Travel with Rick Steves · Saturday, August 8, 2026
Tour guides Nina Bernardo and Susanna Perocchini advise first-time visitors to Italy to embrace 'bella chaos' and be prepared for closer physical proximity than they might be used to in America. They suggest accepting nuances and 'gray areas' as part of the Italian experience, as Italians are adept at improvising solutions.
“You have to be able to accept nuances and gray areas and things are not black and white and there's not a black or white answer to everything.”
“Italians are very good at improvising solutions to problems. Whereas I think North Americans may be tend to see a right and a wrong all the time.”
“Well, in Italy, I mean, we just say chaos. In Italy, they are often saying Bella Chaos.”