That girl's comment was my first eye-opening incident in eventually understanding that Italy has a superior culture to our Anglicized nations. Another was walking around in Verona with a local. She would stop and have one to three minute conversational exchanges with total strangers of any age or gender, then proceed on her way. They would talk with each other as if they were neighbors from the same street. I don't know about "the Continent," but Italy is just plain better. Have to accept it.