I never thought I’d miss England (and yet here we are)

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I didn't think I would miss England.. but...!
Recently I got back from a holiday to Italy! And it was lovely! BUT I found myself missing "home" in England.. even though I'm not English. As a foreigner living in the UK, the idea of "home" is weird!!
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Hey! I'm Alanna - a thirty-something documenting my life as a Canadian living in England.
I share the ups and downs of an expat living abroad and what it's really like living in the UK. It's not always easy, but there's been so many wonderful experiences, too. I post a RU-vid video every Tuesday plus an additional video every Saturday on my Patreon account. I also livestream every Wednesday and Sunday at 5:30pm GMT/BST on Twitch.
Alanna x

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27 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 614

@carolramsey6287 Год назад

I'm homesick for Britain too and I live here or rather in what's left of it. I really would like to find someone who can repair my Tardis so I can go home to England as it was just a few years ago.

@philroberts7238 Год назад

A change of government wouldn't go amiss perhaps!

@Zakalwe-01 4 месяца назад

Lol I thought it was just me that’s planning a time-escape. 1983 feels like a good date. Just remember to set the times machine to automatically throw you back to ‘83 every time it reaches 2012.

@pigknickers2975 4 месяца назад

Thank God there's loads of room in a Tardis, you could probably get 50 million to go with you!

@Anon-mk4ms 3 месяца назад

Can I catch a lift back to 1970.

@peterbaker1932 Год назад

You are an honoray Brit. We are privileged to have you.

@melbirch7640 Год назад

Awesome video, I'm English, I live in New Zealand, I did live in Halifax, nova Scotia, and Moncton, new Brunswick, I love Canada and I love Canadians. I think that of all the commonwealth England and Canada have the best relationship. I miss little cafes, whose coffees are fantastic, I miss pubs with fireplaces and proper beer gardens, I miss Hyde park, I miss the tube, I miss Peter Kay, Ricky gervais, I miss a good pie, a full English breakfast and women saying " alright darling, what can I do for you?", Lol. It's all very basic, but it's why I'll be forever English. This kind of content warms my heart and makes me realise just how much England is embedded in the English. For my money, you're an English Canadian. Thank you

@namevorname1973 8 месяцев назад

Only brits feel about Canadians the way you describe. Huge majority of us Canadians do not feel about the brirish the way you claim brits feel about us. Sorry for the confrontation, I know You brits hate it, but it is not our problem.

@johnlown5988 Год назад

Call me a miserable ol' trout, I probably am, but my favourite part of any holiday is returning home to my place, my desk my living space, my garden and my cup and saucer with a decent cup of tea in it!

@karenashworth5743 Год назад

My daughter lives about 5 miles away from me and sometimes I will stay there overnight I cannot wait to get home to my own bed though, the right amount of cosiness, the right thickness of pillow, the way I can snuggle up and spread out . Never underestimate the power of THE BED! X

@DerekLangdon 5 месяцев назад

The power of the bed is usually decided by who you share it with…like with a nice snuggly partner. The alternative being a tossing and turning partner who snores their bloody head off..As for me, some of my best nights are falling asleep on the settee in front of the TV, snuggled up with my dog!

@andyarmstrong1493 Год назад

Had a parking fine in Portugal many years ago. The Portuguese policeman thanked me for being so polite and agreeable and English! I'm from Belfast, wish I had told him.

@elemar5 Год назад

Four of us(Belfast and Bangor) were in Germany and stopped at an Italian restaurant late at night. None of us spoke German or Italian and the Italians didn't speak English. Between us all we had a great conversation, got a great meal and were directed to a good hotel for the night.

@kithale316 4 месяца назад

I'm from Edinburgh and I have just had to tolerate people saying English instead of British. 😘

@dinerouk Год назад

Not a suprise! You have been here a long time and become anglicised! especially to your own home! No suprise there! And we are very glad to have you back, cos we love you!

@-j5t-893 Год назад

Doesn't matter how good the holiday... getting though the front door, bunging a wash on, changing into your comfy scruffs and chilling out with a coffee not surrounded by strangers, with the rest of the day to do whatever you please and not running to some crazy self-inflicted schedule...giving the credit card time to cool down! Can't beat it. We love going to new places and exploring, eating new foods...but one of the best things about holidays in general for me is how they seem to renew my love for home, family, and the simple pleasure of luxuriating in your own little kingdom.

@zbreezybre Год назад

I moved to the UK a month ago. I love it here. I am looking for a sponsorship job. Its so lovely being around such nice people.

@matthewwalker5430 Год назад

I never thought I'd hear someone say they "miss British customer service"! I mean, I'm British and I wasn't even aware we had customer service.

@Theinternalrewrite Год назад

Alanna: "I will never be British." The audience: "But you kind of are British though." Alanna: "No, I'm Canadian. Absolutely Canadian." The audience: "Sure, but you're still British. We see it even if you don't. And you're very welcome." Alanna: "???"

@AdventuresAndNaps Год назад

😂

@oneworldfamily Год назад

That's a lovely thing to say. She is a bit British, isn't she!

@lorgabluc Год назад

Oh she is Canadian 🇨🇦 first 😆 ❤❤❤

@stephencharlesferguson2194 Год назад

We love ya girl , you are a Brit for sure !❤❤❤❤

@TootlinGeoff 5 месяцев назад

She's Canadian but she's gone native.

@MagentaOtterTravels Год назад

I HEAR YOU! I went on holiday (from Texas) to HAWAII!!! And can you believe that the whole time I was wishing I were in England instead. True story.

@mpainter22 Год назад

I remember your reaction to getting your visa renewed, that tells me all I need to know about how you feel towards the UK

@seanscanlon9067 Год назад

That seems like a lifetime ago and even more when recalling Alanna's anxiety stories about getting on the bus for the first time and not knowing anyone except Mr Naps, until finding Anna and Hannah.

@kaleeyed Год назад

"I miss British customer service" said nobody ever before!

@benhodkinson6467 2 месяца назад

Oh you are a natural Brit! I am grateful to have you here.

@starfish258852 Год назад

Thank you for sharing

@kjdempsey Год назад

I love Alanna’s content, her videos always make me smile. It’s just the way she is, very likeable 😊 totally get the uncomfortable beds with the thin pillow when abroad ha. She says she’s not British but she’s definitely classed as one of us now

@brianwhittington5086 Год назад

Of course you're a Brit Alanna, or at least our favourite adopted one.😁 We can all tell when you've been back to Canada or abroad too. Your accent changes back to a more Canadian one for a while. You probably don't notice yourself, but you soon start using the English ways of speaking on your return. It does now seem to change back quicker, the longer you've been here.

@TheChunder3 3 месяца назад

I do enjoy your videos. I’ve been living in Cambodia for 16 months and the amount of things I miss is incredible. Thanks

@richardalfredpalmer9660 Год назад

So Glad to you back in England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Alanna we missed interesting videos all about Italy 🇮🇹 now we forward to more Great videos now your here welcome home 🏡 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

@TG-mr6bc Год назад

I am in my 80s- and i have always been glad to get home, I like travel , but yes; HOME. One more thing you don't have to travel far now you are in England, Europe is on your doorstep. By the way, the Algarve for ace coffee.

@dzzope Год назад

I lived in kiev for a few years.. have since moved back home. I do miss it though and all the people i met. I miss the food and the chaotic traffic and the babushkas that sold fruit or flowers on the corners.

@cdeford Год назад

Pillows are very personal. It's very hard to find good ones that suit you and when you do they're like golddust. I found a perfect one which was then changed by the manufacturer and I'm still looking for a good replacement 5 years later. When I go somewhere hot I start missing Britain's miserable weather. The service in Greece has been fantastic whenever I've gone, very laid back and friendly.

@shirleyboy8859 Год назад

The Girl is as British as the rest of us...... It has taken 7 years but it has been a funny and delightful journey..... Welcome home Alanna :-))) xxxx

@Phiyedough Год назад

She won't be fully British until she can pronounce the word correctly, it is not "Briddish"!

@bushwhackeddos.2703 Год назад

She looks northwestern European. So would be native to this part of the world.

@Camberwell86 Год назад

I'm a born and bred Londoner who's lived in leafy Staffordshire for 20+ years now. Whenever I spend 2 days or more in London I'm like "ok I wanna go home now" 😅

@belle8597 Год назад

I'm a stokie born and bred and I've visited London and I loved it but I could never live down there.

