1936 On the Continent

and rather superfluous creature. The fact itself may be overlooked, but to defend such immorality is as rude as to expectorate on the floor.
Superstitions
    You have no doubt heard that superstition plays a considerable part in Italy, particularly among the common people. The Italians laugh at superstition, but in reality they proceed on the principle that it cannot hurt them to act in accordance with the various superstitions.
    The following are a few of the more “important” superstitions.
    You must never, never place a hat on a bed, walk under a ladder, open an umbrella indoors, marry or invite guests on a Tuesday or Friday, and you must avoid everything connected with the number seventeen. Some Italians swear that a humpbacked woman brings misfortune, while a humpbacked man brings luck. Young girls count themselves extremely lucky if they can pass between two
carabinieri
. The
carabinieri
are soldiers on police duty, and according to regulations they must walk close together. If there happens to be a gap between them young girls slip through, in order to be lucky.
    This is important! If you have an upset of some kind, if you miss your train, forget your powder puff or clothes brush, do not advertise the fact that “of course, this would happen to
me
” and do not enumerate all your past misfortunes, for the Italians have a superstitious fear of “unlucky people” who, by their mere presence, may transmit this quality to other people. It happens even to-day that such Jonahs are treated almost as untouchables. The only sure remedy against the contamination of their presence is to touch iron—a key, a pair of scissors or the like.
    In polite society in Italy a man salutes a married woman—but not a girl—by kissing her hand. The general mode of salutation since the advent of Mussolini has been the raising of the right arm, a very attractive gesture, and also convenient. You do not crumple your hat and you need not shake hands with everybody, which is a blessing in the hot summer months. It is a universally accepted custom to salute a funeral cortege or a military flag. Even if you are a foreigner, salute the Italian flag, thereby paying homage to those Italians who have died for their country.
VI—HOTELS AND STREETS
    If you are a newspaper reader—and I assume that you are—you may be doubtful as to whether you ought to travel at all “in view of the present political situation.” Or perhaps you are thinking that you ought to give Italy a miss, since, owing to Sanctions you have doubts as to the quality of the food and other comforts. Let me reassure you. You can still obtain in Italy everything you maydesire, from your favourite brand of Scotch whisky to Strasbourg
pâté a foi gras
and, if you can afford it, from swallow’s nest soup to
kumis
. At hotels you will receive the same excellent service as in the midst of the palmiest days of peace.
    It is rather difficult to speak of
the
Italian hotel. The hotel industry is in a high state of development and there are establishments—from luxury hotels to modest
pensions
—to satisfy all pockets. The E.N.I.T. each year publishes a list of all the Italian hotels, giving the,
maximum
prices for rooms and board. The “hotel coupons” issued by the E.N.I.T. offices are very convenient to the foreign traveller. The coupons are accepted by hotels everywhere in lieu of cash, and the foreign tourist can only obtain cheap petrol in Italy if he has purchased a certain number of these coupons. Unless there is some special event and all hotel accommodation is booked several weeks ahead, it is possible—and worth while—to haggle over the price of rooms and board.
    To those who are averse to experimenting I recommend the
pension
system. This is somewhat cheaper than renting a room at a hotel and feeding outside, though the
pension
method has the disadvantage that it prevents the traveller from getting acquainted with the interesting little restaurants of the various Italian cities. Those who travel economically are advised to rent a room only, thus preserving their freedom to feed where they like and at prices they can afford. Breakfast can be had—at a cost of two lire—at the stalls or bars to be found at every street corner, while lunch and dinner can be obtained at any small restaurant at from 6 to 10 lire.
Tips
    Tips are added to the bill in most hotels, restaurants and cafés, the addition varying between 10 and 15 per cent, of the basic amount of the