Last fall, I worked remotely and traveled across Europe, visiting friends and exploring some of the big cities I'd heard so much about. I went to a few places in Italy during my childhood, but I'd never been to the capital, so I was excited to see Rome.  I spent two days and three nights sightseeing, eating, and trying to soak in the Eternal City. But there were plenty of surprises along the way.

Water fountains are everywhere, and they're safe to drink from. Around Rome, there are hundreds of free water fountains or "nasonis." The water in most of the decorative fountains around the city is recycled. But when you see a thin hooked spout on a cylindrical fountain, that's potable water. Nasoni means "big nose," and that's kind of what the spout looks like.