Thought Number One: After the bewildering nightmare of trying to get anywhere via bus or subway in Italy, taking public transit here is an absolute pleasure. Everything is clearly labeled, there are maps everywhere, and when you’re on the bus, all of the stops are spelled out and called out, so it’s always absolutely clear where you are. It’s pretty much the polar opposite of Italy, and it’s amazing.
(And this is somewhat unrelated, but there’s litter everywhere in Italy. Things are so much cleaner here. So that’s nice too.)
Thought Number Two: No one jaywalks here. Everywhere I’ve been in Europe so far (and especially in Italy), people really don’t care whether the little crosswalk guy says to go or to stop. If there aren’t any cars coming (and, sometimes, even if there are) people just go for it. Here, on the other hand, everyone waits very patiently, even if the roads are completely deserted.