In Bologna, most people's first language is Italian, but English is taught in school so young people can speak both languages fluently. At the astrophysics research institute I work at, everyone speaks English because that is the language of the worldwide scientific community. All papers and presentations are given in English no matter the nationality of the scientist. This is helpful for me in my daily life, so I don't have to learn Italian astrophysics vocabulary!
Italy is a part of the European Union (EU), a group of countries in Europe that uses the same type of currency. Every country in the EU uses euros including Italy. There are coins and paper bills similar to our money, but with 1 euro and 2 euro coins instead of bills. There is a culture in Italy of using more physical money than cards, unlike in the U.S.
1 euro! Which is about $1.15.
I tried a Chinese cafe that served bao buns, and they were delicious! Something interesting is that the Chinese restaurants here accommodate Italian tastes, naming dishes after the pasta dishes they most resemble, like spaghetti for lo mein, or ravioli for these baos.
