4. Don’t Expect Tap Water at a Restaurant
Rome is full of public drinking fountains. Every few blocks, you’ll stumble upon a fontanelle spigot (sometimes quite elaborate and sculptural) where you can wet your whistle or fill your water bottle. This is the civilization that engineered mighty aqueducts, and their water is safe, clean and fresh – albeit a little high in calcium and chlorine. By all means, drink it and brush your teeth without fear of Ceasar’s revenge. However, tap water is rarely served in restaurants. Most locals and visitors buy inexpensive bottles of water when dining out, either acqua naturale (still) or acqua frizzante (sparkling), depending on if you want bubbles or not. While the tap water is perfectly potable, its just not the norm at restaurants and one of those things not to do when in Rome. You can insist on a glass of tap water, if you really want it, but your waiter may be a little put off by the request.
5. Don’t Splash in the Fountains
Speaking of water, put away any fantasies you may have of dancing barefoot in the fountains of Rome. It’s just not done. Anita and Marcello may have frolicked in the Trevi Fountain in La Dolce Vita, but that’s just in the movies. Go on, toss the traditional three coins in the fountain to ensure a return trip to Rome someday, but dive in for a dip and the polizia may have something to say about it.
6. Don’t Snap Selfies in the Sistine Chapel
The official rule is there’s no photography in the Sistine Chapel, no matter how much you want to Intagram Michelangelo’s masterpiece ceiling. Yep, you see tourists trying to break this rule all the time, but it’s usually met with a chorus of “No photo! No video!” from the vigilant security guards. There’s a rule against flash photography in many museums around the world, including the Vatican Museums, mainly due to concerns of incessant flashes affecting the priceless artwork. That’s not the case in the Sistine Chapel. Expensive restoration work was done in the 1980s and, to help fund the endeavor, exclusive rights to photograph this artistic wonder were sold to the Nippon Television Network of Japan. This deal has since expired, but the official rule remains in place. After all, lovely photobooks are available at the gift shop. Consider this one of the things not to do when in Rome, although many tourists manage to sneak a snap now and then.
