but like any countries it has its challenges. Older friend of mine upon serving in Italy insightfully commented: "Italy is a weird place. It's somewhere between a 1st and 3rd world country." I laughed and said you're right. If you've only experienced Italy as a tourist, you won't really appreciate the paradoxes of the place. Italians are generally aware of their eccentricities but don't care. I go back frequently and love the place. Calcio is fine but can drag.