Coming back from a first trip to Europe definitely leaves you a bit jet lagged. It took us nearly two weeks to get back onto local time at full brain capacity. It was a very different trip for us as we moved around between 6 cities (Venice, Pisa, Florence, Assisi, Sorrento, and Rome) in 10 days and honestly it equated to lots of stress navigating new places, coordinating priorities, and communicating. I learned some fascinating things about the culture, history, and economics of Italy. As it was a couples trip rather than a school trip, I did have slightly different expectations and we did have a wonderful time. Here is a short synopsis of fun facts and traveling advice that hopefully gives you some insight into Italy.

1. You go to Italy to be a tourist; to see the sights of long gone empires like the Romans, which leaves the current 21st century not much in comparison to show for itself other than preserving this great history. That means much of the economy and daily life of Italians surrounds tourism including food, transportation, and shopping. So there aren't many "local spots" to learn about or understand as you are living it as tourists.
2. We rented a car which was probably an expense way to get around. Nonetheless we enjoyed the freedom and had no trouble translating our Colorado mountain driving to the hazardous cliffs and hills that we found in Italy. We did however forget to turn off "Avoid Tollways" on our GPS which extended our first drive by 2 hours. The Italians though totally get "keep to the right except the pass" and if there isn't a formal traffic lane, you have make one... specifically when passing in Tuscany.
3. Italy (including Venice) is just not the romantic city you have in your dreams. Yes, there are gondola drivers, operas, and naked statues but it was like trying to throw a Christmas party during Sunday Night Football; it just doesn't seem natural to cuddle up and whisper love notes to each other. Sure you can escape to your hotel with a bottle of wine, but with no A/C, full sized beds, or showers you can turn around in, the truth is you can only take it so far. My advice is to go for the art, architecture, and views... not the honeymoon luxury experience.
4. As I said in the China synopsis, I seek out the green spaces because nature helps relax me after the hustle and bustle of too many people. Other than Tuscany, the "Green Heart of Italy", there isn't much. Seriously, there aren't flower boxes or parks or trees anywhere in the cities. Oh, there was a garden in Florence but wow.
5. The food (espresso, bread, and wine) was pretty much everything you would expect and you would have the same experience in every restaurante pizzeria you went in.

General Q&A: