Lost in Italy

Wayne Hunt : Lost in ItalyIt’s easy to get lost in Italy. Not a lot of straight streets, logical urban grids or intuitive addressing. The hilly topography doesn’t help either. Being disoriented a couple times a day is part of the Italian experience. Fortunately, as shown here, there is not much enforcement to prevent private properties from putting up their own wayfinding signs in the public way. And, thank goodness they do or you might never find your hotel – even after checking in and returning after a nice cena di tre portate dinner.

But, it is often fun to get un-lost by just strolling around and trying to sense the ‘hidden logic’ of the place. Americans expect efficiency, order and for things to be obvious. In Italy you get none of the above. You need to suspend your Western expectations a bit to really enjoy yourself. If you wanted order you’d be vacationing in Salt Lake, not Sicily.