1. Start your day outside Caffè Vittorio Emanuele in Piazza Maggiore with a cappuccino and brioche (they’ll also give you a glass of water to go with it), and watch the world unfold.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT ITALIANS AND FOOD? Italians are the only culture I know whose conversation during a meal, is about what their next meal will be.

When my Italian husband first told me that spring in Italy began on the 21st of March rather than the 1st, I thought he was joking. “Oh really?” I exclaimed sarcastically. “And what date does summer begin on then, the 8th of June?”.

Why do Italians survive winter without going to Queensland (or Puglia)? The first time I was served a hot chocolate in Italy I thought I must have asked for the wrong thing. For a start it wasn’t liquid, my spoon could stand up in it. Secondly, it was covered in a tower of whipped cream.

Lately I have seen a number of pieces of journalism about kindness, its power, and whether we as Australians have enough of it. An article in The Age was about the kindness of some Roman policemen that seemed to touch the hearts of many.

We all know that Italians are among the best-dressed people on the earth, but why is this? What is it about their fashion and clothing that always makes it look so good, and distinguishes it? After twenty years of intense observation and attempted emulation, my conclusion is that it comes down to two things – details and tailoring.