@Stevesixty7 Год назад

Same here Belle.

@raiskis1 Год назад

I moved from the UK to Spain and then to the US. I feel equally homesick at times for both of those places. Leicester, Barcelona and NM since you ask. Home is where the heart is.

@phoenix-xu9xj Год назад

Why would you want to live in the US 🤷‍♀️

@raiskis1 Год назад

@@phoenix-xu9xj My wife is American.

@alanfisher1949 Год назад

Alanna, yes you are British by default. Canada was a British colony, it became independent from direct rule from the UK, but Canadians are family.

@Phiyedough Год назад

Yes, unlike USA, Canada has never been at war with Britain.

@BBRC7612 Год назад

For some reason they copied America with lots of ways ..eg driving side

@joshuataylor3550 Год назад

@@Phiyedough Seriously considered becoming part the US though. Also I don't think indigenous Canadians feel very British.

@lorgabluc Год назад

French Canadian here 👋 my family roots are certainly very interesting being first descendant in canada from new France. Could write ✍️ a book 📖 aka outlander 😆 😂 I definitely have a soft spot when I go to Britain and France. It’s a déjà vue feeling each time honestly. Those feelings are incomparable when I go to other continents. Our roots are who we are, no doubts about that.

@alanfisher1949 Год назад

@@joshuataylor3550 indiginous Canadians are native Canadians, essentially Indian Tribes. All others came from overseas, mainly from the UK or France. We still regard Canada as family, along with Australia and others. If they no longer feel British, it's because they became independent and went their own ways. We in the UK still consider them family.

@gdok6088 Год назад

You're becoming an honorary Brit. For a lot of us Brits there's always something great about getting back home to good 'Old Blighty' to use an old fashioned term for England / Britain.

@PhilTang5083 Год назад

Hey Alanna, another expat here...well double expat...Canadian that moved to Oz for a long time now I have moved to the Uk, enjoying your stuff and always nice to hear another canadian accent ;)

@andycapp3499 Год назад

As the saying goes, 'home is where the heart is'. Yours obviously is in the UK. welcome home

@shizam1400 11 месяцев назад

What a lovely video. Glad you feel so at home in Britain. I would add to your list, our weather! Not to everyone’s taste, but I love a moody sky, cloud, rain, sunshine - usually all in one day.

@notreallydavid Год назад

I've had 'Buy something or get lost' (paraphrasing) in both the UK (London, specifically) and Italy - so there ya go!

@weeblesdontwobble Год назад

Always love your videos, but must say and hope you don't mind, but at this point I'm proud to say as an English man that you've been adopted by us brits and we are lucky to have you 💙💙💖💖

@AdventuresAndNaps Год назад

Thank you so much!

@williamwallace5857 Год назад

Brits, Englishman, make your mind up. They are not one and the same.

@weeblesdontwobble Год назад

@@williamwallace5857 I'm British and I live in England and hopefully that now makes it more understandable why both were used.

@williamwallace5857 Год назад

@@weeblesdontwobble But your picture didn't make the distinction and that's why I came here. You say 'I never thought I'd miss England' but there is a BRITISH flag there.

@weeblesdontwobble Год назад

@@williamwallace5857 I did not post a picture, just a comment.

@akula9713 11 месяцев назад

Whenever I travel I take a travel kettle, with cups, plug adapter, Yorkshire tea bags and a milk carton. It’s an essential.

@jeffstevens4262 Год назад

Dear dear Alannah, it's really heartwarming to see you were 'homesick' for us here in England and our way of life. God bless you, the honorary British part of you will never leave you now. ❤💙💚🤎

@orbytl2799 Год назад

i always miss England when i go away always look forward to getting home after a bit

@disaffectedmale Год назад

English born and bred and living in Bristol currently. I miss England too. I can't remember the last time I felt like I actually lived there.

@phildane7411 Год назад

I love that you allow that English, as spoken in England is, *technically*, English.

@steveconnor746 Год назад

Loved the video. I'm off to Italy in October and looking forward to feeling homesick.

@graememorrison333 Год назад

Haha!

