget to find out what time the last boat leaves or you will be spending the night on what will seem to be a deserted island!