I love Italians!

So, after passing through Germany and the Czech, we were disappointed by our interactions with people while in Munich and Prague.
The atmosphere in Germany and the Czech is different - much different from other parts of Europe that we'd visited. It's gloomy, and people are short with you. I don't know that we saw anyone smiling, and it's almost as though there is a lack of hope, and definitely a lack of tolerance.
Our tour guide in Prague told us that the Czech is one of the most atheist nations in Europe, something that I think I had heard at my church in high school when we sent mission trips there.
I had to wonder if that had anything to do with the atmosphere.
It was so distinct, and so interesting.

But we board our overnight train to Roma, and we have quite a different experience with the Italian ticket collector.
We were so confused when we got to our little room, because there were just three seats. But then we figure out that there are beds, you just have to pull them down. An Austrian woman was sitting there, and didn't know any English, but we all tried to pull the beds down.
Wrong.
The Italian collector on our cart comes by and says "No, no, what are you doing? You broka everything!"
Uh oh.
We thought we were in trouble, but then he continues, putting our beds back up with a bit of a smirk,
"Vere (where) are you frome? America? "
We nod.
"Okay, zen one million dollars. You broka everything!"
We're laughing by this time.
Then he wanted to know which one of us had gotten the idea to do it. Leslie points to me. The Italian rolls his eyes.
I tell him it was her.
Oh geez, good times.
But he was very nice, asking us which state we lived in, and continuing to inquire about our trip the next morning.
He woke us up with a rhythmic knock and says with a smile, "Buongiorno!"
He tells us, "Get up, and quick, I have another train to catch!" He asks how our train ride was and we said nice. "No, no! Not nice, VERY nice!"
"Okay," I say, "Molto benne!" - which is Italian for very nice - and he seems satisfied.
We were in Rome!