@davidcox2264 Год назад

The old saying there's no place like home is so true. I totally agree about the the bed and pillow.❤

@holliswilliams8426 Год назад

I actually found the same in Spain, sometimes the customer service is so moody and miserable it just starts to get you down a bit.

@howardkey1639 Год назад

Great little video Alanna, I'm glad you had a great holiday but it's nice to hear that you missed us while you were away, we all missed you too. Welcome home Miss Naps. 😊

@AdventuresAndNaps Год назад

Thank you so much!

@mccpcorn2000 Год назад

I remember going to a little coffee shop in Rome. It was lovely, but the cups were TINY. I'm used to a massive Costa takeout cup that will last me about an hour as I sit and draw, or read or write. It wasn't an option in Rome seemingly!

@rob6211 Год назад

We missed you too

@s.c.9878 5 месяцев назад

I really understand you missing your bed and pillows. At some point, I decided to take one of my pillows with me on vacations. It really helped me sleep, but it does take up a bit of room in my suitcase!

@Andrew8468 Год назад

Great video Alanna

@AdventuresAndNaps Год назад

Thank you!!

@andyleighton6969 Год назад

Old Blue Eyes said it best: It's very nice to go traveling To Paris, London and Rome It's oh, so nice to go traveling But it's so much nicer Yes, it's so much nicer to come home!

@alanmills9492 Год назад

Hello Alanna, that's so true. It's a privilege to visit wonderful places but even better to come back to where you feel at home.

@SteveMikre44 Год назад

Alanna missed her home and there is nothing wrong with that...😊

@AdventuresAndNaps Год назад

☺️

@fatbelly27 Год назад

The free museums are a great thing about London. Also how clean it now is, at least compared to 20 years ago,

@amz7290 Год назад

All I can say about the bed one is I feel this for sure... there is no better bed than your own, especially when your away from it init😂

@johnwatson5235 Год назад

Alanna going on holiday is great and you can have the time of your life,but you can't beat coming home to a real cuppa and your own bed. Maybe even a Gregg's sausage roll and a bevvy at the local to round the holiday off. Then whinging about the crappy weather wishing you were away again 😂 Your as British as they come,go girl great vid as always 😊

@Believer3_ Год назад

Thank you, commonwealth lady

@TheCornishCockney Год назад

You are an honorary Brit Alana,whether you like it or not!

@stephenphillip5656 Год назад

Great video Alanna. I was told that the Italian hand gestures are a language all their own. I was in Sardinia where Italian is the natural language. Sitting in a piazza in Cagliari, I watched as 2 men had a conversation. I couldn't hear what they said but I understood a lot through the hand gestures! It was obvious that they hadn't met up for a while & were enjoying a good natter. Missing your home & routine is part of being on holiday. You'll *always* be Canadian, but you can certainly call yourself an honorary Brit. Take care Alanna & keep on great videos.

@MagentaOtterTravels Год назад

I'm finally coming to visit KENT! In July. Can't wait!!!

@graememorrison333 Год назад

Goudhurst, Cranbrook, Biddenden. Centre your stay around there

@MagentaOtterTravels Год назад

@@graememorrison333 thanks so much for the advice!

@A_English_Gent Год назад

Nice as Always Alanna your more British then you think :)

@zekesdad5518 Год назад

That is one of the side effects of traveling. The unexpected longing for home. It certainly can make one appreciate the mundane. That said... being in the US, traveling to the UK is my favorite... for all the reasons you enumerated.

@matc6221 Год назад

I love your jumper

@jimcounter4945 Год назад

As a adopted Brit did you really think you wouldn't miss home, hope you had a great time.

@davidlukey5189 Год назад

You seriously need to visit Cornwall. It's quirky, beautiful Britain at its best.

@gdfggggg Год назад

Yes. Spent my holidays there when I was a kid.

@royc349 Год назад

As a Brit when you go on holiday either home or abroad the first thing you do when you get home is put the kettle on for a cup of tea. Absolute Heaven

@YvonneWilson312 Год назад

Absolutely true!

@Nekr0n35 Год назад

or just use a electric kettle

@robertlangley1664 Год назад

So true

@kw8757 Год назад

The last time we went to Italy in 2019, Positano for 3 weeks, we took a kettle with us and a months worth of tea bags. Absolute Heaven.

