Ideas about traveling

I know that lots of you travel like we did through work, but it is amazing how much you learn on each trip.  We are sitting a Via S Salvatore 6, Verona, Italy, discussing the ups and downs of the trip.  In no specific order:

1. Europeans do not use wash cloths.  If you want 'em, bring 'em with you.  
2. When packing, consider that you will be carrying your luggage up and down the stairs at all train stations.
3. When travelling with a group of people seriously consider a travelling purse --- that is pool your money for all expendables and re-fresh as needed.  We had no problems at any restaurant or bar because one person paid for everything.
4. Bring clothes that can be hand washed and dried over night.  Remember that our Italian washer in the apartment took 2 and a half hours for one load.  There are  no dryers.
5. Ladies - If non-Western bathrooms are all you have available, take care with how you squat down, make sure your pants are pulled to the front, and be careful where you aim.  It is not like pee-ing straight down on an American john!
6. Ladies - If you are in a non-Western bathroom, make sure you securely lock the door lest it flies open while you are in mid-stream.  If the door flies open, #5 doesn't really matter.
7. Italian coffee is powerful and concentrated.  Make sure you buy plenty of milk to mix with it in the morning.  We bought a liter, but ran out off three days---and only two of us drank coffee.
8. Make sure you know the words for "salt" and "sugar" before you refresh the sugar bowl.
9. Can't advise you about the lights, but we never figured out the switches in any of the hotels, nor in this apartment.  We just kept turning them on until the one we wanted lit up.  Don't even get me started about the hotels where you had to insert your room key into a slot to keep the lights on.
10. If traveling in a group like ours, consider a "first aid kit" for the group.  We used band aids and Neosporin for messed up knees from falling off the bike, ibuprofin for sore muscles, but we were also prepared for lots of other ailments like colds, gastro-intestinal ailments, etc.....  Motorbike says to bring along an anti-bruising pill.  Of course, we hope that none of you fall as much as we have done.
11. Although the new unstructured/barefoot athletic shoes are all the rage in the US, don't count on using them on these European cobblestone streets.  The soles are just too thin.
12. Although the prices for food seem a bit high, realize that you are not paying a 20% tip---it is included in the price.
13. It is not advisable to ask your roommate right before going to sleep if she knows what a bed bug looks like while pointing to a small black dot on the white bedspread on her bed.
14. When trying to navigate these small and ancient streets, looking for a parking garage, don't joke with the navigator.  She who did not heed the warning in #5 above is not going to think it is funny if you respond jokingly to her statement that she is "looking for P".  She means that she is looking for the capital P for parking garage.  Keep it to yourself if you're thinking of a different meaning for pee.  
15. We love Verona and will definitely consider returning for a longer time.  This apartment is in the best part of town, the owner Carlo is just fantastic.  Cannot recommend it too highly.