Lunch break at work. In Italy.

I was fortunate enough to be linked up with my friends Beth and Ruph's friend, Aziz. He works at FAO ( Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) in Rome and was nice enough to treat me to lunch at FAO's fantastic cafeteria and chat about Rome.
I was particularly impressed with the grill section and opted to get a freshly cooked salmon with a side of caprese.
Aziz then showed me the beautiful view from the building's terrace that showcased the city in a 180 degree view.
Some interesting things we discussed:
- mostly everyone owns a car (even the poor ones)
- newcomers and young people like to live in the city, but people with families tend to live on the outskirts (just like Manhattan)
- Rome operates as a big city but somethings don't function like they should, such as public transportation and the post office
- there are so many side streets with statues and fountains that the best way to discover them is to get lost walking around. Aziz has been in Rome for 12 years and he's still discovering new streets!
- there's a distinct cultural difference between northern (Venetians) and southern (Romans) Italians. Romans view Venetians as conservative, formal, square, and close-minded. Somewhat "countryside." Northerners view Romans as crazy, aggressive, loud and liberal.
I'm going to have to take my new found knowledge with me when I return to Venice and see if it is true!