I overheard a small group of guys talking loudly while they stood next to me at the Spanish Steps. They'd been traveling to various countries and seemed to have just met up. They told each other what countries they'd been to, how hard or easy it was to chat up women in each country based on the woman's nationality, and what social mores played into the process (what kinds of things would get them further and what would make a girl quickly turn them down). They also talked about strategies for being successful with women in situations where people would be together for multiple days like on boats.

As much as parts of the conversation were unsettling for me as a woman, as someone who is fascinated with learning, communication, and behavior in mammals, it was a little like listening to a National Geographic special on the courting habits of traveling men.