@sarkybugger5009 Год назад

@@kw8757 I always travel with plenty of my favourite teabags. A kettle is taking things a bit too far. 😁

@AaronTheHipHopGuy Год назад

Hope you’re feeling better! I missed you and your streams!

@AdventuresAndNaps Год назад

Thanks Aaron! I should be better for Wednesday ☺️

@ShainThomas Год назад

I never thought I'd miss Texas but, after being in London since November 2022, here we are.

@graememorrison333 Год назад

It's the weather, innit! God, I hate the weather here, and I'm English.

@EmilyCheetham Год назад

I concur. I love going on holiday. But I love coming home to my own bed.

@calumknight9178 Год назад

The way I see it, if you feel at home here and you get on with everyone that makes you just as British as someone who's born here. (In a few cases a lot more British than some born here)

@andyt8216 Год назад

So far this year I’ve been to Lithuania and Spain and I was thinking of the three things the Uk does better than most other European countries…. 1) removing graffiti tags which seem everywhere in nearly every European country, and I hate it so so much 2) our sturdy plugs which are the best in the world (especially compared to the two thin bits of metal you have to shove into the socket in the US) 3) our breakfast sausages. Those thin and red “foreign” sausages just don’t compare to our meaty bangers!

@lyndoncmp5751 Год назад

Pubs pubs pubs pubs pubs!!! Best in the world!

@shirleyk7647 Год назад

🇨🇦Alana, I remember feeling exactly the same way when travelling overseas to a non English speaking country. We had travelled from Vancouver and made a stop in England to see my mother’s family (mother came to Canada as a War Bride). Onto the non English speaking country. I often felt like I was inside a box not being able to understand or communicate with most people. I remember our trip back and another stop over in England and how grateful I was to hear English spoken again, even though it was so different from what we speak in Canada.

@helenbrown5838 5 месяцев назад

There are a lot of great free museums etc in Liverpool as well worth a visit

@kevfquinn Год назад

Living quite controversially with some of that 🤣 On the free museums - initialy I thought, "yes but that's very much a London thing" - but perhaps not; here in Hastings, the Hastings Museum and Art gallery, the Fishermen's Museum, and the Shipwreck museum are all free (they're small compared to the big London national museums of course!). Council-run museums like HMAG are often free (or at least low cost); and many small museums are charity-funded so have a free to visit, donation if you want to arrangement.

@vereybowring Год назад

For the coffee thing I think the likeliest problem is to do with your taste buds becoming used to the UK coffee, but not just the beans or brew method but also the water used. Most people forget the water can have an effect on the final taste and you get used to beverages made with your "home" water. I grew up in the highlands and tea/coffee made anywhere than with my home town water tasted less good to me for many years after I moved just 150 miles south (I still don't like the tap water anywhere but my home town) lol

@samuel_excels Год назад

As some who grew up in a hard water area in England but had grandparents who lived up in the Highlands of Scotland with soft peaty water, I can relate. The water where my parents live is terrible, it's really hard (you get a thin layer of scum forming on top of a cup of tea) but in Scotland it was brilliant, with better tea and coffee as a result.

@Andrew-uq4zo Год назад

Ya defo becoming British by evert vid gal respect to you glad you enjoyed ya hols n welcome back home ✌️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇨🇦❤ x

@callumbriggs3372 Год назад

i must say i dont watch this channel all the time but know about it and i am for sure seeing bits of british in yourself ie movement, words, accent and things that you like

@arkroyalrifemoonbasealpha6101 Год назад

When i go travelling i always pack a jar of instant coffee in other places its so so strong i get heart palpitations

@kumasenlac5504 Год назад

7:47 "to communicate in English" (grips fingertips together in stereotypical Italian gesture) (o:

@hammersteve2746 Год назад

Love your videos Alanna.....all done with humour and grace. A new (UK) subscriber. Canada should be proud of you. 😊

@Gary-du4xm Год назад

Great video as always xx

@moncadcg Год назад

#2 1000%!!!! Coming home to your own bed and fresh sheets is the BEST feeling!!!

@simonwatson5299 Год назад

Honestly, you just blew my mind!! I never thought you would have said anything close to this, EVER!! I knew you liked it here, but I thought it was mainly because your fella is here, and you like the pretty towns and museums, but you really missed Canadian life etc... Have we broken you?? Lol. Great video Alana. xx

@revbenf6870 Год назад

I am with you on coffee. I've been to Italy four times, I love being there, love the food and wine and everything. My one big gripe is you can't get a decent large cup of coffee that will last more than 3 sips and relax and watch the world go by, one of the greatest things about being on holiday!

@douglasmcclelland Год назад

Loved this, you sound more British than I am, and I’ve lived here all my life…. Really glad you’re enjoying living here!

@jonmccormick602 Год назад

On the coffee thing, we and some friends went to a restaurant close to the Ponte Vecchio. One of our friends always drank cappuccino (I’m an espresso man myself!) and tried to order one at the end of dinner, only to be told rather tartly by the restaurant manager that cappuccino was only served up until midday! We never did find out why, but I’m assuming that traditionally cappuccino is seen as a breakfast drink, but our Italian hosts in the Locanda we were staying in in Umbria let out a stream of Italian vernacular when told them which roughly translated to “stuck up Florentines!” (actually it was worse than that….if you get my drift!😂)

@heskeyisgod8039 Год назад

Great video Alanna! It's always nice to come home after a holiday :-)

@AdventuresAndNaps Год назад

I totally agree!

@richardhargrave6082 Год назад

I miss my stuff too, when we go on holiday

@stracepipe Год назад

Whenever we returned from holiday, my Mum would say "It's nice to go on holiday but it's nice to come home". Re the sense of humour - that's why I couldn't live abroad. Brits see humour in every situation and make heavy use of irony, which foreigners generally don't understand. When abroad I constantly find myself saying "I was joking!"

@wattie9017 Год назад

Glad you dropped french. Love giving the French two finger salute

@macmedman Год назад

You are an honorary Brit, and glad to have you

@carolineskipper6976 Год назад

Yeah- getting the coffee right is kind of important! I'm right behind you on this one - not specifically about Italian coffee - but it need to be RIGHT for you! Glad you had a nice trip away!

@kgs42 Год назад

Come back. You are nice. We miss you being here.

@MrMarkg9 Год назад

I can't believe you didn't miss your Yorkshire tea!

@stephentaylor1476 Год назад

If you go to Rome in May they have a culture week and all the museums are free.

@thomaslees7340 Год назад

Allanna, I definitely get the coffee thing, and they are grumpy when serving. And definitely bed

@Daytona2 Год назад

😮as a Brit I'm surprised about the coffee! (but at the price, perhaps I shouldn't be?). We've always had coffee shops since the 17th century and there's been a resurgence since Starbucks arrived in 1998, but I think that everyone just assumes that the traditional coffee drinking countries like Italy make better coffee. (I'm allergic - the caffeine irritates me) Perhaps being habituated describes how you feel ? A thought provoking vid, thanks Alanna 👍

@alexhaynes7220 Год назад

I agree with you and I have been on holiday to where went

@steveberwick4417 Год назад

I was at a railway station in Manchester once and an Italian businessman was buying a ticket and asked for a receipt. The ticket guy deadpanned 'The ticket's free but it's £68 for the receipt ' The Italian guy simply did not understand the humour.He wasn't annoyed,just confused! Faced with this scene an English person would probably join in and deadpan back 'Receipt's are getting expensive aren't they' or suchlike.

@BillBailey0 Год назад

Keep on keeping on bab, hope you get your English passport soon.

@JupiterThunder 7 месяцев назад

You're kind-of British. You are an Empire baby! 😄

@castorpollux5154 Год назад

I’m Brazilian 🇧🇷 and I watch your channel 🤷‍♀️

@matc6221 Год назад

Nothing like your own bed to come back and crash. The guy in flat downstairs is Italian, nice guy, but they talk loud. I'd love to got to Florence one day but also would really like to visit the vast ruins of Herculaneum 😀

@glennismade Год назад

I've been to Italy at least 6 times over the years. And I've never had anything but 100% respect for them. They are wonderful people. I've always loved them. They are soo passionate, welcoming and helpful. They just aren't British/American in their culture. They are a lot more reserved etc. I've never had any problems communicating or anything. Although, that might be down to my love of their culture etc. The thing with Coffee in Italy is its not common to drink anything outside of an espresso after 11am. They also drink very short espresso.